2001nbmss

I got my camaro over two years ago with 67k miles on it and it has burned oil as long as I have owned it. It currently has 112k. I did the ls6 pcv swap which didn't help and I have pretty much concluded the rings are the culprit, although I still haven't done a compression test yet. It still runs but I am trying to decide on my rebuild options. I want my finished product to be a street/strip, n/a car with maybe a small shot of nitrous (100-150). Seems like I should be able to make 450+, n/a? I want to plan everything as best as possible to not waste money and ensure I will be happy in the long run. Right now the drivetrain is still stock. Here are my questions:

Block: ls1 or ls2?
I figure keeping my ls1 will be cheapest, but didn't know if extra displacement would be worth the money to go with ls2 (not sure what all is involved in swap)

pistons/rods/crank: any recommendations?
I was thinking a 4" stroke (6.125" rods) with ls1 as my best option?

Heads: AFR 205s, 215s?
From the reading I've been doing, AFR seems to have some great flowing heads. Not sure what would be best.

Can recommendations?

I figured I would also run the FAST 102 intake and Kooks or QTP headers, etc.

Sorry for the generic questions. I have been doing a lot of reading on here and still need a lot of guidance.

trance565

iTrader: (4)

How much oil are you using? Is it smoking blue or just using oil in general, have you looked inside your intake manifold and do you have a catch can?

trans_am7935

iTrader: (15)

you really need to do a compression check before doing all this stuff, cause that is alot cheaper then going with a new engine. also if you are going to stroke it, then you are better off getting an LS2 block (4" bore) vs the LS1 block. it will give you a 402 vs a 383, and the torque difference is pretty substantial.

01M6TA

iTrader: (1)

compression test wont reveal if it is consuming oil. i have seen engines that pass a comp test with flying colors but burn 1 qt a week. oil rings have nothing to do with compression. how much oil are you losing? is it actually smoking? check for other places it could go, including coolant, intake man,i etc.

if it is smoking, describing how it is smoking could figure out where it is coming from.

-matt

redtan

iTrader: (5)

That's why you do a leakdown test. And rings most certainly have something to do with compression, albeit not much but still there.

01M6TA

iTrader: (1)

dude re-read...you have oil rings and compression rings, one can fall with the other still working. just like and engine running like **** because compression is low but not burning a drop of oil.

-matt

but i do agree leakdown test is way better than compression test but still really wont tell you where you are burning oil at.

2001nbmss

Well its burning 1qt every 1500 miles or so and there is oil coaxed in the intake manifold thats why i did the pcv swap but it didnt help. I have heard that can be from the rings too. Also if i take the oil cap off, it seems to push out air rather than pull a vacuum which i was told can be a sign of the rings.

2001nbmss

It also makes a chattering noise at low rpm high load which sounds like valve springs to me.

01M6TA

iTrader: (1)

well alittle air coming out of oil fill is normal, it will never suck in like vacuum. i'd say you have other issues than losing a qt every 1500 miles. start with a leakdown test and go from there. the rattling would scare me more than the oil consumption. they do not sound related though unless its a wrist pin knock and that has taken the rings out. but still do a leakdown test first. they are very easy.

-matt

trance565

iTrader: (4)

Try this. Put a breather on your valve cover vent and use a catch can between the manifold and valley cover. This is how my 402 is set up and it uses little to no oil.

2001nbmss

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the theory behind a catch can is to filter out the oil before going into the intake and being burned. I know this will help with performance, etc, but how does it keep me from using oil? Isn't the oil just going to fill up the catch can, or am I missing something?

Is the amount of oil consumption I'm seeing normal for a PCV issue? Seems high to me.

01M6TA

iTrader: (1)

i would say oil consumption is a little higher than normal, like i said i would be more concerned with the rattle you have.

-matt

SOMbitch

iTrader: (8)

That oil usage is a little high but still under GM "normal usage". If you already know it is sucking through the intake then that would eliminate rings/bottom as your problem.

If you want to go stroker anyway lemme know and I can ballpark some costs for you as I did mine in the last year...

2001nbmss

I believe the rattle is the valves...maybe due to worn out valve springs? If so, then I can just worry about new heads or getting valve springs, etc. rather than worrying about the bottom end if I can fix the oil consumption. I will get a catch can and try that.