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SBC and Vortec difference

Started by lakeside , May 13 2015 03:25 PM

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16 replies to this topic

#1 lakeside

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Posted 13 May 2015 - 03:25 PM

Can something please tell me the difference between a SBC and Vortec? Will SBC sump and pipes fit the Vortec engine?

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#2 _LS1 Hatch_

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Posted 13 May 2015 - 03:48 PM

Different sump, vortec uses a 1 piece rear main seal... different timing cover setup (vortec is plastic from memory) different intake, no fuel pump opening in vortec either.

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#3 _LS1 Taxi_

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Posted 13 May 2015 - 03:55 PM

Aren't the vortecs all 4 bolt mains too?

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#4 Bigfella237

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Posted 13 May 2015 - 06:44 PM

I hate how GM re-uses engine codes, are we talking about the Gen III Vortec 5300 (LM4, LM7, L33, L59) and Vortec 6000 (LQ4, LQ9) truck motors or was the Vortec name used earlier as well?

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#5 _LS1 Taxi_

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Posted 13 May 2015 - 06:55 PM

The Vortec was used prior to the GEN III.

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#6 _LS1 Hatch_

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Posted 14 May 2015 - 12:09 AM

Yep, it was sort of a take off of the design of heads the LT1 (as in the corvette and camaro/trans am) used, but used in trucks. They were roller cammed, good design head, and came out in the trucks in 1996 and were used until the LS series engines replaced them. They used a normal style rear mounted distributor at least unlike the LT1 car engines which had an oddball setup up the front behind the harmonic balancer.

Aren't the vortecs all 4 bolt mains too?

Not sure if it was only ones used in 1 ton trucks or if they all were? never really got into them enough internally to know..

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#7 Bigfella237

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Posted 14 May 2015 - 12:20 AM

So these particular Vortecs were Gen II motors, the 4.3 litre L99 and the 5.7 litre LT4?

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#8 _LS1 Hatch_

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Posted 14 May 2015 - 12:24 AM

Right, not a gen 3 engine. The LT4 was all on it's own, built by Mercury Marine with the unique top end, etc The 4.3 was a common V6 basically a SBC with 2 cylinders missing.

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#9 Bigfella237

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Posted 14 May 2015 - 12:32 AM

I thought the Gen II LT1 was the standard Vette motor and the LT5 was the ZR1 quad-cam four-valve motor designed by Lotus and built by Mercury?

Or were there other motors built by Mercury as well?

Edited by Bigfella237, 14 May 2015 - 12:33 AM.

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#10 _LS1 Hatch_

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Posted 14 May 2015 - 12:45 AM

Oh yep, LT5 is what I was thinking...it is still early this morning, lol..

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#11 _sbc57lx_

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Posted 14 May 2015 - 12:27 PM

I have a vortec 350, it has an opening for a fuel pump, Not to much different in the block to an older small block,

Has 4 bolt mains, roller cam, and one seal rear main, The sump should be interchangeable, The timing cover is plastic, should be interchange with a presses steel type, The big difference is the head, the exhurst out let is the same, But the inlet is different and needs a manifold to suit ( lots available ).

One limiting factor is the amount of cam lift.

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#12 Bigfella237

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Posted 14 May 2015 - 04:51 PM

Yeah, problems with the valve train design seems to be a recurring theme with all these newer generation GM engines, the yanks seem to love pushrod motors whereas the rest of the world all went with overhead cams decades ago.

I have even seen drawings of a new twin-cam three-valve-per-cylinder Chevy V8 where both cams are still in the block...

Yeah here they are, from the GM Inside News site:

0605ch_22_concept_motor_z.jpg 49.14K 0 downloads

116_0302_GM_5_z.jpg 51.98K 0 downloads

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#13 _LS1 Taxi_

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Posted 14 May 2015 - 05:16 PM

I have a Vortec 350 in my ski boat and TBH besides general servicing I've never paid it much attention. It's covered in mercruiser gear so certainly does look much like a SBC but from what I've looked at it obviously is similar.

I can tell you that it flys and makes all the right noises

Oh and Andrew, that shit looks UGLY!

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#14 _LS1 Hatch_

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Posted 15 May 2015 - 11:54 AM

I have a vortec 350, it has an opening for a fuel pump, Not to much different in the block to an older small block,

Has 4 bolt mains, roller cam, and one seal rear main, The sump should be interchangeable, The timing cover is plastic, should be interchange with a presses steel type, The big difference is the head, the exhurst out let is the same, But the inlet is different and needs a manifold to suit ( lots available ).

One limiting factor is the amount of cam lift.

Was it an OE take out engine? I have never seen a truck engine with a fuel pump on them before. The boss on the block is there but they are solid and not drilled out.

Maybe a crate engine is different, I am not sure on those ? But have seen quite a few of the truck engines in dealing with them over the years.

And the sump is different to the early 350 engines with a 2 piece rear main seal is what I was pointing out earlier. The block itself is different in having the bosses in the valley for the roller lifter spider too..

Oh ,and on the timing cover... the plastic one used on the Vortec have fewer bolt holes along the top than an early metal cover too..and I believe they each use a different style of dowel pin to center the cover.

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#15 _LS1 Hatch_

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Posted 15 May 2015 - 11:59 AM

And just had another thing come to mind..the harmonic balancers are different too I believe. The total height is different as the vortec had a tone ring on the crank gear and the balancer was slightly shorter to make up for it, so an early balancer on a vortec would stick out slightly more and not line up with things. (Not sure if every year model of Vortec have them, but some did at least..they used a sensor in the timing cover for it as well)

Again at least on truck engines which is what I had delt with, not sure on crate engines, etc.

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#16 _sbc57lx_

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Posted 15 May 2015 - 01:22 PM

I should have a better look at my engine, before getting things like, timing cover, balancer , etc , It's been sitting in a shed you a few years now - haven't look at it for ages