Hey everyone, new to this site, as well to ls motors. I'm doing my first complete engine build and I need some assistance on a few things. Engine is an 04 iron block Lq4 6L. I've pulled this motor, and the driver side head had been off for awhile. Now I tore it down, and was about to lose hope on bringin this thing back to life. But I honed the cylinders and the actually cleaned up really well. Most like will still send it off to be gone threw just to be safe. I want to make big power. Don't care how long it takes. I am not set in stone on what setup I am going to run. At first I was going to use 706 heads for the compression, but decided I wanna boost it, so I am using the factory 317's for larger combustion chambers. Now the boost part. I am wanting to run an s480. Where I am at right now is putting fresh rod bearings and piston rings in it. I need to know what brand, material, and gap size on the piston rings. Everything I have read on is different and people get in a pissing war over it. I just need an honest opinion and all the advice I can get for the best set up. If you need to know what o have gathered right now, I can list what I have and what I was going to get. Planning on stock bottom end for now, so factory 4" bore and stock Pistons. Thanks in advance.

 

Stock bottom end? Why not just run stock rings?

 

When I pulled the Pistons out, a couple of them had the rings stuck to the Pistons. So when I freed them, one broke. So I just assumed to buy all new rings and rod bearings. While I am already there.

 

Im doing the same thing with an aluminum 5.3. opening up the ring gaps to .026-.028 on top ring and .034 on secondaries. Im only going to run 10lbs tell I get a vac pump set up going, then I plan on handing it 20+ and seeing what happens. Opening my mains up to .0025-.0027 oil clearance, and rods are just a touch over .002 right now and im running that. standard pressure high volume oil pump and 10w-40 oil. Waiting on my mains so I can assemble it.

Reason for vac pump is so it keep all the excess crank case pressure out and obsorbing any blow by that may cause engine issues when it starts getting flogged. Its spendy but worth it when you start reading how they affect everything

 

use steel rings as they will not break as easily.

 

How much is that vac pump?? And I wasn't planning on messing with the mains. Is it necessary? I was just gonna replace the rod bearings cause the Pistons where already gonna be out and I was already gonna be there.