96 5.7L Vortec manifold HELP!

I kinda pulled the $5k head quote from the air, i know my bro's heads are $2500 a piece for his LT1 in his 85 'maro.

Alright i'll just make a long ass list of everything thats going on the truck.

1. NX Hitman 150 shot
2. CAI (AEM Bruteforce probably)
3. Custom Tuned 'puter
4. Ill be porting my manifold myself
5. CFM Tech TB
6. Dual Electric Fans
7. Banks PowerPack Exhaust
8. TBI Spacer (im debating on if i should try to make it a NX plate as well)
9. Pulleys
10. Minor weight reduction (spare tire, jack, myself)
11. Hoosier Quick Time Pro's
12. Cal-Trac's
13. Synthetic Oils (proven to gain 5-10)
14. Jet Rev/Speed Limiter Delete

Im gonna call my bro tonight and hopefully he'll get back to me, we figured 435hp or right around there...i know thats the majority of the stuff, ill post more when i reach him, he's got some "tricks" to get some more hp.

Well, a port and polish of the intake w/ port matching is worth quite a bit for the stock vortec intakes. It will flow much better. You will have no need for an aftermarket intake (especially since one doesn't exist). Your HP gains are optimistic. Custom tunes get rid of/adjust rev limiters and top speed points.

You may see 400 hp....all those mods will equal a cumulative power increase and each individual "claimed" HP increase are really just generalizations based off a stock motor vs. a stock motor w/ that particular mod. You may see 400 hp at the fly....MAYBE....

On the banks exhaust, do you plan on getting the headers or only the cat back?

The nitrous will be better plumbed into the intake tube.....It will atomize better there...I would not do it on a TB plate....

Do you have a limited slip or posi rear end? Are you planning on a torque converter? Probably be a great idea if you plan on hitting the strip...probably a 1500-1800 stall. Do you have a shiftkit and or vette servo? The transgo shift kit and a vette servo will be a very very good idea for the increased power. You will also want a secondary transmission cooler.

Whos' doing your custom tune? Westers? SPE? Ed Wright?

$2500 a piece for LT1 heads?!?!....explain? That is $5k for heads....hope they are made of gold.

Something to think about...pullies underdrive accesories and you'll be pulling more amps with a dual fan electric kit. May have some voltage issues...

If your gonna juice an engine you may wanna consider a cam...something a little more juice friendly.

My brother just bought a 97 vortec 355 with these mods:

1997 Vortec 350, .030 overbore (355 ci)
Polished Crank
Speed Pro Forged Pistons and Connecting Rods
Completely Balanced Rotating Assembly
Stock Vortec Heads Rebuilt w/ Mild Port & Polish
Milled for Heavy Duty Valvesprings
Comp Cams Compucam - 212/218 488/495 112* lsa
Miloden Oil Pump
Cloyes Double Roller Timing Chain
Stock Intake w/ Stock Fuel Injection
Intake Elbow w/ Computer Matched Granatelli MAF
Stock Ignition Components
Helix TB Spacer
SPE Custom Tuned PCM

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That is a solid 300 flywheel horse motor w/o nos. W/ a 150 shot it may see around 430....

There isn't any way you'll see what you think you'll see w/o a cam, complete porting, port matching, and polishing along with some other considerations.

Cameron

Yeah I don't think i'll dig into the engine internals until i hit my limit on the top end. I think i can pull 400hp out of it without new pistons/cam etc.

The banks exhaust is a full kit from the headers to the 4" tip. Its a bit pricey but it "shows" gains of 46hp and 58ft lbs.

Nitrous wise, ive heard 4cyl s10 guys running 150shots on the stock motor so that leads me to believe on the street/strip scene i could push it s'more and maybe run 175-200. Im risky.

Ed is going to do the tune, he seems to take in every consideration and modify to the full extent and thats what im looking for. Racing experience doesn't hurt either, lol.

I don't think ill have voltage issues personally, if i do i can go steal my brothers amp no biggie.

It's a 3.73 Posi Rear End on the tiny ass pos tires. I'll be getting 20's...but at $2k i can wait awhile.

I've considered getting a shift kit, but im not quite sure on it. Its just the stock 4L60E. Theres not too many tranny shops around here so i'd have to take it up to Arlington heights and have the ASE mech there work on it...last thing i wanna do is fck up a tranny. The secondary Trans cooler is a future plan, probably over the winter when i don't drive my truck since i don't want to get it rusty, lol. I drive our 95 long bed ext cab with 4.10 gears :head:
I might throw on a torque converter this winter while the trans is away at a shop too (if i have money for it and the shift kit). I'm not REAL sure about funding even though im working 2 $7/hr jobs (not alot, but i don't have alot of expenses only being 15)

I was thinking of upgrading to a stronger trans by Rossler (worlds strongest racing automatic) but i want some fuel economy.

I'll DD my plans later tonight after i get some free time and see what it says, since we all know DD is damn near within 10hp everytime.

No more than 150 on stock internals. This has been pushed and you'll blow head gaskets. You want this to be a reliable DD but you seem to be wanting to push what I will call the reasonable limits of a stock drivetrain especially in the transmission dept. 4l60e's aren't weak but need improvements to last under higher hp mods. For 50 bucks and maybe 2 hours at least drop a cooler on the dang thing.

You need to put some thought into your plans. You want 400+ horsepower and a crapload of nitrous but you seem to not want to do any of the work to make sure you plant it right. I can tell you from seeing it a lot that a 150 shot on a stock trans a few times can be hazardous.

DD isn't real world and it doesn't take into consideration how it'll be planted to the ground.

Ed is going to do the tune, he seems to take in every consideration and modify to the full extent and thats what im looking for. Racing experience doesn't hurt either, lol.

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Is he tuning your MAF to the PCM?

Yeah I don't think i'll dig into the engine internals until i hit my limit on the top end. I think i can pull 400hp out of it without new pistons/cam etc.

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Yes, you can but if your concerned about the daily drivability and you want to get the best efficiency out of the nos you'll do a cam. If your gonna do porting like you mentioned a cam change won't be tough at all.

Just things to think about....you say you don't have $5k to spend than I'd really put some thought into what you'll do if you blow the pistons out or destroy a tranny or blow a head gasket. Don't put yourself into a situation where you can't afford to fix something you blow up because you totally exceed the reasonable capabilities of stock components. You can't drop a 150 shot of nos on a totally otherwise stock drivetrain and expect it not to suffer.

Nitrous wise, ive heard 4cyl s10 guys running 150shots on the stock motor so that leads me to believe on the street/strip scene i could push it s'more and maybe run 175-200. Im risky.

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A stock 4cyl in build no better or weaker than a stock 350. What makes you think it'll handle a 200 whot w/ blowing crap up? You cannot just nos the crap out of a motor and expect it to live under that.

I can appreciate your enthusiasm about doing mods and getting power but you need to look at your big picture. It's a daily driver you can't drop $5k into yet you wanna drop enough NOS on it to roast everything in your drivetrain!?!?!

You should also be aware that there are NO AFTERMARKET injector upgrades AT ALL for those first generation vortec cpi engines.

Cameron

Yeah i know i can get heads and a cam for cheap-o just my bro's heads are $2500 a piece for his lt1, thats what i was referring it to.

I dunno, i get varying opinions. Couple guys in the gm-trucks/silverado ss chatroom said i can easily make 400 on a stock bottom end motor. You two are, so far, the only ones who said i can't. I don't plan on running a 200shot until i can afford to blow the motor and rebuild it or do an ls1 swap. lol

Got a question for ya, my bro was going to shit his 94 lt1 in his 85 camaro, and go with a more racey version of it. I hate LS1's and don't even wanna try to deal with the pos problems they are cursed with. Can i throw a regular lt1 in my truck? sure I'll definately be considering stronger gears and a tranny with 645hp at the fly, but i was just curious if he gets serious.

Would i be the first person to throw an LS2 in a OBS silverado as well? I figured pretty soon someones going to be wrecking an SSR/SS/GTO (people say its supposed to get the LS2)

thx again.

yeah i know i said id swap an ls1 if i did blow it, im a crackhead and forget things. But they are cursed.

I just don't feel like pulling the motor and everything to do a cam swap. Maybe in the winter once i get my real shop back since my bro's car is still occupying it. I know i can buy some damn good cams for $300.

My brothers LT1 isn't exactly in stock form by any means, but i understand what your saying.

Tranny wise, i know a guy running a 98 T/A, with a 400shot and a not so stock motor and his trans is still "there" unless they made them or stronger. Would a 4L65 be a better option or what would you guys reccomend for a tranny? I've got a couple th350's layin around in our barn. I know 700r4's are pos my bro went through 3 in 2 months.

Also cam wise, what would you suggest thats streetable yet nitrous friendly?

BTW: Could i get the the stock specs for the 96-98 Vortecs? CFM, Cam, Head, Stroke, Bore, Exhaust & intake valve inches, etc. Or a place where i could find it?

Thanks again
Dave

A) no motor pull is required to do a cam change....

B) a 4l60e will be fine if the right mods are done to it. Not stock tranny can take craploads of power w/o extra precautions and considertations to live longer and perform better for you....

C) stick with the 60e....unless you wanna completely ditch the electronics that your truck runs on.

D) a nice streetable nos friendly cam is posted in the engine specs I posted earlier....

Tranny wise, i know a guy running a 98 T/A, with a 400shot and a not so stock motor and his trans is still "there" unless they made them or stronger.

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I sure as hell hope he's got a beefed drivetrain. The best 4l60e's built on the planet can hold 650 hp or so....so getting a well built 4l60e or even just a stock one with the mods I suggested will be just fine under a cammed motor w/ nitrous if the right things are done.

I know 700r4's are pos my bro went through 3 in 2 months.

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Ummm...ok. You do know that a 4l60e is just an electronic 700r4 right? If not, you do now. If your brother put stock 700r4's behind a modded lt1 engine than they may not last all that long. Just because a few go out doesn't mean they are POS's...just mean that there may be perfectly good reasons why they are going out....too much power, wrong tc, not enough cooling, etc. The stock 3-4 clutch packs in 700r4's and 4l60e's are notorious for going out from overheating....heat is your trannies worst enemy.

Seems like your new to engines, power, and whatnot. Everyone has to learn somewhere and sometime and one of the most important things to learn about is how mods work together and compliment themeselves. If there is a weak link in the chain none of the other mods are worth anymore than that weak part can supply.

Cameron