EFI conversion on l31 swap

[Jrgunn5150]

Separate question, IF I decided I needed something better in the future (injection wise) and didn’t mind the look of it, aren’t there tpi setups for l31 heads? Pretty far off IF, though...

A 4L80 would be a direct swap as far as the transfer case goes, but you would need new driveshafts.

Edelbrock makes a affordable-ish intake for Vortec heads, after lines and everything else it's about 600 bucks if I remember, the Edelbrock XT. You could also get a single plane machined for injectors.

 

[Jrgunn5150]

I'll just add, I've seen FiTech TBI units make 700 hp, so there's really no need to go that route.

 

[rpcraft]

Separate question, IF I decided I needed something better in the future (injection wise) and didn’t mind the look of it, aren’t there tpi setups for l31 heads? Pretty far off IF, though...

The L31 blocks were about the best of the SBC as far as reliability, overall baseline performance, and economy, no doubt, but you will never offer you the performance or the efficiency of the newer LS motors, stock compared to stock.

The LS motor is basically the evolution of everything GM did right on all the previous SBC motors. TPI was the forerunner to the spider injection in the l31 vortec motors, and it was improved upon more with the LS series of motors. Even from the early LS motors there have been cumulative improvements in the output and efficiency, but there is a point where the amount of money you have to spend from one generation to the other in suit of performance falls off and climbs again.


I suspect your brand new L31 needs quite a bit more cash after purchase to make the same power as your typical junkyard 5.3 LS motor and the LS motor should easily see 250,000 miles with nothing but regular oil changes and keeping things maintained.

 

[rpcraft]

If you want to see a guy doing a K5 build here is his youtube feed, and keep in mind his truck, he is doing everything new, and some of it is costly, but you do not hae to go the show truck route...


https://www.youtube.com/user/wgreen32680/videos

 

[rpcraft]

I forgot I linked it once already, whoops, lol.

 

[Jrgunn5150]

I have a youtube channel as well,

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I paid 170.00 for my donor, after selling my stock engine and carb off, I have about 500 into my swap so far. I'm still holding my TH350 until tax time to sell.

Is this truck a weekend toy, or daily driver?

 

[rpcraft]

Awesome, I love to watch the swap vids.. More knowledge is always better. I just hate when i come across things that make me want to redo my setup, lol.

 

[rpcraft]

JR, you know what I really miss about the old style wrecking yards is when you used to be able to drive up to the vehicle and just check out when you left the yard...

 

[Jrgunn5150]

JR, you know what I really miss about the old style wrecking yards is when you used to be able to drive up to the vehicle and just check out when you left the yard...

Yeah, there are some yards now that don't even have those jacked up gantry cranes and stuff to use, everything has to be hand power because people are so stupid.

 

[Frankenchevy]

Is this truck a weekend toy, or daily driver?

Didn’t see this question until now. The truck isn’t a primary vehicle, I have other junk to drive around.

 

[rpcraft]

The thing about doing the LS swap is that its kind of like a gateway drug for tools. For me I got the motor and trans, and I was just going to slap it in, then I decided I wanted to put a cam in it and swap the springs, rebuild the transmission and transfer case. Then I decided I wanted to clean all the engine compartment. Next after that I'll clean all the drive train and paint that up. New brake MC, radiator and trans cooler, etc etc.

Now I am up to building a garage with 3 sleeping quarters to house all my tools and give me a nice big garage so I can get out of my apartment and the tiny garages associated with that.

 

[4WDKC]

The thing about doing the LS swap is that its kind of like a gateway drug for tools. For me I got the motor and trans, and I was just going to slap it in, then I decided I wanted to put a cam in it and swap the springs, rebuild the transmission and transfer case. Then I decided I wanted to clean all the engine compartment. Next after that I'll clean all the drive train and paint that up. New brake MC, radiator and trans cooler, etc etc.

Now I am up to building a garage with 3 sleeping quarters to house all my tools and give me a nice big garage so I can get out of my apartment and the tiny garages associated with that.

thats not just limited to LS swaps.

there are a couple of intakes for the the vortec 350. The Holley Stealthram is $700 without injectors,rails,regulator or throttle body this is what I think of whenever I hear someone mention MPI for SBC. If you can find it used it may be possible to be cheaper than LS swap if your vortec doesnt need rebuilt already, but heres where the snowball starts. The timing on the vortec 350 is retard by 4-6 degrees from the factory so your best results will come with a new timing set, followed by the while Im in there thoughts of a cam dance in your head. Now you needs valve springs, possibly retainers for clearance depending on the cam maybe even machine work. you see where this is going.

 

[Jrgunn5150]

thats not just limited to LS swaps.

there are a couple of intakes for the the vortec 350. The Holley Stealthram is $700 without injectors,rails,regulator or throttle body this is what I think of whenever I hear someone mention MPI for SBC. If you can find it used it may be possible to be cheaper than LS swap if your vortec doesnt need rebuilt already, but heres where the snowball starts. The timing on the vortec 350 is retard by 4-6 degrees from the factory so your best results will come with a new timing set, followed by the while Im in there thoughts of a cam dance in your head. Now you needs valve springs, possibly retainers for clearance depending on the cam maybe even machine work. you see where this is going.

That's why I'm seriously considering scrapping my turbo, it wasn't in my original build plan, it's only going to add cost and time to my project.

 

[4WDKC]

Just do the ls instead already has a MPI and much better ecm, 6 or 8 PSI on a 6.0 is supposed to be 600rwhp.

 

[Jrgunn5150]

Just do the ls instead already has a MPI and much better ecm, 6 or 8 PSI on a 6.0 is supposed to be 600rwhp.

Me? I have an LS engine lol.