i bought 1993 long block 350 for a 100 bucks. it has vortec heads but a hydrolic flat tappet cam and the whole engine is in pretty good shape. a little carbon build up on the valve seats and valves, pistons usual stuff for an engine with 130,000 miles on it. but the cam was shot 2 lobes were just rounded down so i need a new cam. it's for my 72 elco and i want it to have more power more aggressive tone but help the gas mileage out a little too! i am having the worst time researching cams so i was hoping someone has done the same thing and knows the cam i need to look into :D and also i need idea's on a good electric fuel pump since this block i have was never machined for mechanical fuel pumps.

Thank you, Kenny

Do you plan to run with a carb or install fuel injection?

You sure didn't get hurt buying that for $100. Was it a truck engine? If it's an OEM motor, it should not be Vortec heads, but TBI (throttle body injection) heads. It would be nice if it were Vortec heads, but unlikely. Vortec heads started in 96. Look similar to TBI heads because of the center bolt valve covers, but the difference is night and day in performance.
You're positive there just isn't a plate over the fuel pump mounting portion of the block? It is possible the cam won't be machined for a fuel pump lobe, but the block might be, and you're changing cams anyway.
If you have the block I think it is, you do have the option to go with a roller cam too but you'd have to do some machine work to the block at the bosses for the valvetrain if you so choose to go roller cam. And, it should be a 4 bolt main block with single piece rear main seal. If it's for your Elky, just go with it but I'd use your old school heads over the TBI heads.

Hotrodpc: generally 2 bolts are smaller vehicle 350's and trucks are 4 bolts, so i'd say you right being a 4 bolt.

carb, efi or TBI?

Hotrodpc: generally 2 bolts are smaller vehicle 350's and trucks are 4 bolts, so i'd say you right being a 4 bolt.

carb, efi or TBI?
Yep. But we need to know what it came out of originally. And if he if he is going to install in it in his Elky with the Carb, TBI, TPI or Vortec. :dontknow:

I think that would be a fantastic upgrade. Either run a 350 TPI or a 350 Vortec in an old Elky. So nice and quiet but yet move really nice with some decent mpg. I like modern sleeper technology in older vehicles. TBI is fantastic as far as reliability but not so hip on performance.

i am putting a 700 holly on it and it is vortec heads i have the heads gutted right now and i can see the swirl's in the ports. it was pulled out of a 1993 k1500 pick up it has the one piece seal and the weird casting bosses that run along the block over the cam where the intake is mounted it is for sure a vortec block design and there is no plate where the mechanical fuel pump would go it looks like you could mount one there but it's all cast iron there is no whole for the pump arm to reach into the engine so i have to get an electric fuel pump. it is also a 2 bolt main which isn't a problem im not building it to have much more than 300 horse

IF it IS in fact Vortec heads, then that motor, or at least the heads ARE NOT original to the truck. Vortec didn't exist until 96. Up thru 95 was TBI heads with center valve cover holes. Have you ran the cast #'s yet on the heads and block to know for sure what you have?
The weird casting bosses run along the block over the cam is for roller cam provisions. Trucks didn't yet get roller cams in 93, so I'd say at least the block is original to the truck. By 96, it would have had the roller cam and the bosses would be drilled and tapped and had Vortec heads. All 350 blocks after about 87 were single piece rear main seal. TBI motors also had the bosses for roller cam but NOT tapped and used since they still use a flat tappet hydraulic cam. I'd for sure run the cast #'s on the block and heads. Sounds alot like TBI motor to me. Hopefully its what you think it is, and its not the original motor out of that 93 truck. :beer:

well i have the casting number from the block but not the head the block is 14102193 i looked up and says TBI 305-350 but this is where a lot of confusion is on my end when i pulled the valves out of the head i see the little swirl casting in the intake ports i will try and take a pic soon to show you guys i know alot of it doesn't make sence and alot of people tell me a lot of different things like vortec head started in 88 and went roller in 96 and what you guys are saying lol i know old school stuff but i wanted a modern engine cus i heard the vortecs are even better than the camel hump's.

Indeed. Vortec heads are better than Camel hump heads. TBI heads also had swirls, but vortec heads have a much smaller combustion chamber for compression and much much bigger intake ports, to the point that an old school intake will NOT fit the Vortec heads because the ports are much taller allowing much more air into the combustion chamber. Vortec heads did not start until 96 for V8 engines, but Vortec was available much earlier for V6 engines which doesn't mean much for a 4.3 V6. The V8 heads will also have a casting # whether TBI or Vortec.

http://www.onedirt.com/tech-stories/engine/a-guide-to-vortec-vs-oe-small-block-chevy-heads/

Easy to tell if it is Vortec heads. You will have only 4 bolt holes on each side for the intake manifold, instead of 6.

well either way im building this engine cus it's what i have if i can find a set of LT1 heads that are affordable and need little work i'm probably gonna grab them. but till then i have what i have and i still need a cam. i just want a cam that's not too wild just a little aggressive but will help gas mileage. in the state the original engine is in anything is better. rings are so fried exhaust gas is spilling out of the dipstick tube. so if you guys know of a cam that will give me what i want it would be much appreciated.

Thank you very much. Kenny.

If rings are that bad, a bigger cam will only amplify your problems and then you'll get into fouling plugs etc. Sounds like it's a very ailing motor. :dontknow:

I have a Vortec 350, that I just finished my swap from 305 on my 79 Caballero... Pictures soon...

But this is the cam I am running. It is pretty aggressive, but has good power and from what I can see, I still get 15-17 MPG with a very heavy right foot and a 4-speed tranny.

Cam-comp cams xe262h

http://www.compcams.com/Company/CC/cam-specs/Details.aspx?csid=85&sb=2

Hope this helps, and good to you.:beer:

Desian91, the reason they want to know what heads you have is to help you decide and point you in the right direction,everybody on this forum is actually very nice and helpful to people.the other reason on knowing what heads you have depends on flow wrong cam and it will suck no power or poor fuel economy it makes a difference in what you have and what you plan on doing down the road if your gonna go fuel injection the cam(lsa) is gonna be crucial for tuning especially if you do your own tuning.