High Mileage
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Apr 2015
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High Mileage The LS1 in my C5, 6 spd, has 177k miles. It runs great. Everything is factory original. I’d like to upgrade the cam, install headers, upgrade the intake and possibly get bigger heads. I realize the mileage is a concern.
What do you suggest I do first before throwing a bunch of money on new parts?
What do you suggest I do first before throwing a bunch of money on new parts?
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 532
Likes: 630
If the engine is used, whats put into the miles is more important than the number. When worn, bores don't wear straight, they tend to be wear barrel shaped, so if you have the heads off, I would check check for scars and check the bores with a bore gauge to see how much taper is in the bore. If it's more than a half-thousandth, consider a rebuild.
Also, you don't want to put a $10 saddle on a $2 horse. If you're taking the time, money, and energy to do heads and everything else you may as well do a rebuild with the good stuff in the bottom end.
One thing that you should keep in mind is if you have the original LS1, which year of LS1, or the LS6. Due to how the original LS1 blocks have their liners installed they can't really be overbored, they can be honed 0.005-0.010, so keep that in mind and find a machinist who knows such.
Also, you don't want to put a $10 saddle on a $2 horse. If you're taking the time, money, and energy to do heads and everything else you may as well do a rebuild with the good stuff in the bottom end.
One thing that you should keep in mind is if you have the original LS1, which year of LS1, or the LS6. Due to how the original LS1 blocks have their liners installed they can't really be overbored, they can be honed 0.005-0.010, so keep that in mind and find a machinist who knows such.
If you're going to do a cam heads intake and all that, i would seruously think of refeeshing the bearings. Depending on future plans I would also do rods and pistons. The crank on these Ls1/6 engines are robust so you will probably do not need to do anything but repolish it and maybe rebalanced all depending on what the shop says. Have new cam bearings done I mean everything. That will Give your engine another 300K miles easily.
If you're going to do a cam heads intake and all that, i would seruously think of refeeshing the bearings. Depending on future plans I would also do rods and pistons. The crank on these Ls1/6 engines are robust so you will probably do not need to do anything but repolish it and maybe rebalanced all depending on what the shop says. Have new cam bearings done I mean everything. That will Give your engine another 300K miles easily.
Unless your gonna be boosting it or throwing a 250 shot of nitrous to it I wouldnt even think about letting the factory magic out.
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