I know this topic has been beat to death but I need to figure out my game plan for my build. I was thinking of a 408 stroker set up and taking the replace everything with brand new approach. Then I started thinking how it probably wouldn't be smart to dump 8-9 grand on a car I bought for 10k..

My question is, if i decide to roll with a 228/torquer v2 or v4/sns cam and maybe some 243/799 heads.. what are different ways I can check for bearing wear or worn bottom end parts to ensure it will handle it? I am concerned about cam bearings and rod bearings.. is there affordable DIY ways to determine wear on these parts? Has anyone performed oil analysis or anything like that?

I've done a lot of searching and get a ton of go aheads and a lot of don't do its. So I figured maybe I could research different ways to determine what my 128k bottom end condition is in and see what others have done before taking the leap.

I would plan on doing all of the obvious upgrades.. fuel pump, injectors, oil pump, timing chain, trunion upgrade, morel lifters, and gaskets. I also currently have no signs of any worn or damaged components.. typical ls1 lifter noise at most. I don't plan on revving over 6500 rpm's, all other mods in signature..

Thanks! Looking forward to responses and opinions.

 

Have you ever done a compression test?

 

http://www.blackstone-labs.com/what-is-oil-analysis.php

Something like this may be a good place to start.

 

I have not done one yet.. forgot to mention that.. that should probably be the first thing I do then worry about the bearings once I find that within spec

 

Awesome! Pretty affordable too! Thank you for sharing.. that should give me a pretty good idea if I have bearings going out.. have you used this to determine the same thing? Any luck with the results?

 

Personally no, I don't have anything worth the service. I want to, just
to see what kind of info comes back.

 

Yea I'm curious if anyone has tried the test and determined bearings were excessively worn.. I know there have been a lot of high mileage cam swaps but I wonder if anyone runs into cam bearing issues shortly after.. maybe some others will chime in to make me feel better about doing it lol

 

Based on limited responses I am going to conclude that most just perform compression tests and if it passes they go for it? I think when it comes time I am just going that route.. if I do an oil sample and find something I'll make sure to share since it doesn't sound common..

Come winter I'll start testing then decide on a good cam that will get me in the 420 rwhp range.. gotta do something to keep up with all these new 450+ HP factory monsters lol.

 

Not going to know how badly the engine is worn until you dive into it. My cam bearings were fine, and cylinder walls still looked new at 120k. A few guys in my area have taken their engine apart to find that the cam bearings disappeared somewhere in the last 100k miles. Where to? who knows.

Each engine differs, and the only way to know is to open it up.

 

Yea that's my fear is I pull the cam and find worn cam bearings... at that point I would need to pull the whole motor to replace them right? Hate to get it torn down that far to find that.. guess that's the way it goes though..

 

If the car is running well I would go for it. Cut open your oil filter next time you change oil and have a look if you're really worried about it.
When you get down to business on the cam swap just take your time and be sure to double check your work, ensuring that everything is clean. I think a lot of failures result from guys being in a hurry or letting debris into the engine while it's opened up. Also be sure to inspect and clean all the new parts before you install them.

 

Thanks for chiming in! Never thought about cutting open the oil filter. I will do that for sure and hope for the best on cam bearings when I open it up.. from the sound of it the front ones always look a little worn but is normal on almost all ls1s? Car is running strong right now and most likely should hit 12.0-12.2 this year at the track if I can hook..

 

yeah it's normal, keep us updated with the result

 

Ok cool, I'm sure it will still make me nervous even though I know it will look worn lol. I will probably wait til this season is over to tear into it but will make sure to post pics along the way with what I find.

 

Once you get that HCI done hit me up and we'll line em up. We'll find out real quick if it's in good running condition

 

Compression and leak down checks will tell you the integrity of the piston rings and cylinder bores, as well as the valve seats, but that won't matter if your swapping heads. It cannot give you any information on the condition of the bearings. Oil pressure will, however. Note oil pressure at idle on cold start up. Then note the same thing after the engine is at operating temperature. Pressure should be slightly lower. Stock LS motors seem to be in the 35-40 psi range when at operating temperature. Lower pressures "may" signify that you have some bearing wear. Cam bearing wear is normal on LS applications. Every one I have ever opened up over 100k had cam bearing wear, but they are usually just fine. Oil pressure will be your friend in determining the depth of bearing wear without tearing the engine down for inspection. You can also gauge the health of the rings sealing with a compression test. Make sure to have the engine up to operating temperature when performing this test as well for the most accurate results.

 

I just went throught the same thing you are thinking about doing. I bought a stock 6 speed Z28 with 124k on the clock.The engine was quiet, compression was good, and I cut open the oil filter and it looked good as well. I Didnt do heads but I installed a TSP torquer V4 cam along with 1 7/8 headers and true duals. I also installed a ported ls6 oil pump and straub rocker trunions. The cam bearings had some wear on them but nothing major. My car is not a daily driver just a toy so I wont put a ton of miles on it but it is a pretty fun car for not a lot of money.

 

Lol sounds like you are looking for an easy win with my poor man's stock 346.. jk that would be a good time! I still want to hit Lapeer or milan in the fall once it cools down to see if I can get my car in the 12.0-12.2 range.. I'll let ya know what weekend when it comes time.

Boosted delslow how you liking the V4? That's what I really want to get but afraid it may be too much so I keep leaning back to the V2 or something equivalent.. any dyno numbers or track times? How is driveability as far as surging, stalling, etc. Hard to find anyone with V4's to do my research lol

GoLS1go thanks for bringing the oil pressure up, I will pay close attention to it and see how it's sitting.. I want to say it sits right in that range when it's hot.. may be a touch over 40 actually.. hopefully that's a good sign for me..

 

I promise not to use the giggle juice Seriously though a few of us hit either Milan or Lapeer in the fall as well. Definitely keep me posted if you go to the track and I'll do the same . We like the cooler air too lol

 

So far I am liking it. I havent run it at the track yet. I had the car tuned and it put out 405hp/389tq so it is pretty healty. The power starts to come on really strong around 3300-3500 rpm. I just installed a shift light because my tach is so lazy that it cant keep up in 1st and 2nd gear and I keep hitting the rev limiter. I havent had a chance to drive it yet with the shift light installed. The guy that I had do my tune did a really good job with the hot and cold starts, drivability, and surging. You can actually cruise in the 1600-1700 rpm range with no bucking. I am pretty happy with it. Is your car a daily driver?