Kwik SS

I'm thinking about building a short block but need to find out what you guys built it for, I will be on a budget but use good parts, I'll be doing the labor on it. but I will get it blueprinted and balanced. Let me know and also what parts you used.

Pro Stock John

iTrader: (34)

Forged pistons?
Forged rods?
How many miles on this shortblock?

BIGBOS

I plan on doing a very cheap build up, probably the cheapest around, I'm sure there are others out there that already have similar setups..

Stock Block (honed to get cleaned up) stock 346 c.i. displacement

Stock Crank

Eagle H-beam Rods $500ish

Diamond Boost Dished Pistons are like $500 plus 175 for rings I believe...shooting for around 9:1 probably a little lower...

I'm going to use my current heads...
I already have cometics for head gaskets...
Will do ARP rod bolts and head bolts...

Staying with my current stock LS6 oil pump, might upgrade the timing chain, still not sure...

The most expensive part is the machine shop costs...

I figure I will have a fresh motor ready for boost for around $4000 bucks after all the machine shop labor...

But the other issue I'm worrying about is the belt slippage, I want to run 12-13psi on pump gas, that will bring up an issue with the belts, and I'm sure I can go 16+ psi w/race gas...

A cog setup is another $1500 dollars.... <img border="0" alt="[bang head]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_banghead.gif" />

<small>[ February 25, 2003, 02:53 PM: Message edited by: BIGBOS ]</small>

JAS

< $2K

forged pistons & rings, ARP mains & head studs, ARP Pro2000 rod bolts, all new race bearings -cam inc.-, all new entire LS1 engine gaskets & seals, rollmaster dual TC, valve springs & seals, and machine work... even had a few pennies left over for some comp Ti-retainers -lols-

now the fuel system is a different story <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="gr_eek2.gif" />

<small>[ February 25, 2003, 03:10 PM: Message edited by: JAS ]</small>

Kwik SS

I'm going to be running nitrous so what kind of piston and rings and stuff should I use. And if I put everything together do I need to have it checked out or how does the bluepriting/balance thing work out.

Pro Stock John

iTrader: (34)

I'm knee deep in this right now too.

If you go nitrous, then you need:

pistons: $650 with wrist pins?
rods: $500 with ARP rod bolts?
rings: ???
bearings: $90?
balance rotating assembly: $200-300
hone block for .005 overbore: $150
Stock block disassembly: $$$?
timing chain: $100-150
Main bolts/studs
Head bolts/studs
Head gaskets
Water pump gaskets

I think you can hit over $2000 in just parts. If you had to get the block decked or the heads milled you can see there might be some other little stuff that can come up.

You have to get the rotating assembly balanced the weights are all different.

BIGBOS

Its 500 bucks to get the motor balanced, if you decide to use stock rods you do not need to do this...

T/A Medic

iTrader: (1)

Diamond Piston/Rings-800
Lunati SuperLight Billet Rods-1100
Block/Crank Work & Assy w/ bearings-1300
New Cam-375
Gaskets-200~
ARP Main/Head Studs-400
Lifters-375
LS6 PCV System 180

Already had Ported Oil Pump / Double Roller TC
but add another 300 to that if u dont

Obliviously Obvious

I just did this myself about 8 months ago.. did it somewhat 'cheap'..

I did all the labor, as for pulling it apart, and putting it together... in my garage no less...

Ross high compression pistons and total seal rings were $950 and a 4 month wait after they couldn't get the size right, and didn't have any wrist pins in stock.. *sigh*

Eagle h-beam rods were ~$550

Stock crank...

--
LS1 block 20 over

balance, blueprint of everything, polish crank, etc, etc

Pistons on rods

Bearings, gaskets, lube, whatever else

Total ended up being ~$2800 for my bottom end...

JAS

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by BIGBOS:
<strong>... if you decide to use stock rods you do not need to do this... </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif"><img border="0" title="" alt="[Roll Eyes]" src="images/icons/rolleyes.gif" />

<small>[ February 25, 2003, 04:55 PM: Message edited by: JAS ]</small>

Pro Stock John

iTrader: (34)

I would not reuse stock rods.

Balancing the rotating assembly can very between $200 to up to 400. Depends on how much if any Mallory (sp?) they have to add.

JAS

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by Pro Stock John:
<strong> I would not reuse stock rods.

</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Why?

Kwik SS

I was looking at the diamond pistons but I'm not sure what size to get. And what wrist pins and rings do I get with all of this. I'm thinking about going with the eagle rods also. Is it a good idea to replace the seals and bearing caps?

Johns98Z28

I'm also doing this right now. This is what I've spent:

Wiseco Pistons/Rings: $458
All GM Gaskets w/Head bolts: $190 ( this included a new oil sending unit.)
Main/Rod Bearings: $140
TR oil pump: $129
ARP Rod bolts: $79
Machine work: $675 ( this includes getting the cam bearings from the machine shop and having them installed, getting the block honed, vat the block, turn the crank 10/10, take off/put on the pistons on the rods, R&R the rods with the ARP bolts installed, and file fit the rings and assemble the short block)

So that's a total of $1675ish

Kwik SS

not bad Johns98z28 thats about what I want to spend. Are you using any kind of power adder, NOS S/C turbo. And can you tell me where you bought your parts at. Thanks

SScam68

iTrader: (20)

This is a really great thread. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="gr_grin.gif" />

I plan on running a Carteck X package and some juice in the future and obviously rebuilding the short block is a must.

I will be doing the labor assembly/disassembly and will probably call up LPE to do the machine and balancing of the shortblock. Dunno about cheap but worth way more in peace of mind.

I wonder how much the new JE pistons for the LS1 are going to be worth.

annil8r

Well u could always send me ur stock short block and ill put u one together to handle 800 horsepower. Itll cost u 2600.00 and will take 3 weeks. Just let me know something.

Plum Crazy Rob

iTrader: (3)

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote: originally posted by JAS:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by Pro Stock John:
I would not reuse stock rods.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Why? </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">really...he did say BUDGET...especially considering Jay J. just took them into the 9s. The rod bolts suck - the rods themselves have proven completely adequate for basically any and all running under 7200 RPM whether blown, NAAWWWS, whatever. Don't forget, rods fail due to TENSILE forces at high RPM not compressive. I seriously doubt anyone (not running Nitromethane <img border="0" alt="[evil]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_devil.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="gr_eek2.gif" /> ) would build enough cylinder pressure to bend a rod under a compressive load. Just something to think about <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" />

OTOH, rods are a very small cost as part of a ~$4k shortblock.

Pro Stock John

iTrader: (34)

I need Chris from Diamond to chime in here about the stock wrist pins.

How much does it cost to make stock rods work with aftermarket pistons?

Plum Crazy Rob

iTrader: (3)

Nothing, assuming you're getting an LS1 piston.
Already had done that when I was going to do a turbo and (wisely) backed out thanks to Incon. Put JE LS1 blower pistons and pins on stock rods no problemo.

LS1 and SBC wrist pin size is different by ~0.020 or something (LS1 is like .946 OD, SBC like .927 but don't quote me on that!)...So, if you're building something that uses a 4" or other bore piston stolen from the SBC section of a catalog, yeah you'd have to account for that...the piston can certainly be honed to the .946 LS1 wrist pin size in any case.

<small>[ February 26, 2003, 10:19 AM: Message edited by: Plum Crazy Rob ]</small>