I built a 5.7 Vortec to install in my 1953 Chevy Suburban. I want to keep my cost as low as possible and custom brackets and pulleys are expensive. Has anyone used original equipment bracket and pulleys, on a late model Chev Small Block with vortec heads? The engine compartment is narrow and tall. I think there must be a V Belt application that will work. Thanks in advance for your help.
I dont think the reg rotation water pump will work on the Vortec block...? The bypass on the passenger side is not used on those blocks because of the reverse rotation water flow does not require it...? The reg rotation water pump used this to keep the flow going to the back cylinders and a late Vortec block does not have this hole...
I might be wrong on this but I`m not 100% sure... Although you could tap off the rear intake water crossover and pipe it back into the pump to get proprer circulation possibly...?
Does anyone have link to water flow in a SBC possibly also a BBC...?
It's my understanding, that I just have to remove the plug in the top of the water pump and run a hose to the front of my intake manifold. The fittings already exist. What concerns me more is, when I looked at the serpentine setup from a 1997, it appeared to be to wide for my engine compartment. I found a set of brackets at Alan Grove Components, but they're $160. Hoping to find OEM pulleys that would work. That way I can pick them up at the wrecking yard. If anyone finds my information to be incorrect, please let me know. Thanks for your reply's.
The bolt holes in the head are in the same location as the earlier engines. You can also use the older style water pump because the 5.7 is not reverse rotation. Basically you just need to find a donor vehicle and remove all of the brackets and pulleys and you will be good to go.
Uh excuse me but a 1997 Vortec does use a reverse rotation water pump...? The have done so since 87 or 88...
Just re-read your post (strokernova) and I think you are referring to the engine rotation (which is the same as always)...? I was talking about the water pump rotation...
Sly... If you look at the block where the water pump bolts on the passenger side holes their is a small hole just below the main hole for the water pump... This is the bypass I am referring to but on the Vortec block it is either not there or is blocked off in the casting... Look at an older block to see for sure and compare it to yours... Also notice the water pump that comes off the Vortec engine is different as it has a bypass line (that connects to the intake like a BBC) and also a heater hose line... But the bypass is a part of the main body of the waterpump...
I think I was possibly misunderstood on the bypass I was meaning...
The 1997 5.7 Vortec DOES NOT have reverse cooling. Reverse cooling is used on the LT1, LS1, LS6, 5.3 Vortec, 6.0 Vortec. Like I said in my previous post, an older style water pump will work.
Sly, I used a 5.7 Vortec to build the 383 thats in my Nova. I just used the water pump, pulleys and brackets from the original engine and everything worked perfect. Of course I am running a carb set up, if your keeping the TBI your intake coolant passages may be different.
BUMPSTICK You stated that you didn't believe a regular rotation water pump would fit. It will. That is what I was referring to. The Vortec engine I built the 383 out of didn't have the original water pump on it so I don't know if it was a reverse rotation.
I may be wrong but, I thought they started using a reverse rotation water pump in 1997 when they went to a serpentine setup. I know I can use either water pump depending on what belt system I choose. I'm running the Edelbrock manifold designed for the Vortec heads and an Edelbrock #1406 600 cfm carburetor. My original post is in reference to the brackets. My plan is to purchase a long neck regular rotation water pump. I need brackets from a donor with alternator and A/C pump mounted inside and above valve covers. I was hoping someone here had done this before and would tell me what their donor was, saving me the time scouting wrecking yards to find something to work.
Often the late 80's early 90's 4.3L Astro vans have the old style V-belt routing but the serpentine belt. That is what I used on my 97 Vortec with a new 78 350 waterpump.
If you want the V-belt routing and V-belt pulleys anything from 70-'87 or so should work.
The only problem you may have is the 3 point top alternator bracket may interfere with the intake as some originally mount to the intake.
Sorry I can't help you on a specific donor vehicle. I just used the same set up from the Nova. It may depend on the accessory holes on the intake you have. You may have to take that trip to the salvage yard. You'll probably find a few treasures while you're there.
I really appreciate all the help. I guess I'll go treasure hunting through a few wrecking yards. I like wondering through wrecking yards anyway. I can post back when I figure out what brackets and pulley's I end up using.
i bought a crate 5.7 vortec heads that i just transplanted into a 79 camaro, i was thinking it was going to be simple, just put the whole serpentine setup on that block and done deal..... till it started over heating. i went to local auto parts store and the water pumps flow differently... NOW I DONT KNOW HOW TO FIX THIS ISSUE!! lol
Yes this is easy you will need V-belt pulleys for the crankshaft and accessories, mounts for the accessories and a pre 1987 water pump and matching fan if it's driven off the pump hub.
The pre-serpentine V-Belt pump rotates clockwise just like the crankshaft when viewed from the front. The serpentine pump rotates counter-clockwise viewed from the same direction. This is also true of the fan blade pitch direction. So the pump and fan must be matched with the type of belt drive when using OEM or OEM type aftermarket drives. Not all aftermarket serpentine drives do this some are available that drive the pump and fan the same direction as the V-belt system.
Confusion: this occurs between the definitions for the GEN I 350 with or without Vortec heads, these are conventional cooling engines where the coolant is pumped into the front of the block cooling cylinder walls first then passing into the heads to cool the combustion chambers then returning with a common passage molded into the front of the intake manifold to the radiator. These engines use V-belts or Serpentine belts depending upon year of manufacture. The V-Belt pump and fan turns clockwise with the crankshaft rotation, the serpentine pump and fan turns counter-clockwise against crank rotation but both deliver coolant to the same passages in the block and return through the passage molded as part of the intake. The reversed cooling LT1 and LT4 of the mid 1990's is a GEN II small block it is a different beast. It looks very different from the GEN I with a completely foreign front end and no distributor. While the inside parts interchange, nothing of the block, heads, intake, or front end are common between them; at least not without a lot of expensive machine shop modification. This engine pumps coolant into a passage in front of the block where it is all turned and fed into the heads first (hence reversed coolant flow). After cooling the heads it flows down into the block where it moves forward to exit at the front under the coolant inlet ports. From there it goes to a mixing chamber which contains a multiple stage thermostat that mixes cold coolant from the radiator and hot coolant from the engine in a proportion that keeps the entire engine at a constant temp front to rear and top to bottom. In the conventional GEN I engine cold coolant enters at the front of the block and blasts against cylinders 1 and 2 which are always colder than the others giving them greater piston to cylinder wall clearance resulting in less efficiency and more unburnt hydrocarbon emissions as a result. This was one of the big problems the GEN II tried to solve with its complex and reversed cooling the other was to run higher compression for greater efficiency by cooling the combustion chambers first instead of the cylinder walls.
Anyway, this is a long digression about reversed cooling in the GEN II engines which is not to be confused with the reverse rotation of the serpentine and V-belt water pumps and fans of the GEN I engines.
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