5.7 L31 Express 3500 What should I expect? (First Post)

[WisconsinMan]

Hello all,

Spent the last few hours on the forum and decided I should join the club. Brand new to this and asking for opinions on my purchase.

Specs:
2000 Chevy Express 3500 w/ Bluebird Mini Bus Body
Gas Engine
Motor Blown at 230xxx original miles (5.7 L31)
Donor included (5.7 L31-125xxx)
Interior gutted - Vinyl plank flooring installed
Came with brand new bed and RV fold out couch
Exterior painted and conversion paperwork completed
Was able to obtain regular auto plates
liability insurance for roughly $60/mo
Tire tread seems at 50%

Paid: $2000
Had a good friend tow (took 7 hours) $200
Shop is doing the motor swap and it will be around $3000
Just checked in with them and they told me the trans was pristine

it will be done Monday hopefully and want to drive it to Montana on Tuesday….

All in all it’s a $5500 bus with a Gas 5.7 L31 at 125xxx and 230xxx original miles.

How did I do? How many miles can I get out of this motor? Anything I should expect for performance right out of the gate? Anyone with experience here would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Billy

[WisconsinMan]

I have attached photos of the bus.

[Rwnielsen]

Should be a nice trip if that motor works out for you.

[peteg59]

Welcome to the site WM.

Hopefully the "donor" engine was/is still healthy?
It's too late now, but I might have been inclined to "freshen up" the donor before just simply swapping it in.

Maybe that was done for the $3K shop charge?

Anyhoo, good luck with it and post up your travel experience with the "new" engine...

[WisconsinMan]

Donor has new plugs, thermostat, valve cover gaskets, and an oil pan gasket. I bought it from a couple that split up in the middle of it. The dude was a bit of a mechanic and had done most of the work already.

Is this thing gonna be able to handle mountain roads? I do get out to Colorado pretty often.

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

the 5.7 is undersized for the bus body but plenty of aftermarket support and upgrades for it.
religious maintenance and take it easy on it.
not a hot rod motor in a dually/bus body but can be upgraded easily.
if the shop has not dropped the motor in yet i would price them putting in an RV cam and go for that upgrade while its on the stand.
easy enough while its out and will make alot of difference.
check what throttle body or fuel injection system you have? upgrades can happen there as well. might be an in the computer upgrade with that year model.
i think that was a transition year model? i think.
but plenty of parts to be found.

[WisconsinMan]

Unfortunately the motor is already in the bus. I wish I would have asked for advice sooner. Thinking I might rock this one for a year and try to move into a diesel next year after most of my time spent on here that seems to be the way to rock.

[cadillackid]

nothin like cruisin a gasoline bus I love em.. Small block 5.7 350 heck yeah.. HPtuners on the ECM couple sizes up Injectors, MSD dizzy, some Port work dione to what should be Vortec heads.. shorty headers are made for the van chassis and you can keep the A/C (an absolute must).. true duals.. Cats? GONE, resonators? GONE.. truss the rear and put a reinforced punkin cover on, tranny should be a 4L80E, in that year might want to tear it down and go with allison clutches and a hardened shell, billet input shaft.. then Bam! only thing you'll need to worry about then is tires because you are gonna be Fryin em

[Diverdude0075]

I'm looking at a similar bus with the chevy 350. How'd it work out for you? Gas engines are so easy! I want a super short bus for trips when it's just me.

[Diverdude0075]

So I bought the short bus with the 5.7 vortec, only 75K miles. She does decent on the interstate at 80 mph. I won't probably drive it that fast usually cause I'm sure economy takes a hit. It's had it's first oil change, and fuel fill up. I like it. No big mountains around me to worry about too. I'm starting a build thread on it.