These are the specs on my current LQ4 I am building for a low boost (~12psig) turbo setup. This is my first LSx I have played with but have been building 500hp turbo v-6 engines for many years. While I run this I will be building my forged rotating assembly LS6 block in my living room

Stock block - stripped, hot tanked
Stock Crank - Polished only (journals are in good shape)
Stock cracked rods, ARP bolts, line honed 0.002in
Stock pistons
New rings (forget brand, came with moly top ring)
New standard clevite cam bearings
KING bi-metal main and rod bearings (rod bearings 0.002 OD oversized, STD mains)
Home Port and polished low mileage 317's w/ 3 angle valve grind
Stock valves, retainers, lockers (very low miles)
LS9 head gaskets
LS2 lifter trays
LS7 lifters
PAC 1518 Springs
Stock rockers with trunion upgrade
LS6 intake manifold
LS6 baffled Valley Cover
ALL new gaskets and seals
Stock LS1 ported/smoothed and shimmed stock oil pump
Stock modified truck pan w/ stock modified pickup
Cam (still running numbers, not sure yet)
Chromoly pushrods (have to measure and determine length)
Low mileage knock sensors
NEW Oil pressure sending unit (Is this just for the gage readout?????)
LS2 timing chain
New stock LS1 crank and cam sprockets


Those are the plans, and most of that stuff has been acquired and machining will start this upcoming week.

Any input is appreciated. I have a MSME and design compression ignition engines for a living, so please give me any input, as technical as possible so I am not overlooking any notorious issues with the LSx platform that I could miss. I might look into chamfering the oil ports on the crank main and rod journals to improve oiling as well if it is advised on these engines. Thanks in advance!

 

Personally, I would at least do some basic forged I beam rods for $280 (with ARP bolts). Minus the cost of the current ARPs and honing you should be only $150 extra which is not that much even on a budget build.

If you can stretch the budget, I would also do some basic forged pistons but that's not absolutely necessary at low boost.

 

I would have no problem spending an extra $150 for some SCAT I beams, but will they work with stock pistons and press fit pins? I was under the assumption they will not. I will be building a LS1 block as soon as this is done and installed that will get a stock crank with SCAT I beams and Mahle forged pistons, balanced rotating assembly and fancy bearings throughout. I want to see what a stock rebuild with ARP Hardware and a solid tune is capable of and build the LS1 as the backup.

 

WS6 store has scat I beams in 6.100 length for .944 pin for $280 shipped. That would work with your pistons