Generation IV Internal Engine - 346 popped...maybe looking at a LSX now

So while i was on a job several states away, my friend was supposed to start my car once in awhile to get oil to the top and warm it up some. Driving was ok too. Well he called me up and told me it just quit, won't crank and oil was leaking.... blah blah. He was revving it good too.

So I get home, jack the car up first thing and find windows in my block! :bang:

I have a new L76/LS2 shortblock sitting on the stand. But it is 58X reluctor, front cover that needs changed with sensor, different cam sprocket, and all the other stuff associated with swapping it over to the LS1 computer. Not a big deal, but not much increase and is it any stronger than what I had?

Thinking about a LSX with a nice rotating assembly so this doesn't happen again. Maybe a 454 as I am a NA sort of guy. However my 205's and headers are too small. I have to scrap everything and start over. Probably around $15K I'd say. Is this baby worth the coin?

hell yeah it is. itll be worth it the frist time you start it up and roast the tires off the car with all the power it will make.

I would run your LS2 short block, cam it, use your heads and have an easy 480 rwhp. You can get a 58x to 24x reluctor converter from lingenfelter and save yourself the grief of swapping everything over! Hell you could even reuse everything from your old motor (given the cam is not damaged) on your new LS2 shortblock. Now is it a LS2 or LS3? As the LS3/L92/L76 are all 6.1L motor size and the LS2 a 6.0L.

http://www.lingenfelter.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=LPE&Product_Code=L460065397&Category_Code=C163

If your going to spend 15k we've got a 457cid long block that should run mid 9's in a 3300 lb or lighter car :) Or for a little more a 460cid. We also build LSX 454's all the time for people as well for a little less than that. Off the top of my head I'd say about 12,500 for a 454 long block, little more depending on your requirements.

Lingenfelter makes a conversion module for $250 that lets you use a 58X reluctor in a LS1.

I would run your LS2 short block, cam it, use your heads and have an easy 480 rwhp. You can get a 58x to 24x reluctor converter from lingenfelter and save yourself the grief of swapping everything over! Hell you could even reuse everything from your old motor (given the cam is not damaged) on your new LS2 shortblock. Now is it a LS2 or LS3? As the LS3/L92/L76 are all 6.1L motor size and the LS2 a 6.0L.

http://www.lingenfelter.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=LPE&Product_Code=L460065397&Category_Code=C163

I'm a little green to LS motors but I'm pretty sure LS3/L92 are 6.2L motors. And L76/LS2 are 6.0L motors. Mine is a 6.0L shortblock. Actually it is a partial. It has a cam, oil pump and everything. It is VVT which will be ditched for simplicity reasons. I doubt my Pat G. cam will be any good. Too bad because I liked how it ran and it would have been just fine in this 6.0 motor. I'm not sure how torn up my AFR heads will be... could be ugly. He was over 6k rpms (probably over 6500) when it went.

If your going to spend 15k we've got a 457cid long block that should run mid 9's in a 3300 lb or lighter car :) Or for a little more a 460cid. We also build LSX 454's all the time for people as well for a little less than that. Off the top of my head I'd say about 12,500 for a 454 long block, little more depending on your requirements.

I'm not wanting to spend 15K on a motor when I just trashed a bunch of money. I was just stating what it will probably cost me to get there with a LSX. I like your builder and will keep your card in my back pocket for when I'm ready to make a decision.

Lingenfelter makes a conversion module for $250 that lets you use a 58X reluctor in a LS1.

I'm well aware of the Lingenfelter box. A buddy had one and it seemed to work great for him.


If I didn't do the LSX454, I was kicking around the idea of FI with this 6.0 motor. It has never been ran. Pull the stock pistons/rings out, use them as paper weights and install dished pistons STD size for lower compression. It would be a stout little 6.0 will some supercharger action. Are the rods any tougher on a LS2 than the LS1?

What I have lying around...

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp159/friedad1_2008/IMG_2325.jpg

Notice 6.0 on back of block

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp159/friedad1_2008/IMG_2326.jpg

Run that baby! Sorry, I mean't 6.2L not 6.1L haha. I was also under the impression that L76/L92/LS3 were all the same size motors, but I maybe wrong. Either way, pull your motor apart and check on your parts, its all speculation right now what parts are good or bad.

What are the specs on that cam in the LS2 right now? Only issue I could forsee on that LS2 short block is it needs to be decked. The deck surface looks terrible.

Honestly, I would run the LS2 motor, too easy!

What are the specs on that cam in the LS2 right now? Only issue I could forsee on that LS2 short block is it needs to be decked. The deck surface looks terrible.

It is the stock cam. Never been touched or ran. That is the factory GM milling. Maybe the camera flash is giving it the wavy look. That little mess up at the back of the driver side will easily clean up with a file and stone. That's not a worry.

The head wont even touch that part of the block so don't worry about it.

Frito, what do you think cause your motor to give up? Though, my motor has been rebuilt, this still worries me.. :argh:

Frito, what do you think cause your motor to give up? Though, my motor has been rebuilt, this still worries me.. :argh:

This is anybody's guess at this point. I'll have to do a root cause analysis when I get the motor apart. I will get to the bottom of it.

Dude honestly my 346 spun a bearing and all i could think about is going faster so i bought a 408 6.0 Iron short block from LME, heads & camshaft from Texas-Speed, and my local shop boys got me up and running! On no tune just a few flashes yesterday i ate some fast shit on a local cruise. The bigger cube is so worth it despite the cost, but in my opinion the durability is so much more as well as the life expectancie

i say make the decision once you get your ls1 torn apart.

pulled the 346 out and got heads off tonight. The lower end is complete carnage. The heads came out good. #7 combustion chamber took a little beating but it will clean up just fine. The head isn't as bad as my unfocused camera showed. I'm am totally happy to save my heads! Picture inside of Fast intake. #7 piston broke to pieces. #8 rod snapped, but piston is complete and still at the top dead center. Both rods have ARP 2000 rod bolts intact and tight. Bearings are free on both. No valves were dropped

Wow! Sorry to see that bud, Derek mentioned it to me when you first told him. So are you going big big or are you going to go ahead and use that 6.0?

More dandy pics

so your friend was drunk one night and reved the piss out of it or what?

Wow! Sorry to see that bud, Derek mentioned it to me when you first told him. So are you going big big or are you going to go ahead and use that 6.0?

Good question Gunnar. I'm still on the fence yet. Also thought about throwing the stock longblock back in it and sending it on it's way.....

so your friend was drunk one night and reved the piss out of it or what?

Nice first post. The car is completely tuned with shiftpoints of 6,900 and rev limiter at 7200 incase of driveline failure. I always take it to 6,900 at the track. He did nothing different than what I would have done.

Good question Gunnar. I'm still on the fence yet. Also thought about throwing the stock longblock back in it and sending it on it's way.....


:| don't sell the car! What would you replace it with?

Looks familiar hahaha. Cam appears to be ok, have you checked it yet?