Which engine swaps can be done on gmt400

[eric_503]

I have a 98 k2500 thats been through 3 engines so far.

Started as a 6.5L diesel that was rust free. I got it in the dead of winter with a busted windshield and no heater, but it ran good and was abit of a gamble. Barely turned up the torsion bars, and cut the front bumper about an inch of so and the 35s on the h2 rims I had fit and I drove it for 3 or 4 months

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Fast forward to april, we were out with the local 4x4 group, I went 3 or 4 feet in to this "puddle" and it was barely up the tire. Got half way and it floated abit. And then decided to go in the doors.

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Oh, and it went the rest of the way to.

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By the time I got it home and sorted out, It really wasnt a big deal, most of the electronics still worked, the pcm/ecm wasnt sealed so that fried, and i didnt bother to even look at the motor, kind of a given that it bent the rods or valves atleast.
Pulled that and ran this 5.3L for awhile (still using the 4l80e that went 6-7 feet under water.

Somehow this is the only blurry picture I can find and unfinished one. I was offered a good deal on it and decided to sell it.

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So I threw in the old built sbc I had, its been 10.90 on the bottle in the nova, but without a bottle its a pretty big . Thottles been either off or on and it struggles to break 60mph, burns oil and smokes out the pcv/breather. Its worn and tired and the nitrous has defiantly taken out the rings .

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Yes thats a 4g ford alternator, they fit perfect in the a/c compressor hole and use the stock belt, the alternator from the ls swap quit and I used what was on hand.

Ive been torn about what to put behind it. I could pick up a whole parts truck and stick a tbi motor in it, but it will be the same as it is now, except it might not burn oil. Ive seen the cummins is a common swap, and the duramax will bolt right up. Could go bbc but then theres not alot of fuel mileage. If anyone has an ideas it would be appreciated. Theres lots of room to shove stuff in the engine bay and Im more then capable.

 

[slowburb]

This is my opinion; take it or leave it. You've had a diesel in it. You've had a late model gm engine in it. You've had an old school sbc in it. If I was in your shoes I'd be thinking bbc or late model supercharged v8 from a corvette or cadillac.

 

[eric_503]

The bbc is very doable, I do have a block/crank/big rods and domed pistons but no heads. And had a 1970 date coded 472 in the last square body I had.

I came from driving a 2004 6.0l f350, which i had did all the deletes and head studs and it really put down power, the same as the duramax i had yet never played around with. (traded the f350 for this chevy) Id lean more towards diesel do the the ease of power and torque. Ive had turbo ls motors in the nova and while its fun it just doesnt seem practical in a 3/4 ton truck

I have the 4l80e wired up as a manual valve body and it works good, I wouldnt mind keeping that in there so I dont have to play with the drive shafts and transfercase also. I figure they must make hundreds of adapters to go from whatever engine to a chevy bellhousing. I know the cummins kit is $1000, BOP to chevy $70ish etc

I prefer the gmt400 platform, just something ive grown accustom to owning and driving in many years.

 

[21Actual]

Shove a 632 in there and call it a day!

In all honesty, a 12v swap would be awesome, and easy to make some good power, but you said your trying to avoid drive line alterations. I vote Duramax. Id love to put one in my truck.

 

[eric_503]

They do have the plate and flexplate to bolt it up to a 4l80e, not sure where it would put the cummins in the engine bay tho. May or may not be to close to the rad.

Duramax is doable but finding one cheap only happens once in a blue moon (cheap as in under 2 grand)

Edit: Also from ontario (niagara) if your local.

 

[94_C/1500]

Why not a big Cadillac, 472 or 500?
I've considered about every possible engine out there for my truck. I'm still running the original engine though. I'm torn between a 4.3L, 4.2L, 292, and a 6.0L. I wanted to go with a big block but it's just not for my truck. The idea of a GMC V6 seemed cool but it's just too much work to get them getting good power. Maybe if I ever do a sled pull truck. The Cadillac Northstar was something I had considered but it's really too much to get in a truck. With smallish cams, carb intake, and headers you're close to 400 hp but it's too complicated and at a certain point it doesn't make sense anymore. The 4.2L isn't much of a truck engine I think. A Cadillac 500 is just too much engine for me in this truck but maybe I'll build one some day. When I'm done with the trucks I'm getting my wife a '57 Chevy so a 500 with maybe 6 speed would be a nice setup. The 292 seems like a great idea but then I come back to the 6.0L idea. I'm thinking of throwing in a 292 in my Jeep instead so I can keep the transmission in it. My problem with the LS swap is I'd need a parts truck that's 2wd and a V8 and then grab a 6.0L, that's a lot of time to swap over. And all to have someone else tune it or get the stuff to do it myself. Then the idea of a carb and a distributor kit comes to mind, all I'd need is the engine and no parts truck. So I'm leaning towards that or a lightly worked over 4.3L. I like the engine a lot and it does what I need. It's been overloaded a few times and massively overheated too. Still goes, why mess with it? But for your truck I think you should look into Cadillac 500s.

 

[slowburb]

This has BBC written all over it. Not sure of the specs on the parts you have, but 540 has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?

 

[eric_503]

What Im looking for is a stout high revving engine. The 472 i had in the square body was great, but they dont like to rev.
The ls stuff is nice but still sluggish without a turbo.

To 94_C you dont need to do any programming if you buy a parts truck, if its running you pull the vats fuse while its running and it will throw it in a limp mode and you can swap it to whatever you need without the security. On my 98 the 99+gmt800 dash all fit in, and I could run it all with that.

The duramax will wind out half decent, the tuned 6.0L ford i had would hit 4500rpm and pulled hard on the stock turbo. I dont want a lag.

Its my daily driver, but it gets driven hard, and worked hard. Between being at the farm, my aggressive driving, the mud, and racing Im leaning towards a 383 but doubt it will have the torque to whip around the truck. Had a child recently so everything got cut back and sold to make way. Trying to compensate all the looses in the truck.

 

[Jorge6.5]

I know what you need, a 572 ramjet!

 

[94_C/1500]

If you want high revving and a torque engine then you're going to have to make a compromise of some sort. A big inch small block seems to fit the bill. If you can grab a good 400 block that would be a good option.

Thanks for the advice. I've never heard of that but what's ever I run won't be stock so it'll need a tune.