Rebuilding the motor question?
Rebuilding the motor question? I have a good running stock LS1 5.7 engine with 94k on it. I’m considering getting it rebuilt with forged pistons, rods and new bearings.
What machine work is a must when rebuilding a motor like mine?
Can I just simply remove the stock rods, bearings & pistons and install the new bearings, forged rods & pistons?
What machine work is a must when rebuilding a motor like mine?
Can I just simply remove the stock rods, bearings & pistons and install the new bearings, forged rods & pistons?
No, at a minimum you'll need a machine shop to hone the cylinders and inspect the crank journals. How much you need to bore it out or how much it needs to be honed needs to be determined before you buy pistons and rings. You'll never get new rings to seal right if you don't hone the bores. If the crank needs turned, you'll have to get bearings to fit.
Shouldn't be any reason to have a 94k mile crank turned if the car is running fine. Hell my 216k mile truck engine takes standard sized bearings, and really showed no wear on the crank.
At 94k miles hell let her eat. Spray a 150 shot or even a 200 shot on the right tune and she will live for awhile.
At 94k miles hell let her eat. Spray a 150 shot or even a 200 shot on the right tune and she will live for awhile.
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Most of your forged motors are considered 347s because you want to give it a good hone before dropping a high dollar rotating assy down in it.
If any work is dine to the cylinders make sure the shop has a torque plate because the block moves around a good bit when the heads are bolted down.
If any work is dine to the cylinders make sure the shop has a torque plate because the block moves around a good bit when the heads are bolted down.
All I will say is if this was my motor, no way in hell would I slap a used crank back in a performance engine without having a machine shop inspect it and measure it with a micrometer. It might be fine, but then again, it might need turned. If it was going in an old farm work truck or something, I might not care.
I'm rebuilding a 125k mile motor and at first I was planning on doing a pretty low budget rebuild. I had bought a ball hone to deglaze the cylinders and I was planning on reusing my stock pistons. I tore everything apart I saw wear on the cam bearings so I decided to take the block to a machine shop. Fast forward a few weeks and a few hundred bucks and they are replacing the camshaft bearings, boring and honing for 3.905" forged pistons, and cleaning the block. Total bill about $400 but I have peace of mind.
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Forgot to mention that I also had another shop rework my crankshaft because there were some scratches on some of the journals. They turned it down .010" and balanced it for about $130. That shop didn't have a torque plate for the ls1 which is why I took the block to a different machine shop.
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