Look what I found for 700 bucks 2003 Chevy Express 3500 12 passenger van with a 6.0L / 4L80e (I think) drives really strong with a half million miles (455000) every thing I need for a rebuild swap but not sure if I want to scrap it for my swap because it drives pretty decent. It was posted on Craigslist 3 hours before I bought it. LOL. what a blessing

I searched the net on the best way to dig it out of the van and most have took the front end off and pulled it out the front.

A couple a buddies of mines say to completely replace everything due to the high miles and just use the block and and start from there, any suggestion how to approach this motor rebuild. I want to be close to 450 to 500 hp when I'm done.

Its going in a 71 Camaro my future project. Not a race car but I want to be able to drive around and scare the crap out of some kid in his new Mustang.

 

tear it down and piece the van out to make all your money back. talk to vendors here to help select a coustom cam after you decided on what you're doing about the heads/intake/rotating assembly. do a full build after checking the block.

 

Yeah I plan on parting it out to recoup some or most of my initial cost, 500 HP is the goal but I was wondering should I replace the rotating assembly due to the high miles or just have everything checked and if good, grind, polish and balance whats good, replace whats worn out with upgrades and put it back together. It shouldn't take much to get 500 HP with a cam and LS6 intake. I want to use as much as I can if possible. Its that half a million miles thats got me concerned. LOL

 

I vote bore it .030 over, 4" stroke crank, flat top pistons, 408ci stroker. Have the 317 heads milled a bit shoot for 11:1 compression.

 

LOL 5K or 6K later .....that's way over budget

 

listen to conan .crank or wheel hp ? for wheel hp you will need some nice ported heads ,a good cam ,and a fast intake to make 500 rwhp ,if you can make the stock rotating work .go to Texas Speed and price stuff to get a idea for a budget .

 

What he said ^^^

Crank or wheel HP? What is your budget ? 500hp out of a 500,000 mile engine and a big old 4L80e... Needs a little love.

 

Well my budget is 4K and I may be able to stretch it to 5K and should I use a 4L60e instead of the 4L80e, were I'm from there are a few guys who are good and reasonable in there labor cost its the parts that may drive me over budget. The 500 hp isn't written in stone but the 5K is if that helps. So can I get Conans quote with in that 5K is the question.

 

also I thought you can only bore LS motor (6.0L) .010 over

 

Here's a link to a texas speed rotating assembly... http://www.texas-speed.com/p-1016-ts...-assembly.aspx

With the upgrades, balancing, bearings, and rings your a $2,700 Your probably going to be around $ 700-800 in to machine shop work. So that's around $3500. Don't forget to do new lifters, oil pump, timing chain, gaskets. That's another $500. So for 4K there is your 408 bottom end.

You could skip the 408ci and just bore it .030 over and end up with a 370ci but you will still be buying pistons. With the miles that this engine has on it you will still want to do everything else on the list. So in the end your still doing a lot of work.

To answer your other Q. The aluminum blocks can only be honed out .010 over. The Iron blocks can go up a bit .050 even.

 

Thanks Conan that 408 assembly is do-able and if I stretch it to 5K I can meet my goal or at least be close to it.

 

No problem. My projects always cost more and take more time than I originally set out to do. In the end they turn out the way I want and always bring a smile to my face when the pedal on the right hits the floor.