Well, pulling the old original 350 blocks out of the 86 Formula. Got the late 90's vortec style with the one piece rear main seal. What is needed for this swap on Alpha ones?

I know I will need the electric fuel pumps and new intakes for the vortec heads (looking at the edelbrock performers).

Do I need new flywheels? haven't pulled the old motors yet to compare them, but getting close. Remember something about different couplers? not sure but the alpha's are NOT gen II.

Thank you, Brian

carbs with electric choke i have an edelbrock 750 in great shape used 1 season

Brian,

Call the guys at Michigan Motorz ( www.michiganmotorz.com).

Also look at their web site...very helpful and knowledgeable people.

I think your '86 model blocks have the one piece main seal and if that's the case you are good to go. Since you can do it easily...update the coupler...cheap insurance.

I'm doing a similar swap....check out my pics in the "Classic Offshore" thread.

why are yu doing this?

Just went thru this, you will need a new fly wheel, water pump, timing cover, and coupler, and bell housing

IF you have a 2 piece main seal now you will need the flywheel because the bolt pattern on the new crank in the 1 piece block is different.You will also have to switch to a triangular style coupler for the new fly wheel
Which will result in a new bell housing because the triangular coupler won't clear the old ones.

The vortec block uses a composite timing cover and will require the new style water pump to clear the timing cover. The old will work but it you have to cut the bolt heads off a bolt or two to make it fit.

if you need help with these parts i can hook you up cheap i took apart a 1987 350 1 piece rear main seal and have bell housing flywheel coupler if you want it i would buy new
$100 plus shipping

Well, the boat is an 86 but the blocks are pre-86, all 80 to 85 truck engines from the casting numbers. Finding out why it was only $5k as I suspected.

Well, because the motors are trashed. Ran, but compression was bad so pulled the heads off the motors. One is bored .040 over and looks beautiful inside except for the CRACK in one of the cyclinder walls, so scrap! The other motor looks very new except for surface rust inside the galley and top of heads, except where the side edge of one piston melted/failed and grooved the block. This one is still 4.000" bore so they put a new short block in it and then it failed soon afterwards!

Somebody sank some money into this with a brand new short block and a rebuilt block, then trashed them both. Boat has 690 hours on it.

So now I have two late 90's vortec engines sitting here to put in it instead. Wanted the Vortec heads since I had the standard cast iron anchors from the 80's truck motors. also the vortec blocks already have the roller cams which is a nice upgrade.

So, that is why.

The Vortecs have the timing covers with them. Was planning on new water pumps anyways. New about the flywheels, have a line on new ones now locally and the offer on this thread. Bellhousing is new, didn't think that had changed, so will need two of those. Couplers I figured on and was going to replace them either way.

Thank you for the update.

Brian

Interested, going to send you a PM. Need to meet up with a local person to pick up the other motor next week, will know more then. Thank you.

Brian

The timing covers can be reused but should be replaced if you remove them. They are only like $35 at napa. They include a block of plate where the crank sensor would go. Inside the timing cover is a piece that goes over the crank that the gives the crank sensor it's signal. It looks like a small plate but has notches on the outside of it, you will know it when you see it. It has to be reused to give the balancer and pulleys the correct spacing. It will serve no electronic function but is necessary to make sure everything lines up.