Balanced/Blueprinted LS1
Thanks fellas. 
Launching!
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 228
Likes: 0
From: Warner Robins, GA
Balanced: pistons, rods and crank are balanced ie making all the pistons weigh as close to equal as possible, same for the rods. As for the crank, making sure that when it is spun it has no vibration - equal weight distribution.
Blueprinted: measuring everything and making them to as close to exact tolerences as possible. Measuring gaps to as close to tolerences as possible.
Pros: Well built engine that should last and hold up well. Smoother running.
Cons: Only con I can think of is cost. It cost a lot more to have a engine balanced and blueprinted because it takes quite a bit of time to do all of this instead of just slapping the engine together.
Not saying that I'm totally 100% correct on this, so if anyone wants to add or correct me - do so
Blueprinted: measuring everything and making them to as close to exact tolerences as possible. Measuring gaps to as close to tolerences as possible.
Pros: Well built engine that should last and hold up well. Smoother running.
Cons: Only con I can think of is cost. It cost a lot more to have a engine balanced and blueprinted because it takes quite a bit of time to do all of this instead of just slapping the engine together.
Not saying that I'm totally 100% correct on this, so if anyone wants to add or correct me - do so
TECH Veteran
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 4,055
Likes: 1
From: Hartsdale, NY
Yeh; that guy up there said it correctly...
I would be very careful about throwing these terms around.....they mean different things to different people...
If you are going to pay for a balanced and blueprinted motor make sure you get what you pay for.... specifically, they need to tell you on a sheet what the spec of EVERY measure in the whole engine, rings, pistons, bore, crank journals, pins, end-play and on and on and on and on....
Before you buy this get a sheet of your engines factory acceptible specs and use it as a starting point....
Balancing also is done in degrees - since nothing is EXACTLY balanced you need to tell them within what limit is acceptible....the closer it is the more time and money it takes...
You can buy an engine assemply book for about $35 at Barnes and Noble that goes into a lot of detail on explaining balancing and blueprinting....
Blueprinting in the true sence is not just throwing an engine together and measuring all the specs and recording them on paper....it is carefully fitting all pieces together and machining the parts so they are within optimum specs.... sort of like what the guys at Dale Ehnhart's place do with each engine that goes into a Winston (Nextel) cup car....
Why do this; to maxiumze performance and to minimize the potential for catostrophic failures.
Why aviod this: it costs a ton of dough to do this right... that is why more and more folks just buy a crate engine - they are much more cost effective, they run great and are relatively cheap when compared to a highly customized "built" engine....
I would be very careful about throwing these terms around.....they mean different things to different people...
If you are going to pay for a balanced and blueprinted motor make sure you get what you pay for.... specifically, they need to tell you on a sheet what the spec of EVERY measure in the whole engine, rings, pistons, bore, crank journals, pins, end-play and on and on and on and on....
Before you buy this get a sheet of your engines factory acceptible specs and use it as a starting point....
Balancing also is done in degrees - since nothing is EXACTLY balanced you need to tell them within what limit is acceptible....the closer it is the more time and money it takes...
You can buy an engine assemply book for about $35 at Barnes and Noble that goes into a lot of detail on explaining balancing and blueprinting....
Blueprinting in the true sence is not just throwing an engine together and measuring all the specs and recording them on paper....it is carefully fitting all pieces together and machining the parts so they are within optimum specs.... sort of like what the guys at Dale Ehnhart's place do with each engine that goes into a Winston (Nextel) cup car....
Why do this; to maxiumze performance and to minimize the potential for catostrophic failures.
Why aviod this: it costs a ton of dough to do this right... that is why more and more folks just buy a crate engine - they are much more cost effective, they run great and are relatively cheap when compared to a highly customized "built" engine....
TECH Veteran
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 4,055
Likes: 1
From: Hartsdale, NY
Oh yeh, a "crate engine" is one that is made at a factory like GM, Ford, Chrysler/Benz, etc.
It comes balanced and the parts are within very close tolerances (no sheet comes with it telling you the measurements, however, since the manufacturor determines them for a particular production run)....
...you really need to read a few hot rod magizines.... GM High Performance is good - also Hot Rod, Super CHevy, etc....
It comes balanced and the parts are within very close tolerances (no sheet comes with it telling you the measurements, however, since the manufacturor determines them for a particular production run)....
...you really need to read a few hot rod magizines.... GM High Performance is good - also Hot Rod, Super CHevy, etc....
I had my motor balanced with in 2 tenths of a gram an it only cost me 260 bucks I did the blueprinting my self to save the money that was the crank, rods and pistons, and I had the harmonic balancer on the crank with the fly wheel, clutch, and pressure plate.
