Is there anything inherently different from assembeling an lsx motor vs standard sbc? If you follow proper engine assembly techniques and check your clearances and torque specs everything should be fine right?
Any tips or tricks?

Thanks

 

LSx motors are more capricious to tolerances and blueprinting. They are also internally balanced and that needs to be done at a shop. Otherwise, providing you have the tools, it is pretty much straight forward.

 

There are a few books on building LS1's out at Barnes & Noble. Just about every question asked on here about building an LSx has been answered in those books.

 

How about some real world results from the members here?

 

Well, Ive done 2 performance LSx engines this year. 1 650 hp l92 headed engine and 1 1100 hp turbo motor. Just use quality parts to match the hp level you are shooting for. I use similar bearing clearances and ring end gaps as I use on traditional sbcs.

 

I just built my first LSX motor. A 6.0 iron block with L 92's to be very general. I found the torque to yield bolts to be the biggest difference, if that is the route you are going. From what I did for research on here you have to pretty much use new bolts for mains and heads. You have to torque the bolts then go back and turn each bolt a specific number of degree's, some more than once. If you go aftermarket hardware (ARP studs ie) I guess you go by the manufacturer specs. Other than that it was just like any other build. I have built more Gen I small blocks than I have fingers and toes and this was just a learning experience.

 

Pretty much the same, just the TTY Bolts being the biggest difference. I built my 402 that is in my Car, and it went together pretty easily. The Valve Train is really easy, no adjustments at all, just 22ft/lbs on all the Rockers.

 

last time i checked a 400 chevy is the only external balanced sbc.

 

Good advice

See there are tricks that you need to be aware of that are different than traditional SBC.
Exemple:
>When getting a block, always run the crank caps in the exact same order they came out and always buy a block with the original caps on. Otherwise you'll run into crank fitting and play issues.
>LS1 motors vary from year to year and some are preferable than others. >Some can be bored slightly and some can only take a hone 97/98

Things like that, a good building book will help a lot, and we are here to help as much as we can.

 

after 40 years of building s/b-b/b's, i built my first LS motor, an lq4 with forged rods/pistons, procharger, for my chevelle-i bought a lot of books, did a lot of reading
get a good inch pounds wrench, besides a ft lbs one-also get a torq to yield or whatever gauge, for the non arp bolts
the LS motor uses the center main as the thrust bearing, and as mentioned, look at the main caps how their #'ed
1-4 are in a row, #5 (stamping) is on opposide side(i think 1 and 5 "point" at each other) i didnt pay attention when i tore apart the first one, hell, their numbered, lol-it was easy to see that #5 had to go opposite, because of the end cover
oil pump-it has to be alighned to the crank, per instructions in some of the books(also pack it with some light grease so it will prime, another problem, since it doesnt sit in oil)
end covers-they also need to line up to meet the oil pan, and the rear seal needs a tool to install with the end cover so the seal lip doesnt reverse-i install the front balancer when i do the front one
and dont forget to install the lifters before the heads like i did (brain fart, lol)
and before installing the rear cover, also there is a small plastic barbell looking thing for oil control, end with the seal goes to the back-must be installed before the rear cover is installed
and theres more, lol-if you use a double row timing chain, use a stock style oil pump, the aftermarket ones will make the front cover almost impossible to fit-or a single row timing chain and i think an aftermarket oil pump might fit-i chose the double row chain because of heavy valve springs, and stock ported oil pump, with a shim under the spring-with the double row chain, you get 2 spacers to move the pump outward-be careful that one of the spacers is not installed wrong, it can block part of the oil passage
a good book to get is "how to build high perf chevy ls1/ls6 v8's"-it has a lot of torq specs, even though some of it is outdated, theres prob more updated stuff out there
as you can tell, i have had way to much coffee this morn, lol-good luck

 

Im building mine now with my pop's and hees used to SBC. Theres a few things different for sure, however, its still a GM made performance V8 motor and though he says there are few differences like the external oil pump and such, its not enough so that you couldnt easily figure it out. The one main difference I saw was that you cant touch the lifters without the heads off in the lsx, on a sbc you can get at them by simply takin of the manifold....