Got a stock 2000 Shortblock with 110k on it, 100k of those miles was unmolested completely stock in front of a 4l60e daily driver. Goal is about 450 Rwhp, daily driven, no spray/FI.

I've accumulated a TSP 233/239 114LSA cam, hardened pushrods, PRC Stg 2.5 5.3l heads, rod bolts, ported oil pump, ls2 timing chain, GM PP Lifters.

I'm about to put the rod bolts in and I'm thinking to myself, should I get the block rebuilt before I put this all back together. It's sitting in shortblock form on my engine stand right now. I've never priced it out, and I don't even know a local reputable machine shop to handle the work or even what work needs to be done during a rebuild process. There isn't any noticeable blowby, but there is a lip at the top of the piston bores that seems like it would be a good idea to have honed out.

I'd have no problem re-assembling the rotating bits, I've not done it before but I was able to do the heads/cam job with ls1howto.com and that turned out fine.

 

If its on a stand and your not going all out... I would hone, new rings, new bearings(cam, crank, main) and have a machine shop line hone the bearins. Then re use your stock rotating assembly.

 

Thanks man I appreciate the advice. I'm going to check into it. Any other ideas?

 

yeah man check for out of round. you're probably good, but that would suck if you had to get oversize pistons and were still using your originals.

 

Well I just dropped it off at a local machine shop to be rebuilt with new rings, bearings, hone and line hone. gonna keep the stock rotating assembly, have to drop the ARP rod bolts off to him tomorrow cause i forgot to bring them to him. should be interesting to see how it gets done.

 

Cool... did they give you a quote on a $$

 

I think it was a good idea for new bearings etc. Well atleast now you will have piece of mind.

 

You could also look to a forged piston if your going to be spraying it down the road. We stock all the parts to frenshen that short block, but at $600 the Mahle 3.898" bore stock replacement pistons come with rings, pins & will support some nitrous...

We stock the rings & bearings, give us a call if we can help in anyway!

 

Jason, would the rotating assembly need to be re-balanced with the piston swap??

 

^^^^Since nobody else replied YES.

 

The estimated lowest price for an OEM rebuild and I supplied the ARP Connecting rod bolts was 500 bucks. I got a call today and the guy told me 1 piston needed to be replaced but everything else looked good. It'll end up probably being in the 600 range because of that.

I'm just going with OEM stuff. I'm not looking to spray it as the car it's going into (Rx7) wouldn't handle the spray, it'd pretty much grenade the rear instantly and I'm not looking to convert it to a cobra IRS or solid rear. It'll be my DD.

But thanks for all the advice guys!