Need opinions on engine ideas

[The Arctic Fox]

Alright First off I am by no means an engine expert. I think a 10 year old growing up with mechanics in the background would know more about the inside the engine then I do. With that being said, I have a few options I've been told and have thought of.

First, rebuild what I got which is a 1989 350 TBI with 217k miles on it. The truck sat for about a year before I bought it. My buddy was saying I could get all aftermarket rods, pistons, valves, the works and boost my horsepower from around 180 to 280 hp, but that's about it.

He also mentioned turning it into a carburetor, which he says would pretty much take out all the vacuum hoses and simplify the wiring from the TBI. It would also provide many more upgrades for my engine and even make my exhaust sound better than it does, which I believe. haha

Another is put a vortec but we both kinda shrugged that off as it sounds like a huge hassle to put all new wiring in. Still an option though, if anybody has really good/bad info/stories about changing from TBI to vortec.

Here's the option I like, which was to get a completely brand new stock 5.7 crate from Weir Chevrolet dealership in Red Bud for around $2k. I was thinking of maybe making it a lil more pretty under the hood in the process and paint a few things.

Any ideas suggestions or comments would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[MSCustoms]

I vote going with a crate engine that had some performance upgrades to it and staying with the TBI. The stock 350 engine in my K5 was replaced by a 350 crate motor with forged parts, higher compression, better cam, port and polished heads, and some kind of non-stick oil coating to the inside. I think it produces around 350 hp but not totally sure.

 

[skylark]

I vote vortec long block with a carb style intake, tbi adapter plate, and a nice cam. Stock vortec is 255hp, a mild cam could pick up 10-20hp really easy while retaining drive ability.

 

[skylark]

Alright First off I am by no means an engine expert. I think a 10 year old growing up with mechanics in the background would know more about the inside the engine then I do. With that being said, I have a few options I've been told and have thought of.

I love the honesty!

 

[TylerZ281500]

id say buy some good internals bump your compressi, larger cam slight stall etc. keep tbi unless she dont like it then go carbd. or avoid all that and go lsx right away. or ltx with a 24x swap

 

[The Arctic Fox]

I vote going with a crate engine that had some performance upgrades to it and staying with the TBI. The stock 350 engine in my K5 was replaced by a 350 crate motor with forged parts, higher compression, better cam, port and polished heads, and some kind of non-stick oil coating to the inside. I think it produces around 350 hp but not totally sure.

I was leaning towards just keeping it tbi.

I vote vortec long block with a carb style intake, tbi adapter plate, and a nice cam. Stock vortec is 255hp, a mild cam could pick up 10-20hp really easy while retaining drive ability.

All while I would like to make it a vortec, do you know how bad it is to replace all the wiring and small stuff from tbi to vortec so I got a ballpark guess on what I'd be dealing with?

I love the honesty!

If you knew me personally, I'm a purty honest person...... I never tell a lie.

keep tbi unless she dont like it then go carbd. or avoid all that and go lsx right away. or ltx with a 24x swap

No idea what you mean by lsx, ltx, or 24x....

 

[Vortec Lover]

when mine goes I'm getting a crate motor with a supercharger... but that's me

of the three I would say crate motor or rebuilding your present engine with vortec heads and other easy upgrades like that

 

[95Escahoe]

Keep the TBI, get a rebuilt long block and add Edelbrock intake, rebuild and mod your TBI unit, performance heads and cam, Volant cold air intake, headers and exhaust and maybe turn the 350 into a 383 not sure on your budget

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[The Arctic Fox]

I actually thought about a supercharger and mentioned it a few times to several people... nobody seemed too keen on the idea, so i just assumed that meant it might not be worth it or somethin along those lines. But I haven't really talked to a professional yet about the idea.

Would vortec heads be in the direction of performance?

But one of my other retired ideas was rebuild it to 383 with a supercharger, but I have no idea if it'll work, how to get it to work if you could, and is it worth it?

 

[TylerZ281500]

lsx is 5.7ls1, 5.3, 6.0 etc newer engines, ltx is found in vettes in the 90s and 93-97 fbodys, and the 24x swap is for the lt1's and lt4's utilizing the lsx ignition system and doing away with optispark timing system. does that help any?

a mild 383 with vortecs would work nicely i loved my 383 for the short time it was in the truck