Okay, so I'm pretty sure one of my main bearings is going in my block (low oil pressure and a quiet knock..unlike a rod bearing). Anyways, I'm picking up a complete longblock minus oil pan, intake and water pump this weekend.

I'm going to pull the stock cam and stock heads off of it and put a fresh set of stage 2 ported heads on it and the cam Patrick G is using (224/228, .637/.639 LSK lobes on a 110* LSA).

Trying to decide what parts to buy ahead of time so I can get as much done as quickly as possible to get the motor assembled and in my car.

I think replacing the rear main seal is a good idea, and I'll need a new timing cover gasket and oil pan gasket, so I think I'll be going with the $165 Fel-Pro engine gasket kit. I also have Fel-Pro 9284PT head gaskets already.

I'm going to need to pick up a new crankshaft pulley bolt as well as some new head bolts. The plan is ARP head bolts. I'm avoiding studs because I want to be able to easily remove the heads with the motor in the car in the future ('98 Camaro).

Is there any reason I should replace the rod or main bearings (aside from them being damaged)? If I do, which bearings should I buy? The car is a daily driver, but I'm obviously looking to make a decent amount of power with it as well. Shouldn't be revving past 6500 or so.

Also, is it beneficial to buy ARP Wave-Loc rod bolts? I know they are stronger, but will it make a difference with all other internals being mostly stock? I figured the main cause of spun rod bearings at high RPMs was that the rod bolts stretch enough to allow some movement in the caps, so I figured ARP bolts would remove that threat, not sure how correct that is.

Which oil pump should I buy? Is it worth the extra money for the ported and blueprinted ones, or should I just stay with a regular later LS1/LS6 pump? I've heard the early pumps were prone to random failure.

Are there any other seals/gaskets/bolts I should be replacing while I have the bottom end on a stand? Also debating between a few different aftermarket timing sets at SDPC. Namely, the N-Motion and Rollmaster options.

 

Actually, for gaskets, it looks like I'll be buying them from Speed Engineering along with the Pacesetter headers I plan on buying from Sean there. That will save me quite a bit on gaskets vs. the Felpro kit. I'll probably just go with an LS2 timing chain since the sprockets on the new motor shouldn't have much wear at all on them. Will just be going with an LS6 oil pump as well.

Still curious about the rod bolts and bearings.

 

30k isnt' to much so i would just look to replace the gaskets you metioned, a ported oil pump while you have it out on teh stand, and rod bolts from katech.

Other then that i think you should be good to go, everything after that is just extra.

Justin

 

What year is the long-block? If it's an '01-'02, you'll have the improved rod bolts, although they still won't compare to ARP bolts.

This may start an arguement, but I've never seen the wisdom behind replacing just the rod bolts. Accurate and correct connecting rod bearing clearance is essential for adequate oiling. Removing the OEM rod bolts, and replacing them with aftermarket bolts, can measurably change the shape (roundness) of the rod's big-end. When you "un-torque" (remove) the OEM bolts, the big-end bore will "relax", or "spring" into a shape that is different than when the assembly was torqued in place. "Torquing" (replacing) new rod bolts in place is no guarantee that the rod bearings are going to return to their original clearances within the big-end bore. If you've got the engine on a stand, and you already have the rod bolts removed, it's my opinion that the extra bit of time spent replacing the rod bearings is well worth the effort.

If you leave the main bearing bolts & studs alone, there shouldn't be a need to replace the main bearings, unless you see obvious signs of inadequate oiling elsewhere in the engine. As long as you're pulling the stock cam out, take a good look at the front cam bearing. If the inner circumference of the bearing is showing a lot of copper, chances are, so are the other 4. Some guys slide a new cam in, anyway. Would you locate a brand-new $300.00+ cam on wiped cam bearings?

The OEM LS1 oil pump is known to have caused premature bearing (main, rod, & cam) failure due to oil starvation. Porting your oil pump, or buying a hi-volume, aftermarket oil pump is never a bad idea. Neither is replacing both the rear main, and timing cover seals. As a matter of fact (this will probably be another arguement-starter), I wouldn't re-use any seal or gasket. When my engine goes back together, every gasket is being replaced with a new one. Except for Cometic head gaskets, all the rest will be OEM replacement gaskets. Yes, the rocker cover gaskets are getting replaced, too. Also, every OEM TTY fastener is being replaced by an ARP sud or bolt.

I'm replacing my OEM timing chain with an LS2 chain.

Also, every tapped hole in the block is getting a going-over with a chasing tap. And make sure you blow out the head bolt holes with compressed air before re-installing your new head bolts.

I don't know how many engines you've torn down, so I may be preaching to the choir here if you're an experienced wrench. I learned a lot tearing my LS1 (LS6 block) down to the bare block. With a little over 7 large already into the engine, I'm not going to cheap-out on a stupid gasket or fastener. It just doesn't make sense....especially if you have the engine on a stand, and everything is readily accesible for inspection and prep.

Oh, and when you remove your stock cam, don't believe some of the text/pictures in certain manuals out there that say rotating the cam one full turn will seat the lifters in the lifter trays. They lie. I tried it, and just as I got the cam out, I heard the sickening sound of the rear 2 lifters falling on top of the windage tray. Pull the lifters and their trays out 1st. But that won't really matter in your case, since your pulling the pan off to replace the rod bolts, anyway. If you were limiting your work to just a heads 'n cam swap, like I originally was, hearing those lifters plinking on top of the windage tray, while the engine was still bolted to the K-Member, is enough to make your stomach turn.

 

The block is a '99 I've found out, so it may or may not have the LS6 rod bolts. Chances are it does not from what I understand. I've also heard the info about replacing the rod bolts. I don't mind replacing the bearings, though I can't say I've ever done it before. Just replacing the bearings with new stock-sized ones will be okay? It's just the wear pattern that has to re-develop in the bearing? Which bearings should I buy? I see many different sets from $25 to $100 on Summit, some saying they are "race-only". After 30k miles, unless something went really wrong, I'd suspect there shouldn't be a need for any machinework to warrant over/under-sized bearings. The motor was a running motor when it was pulled.

I've done cam and head swaps in the past, oil pumps (on SBC), but I've never actually taken the rotating assembly apart. That's about the only thing motor-wise that I haven't done. I should be able to get a stand from a friend to borrow to get the motor how I want it. I am definitely going to chase every hole and blow them out with air. Thanks for the help so far.

 

A '99 block will not have the improved, re-designed rod bolts....they were not introduced until the '01 model year.

OEM-sized replacements should be fine, and, yes, the new bearings will "form" to your particular crank, and rod big-end bore as the engine breaks in.

Most bearings made today (Clevite, Federal Mogul, etc.) are very good. As oppossed to a ball, or tapered roller bearing, there really isn't much to a rotating assembly bearing. I think some of them are over-priced, and charge for their brand-recognition, rather than on the actual performance of their product.

This is just my opinion, but if I replace bearings, I spend the extra bucks, and buy coated ones. I bought coated ACL/Calico bearings (rods, mains, & cam) for my stroker set-up.....$250.00 for everything.

 

if the motor is already out, i would go with forged internals. Also go with the arp studs instead of bolts.

 

I have no money to buy forged internals and get everything machined/balanced. I know you can't get the heads off these cars with the ARP studs in the block either

 

I would replace the rings with a better set of rings, replace the rod bolts with the ARP's you mentioned, and replace the lifters with at least a fresh set of stock lifters. Also, install a ported LS6 oil pump.

 

can you replace the rings without honing the cylinder?

 

I plan on picking up an LS6 pump and porting it myself. The rod bolts will probably be replaced with ARP Wave-Locs. I've debated on rings. I haven't seen the block yet (looking at and should be picking up Sunday). I've never done rings myself before and have no idea how to go about filing them to the right specs. I'd probably have to take it to a shop to get that done.

If the cylinder wall cross-hatching is still in good shape, I'm pretty sure you can replace rings without a problem. Like I said, I just don't haven't ever filed/gapped them myself. Nor do I know which ones to buy

 

LS6 oil pump, LS2 timing chain, ARP Wave-Loc rod bolts..

FEM-8-7100CH Federal Mogul performance rod bearings..one side is chamfered...good to use?

If I change main bearings, can I re-use the stock main bolts, or do I need to buy new ones (TTY?). If I go this route, which main bearings should I go with? Also, if I replace the main bearings and put new bolts/studs in, is there any reason I need to take the block to a machineshop to have anything done? If that's teh case, I'll probably just leave the stock bearings alone.

Cam bearings are pretty cheap, I think I'd take the block to a shop if they need to be done.

 

you can't??? I bet that is news to all those guys that have already done it.

 

I suppose the studs need to be pulled out of the block to do so, but I guess that's not that big of a deal. Either way, I'm looking for more input on the bearings at this point. Need to get the bottom end squared away before I worry about bolting the heads on Thanks for the input though. I guess I knew it was possible...just a bit more work

 

I must be a magician.... No problems here!

 

If you don't see any obvious signs of oiling problems/starvation, there's no need to touch the mains. Leave them alone. If you do remove the main bearing caps, then yes, you'll have to replace the vertical main cap fasteners (outer studs, inner bolts) with either new TTY OEM fasteners, or with aftermarket fasteners. The side fasteners can be re-used after cleaning, and, because they thread into the crankcase, they'll need a dab of sealer under each bolt head.

Ummm, I thought you were going to have this work done at a machine shop? Done correctly, you can't just slap rod bearings in, torque the new fasteners down, and hope for the best. The rod bearings have to be properly clearanced to spec; .0028-.003. Clearance is the difference in diameter between what your crank journals measure (O.D.), and the I.D. of your rod's big-end bore, with rod bearings installed and rod caps torqued. Just like your main crank journals, your rod bearings ride on a thin film of pressurized oil. Improper clearancing can cause metal-to-metal contact, which is one thing you do not want in a rotating assembly. Clearancing rod bearings requires a few specialized tools, like a rod vise, and a bore measuring gage.

Piston ring installation, unless you've done it before, is kind of an art. The ring end gap needs to be measured while SQUARELY installed in each cylinder, AFTER the crank is installed, and the main caps torqued. Usually, there is a different gap measurement between the top, and second compression ring. You then have to grind or file the ring end gaps to size FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL CYLINDER, and keep them separated/matched to their respective cylinders, until it's time to assemble everything. Compression end gap tolerances are .009-.015 (top), and .0173-.0251 (2nd). I'm having a machine shop replace my cam bearings.

I wouldn't hesitate to assemble the upper half of my engine. I wouldn't dream of assembling pistons/rings/rods/rod bearings and the rest of the lower half, unless someone who knew what they were doing was there to guide me, or I already had experience assembling the lower half of an engine.