Starting a build thread
08-11-2010, 06:26 PM
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Starting a build thread Well, car is out of service. Most likely for the year 
Bent a pushrod a while back and now the car won't run at all. For more info on it and if you have any advice to offer me check out my thread here... Long story short, the heads will be coming off.
https://ls1tech.com/forums/general-m...car-dying.html
The plan is 5-6 intercooled PSI on the street from a custom built rear mount turbo. Possibly pushing it to 8 on the dyno and track. I will be using a lot of STS parts but will be upgrading most of it. The parts list and plan so far:
TSP 7.400" pushrods *
LS7 Lifters
LS6 "yellow" valve springs *
LS2 timing chain *
Melling ported oil pump *
Walbro 255lph fuel pump *
60lb HI injectors
Catch can with breather *
Mocal oil scavenge pump
Godspeed intercooler
Tial BOV
Tial 38mm wastegate *
67m turbo *
The cold piping will be custom made to eliminate the STS ground clearance issues.
Going to be deleting my entire PCV system and vent the valve covers to the catch can. A lot of people do this with great success. The STS PCV system is a pile of crap and I have heard nothing good about it.
Their oil pump is another area of concern that I will be taking care of before I even start. I will be running the return line to a fitting that I will tap and drill into the valve cover. Down the road I will route the return line to the oil pan, but I don't feel like it right now.
Now for pics!
Looking good. Too bad its a 3300 lb paperweight.
Progress on valvetrain and intake removal so far. Just got it stripping down far enough to remove the rockers and pushrods and getting ready to pull the intake. The damn fuel line disconnect tool that VatoZone sells is too big for my fuel line. I'll have to do some creative modifications to shorten it up.
The culprit pushrod. It was the farthest back one on the driver's side. There were a few other slightly bent ones but this was by far the worst. At this point, I'm honestly hoping it messed up a lifter or valve and is the reason for the problems I'm having.
Lifters looking all pretty. Are these okay to through into a parts washer?
Fuel and oil pumps, pushrods, chain, and springs.
"It goes, weEEEEEEEEEEEE and then PPSSSSHHHHH"
Progress is going to be slow and updates not so frequent. My dad is coming up with a trailer this weekend and we'll be hauling it back down to his shop in Iowa. Will make everything a lot easier.
Bent a pushrod a while back and now the car won't run at all. For more info on it and if you have any advice to offer me check out my thread here... Long story short, the heads will be coming off.https://ls1tech.com/forums/general-m...car-dying.html
The plan is 5-6 intercooled PSI on the street from a custom built rear mount turbo. Possibly pushing it to 8 on the dyno and track. I will be using a lot of STS parts but will be upgrading most of it. The parts list and plan so far:
TSP 7.400" pushrods *
LS7 Lifters
LS6 "yellow" valve springs *
LS2 timing chain *
Melling ported oil pump *
Walbro 255lph fuel pump *
60lb HI injectors
Catch can with breather *
Mocal oil scavenge pump
Godspeed intercooler
Tial BOV
Tial 38mm wastegate *
67m turbo *
The cold piping will be custom made to eliminate the STS ground clearance issues.
Going to be deleting my entire PCV system and vent the valve covers to the catch can. A lot of people do this with great success. The STS PCV system is a pile of crap and I have heard nothing good about it.
Their oil pump is another area of concern that I will be taking care of before I even start. I will be running the return line to a fitting that I will tap and drill into the valve cover. Down the road I will route the return line to the oil pan, but I don't feel like it right now.
Now for pics!
Looking good. Too bad its a 3300 lb paperweight.
Progress on valvetrain and intake removal so far. Just got it stripping down far enough to remove the rockers and pushrods and getting ready to pull the intake. The damn fuel line disconnect tool that VatoZone sells is too big for my fuel line. I'll have to do some creative modifications to shorten it up.
The culprit pushrod. It was the farthest back one on the driver's side. There were a few other slightly bent ones but this was by far the worst. At this point, I'm honestly hoping it messed up a lifter or valve and is the reason for the problems I'm having.
Lifters looking all pretty. Are these okay to through into a parts washer?
Fuel and oil pumps, pushrods, chain, and springs.
"It goes, weEEEEEEEEEEEE and then PPSSSSHHHHH"
Progress is going to be slow and updates not so frequent. My dad is coming up with a trailer this weekend and we'll be hauling it back down to his shop in Iowa. Will make everything a lot easier.
08-13-2010, 09:26 PM
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Forgot to mention this is going to be a build on a pretty tight budget. I'll try and post up a parts list and cost on everything soon. I have probably another $1000 worth of stuff to buy but actually have about $1000 worth of stuff to sell off from stuff off the kit I won't need or intake and exhaust parts after I take off my aftermarket stuff
08-16-2010, 11:38 PM
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Made a little more progress today. Also got the catch can and breather from ebay today. Pretty nice looking unit. Also got the entire PCV system torn out.
Got the intake off and drained the radiator. Will be pulling off headers and taking out the radiator, PS pump, and water pump tomorrow and will hopefully get the heads off. Got the y unbolted from the headers today and unbolted the headers from the heads but didn't get the headers all the way out. We'll see what I find when the heads come off...
Bad valvetrain, good bottom end = Continue turbo build
Bad bottom end and valvetrain = Sell turbo for cheap and rebuild motor.
Got the intake off and drained the radiator. Will be pulling off headers and taking out the radiator, PS pump, and water pump tomorrow and will hopefully get the heads off. Got the y unbolted from the headers today and unbolted the headers from the heads but didn't get the headers all the way out. We'll see what I find when the heads come off...
Bad valvetrain, good bottom end = Continue turbo build
Bad bottom end and valvetrain = Sell turbo for cheap and rebuild motor.
08-18-2010, 09:26 PM
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That power steering pump was a pain. Once I got the bottom bolt backed out about a quarter of an inch I could slip a ratchet in there. That top one was an absolute nightmare though.
Here's today's progress.
Jackstand FTW!
Both heads off and cooling system pulled. Debating whether or not I want to pull out the AC system. Would the heat still work with the AC gone? Anyone know of a writeup for the procedure?
Driver's side head. Again, no apparent damage but I'll have to have the valves pressure checked. RPM Engineering here in Faribault quoted me $115 to completely clean and pressure check both heads. Definitely going to have that done.
Driver's side pistons. None of them looked shot. A lot of crap on them. Is there a way to clean them off while they are still in the motor?
Tried to get a closeup of the farthest back cylinder on the driver's side. This is where I found the bent pushrod. Looked okay to me.
If it is a problem with rods or rod bolts should I be able to tell while cranking the motor over by hand? I would rather not pull the whole motor to check the rods but I'll do what I have to at the end of the day I guess.
This is definitely the farthest I've ever dug into an LS1 or any fuel injected engine for that matter. Getting a little nervous since I still haven't found any real apparent problem.
Starting to debate just pulling the motor. Shouldn't be much work at this point as I can probably do it from the top with everything that is gone from the engine bay already. Like I said though, I've never torn apart one of these motors and would be pretty nervous about putting it back together.
Here's today's progress.
Jackstand FTW!
Both heads off and cooling system pulled. Debating whether or not I want to pull out the AC system. Would the heat still work with the AC gone? Anyone know of a writeup for the procedure?
Driver's side head. Again, no apparent damage but I'll have to have the valves pressure checked. RPM Engineering here in Faribault quoted me $115 to completely clean and pressure check both heads. Definitely going to have that done.
Driver's side pistons. None of them looked shot. A lot of crap on them. Is there a way to clean them off while they are still in the motor?
Tried to get a closeup of the farthest back cylinder on the driver's side. This is where I found the bent pushrod. Looked okay to me.
If it is a problem with rods or rod bolts should I be able to tell while cranking the motor over by hand? I would rather not pull the whole motor to check the rods but I'll do what I have to at the end of the day I guess.
This is definitely the farthest I've ever dug into an LS1 or any fuel injected engine for that matter. Getting a little nervous since I still haven't found any real apparent problem.
Starting to debate just pulling the motor. Shouldn't be much work at this point as I can probably do it from the top with everything that is gone from the engine bay already. Like I said though, I've never torn apart one of these motors and would be pretty nervous about putting it back together.
