putting a 8.1l vortec in an f-body?!
11-23-2012, 11:33 PM
#2
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these motors have nothing in common with ls motors. they were motors made for pulling stuff. just cus its bigger dose not mean its better. imo ditch the idea
11-23-2012, 11:37 PM
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wow...sorry, i kinda sounded like a dick! Its more less a bbc and with that being said a regular ls1 will out perform one in a f-body form. it would sure be a cool motor for a rock crwaler but not really a good choice for a fbody
yes im sure if you do a complete wire harness conversion or mod it can be done. but all in all if your looking to go faster this is not too good of way to lean.
yes im sure if you do a complete wire harness conversion or mod it can be done. but all in all if your looking to go faster this is not too good of way to lean.
11-23-2012, 11:49 PM
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Its a great engine for a truck, but not for a car. There isn't a performance aftermarket for these engines. Its a BBC with an LS firing order, so it has a unique cam.
Wrecking yards also want good money for these engines. A truck 6.0L would be your best bet.
Wrecking yards also want good money for these engines. A truck 6.0L would be your best bet.
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11-24-2012, 10:59 AM
#9
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It's a 496ci big block, they are heavy and they have little aftermarket, I believe you can't even interchange parts with other BBC's either. However, when stock in the right application (HD tow pig's) they can be alright, they do make decent power. But, just not a motor to really tinker with much.
11-24-2012, 11:02 AM
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they do have LS-style intake ports as well, and all the threads are metric. However the exhaust ports and the motor mount points are the same as old BBC's, so you can bolt up any BBC headers and bolt it to any BBC or SBC mounts, using metric hardware of course. Its great to re-power old trucks.
11-24-2012, 11:31 AM
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I think Chevy was putting that motor in some HD trucks up until 06 or 07. Pretty cool.
Important differences between the Vortec 8100 and older big blocks include a changed firing order (1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3), a new 18-bolt head bolt pattern, different symmetrical intake ports, different oil pan rails and the use of metric threads throughout the engine. The fuel-injection system for the Vortec 8100 is nearly identical to that used on Gen III engines, right down to the fuel and spark tables in the ECU.
11-24-2012, 04:35 PM
#14
the boat dealership I used to work for had a regular cab 2500 hd with 8.1 allison , and 4.11's that thing would get the mail , we then bought 2 avalanche 2500's with 8.1's , these were all early 2000's trucks , by the late 2000's the 6 liters felt just as strong.
like mentioned unlike old bbc there isnt much aftermarket , but we did also sell many boats with 8.1's in them mercruiser made a 375hp and a 425 hp version , volvo penta made a 375hp and a 420 hp , and Indmar made an inboard/v drive 8.1 that was 450 hp.
I know there was some aftermarket marine support but not a lot , Raylar was just getting into it before I got out of the business :
http://raylarengineering.com/
I would say sticking to a ls based small block is the path of least resistance in an f body especially considering
a.) the incredible aftermarket support in place and
b.) how the engine is stuffed back under the cowl in a 4th gen
trying to stuff any big block in its place will require some fabrication and will add a lot of weight where there is currently a very light engine so you would lose handling and effect traction as well
the boat manufacturers who's products I used to sell have pretty much ditched big blocks in favor of ls engines and so has GM so theres your sign
like mentioned unlike old bbc there isnt much aftermarket , but we did also sell many boats with 8.1's in them mercruiser made a 375hp and a 425 hp version , volvo penta made a 375hp and a 420 hp , and Indmar made an inboard/v drive 8.1 that was 450 hp.
I know there was some aftermarket marine support but not a lot , Raylar was just getting into it before I got out of the business :
http://raylarengineering.com/
I would say sticking to a ls based small block is the path of least resistance in an f body especially considering
a.) the incredible aftermarket support in place and
b.) how the engine is stuffed back under the cowl in a 4th gen
trying to stuff any big block in its place will require some fabrication and will add a lot of weight where there is currently a very light engine so you would lose handling and effect traction as well
the boat manufacturers who's products I used to sell have pretty much ditched big blocks in favor of ls engines and so has GM so theres your sign
11-24-2012, 09:07 PM
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I have one, an 8.1, in my pickup. It is a pulling fool, but is all out of breath at 4500 rpm. They are BBCs that were updated in 2000 or so to make them better for pulling than the older BB. It is my opinion they are great tow motors for a truck, but would not be much good in a Camaro or Firebird.
11-25-2012, 09:06 PM
#16
If the aftermarket support was stronger, these would be the perfect engine for people wanting big blocks in 98 up f bodies for whatever reason. They run off the same operating system as the ls and share a lot of sensors and other wiring.
But given the shitty aftermarket, and ungodly prices of what little aftermarket there is, it's not really a feasible swap other than to say you did it.
But given the shitty aftermarket, and ungodly prices of what little aftermarket there is, it's not really a feasible swap other than to say you did it.
12-05-2012, 01:57 PM
#19
the cool factor would be there, but I've taken the measurements before and you would have to heavily modify the strut towers and windshield for clearance to make a BBC style block fit. My personal .02. I had found one years ago for 500 bucks and the light bulbs all came on at once...shortly after they all went dim. I passed and ran the other way!
12-09-2012, 06:45 PM
#20
You have to ask yourself what are you trying to do. GM built a couple of one off BBC late model cars to twist your tail in the late 90's buy once we figured out how to punch the LS motor out to 454 or so we don't need another 200 or so Lbs on the front of a car.
In Grand Am racing the engines are limited in rpm so they make up for it with bigger torque (just look at some of the truck intakes they were using when they first used the GM motors in that form of racing.
If you can keep the tires from smoking there are some benefits. But not at the cost of that much weight added. 8.1s are great for honking around at 3500 to 5000 rpm in a boat or a truck.
You can certainly do it. Its your money.
In Grand Am racing the engines are limited in rpm so they make up for it with bigger torque (just look at some of the truck intakes they were using when they first used the GM motors in that form of racing.
If you can keep the tires from smoking there are some benefits. But not at the cost of that much weight added. 8.1s are great for honking around at 3500 to 5000 rpm in a boat or a truck.
You can certainly do it. Its your money.