Putting a Caprice engine (L05-7) into a 92 g30 van (has L80e trans)

[L31MaxExpress]

Dang that is a heavy van.
This one might be good form flash stall..

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It definitely picks up when the converter unlocks and the takes off when the 4L85E drops to 2nd, then the speedometer gets confused. I was still tuning the VE tables on low timing when I made that pull. When that engine wakes up it definitely pulls hard. I was trying to roll just fast enough it would not hit 1st again to put the maximum load on it at lower rpm.

This was the same pull, viewed sitting on my couch, recorded from the datalog.

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[Danboquist]

Ok.. this is the prospect…
What say ye?
(No sales tax or shipping cost)
-> Also:” It can use, although not recommended, 87 octane gasoline if the ignition timing curve is correct. Also it is okay with the stock torque converter and exhaust system, however we recommended quality headers and a 1800 to 2500 RPM stall torque converter to realize the maximum performance potential of the engine.”

 

[L31MaxExpress]

Ok.. this is the prospect…
What say ye?
(No sales tax or shipping cost)
-> Also:” It can use, although not recommended, 87 octane gasoline if the ignition timing curve is correct. Also it is okay with the stock torque converter and exhaust system, however we recommended quality headers and a 1800 to 2500 RPM stall torque converter to realize the maximum performance potential of the engine.”

Definitely sounds like a nice build for your application, but I would have questions. Warranty mainly. Will you get the warranty if you install it? Who pays the labor bill if something goes wrong. What else are they expecting you to change? Radiator? Fan clutch? Oil cooler and lines? Stuff like that.

 

[Danboquist]

Definitely sounds like a nice build for your application, but I would have questions. Warranty mainly. Will you get the warranty if you install it? Who pays the labor bill if something goes wrong. What else are they expecting you to change? Radiator? Fan clutch? Oil cooler and lines? Stuff like that.

I didn’t think about those particular items. I’d never even heard of an oil cooler (transmission cooler,yes) until the other day. I’ll ask. These people are very cumbersome to deal with. The “sales” people are more like just order takers and can’t give much information. There is no real discussion with anyone that knows much.

I need to make sure he warranty is still good if I install. Here is what they say on their web site: http://www.cmengines.com/Warranty/tabid/106/Default.aspx

This shop is like 45 miles or so from me. I can easily go pick it up (or take it back if necessary). I’ll ask them if something goes wrong with it if I can bring it back to them (still installed).

 

[Danboquist]

So now that I’ve been able to pin down the specs of what I would actually be buying (with minimal/no help from them), I will can step back and take a larger view of the situation.
Another option that is possible is to find a relatively low mileage, used, stock engine that runs well, and stick it in the van and be done with it.
A local guy has an 88 G30 with a 5.7 @ 100k in a small box truck that has the body in fair/poor condition. He said that it runs well. I’m going to go check it out in a few days when it warms up.
Let’s say i could get it at a reasonable price (<1k). Yank the engine and put it in the “new” van and hope to get a few years of service out of it.
Plus, I’d have a parts van.
So the choice would be ~5K vs ~1K.

 

[L31MaxExpress]

Intresting calculator, never had noticed it. The Turbski 400 converter in the 87 G20 stalled ~2,000 rpm behind the fairly weak L03 305 TBI. The 6.0L would flash stall it about 2,300 maybe 2,400 rpm if the engine was not heat soaked. Should stall a bit higher behind the modified L31. Torque values are a bit of an educated ball park guess. Still should be pretty close.

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I just wanted to revisit this. The calculator with ball park numbers thrown into it seems very close. Good to know as a useful tool. The 6.0L would not stall this past about 2,200 rpm either, so the 350 has a good bit more low-speed grunt, which I already knew.

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[Danboquist]

Nice! I was able to add something 5o the conversation and not be a total leech.