98 5.7 vortec in a camaro..???

S

SidewaysRX8

Forum Member
hey guys im picking up a 2000 v6 camaro for a project car, and i hve a 5.7 vortec motor out of a 1998 silverado with a corvette tranny that i got for 600$...i was thinking of swaping out the manifold and changing it to a carburated setup...i am new to v8s and need help, what could i do to get some good numbers out of the vortec, change the heads, cams, etc, i got the motor for cheap and i got the car cheap, just trying to have some fun, can anyone help me out thanks....
 
Sean over at CARS (screen name Sean and a club sponsor) did a an old vette with that exact swap last year. It picked up a lot with the carb because of the intake used. It is a pretty weak motor stock.

-Geoff
 
oh yea, what else could i do to it, will any of the ls series heads bolt right up, im looking for 400whp, ...???? the motor was cheap and so was the car, any other help or opinions would be greatly appreciated, thanks
 
If you want that kind of power start building something from scratch.

If you modify those heads for some more lift, put a mild cam in it such as the gm hotcam and add a carb intake you can get a nice street motor with 350-400hp. Remember these are factory roller enignes so you can buy a roller cam and reuse your lifters if in good shape.

The stock heads flow quite well better than any other factory head for a small block.
 
fastredgmc said:
If you want that kind of power start building something from scratch.

If you modify those heads for some more lift, put a mild cam in it such as the gm hotcam and add a carb intake you can get a nice street motor with 350-400hp. Remember these are factory roller enignes so you can buy a roller cam and reuse your lifters if in good shape.

The stock heads flow quite well better than any other factory head for a small block.
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so can the 5.7 vortec drop right into a 2000 firebird...so should i not change the heads,what mods or what things can i do or do you recomend that i should do, to liven up this motor without costing a arm and a leg
 
SidewaysRX8 said:
so can the 5.7 vortec drop right into a 2000 firebird...so should i not change the heads,what mods or what things can i do or do you recomend that i should do, to liven up this motor without costing a arm and a leg
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I can see the motor physically fitting, but you're going to have to do something about the fuel system (high press. efi down to low psi carb), headers, exhaust, wiring, etc. As for performance as Mike said, get the heads set up for a big cam, run a hotcam or something similar and a good intake and 750 carb and you'll be good to go.
 
BigWheelinBubba said:
I can see the motor physically fitting, but you're going to have to do something about the fuel system (high press. efi down to low psi carb), headers, exhaust, wiring, etc. As for performance as Mike said, get the heads set up for a big cam, run a hotcam or something similar and a good intake and 750 carb and you'll be good to go.
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so what should/could i do about the fuel set up...and about fitting that big of a cam, i am a complete noob to v8s,let alone carbs, but am willing to learn so any advice or info is greatly appreciated...
 
you can use headers and mounts etc from an lt1 car.

As for a fuel systems you may be able use a regulator on the stock pump to turn it down or use a complete aftermarket pump such as Holley blue pump. Im not sure if your egine has the provisions for a mechanical pump some of the later model ones do and most dont even if it does im not sure if a mechanical pump would even fit the car.

For your heads you will have take them off. I would have them redone and have the guides trimmed down for more lift. Stock they are good to about 470 or so. decide what cam you are going to use and get the springs matched to the cam. If your going with alot of lift with a heavy dual spring i would have srew in studs installed in the heads as well since the pressed in studs will start to fall out at that point.

Personally i think you would be far better off selling all you have and picking up a early lt1 car. You get get a solid 93 or 94 that may need a few minor things for under 2500 or a good driving one for under 4000. I think you will far exceed that with your project.
 
SidewaysRX8 said:
hey guys im picking up a 2000 v6 camaro for a project car, and i hve a 5.7 vortec motor out of a 1998 silverado with a corvette tranny that i got for 600$...i was thinking of swaping out the manifold and changing it to a carburated setup...i am new to v8s and need help, what could i do to get some good numbers out of the vortec, change the heads, cams, etc, i got the motor for cheap and i got the car cheap, just trying to have some fun, can anyone help me out thanks....
Click to expand...

That motor stock is 255/330 HP/torque, not far below an LT1 (275/330) F-body. If you go carb, a dual plane will keep the torque up, but it might not be that hard to wire the EFI into the car. Not sure is traction control could be made to work, but you could get all the guages working pretty easy, most of the senders are GM common.

Downside to that motor is that the heads are not set up for much more than 0.470" lift. There are lots of cams out there for this motor though. If you are freshening up, all you need to do is have the valve stem guides cut to allow the seals to sit lower, allowing more lift. Scoggin Dickey also sells these heads already modified for ~0.550 lift IIRC.

If you go big on power that stock intake will hold you back as the injectors are goofy and I don't know where you'd get higher flow ones. A RamJet intake will bolt right on, and the controller works with standard injectors (LS1/LT1/Ford etc). The Ramjet is a few hundred + fuel rails, but the TB is a standard LS1 TB, and the MAP is the same as the one in the truck.
As others have mentioned, you can use the LT1 mount on the left, but the block does not have provisions for all 3 bolts that the LT1 uses.

Not sure on the accessories, like will they clear the hood, but you can also try some old TBI truck accessories, they might fit a little better. Admittedly, I know more about what pieces on the engine will work more than I know about fitting it in an F-body.

Personally, I'd look for an LS1 drop out with cradle to put in the Camaro, it will be more plug and play than this. But if you want to tinker on the cheap, it can be done.

Having a truck with a smoky motor and a fresh 4.8L LR4 (LSx) in the shop is what made me put the two together, so I kinda lean toward projects like this. Same with the LT1/Porsche 944 I helped my (late) friend put together.

Keep us posted if you decide to do it. I'd be happy to offer some wiring advice if you go that route.
 
fastredgmc said:
you can use headers and mounts etc from an lt1 car.

As for a fuel systems you may be able use a regulator on the stock pump to turn it down or use a complete aftermarket pump such as Holley blue pump. Im not sure if your egine has the provisions for a mechanical pump some of the later model ones do and most dont even if it does im not sure if a mechanical pump would even fit the car.

For your heads you will have take them off. I would have them redone and have the guides trimmed down for more lift. Stock they are good to about 470 or so. decide what cam you are going to use and get the springs matched to the cam. If your going with alot of lift with a heavy dual spring i would have srew in studs installed in the heads as well since the pressed in studs will start to fall out at that point.

Personally i think you would be far better off selling all you have and picking up a early lt1 car. You get get a solid 93 or 94 that may need a few minor things for under 2500 or a good driving one for under 4000. I think you will far exceed that with your project.
Click to expand...
a LT1 k-member as well


no provision on the vortec motors for a mechanical fuel pump
 
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