so ive never run into this issue but pretty sure i spun a rod bearing.havent had it torn apart yet to see for sure but pretty confident. question is how much damage will a spun bearing do? im already planning on replacing h/c and valvetrain, oil pump and timing chain but what kind of bottom end replacements will i likely be looking at? can the pistons or rods be reused or will everything need replaced?

 

You really need to get it apart before that can be answered. If you did spin a Rod bearing then you will have to replace the Rod and 99% of the time the crank also.

Looks like it is time to drop the engine and rip it apart. Or order a short block, build a short block, junk yard it.....

 

^ Yep

 

If it did spin you smoked the rod journal on the crank. If it's not bad you might be able to get away with having it turned. However, you can find factory cranks used for around $100 which is probably what you'd have in machine work turning your old crank.

You'll need:

Crank
1 Rod
Main Bearings
Rod Bearings
New Rings

That's assuming there is no other damage. There was a reason you spun a bearing in the first place.

 

If it did spin you smoked the rod journal on the crank. If it's not bad you might be able to get away with having it turned. However, you can find factory cranks used for around $100 which is probably what you'd have in machine work turning your old crank.

You'll need:

Crank
1 Rod
Main Bearings
Rod Bearings
New Rings

That's assuming there is no other damage. There was a reason you spun a bearing in the first place.

 

any ideas on about how much that would cost?

 

I'd say you're looking at 500 minimum, if you are going to pay for someone to do the work, and need to do it economically, I would find a good short block and sell your block bare. I've purchased a good LS6 short block for 750, and have seen bare blocks go for as much as 450. If you have the money, rebuild yours and you will know what is inside for sure.

 

well im planning on doing a rebuild. im already putting heads cam oil pump timing chain, lifters, on new from texas speed. just wondering if i could reuse my block and any rods and pistons at all.

 

bump*

 

I just went through this with my LT1, you will need all this at minimum to get it going again.

 

how much did that cost you?

 

If you are already planning a rebuild, slow down, and get this block torn down and check it out. You may find that it is not as bad as you may think, or worse. There are many ways to approach an internal failure, but I would say buying parts before properly determining the underlying issue is certain bring on some headaches later. I have been in this situation before, and can save you 200 in balancing. For example, I used a 6.0 LQ9 crank I already had, and a set of pistons, rods and rings I found NOS from ebay. I took the rotating assemble to the machine shop to balance, and they said it was perfect, they didn't have to do a thing, but charge me. lol.

Really the parts are going to be about 300, like he said above. You are just going to have to search for the parts you need. There will be choices that will effect how much you spend. If you are like me, you will have trouble going the "economy" route. I always end up in the "while I have it out, I might as well ...." syndrome. I have a good set of stock pistons and rods in a box at this moment, for that very reason. Like, might as well put some ARP rod bolts in, you know... while it's out...

When start pulling you car apart, take notes and pics. Also, it is a good idea to keep bolts in little bags, zip tied to what ever they are intended to secure. This might seem to slow you down now, but I assure you reassembly will flow much quicker than if they are all tossed in a box.

I strongly urge you to make a budget before you start buying your parts. Next, determine what you need, and then add to that list things you would like to have. Then search the world over for the best prices you can find, and see how that fits your budget. Don't forget that there are a lot of little items that tend to add up quick, so leave a fair bit in reserve for those pieces and parts.

 

ive been in the process of doing all this for a year now. i have almost 6k in funds right now. im just asking more for an idea what it has costed other people. i know i wont know till its torn apart but just trying to get an idea of cost. anything that needs replaced in the bottom end will be. but im putting a heads cam package on from texas speed in the rebuild.

 

most machine shops charge about $350-400 for assembly on the bottom end then about $175 for balancing

 

That is awesome, I somehow got the idea that you were in an unexpected pinch and just needed to get your transportation back on the road. Heck with 6K to throw at it I would just take it to the nearest quality hot rod shop and have them fix it! It should be rock solid after that.

 

that what im hoping. i mean id like to not use all of that money if possible but i just wanted to have enough. a shop actually estimated that it would be around 5 to 7k to either have them rebuild it or take my mine out and install a brand new one. i thought that sounded crazy high but i had no way of knowing. so i just wanted plenty of funds so once i send it somewhere im prepared if its pricier than expected. but yeah i have it pretty much planned out what im getting. i can get the head and cam package from texas speed and their rotating assembly and basically just reuse my block and rocker arms for the most part and still ill have about 2k $ towards labor fees or tune afterwards if any left.

 

purchase a shortblock from someone like Texas Speed and do the work yourself.

 

Yea seriously, buy a forged, assembled shortblock and have no worries for the future! You might still have enough money leftover to do a cam and maybe budget heads...

 

well if i had the tools and space not to mention the knowhow to do this myself trust me i would. i dont wanna fork over the money for someone else to do it. but if i try ill likely be rebuilding it again soon lol