I just bought a 96 Tahoe and I really enjoy the truck. It would seem that at 238xxx the heads are getting a bit leaky. I wonder if it would be better to have the engine worked over and gaskets replaced or if it would be more beneficial to just swap out motors? I wanted to consider options for a possible upgrade but don't know where to even look. It is a 4x4 truck so any upgrade would have to be compatible there. What would even be considered an upgrade to the 5.7? I had a yukon of the same year and really liked the performance of that truck. How likely is the difference in overall performance a culprit of a tired motor? Any advice or ideas are welcome and appreciated.
FNG looking for ideas
- Thread starter dahoe96
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Since there are power gains depending on what you want.. I'm gonna say yes. At least a service. But @NickTransmissions is the expert on that.
What is your purpose for the truck? How many dollars do you want to light on fire?
If it's a driver and you like finding money in your wallet when you open it, do a refresh on the engine. Budget $200 for a gasket kit, bearings, and new valvesprings.
Your big problem is that Vortec heads are prone to cracking, and by now almost all of the factory-installed heads are cracked. Spares cost almost as much as good aftermarket heads. Vortecs also have a unique bolt pattern and taller intake ports that make swapping to an aftermarket head more difficult and expensive. If an engine's never been overheated and you're lucky, it's likely to have good heads.
If the heads are cracked and you want to keep the factory injection, budget another $300 per head.
If it's a driver and you like finding money in your wallet when you open it, do a refresh on the engine. Budget $200 for a gasket kit, bearings, and new valvesprings.
Your big problem is that Vortec heads are prone to cracking, and by now almost all of the factory-installed heads are cracked. Spares cost almost as much as good aftermarket heads. Vortecs also have a unique bolt pattern and taller intake ports that make swapping to an aftermarket head more difficult and expensive. If an engine's never been overheated and you're lucky, it's likely to have good heads.
If the heads are cracked and you want to keep the factory injection, budget another $300 per head.
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