Hey,

Trying to make a decision and figured I'd see what my fellow boosted ls1tech people think.

Long story I had a lifter break and need to get back up and running. I have 2 choices.

OPTION 1

Send my current 6.0(370) iron block with stock crank, forged callies h-beam rods, and 2618 forged wiesco pistons to the machine shop. Have them freshen it all up with rings, bearings, hone, clean check etc. That would run me about $1800. If I send in my heads (ported 241)and valve train have them install and degree cam, install heads and measure for pushrods and give me back an assembled long block it would be about $3,000 plus about $1100 for the cam and valve train parts. Plus gaskets and all that stuff my bottom line to fix my current engine if the rotating assembly is all good (which I think it is) would be about $4300.

OPTION 2

I found an already built long block. 363 ci with an eagle forged crank, eagle h-beam rods and mahle 4032 pistons. 799 heads, arp everything including arp2000 rod bolts, head studs etc. This is totally done with front and rear covers, valve covers installed. Stock rockers with comp trunion, btr .660 platnim springs, btr pushrods, $500 johnson lifters, mellings oil pump, obviously all gaskets are new so I wouldn't have to buy those. It was built buy a good machine shop for boost and I would get all the specs. Brand new.

This would cost $3500 and I could sell my current engine for around $1200 maybe more buy parting it since I have trunion upgraded rockers, good ported heads, good pistons, rods, block, timing set etc.

I would swap the cam out for a custom cam for my setup that I already bought but could then sell the custom cam in this engine.

It seems obvious, buy the complete engine.
My only hicup are the pistons. They are 4032 and not 2618 like mine.

Now I use meth injection now, but was thinking with the extra money I would save I could sell off my fuel system and alky control meth kit and go with a nice e85 fuel system.

My thought is there are guys making crazy power with stock bottom end engines with e85. The 4032 have to be better than that.

I made 900whp with my last engine. I want to be around the same.

What would you do?

Thanks
Alex

 

3k is insane for what you're describing. Have them hone and clean it and install all that yourself. Measuring pushrods and degreeing the cam etc are simple things you can do yourself.

 

Ya I know I can do that. Still 1800 for the bottom end. and although I think my heads are OK it would be nice to have them inspected which in the end with cleaning and valve job is $500

 

Thermal clean $96, bore and finish hone $200. $1220 total into my engine for clean, magnaflux, bore / hone, square deck, line hone mains, grind crank .010, balance rotating assy and install cam bearings. The money you save to assemble it yourself will easily pay for tools to install and check measurements. If you just want to throw something in quickly I understand that too. I would get a aluminum L33 junkyard 5.3, cam, head studs and ls9 head gaskets.

 

I had a good talk with the machine shop. Im going to start by bringing the short block to them tomorrow. Ill pull the caps for them and get an idea if we need a new crank. If not since the rotating assembly was already balanced he said it could be around $1550 for the disassemble, clean, line hone, grind and polish crank, file fit new rings, install all new bearings and cam bearing, install and degree cam.

Then its on me if I want the 241 casting heads taken apart, checked, valve job etc for about $550. I think I will clean the heads myself, measure spring height, new seals, and install them and measure pushrod lenth and all that stuff.

 

Ill post up tomorrow with more info.

 

You had a lifter break....so what was the actual damage to the engine ?

 

Cam junk?

 

Yes the top of one ls7 lifter cam apart. Oil pressure went low and the main bearings got damaged. I brought it to the machine shop today. They said it doesn't look horrible and the crank should polish out. The new bearing, rings,clean heads, new cam, lifters, springs and oil pump.

Yes John, the lobe on the cam for the bad lifter was damaged.

 

$1550 is still vastly overpriced IMO

 

I contemplated building my 6.0 but I've pretty well changed direction completely. Starting with a bare 5.3 block from summit, I'm gonna purchase a brand new gm crank, run a pair of "cheaper" forged rods such as scat I beams etc, wiseco dished pistons, and I'm gonna slap my ls1 heads, and complete top end onto the car, I'm shooting for 8.5-9 to - ace and the ls1 heads will get me there on a budget .I figured I'll be about 1500 deep as I already have head studs, brand new gaskets and seals , cam and valve springs, pushrods lifters and everything north of my cam .Then a Huron v2 twin kit to finish it up. I already have a pair of 7868 turbonetics and with those two snails, displacement really won't be an issue as they'll make up for any lack of torque down low. My ls1 now with a tsp228r cam on a 112 lsa starts making boost at 2200 Rpms and its full on 14 psi at 26-2700 Rpms ! Just my two cents but with forced induction , I decided I didn't need the biggest baddest stroker on the block and being a lowered street car, 1000 at the tires is probably too much power for the pavement as is

 

i second this ^^

 

I called 5 machine shops in the Chicago area. They were all basically the same. Maybe like everything else in Chicago it's just expensive.

 

Yea I think that's pretty pricey myself. If u have any mechanical know how u can build your own short block. Guys on the forum would help with any info needed. I would just let the machine shop check over all your parts, polish crank, clean block and install new cam bearings. Everything else u can do yourself. I really don't see why u would even need to rehone/bore the block, need to remove the pistons from rods, or new rings. I would number the pistons to there cylinder and reinstall with new bearings. U can save yourself a lot of money if u did this yourself.

U can buy a complete short block for a few hundred more from a sponsor for what they are charging u.

 

If OP hasn't figured out what he's going to do by now..... he may never figure out what he's going to do.

 

Lol 10 month necro bump

 

^^^^ :o)

 

Building a properly forged engine isn't a waste of money. I'll take some forged **** for 1100 knowing it will last

 

Hey guys. Ya I figured it out here is my latest video. I like my forged motor, haha.

But ya the stock junk yard ones are very impressive. In my case I already had the forged pistons and rods so I reused them. Enjoy!
Alex

 

What forged crank do you have?

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