Thecatfishz28

Since colder weather has became more prominent in my parts the problems of my car have became worse so, I've gotten it disassembled for the winter. Some buddies and me dropped the motor out the bottom last night after the waterpump died and soaked the 162k opti... As bad as it is, it came at a pretty adequate time considering the months where snow is very regular where I live are only a week or two away. So I figured it would be a fun project for me and my 16 year old son who doesn't have a car yet, he gets his license in May of 2016. I'm planning to have me and him work on it make it cool and then surprise him by giving it to him when he gets his license. The motor is still fine, I'm strongly hoping of being able to get away with just a simple wash, hone, line hone, new cam bearings, new freeze plugs, maybe 10/10 the crank if needed. I do plan on putting a small cam in, I think I've settled on the AI 226/234 110LSA cam. My only questions are how reliable would the motor be with this cam, re using the stock rotating assembly? I plan on having the rods shotpeened/resized and upgrading to ARP rod bolts. I'm going to use midlength headers since I have already lowered the car and I don't wanna deal with the scraping and headers causing false knock by hitting the k member, the O2s being extended etc... Next question To support the AI cam can anyone recommend some quality parts for a budget? Of Course since the water pump died along with the opti I'll be replacing those items with a Delco Pump and MSD opti. Any tips and pointers here? I only have 3500-4000 dollars for this. That's why I'm planning on using the stock rotating assembly and going with a smaller cam so I don't have to buy some hardcore valve train components...
For those that don't know the car is a 95 Z28 LT1 A4 with 3.23 gear rear end.

moehorsepower

iTrader: (3)

Given that your son is only 16, I would probably drop the cam by 10*, It will still be a fun street car with some good torque, and you can still use the stock stall tho a little larger will give a better off the line kick. If all of the rotating assembly is good then I see no need to upgrade for a build like this less the ARP as mentioned or even a set of 3.73's out back. With your budget you will need every penny for odds and ends, Opti, coil, Water pump, possibly plug wires, plugs, gaskets, oil ect.

Thecatfishz28

Would that be a custom grind cam? Or does someone make it? It probably sounds like I have no concern over his safety giving him a cammed Z28 but, he grew up watching me do this stuff with race cars and what not so it's kind of hard not to tell him he can't. What wires/plugs would you recommend? I replaced both a while back with AC Delco factory size wires and NGK TR55 plugs. I feel like any bigger they wouldn't fit in the stock wire retainers?? I may be wrong on this.

BoostedDSM

iTrader: (6)

Bigger wires will be a pain in stick looms. If your tossing a cam in, you need headers, y pipe, some sort of Cai or lid swap, good 8.5mm wires (summit is what I run) good valve train. For the money comp 918 springs are hard to beat, and your buildingbit. So they heads can be made to fit them properly height wise. Nsa tockers, guideplates, LSx lifters, new pushrods. Gears or a stall would be a good idea too. Motor mounts maybe.

I just did a cc503 on my lt1, super happy with it. You can check out my thread about it titled (starting to bring the Z back to life) idle clip included.

Thecatfishz28

Would 8.5mm really benefit to having such a baby cam like I plan on running? Since the motor is out of the car, doing the plugs and wires won't be that bad. Does anyone make a set of plug wire holders that will accept a bigger than stock plug wire? I was looking into the 918s, some TFS 7.2" .80mm 1 piece Chromoly pushrods, Isky retainers, I don't know what lifters or guide plates I would like to use yet. As far as 1.6RR's what is a good budget minded set that will work with the above valvetrain?
*edit;as far as headers, I really want to do mids, the car will be lowered after the motor is back in, I really don't wanna deal with the scrapping and tuning issues with Longtubes hitting the k-member etc causing false knock.
For air induction I think I'm going to go with a Moroso.

shbox

I wouldn't consider that cam really small.

Bigger wires just have more insulation for the most part, make installation difficult and don't contribute to performance, IMHO. Lots of people have stock AC-Delco wires on their performance engines.

A stock rotating assy can handle it.

VoyagerCamaro

Isn't it one of the more smaller cams that's offered for the LT1? As for the bigger wires, That's what I was thinking. I am running a fairly fresh set of Delco replacements. I did run super conductors, that didn't end up well. Damn belt ate threw the wires within 100 miles and it run TERRIBLE to. Couldn't find it
Till it quit running... Are stock rotating assembly's really that strong?? I guess I spent a lot of extra money i didn't have too on my build... glad to know the stock rotating assembly can handle it's own.. I might freshen up my old LT1 knowing that. From what I've read the stock internals are made by Mahle?? That's interesting if true, OP: I am 17 and bought my Z28 when I was 16, I was your typical 16 year old burnouts, drifting... Hope your son has a job or he's gonna go through some tires pretty quick...

96LT1Z

Man I just think back to high school when I had my Z... Pry a good thing it was headers only because man did I drive it hard.
IMO no reason to screw with mid length headers. You won't have more issues than the mid lengths would give you.
This will definitely be a badass car sitting at school for him though! Very cool

96LT1Z

That cam will be plenty small for a daily driver IMO, it's just up to you what you feel comfortable with him driving

Thecatfishz28

Thanks! He knows his limits, I've let him drive this car and let him understand that even 275hp can end you up in a ditch if you drive like an idiot, and he works now, my wife his mom takes him every day after school... Doubt he will drive it to hard considering he will have to pay the pretty penny of 93 octane gasoline LOL. I still don't know about the Longtubes, I just recently lowered the car with Sprano springs/Koni orange shocks and did the heater hose mod so this thing is sitting low! Just want some nice wheels now... I really hope my son enjoys it.

BoostedDSM

iTrader: (6)

Longtubes are well worth it, even on a lowered car it's not that bad. You just can't whip in and out or places, and need to be careful. I drove a slamed dsm for a bit, no real problems. Plug wires I only suggest thicker ones to deal with the heat of longtubes. 6 sets of wires later, even with the heaDer socks on them. AutoZone junk with a lifetime warranty.

shbox

There is a number of them smaller than that.

Thecatfishz28

That's my main concern, he's my son and I love him but I don't think he's got enough sense yet being 16 and trying to goose it to pull out in front of someone haha.. Not like I didn't do it at his age either. Besides, I'm not to worried about the extra HP that Longtubes will provide me with.

96LT1Z

Tell ya what if he puts it all together with you and understands what goes into it I bet he ll have plenty knowledge of the be careful with the longtubes!

Thecatfishz28

After I get the motor apart and have my machine shop check the condition of the block to hopefully get the cylinder walls honed if there aren't any scores/scratches on the cylinder walls, can anyone recommend a good set of piston rings??

guppymech

iTrader: (7)

That 226/234 cam you're considering is capable of running high 11s with supporting mods. Do you really want to put your 16 year old in something like that? A stock LT1 is more than enough for a new driver to handle.

96LT1Z

I would agree with that statement.

Thecatfishz28

One of the key factors is I am not gonna add the supporting mods to make it capable of running 11s, I'm keeping the stock converter and gears just for the street-ability. With his job now I doubt he will be able to save enough money to buy a high stall converter and better gears, and if he does I know he won't be able to install them by hisself! but to answer your question; Yes & no, honestly I don't feel comfortable letting him drive at all even if he were in a Prius , I do feel more comfortable that it's a 4L60e rather than a T56, he has driven the car before it bit the dust and proved he could handle the power. Moehorsepower recommended to knock the cam down 10*. So if the cam is smaller, without a better set of rear end gears and a high stall converter, and I have still chosen to stay with mids. I wouldn't think the power gains are gonna be to much for him. But like I said, being a father as long as he's on the road I'm going to worry. But I know he's into cars and would really enjoy this, in reality the only reason I'm even entertaining the thought of camning the motor is for sound. If it were my car it'd be a different story! But I know it will be badass for him to roll up to school with his Z28 muscle car sitting real low, with the cam just loping away, maybe even take the t tops off...

shbox

If you don't try to tame that cam as Moe suggested (or get a smaller one) it is gonna suck for daily use, IMHO. With the lope and stock converter is it not going to want to stay still at a stop light. Gas mileage will also suck. I'll also agree with the above posts that a stock engine is more than a 16 year old needs, but you seem to have made up your mind. No matter how wise a kid seems, they are still a kid and their judgement has not matured at that age.

lt1-xjs

To me it would be foolish to throw a cam in and not the supporting mods, making the car drive like $hit. You are going at it backwards, just build it stock with some bolt-on's like converter and gears. Maybe the springs, rockers and if you want sound throw in a hotcam. That should be more than sufficient.