I posted earlier that I suspected blown gasket, well i was wrong.
Tore the motor up last night, and this is what I found:

# 5 and # 7 cylinders are toast.

ring land trashed.

Looks like # 7 went lean and finally gave up. Plug looks speckled only on that one so it is the culprit.
No piston contact and block is OK but sleeves are scratched.

I'll get some pictures if I can,

Now is the dilema.

>Stay stock cubes (immediate and cost effective) but forged this time. $$ 5K total.

>Or forfeit the final championship race and go LS2 402 all the way and wait for next season. (15>17K $$$ for whole combo including drivetrain), but this would mean giving up nitrous and stay NA.
Big stall, big diff, A3 and 500 rwhp.

I think I need a drink

 

Man that sucksss, I feel for ya.

Who wouldn't go for more power? BUT is that what YOU want? Does that fit in your budget? Does that work for what you want to do? Are you going to be able to stay healthy with your racecar being down for 6+ months?

I bet for 17k, even including drivetrain you can get a little over 500rwhp.
That.... or you could still stay stock cubes, forged, and go the FI route. You'd probably still come out cheaper and make more power, but the tuning and set up will be a bitch of course. I don't know if FI is something you even have any interest in.
And don't forget about the Warhark LS7X, if you can get it done by next season. I think I read ~10k for a 700hp range engine. Figure around $2,000 for swap items/supporting mods + ~5k drivetrain and you're looking at 600+ rwhp, and still come out close-ish.

It's all about what you want to do...

Good luck with the car, keep us updated!

 

BTW I'm not sure on the pricing of the warhawk blocks, that could have been a bare block or a shortblock. It's just what I read in a the magazine write up and I'm a little foggy on the details!

 

Stock cubes. Already proven and forging is good!! Then you can save up for next year. Who knows maybe the 402 will be cheaper by then..

 

Im with him,stock cubes,forged.

 

Well after 2 double Jack D's on the rocks and some scribble on a bar napkin, I came to the conclusion that stock cubes it is (within budget), not to mention I need to do this within the next 30 days.

347
Callies crank
callies rods
Mahle flat tops with 4cc reliefs.
Rollmaster double roller (have on the shelf)
New ported pump

Now for cam, the TSP trqr V2 was great, but I'm tempted to put a bigger one in.
Maybe a MS3 ? still debating on that one.

Also looking at a TH350 MFVB with a new verter (something BIG)
and of course a 12 bolt ( to keep my ABS)

But first the block! I do not like Sundays when I have to buy something!

 

Why would you have to give up nitrous on the 402?

 

Why not reuse the stock crank if youre not gonna be changing the stroke? I mean, do you really see yourself breaking the stock crank? Save the cash and buy the 12 bolt instead. And more nitrous.

 

True dat!!!

 

Because there is a block for sale that is already built with that crank at a good price.
12 bolt is gonna go in but I have 1 race on the 26 of April, I dunno if I can get everything before that.

As for nitrous, well I'm converting to wet, I think part of my issue was the MAF maxing out at top rpms.

All I know is FedEx is gonna be busy

 

do u not have ASR? is that why your going with the 12 bolt over the 9"?

 

No but I have 4 channel ABS, plus I kinda like to keep my Chevy a Chevy (except for my injectors )

 

just curious... a 9" isnt that bad then again, your a auto so a 12 bolt should be fine. so what if i got ford injectors and a ford rear? the heart is still GM!

 

are u keeping the same heads or gonna do those over too?

 

I'm having them checked already, if I can get a hold of that block at a good price, I'm itching to get AFRs.

First I gotta get a hold of the block, based on that, I will put a combo together for a decent DCR.

 

Could you post a pic of the broken ringland (curiousity)? Forged 346 with everything you've talked about

 

I'll try to get pics in the next couple of days.

 

good. im curious to see what it looks like. Im still not 100% sure, but im sure i just blew my gaskets a few months back, but i didnt have any compression on 7 and it was very low on 5. I did a try test, not wet. Since then I put the new heads, cam , gaskets, and injectors and managed the numbers in sig..i dont think i would've done that on 2 blown pistons or ringlands.

 

No, I doubt it.

When it happened with me, I took off the line with a 1.54 60', by the 1/8th I felt a like a pressure shake, and then the rpms dropped, looked in the rear view and saw a cloud of white smoke, just let off of it and cruised to the end.

 

pressure shake? similar to what?