2005 Chevrolet Suburban 2500 4x4
8.1 L Vortec (496 cu.in.) rated at 330 horsepower and 450 ft. lbs. of torque
combined with a 4.10 final drive, and a towing capacity of 12,000 lbs.








This is the second time I've owned two Suburbans at the same time. The current pair at Spicewood, February 2019,

The other pair at Almira, July 2007


The rockers are getting repaired. New pictures coming soon.

The General Motors 8.1 Liter 496cu. in. Vortec engine was the last of the GM series of big block engines. This V8 engine replaced the 454cu. in. Vortec as the high power option for the vehicles in which it was offered.  The bore was kept the same for the 496cu. in. engine, but the stroke was lengthened which provided the extra displacement.  Some other changes included new firing order, re-designed intake ports, and a conversion to metric threads throughout the engine, which no doubt had a major impact to tools required at the manufacturing plants as well as for mechanics who work on this engine.

The 496cu. in. Vortec was offered a variety of platforms for GMC and Chevrolet. The Chevy versions that used this engine were the Silverado, Suburban, Express, Avalanche, and Kodiak, while GMC offered the engine in the Sierra and Yukon XL. Other specialty versions included the Workhorse motorhomes, T98 armored vehicles, and the 26 foot U-haul truck.

The Best Gas Engine for Towing?

As mentioned, the 8.1 496cu. in. replaced the 454cu. in. Vortec in 2001. The 496 was then produced until 2009 when it finally gave way to the small block 6.0 liter engine. The 496 is no longer in production as the last was produced in 2009. Although there are some documented issues with the 496, it seems that most owners are very happy with it.  Many of these engines have made it a significant number of miles, but the main reason for owning an engine like this isn't for speed or performance, it is for the power and towing capacity. The ability of this engine to handle heavy loads, particularly in combination with an Allison transmission is one of the things that makes this engine so popular.  In fact, the primary complaint is the gas mileage, which most state is in the 8-10 mpg range, but that is to be expected with a 496cu. in. gasoline engine.

496 Vortec Performance Specs

The power and torque of this engine varied widely depending on specific application, as is common with all engines used across a variety of platforms. The highest power rating was 340 horsepower, reached at 4200 RPM, while the highest peak torque ever reached was 455 lb-ft, achieved at 3200 RPM.  The exact volume did vary slightly throughout the production of this engine, ranging from 8.095 liters to 8.128 liters, or about 496 cubic inches, created by slight changes to the cylinder head.  The displacement was achieved with a bore of 4.25 inches, carried over from the 454cu. in. engine, and a stroke of 4.37 inches, an increase of 0.37 inches in comparison to the 454cu. in. that it replaced.

Head and Block Construction

 The 496cu. in. engine is made primarily of iron, using both a cast iron block and cylinder head.  This engine used a conventional camshaft in the block with pushrods. There were 2 valves per cylinder, 1 intake and 1 exhaust to give a total of 16 valves for this V8 engine.  This engine also used what was essentially a carryover electronic fuel injection system from the 454cu. in.  The 496cu. in. Vortec was the final big block gas engine from GM to date. This engine was primarily created for work purposes and was very popular among people who needed that kind of power.

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