I want to plan early for this winter and figure out what exactly I want to build soon. I was planning on a Single Turbo with a set of AFR heads and a Lunati cam with a few other bolt ons (intake, TB, etc). But I want to know how much a new shortblock will help. Im worried about boosting my motor as is anyway, it has 82k miles on it. I can get a stock replacement block for pretty cheap, or I can go for a stroker, forged, sleeved, etc. What are your suggestions? Its not going to be daily driven, but it will be driven regularly. Would it be smarter to build up a nice stroker or forged H/C motor this winter and do the turbo some time next year? the only thing that worries me about that is driving it around with the low compression waiting on my turbo.

 

I would get the forged short block. You can use a stock crank and just get forged rods, and pistons. Talk with Afr about the 225 heads you can probly loose you compression with them. I got my forged SB from texas speed excelent coustomer service and price. I had the money for my ati and ended up doing the block first. I figured if I blewup the stock SB W/ 2,000$ heads/cam, plus every thing else I be starting all over again. If your any thing like me it's never enuff and you be stuffing more boost down her throat in no time.

 

I say get some forged components in there before you boost it. Better safe than sorry, better to buid the foundation first, spend the money now or spend more later when the stocker goes , whatever analogy you want to use.

If you just get forged pistons and rods with new rod bolts/rings it shouldn't be all that expensive. (relatively speaking)

 

so just pistons and rods, not an entire shortblock?

 

Take the block to a machine shop and have it honed. You can go to a 347ci and get rings and pistons acordingly. They should be able to polish your crank so you dont have to get over sized bearings. Have them install new cam bearings while your at it.

 

I dont have much experience with LS1s. Do i need to have the block dipped too or just honed and new cam bearings?

 

The machine shop will put it in a hot tank, the block will look like new. If you have ever built a engine before take your time you should be fine. Plastigauge the rods and crank bearings, or use "T"/snap gages to get you clearances. Use of an overhaul manual will give you all those #'s .

 

alright thanks for all the advice. looks like its gonna be a forged bottom end with a turbo, heads and cam this winter