Gold Dust - a 1st Gen Monte Carlo thread

pres589 (djronnebaum) said:

I'll make a really crazy suggestion; snag late GMT400 350 Vortec engine complete with accessories so you've got everything all at once and rebuild that.  Freshen the heads, get a matching Vortec-compatible carb intake (Edelbrock sells a Performer RPM Vortec for square-bore carbs, which sounds perfect), street cam and a new compatible distributor. Pull existing engine and bag it for the future.

Not crazy...I really like this idea. Was there a particular year/model/trim that had better heads/hardware to look out for? I remember that once upon a time, early 90s Nissan SR20s had hotter exhaust cams compared to late 90's/early 00's...anything like that to look out for? I might have access to a lived-outside-for-decades-and-is-super-gnarly-but-engine-might-be-ok C4 vette that Ive overlooked until now.

I think the for a 96-99 Vortec 5.7s out of the GMT400 trucks / tahoes / suburbans are all about the same.  I could be wrong, but I don't think the earlier TBI engines made as much power, and they also used a different A/C compressor that I think was less reliable than the modern Sanden unit on the MPFI Vortecs. 

Late 90s vortec truck engine way better than tbi in every way but intake manifold availability in cheap used. 

Beware lt1 vette motor, but l98 would do just fine!

I may have a line on a rebuildable vortec and 4l80e trans here in nc for a really reasonable price....

+1 to the vortec idea. Some work is needed on them if you want to run a higher lift cam but they flow really well for a stock sbc head and make good power/torque from the factory. I've had a few engines with vortec heads, a couple with a large TBI and one with both a Holley and an edelbrock at different points in time. EFI with closed loop using a wideband O2 is really great if you plan to put appreciable miles on it, especially in varying conditions.

Did some muscle car things...

She had a weird clacking sound when turning  hard right under power...like, pulling  away from a stop and she'd sound like something was making contact that shouldn't. 

Quick inspection looked like the sway bar end link bushings were shot. Here they are at full droop

bushings out

Installed some energy suspension links.

And, back on the ground, that gap is gone.

It's dark out, drizzling, and the 50 year old windshield is Hella scratched...not a great combo where night time glare is concerned.  I will take her for a spin this weekend, hopefully this fixes the weird noise. I'll report back then.

Also, have been attempting to convince SWMBO that a moderately used vortec plus an intake and cam might be a better overall deal than rebuilding a block that may need sleeved or worse..slowly but surely I'm softening the defensive structures built around the bank account...

More to come...

Let's say you own a classic Chevy, and the motor smokes pretty badly, and is clearly in need of a rebuild. And let's say you had originally planned to either rebuild the existing engine, or possibly go with a better quality but still used mill to rebuild. And then lets say that somehow you convince SWMBO that a ready to run Crate could be a better investment, and much to your surprise she agrees...where theoretically would you shop besides Jegs and Summit for a mild performance aluminum head sbc that doesn't cost 5 digits of hard currency?

In reply to 4cylndrfury :

ATK.

https://atkhp.com/product-category/gm-crate/

Blueprint engines.

Thanks! One more question...how much HP would you feel comfortable pushing through a stock 10" rear end? There are a few options in my price range that have some healthy power outputs, and I could imagine there's a point where the stock diff with  2:73 gears would kinda chuckle at expectations to handle it...

Is stop around 425 or so. Unless you plan on sticky rubber and hard launching 

Yeah...no hard launches. Feeling cute and might punch it between stop lights, maybe some power braking...idk

10 bolt, not 10 inch.  as duster said, plenty strong unless you really beat on it.

AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:

10 bolt, not 10 inch.  as duster said, plenty strong unless you really beat on it.

doh...I have even corrected family members on that misnomer.

#fail

I thought speedway motors does some affordable crate engines as well.

been shopping a bit, and looks like ATK seems to be one of the best options per dollar. I think I found a great build - tell me why this isnt the right answer: ATK 390 HP 5.7l SBC

Its not a stroked mill like in my dreams, but the price is reasonable, good hp out of the box, and I like  the aluminum heads. Id be pretty excited to make more than 1 HP per cubic inch! I believe my current intake should fit, it should drop onto my motor mounts, bolt up to my trans...and headers are already on the menu.  Im still working on the decision between re-using my current accessories or going with the vortec serpentine setup, but either option should be plug-and-play.

This would be my first motor swap, and Im really trying to think through all the things that I will need. I know all the planning in the world plus a dollar will buy you a cup of coffee...so what am I missing? What are common oversights with a motor swap like this?

Spec sheet looks reasonable. You must buy new flexplate and balancer to accommodate the 1-piece rear main seal crank. That should motivate the Monte nicely.

my crystal ball says in about a year you're gonna want a 700R4 and a 3.73 rear. :-)

The 350 turbo was rebuilt last winter and shifts like a jackhammer...if it comes out, a 5mt is the next logical step!

3:73 would be the bees knees

Possible issues: Existing front tin not having a home on the new engine.  Does the new engine have a mechanical fuel pump provision?  I like the idea of an electric fan, especially on a Monte with that yard-long fan doghouse.  

A 700R4 and a 3.55 or 3.73 rear gear sounds pretty good to me as well.

Go with Serpentine at the same time as you do the crate engine. I would also encourage you to convert to an electric fuel pump and a return style fuel system while you do the engines swap. Stop your changes for the year there. Once you get all that sort it out and reliable look at other things. You're going to have enough teething issues with cooling systems and fuel systems and everything else by doubling the horsepower that you don't need to add other systems that are unrelated to your sorting list

How much does the car weigh? I'd expect the extra torque from a 383 to be nice given the 3 speed and not light car. 

In reply to JMcD :

Not sure on the weight of a 1st gen Monte...shes a big gal. The engine I'm looking  at is unfortunately not a stroker, but still makes 420 peak torkpowers. It'll scoot!

Out of the box she made less than 200hp with the basic iron heads and 2bbl carb. I'm a little curious about how she will respond when making the kinda juice the new mill will, with a stock torque converter and stock stall, and stock 2:73 rear end...the to-do list grows

In reply to 4cylndrfury :

Manual Swap it 

Recon1342 said:

In reply to 4cylndrfury :

Manual Swap it 

i want this so bad...patience is the key here. Budget will only allow so much swapping at one time...

In reply to 4cylndrfury :

I totally get that.

End links did nothing. The sound Im getting is speed dependent, only happens on tight right hand turns, and only when Im on the gas. If i coast thru the turn, or take it very wide, I wont get the sound. If you told me it was something making contact with the spokes from inside the wheel, Id buy it - thats the kind of sound it is. But theres no marks on the wheel, and nothing seems to be out of place or loose. I tried jacking the passenger side up a bit with the wheel turned and  everything seemed fine.

Im wondering if its power steering related. Could a failing steering box make weird, speed dependent knocking noises when turning in only one direction? I checked the bearing and it seems great - these A body cars have the hub and the brake disc as one unit. I actually replaced both inner and outer bearings, dust cap etc when I first got this car. Since then, Ive had the wheels on and off several times, and the lugs are always tight, no play in the hub, and I dont get the sound when Im coasting, so im pretty confident the sound is not the hub.

Other thoughts?