SLOW SEDAN

iTrader: (13)

The studs are only $200 so they wacking you for $600 to drill out and tap holes? I think texas speed charges $500 for studs and labor, that seem more realistic to me. It almost sounds like you wouldn't be much further off buying a sleeved short block from them as well.

SLOW SEDAN

iTrader: (13)

I may have missed it but you planning to upgrade the turbo along with all this engine stuff? I don't know what power level you are aiming for but even with a billet 88 at 30psi I didn't mess with the mains. Stock mains will hold what the stock crank will, now if your doing a forged crank then I would open the wallet up for ARP mains, but you may as well look into stronger pinned main caps and the while you are there list starts getting long. Comes a point that you put so much into a stock block that you may as well start fresh with an Dart LS Next ya know!

Kfxguy

iTrader: (1)

I'll lay out my goals, I didnt really want to because it may be a ways off. I may upgrade the turbo later if need be, but i probably wont have to. My gaol is to run at least a 9.99 at 140 or better. After I get the motor in, I'll have to upgrade the drive train and fuel system, but before I do all that all I want is a 10 second slip at 130+.....which with the new setup, I should have that in the bag. Just changing the stall would have netted me that. My 60ft was horrible and still almost broke in the 10's

BCNUL8R

iTrader: (2)

I've never built a short block and plan to buy one rather than build one honestly. You bring up something interesting though. The same people that will tell you a sbe will handle 1000 horses all day long also tell you all this extra stuff you have to do if all you want is forged rods/pistons. I know a lot of it is "well if you are there anyway", but like you say you have to draw the line somewhere on spending. If stock caps and bolts are good for 1000 rwhp on a sbe then surely those same parts are good for the same power level with forged rods/pistons???

Kfxguy

iTrader: (1)

you explained it better than I did. I have to draw the line somewhere, exactly. I could keep spending and spending.....at that rate I’ll never get the car back together, go broke and sell it all. I’ve seen it happen.

but really. How many times has an ls engine chunked the crank out of it because of the main bolts? Seems like other things fail before that ever does. The failures I’ve seen are usually oil pressure related, piston breaking or rod breaking.

RonSSNova

iTrader: (3)

Couple of questions.
Is this an LM4 (Alum with long head bolts) or an L33 (Alum with short head bolts)?
Some have said the long head bolt version is better because the main webs are different, and the long bolts tie everything together better.

I agree that if you use main studs, need to align hone. The studs give more clamping force and the alum blocks move around more on the bottom end, compared to an iron block.
If no one local to you can align hone, then just use the orig bolts. Especially given your rather tame goals.
I was just going to hit 10.0 with my L33 to equal the performance of the 496 formerly in the car, that went out the window real quick...…..and the short block was stock, just cleaned up real good and re-gapped rings. I've had nothing but issues since trying to make it fancy.

FWIW, ported heads, good idea.

Have fun

Ron

SLOW SEDAN

iTrader: (13)

I dont think your goals are far off at all and should be fairly easy to obtain. For comparison my SBE 5.3 ran 9.5@145 at 3900-4000lbs with a T4 turbo and pretty soft timing on E85. Once I did rods/pistons and got a bit more aggressive with tune and a larger turbo it would run low 9’s at 150+, 8’s@155+ turned up and it didnt have anything fancy so I wouldn't spend a bunch of extra money if you won’t even be stressing the parts to meet your goals.

Kfxguy

iTrader: (1)

its an LM4. I'll just reuse the stock bolts.

Kfxguy

iTrader: (1)

This gets me excited!

Mavn

iTrader: (3)

Not standard 1/2 studs. Viper studs with the long threads . I don't want a large CI sleeved engine. You might think it's crazy expensive, but in Houston this is very standard cost . Actually pretty cheap since my buddy owns the shop.

kott0n

Are those gen 4 rods or am I seeing it wrong? It probably its just following the rule of late 2004 has the CHANCE of gen 4 rods. Hmmm

I also have an LM4 but its installed and Im super curious what rods it has but to pull the pan its a entire ordeal because of the awd/4x4 mounting/going through the pan.

Big bird55

iTrader: (1)

i was fixing to ask what shop you where going with. my machine shop i was using no longer takes jobs.

Kfxguy

iTrader: (1)

I'm pretty sure its gen 3, it has pressed pins too. I compared pics to it a while back and determined it was gen 3 rods, it came out of a 2004 buick rainier.

Mavn

iTrader: (3)

Ricks machine shop!

My buddy Albert runs it. They do killer work man

Kfxguy

iTrader: (1)

ok, so summit carries these studs.....if summit carries them, they have to be decent, right? https://www.summitracing.com/parts/s...1024/overview/



ALSO>>>>> Joe contacted me this morning and gave me a heads up that my rods and pistons will be here tomorrow....way ahead of schedule. I'm quite excited! I might have this thing running before January. That would be awesome! I'm working on getting my balancing setup up to be expedited...hopefully. I know a guy who knows a guy kind of thing.

SLOW SEDAN

iTrader: (13)

What heads and gaskets you using with those studs? Trust me I get it, I like the small engines too but mainly because they are cheap and handle decent power stock. If I were dropping the kinda coin you keep throwing around I would want something that would produce a good bit greater hp then a stock block supports. To me the juice isn't worth the squeeze to put $4k+ into a short block when your goal is only 50hp or so more then what a SBE supports. You would be better off using that $4k in suspension, weight reduction and other mods to allow the slightly lower power to work better. But again just my .02, you do what you want we'll watch!

STOP lol

Kfxguy

iTrader: (1)

OK OK.....I'll stop. I text my buddy that builds these engines for a living. I said "ever used the procomp/speedmaster main studs?"

his reply: Junk.

LMAO


He said the nuts are floppy. I dont want floppy nuts.

Kfxguy

iTrader: (1)

Just picked up my rings and bearings. Getting the cheaper non coated stuff cost me $225. I got clevite P main and rod bearings, Durabond performance Cam bearings and NPR (very nice japanese) rings. I thought about doing micro slick on the main and rod bearings and coating the tops of the pistons with cerakote piston coating.

ddnspider

iTrader: (26)

I think it's actually under the washer to head surface with studs so you don't get a false reading with the studs due to nut to washer and washer to head friction. With bolts Im not sure. We had a thread on here talking about it. Can't remember where though.

Kfxguy

iTrader: (1)

I would think between the washer and the bolt head would be the best place because those two surfaces would be the slickest rubbing against each other. Thats what i've always done on every engine ive built and heads ive swapped.


whats you guys though on this:
I was thinking about reusing my main bearings. I'm using that crank,and the bearings still look new. Thats $100 wasted to change them for no reason. New rod bearings and cam bearings tho.