Ok, so here is the plan. I want to build up a stock motor. I'm not goin max effort & I'm not gonna bore it over. The goal for my car don't require either of those options. This is & will continue to be my daily driver.

So here we go. I planned on using the following:

Stock 2001 block/crank (got a smokin deal from afriend)
Stock main caps
Crower 6.125 rods w/ARP 2000 bolts (got a good deal on these)
Diamond Racing 347 cid Flat-Top Piston Set (-2cc for 3.905 bore)
Melling oil pump
ARP main studs
ARP head bolts

Along with my current H/C combo being swapped over.

I have heard so many different things on rings I'm not sure on what type to go with on my build and what gap. This is one of the areas I need some help from experienced builders. The car will see a 150 dry shot on occasion. I'm not a every weekend track warrior, so this motor won't be getting beat on too awful bad. I know for my goals alot of people are still on stock short blocks, but I just want a little tougher one that I will never have to worry about with my little 150 shot.

I already called a local machine shop about getting the block work all done. They will be deglazing the cylinders & jet washing the block. I'm also gonna have them polish the stock crank to ensure its in perfect shape goin back in. Is there any other machine work I'm missing?? I know balancing is key & I have a place I still need to call about getting that done.

If anyone notices anything wrong with my plans please let me know & advise me as to what needs to be corrected. This is my very first LS engine build & I'll be doin all assembly myself. I managed my H/C swap without issues, so I am confident I can tackle this too. I will be working on this probably till the end of the year due to my budget, so I'm definetly not in a hurry. This way I can build this motor while I still drive my car daily also.

Thankx for any help or insight you guys have to offer.

 

Sounds like a solid build. On the ring gap, well most brands come with specs and Id just use the specs that are called for that praticular ring. For example I think total seal calls for .025 on the top ring and .021 on the 2nd ring. Beings that your on a 150 dry shot I wouldnt go messing with the factory specs on the rings. Now if it was a 300 shot or something you might need to do some adjusting in the gap

 

Sounds good but I would switch over to a wet shot just to be safe.

 

Not fond of wet systems, seen too many cause puddles in the intake & have serious backfires. So I have no interest in that.

I have a set of 36# Lucas injectors & Walbro in-line pump I'll be adding in addition to Speed Inc. billet rails, Aeromotive 1:1 FPR & all braided lines & fittings to convert it to a return system similar to what the boosted guys run. So I'll have plenty of fuel delivery available for my tiny dry shot. I'll have basically the same fuel system ChevyChad has minus the dual in-tank pumps.

Now am I correct in thinking that since the stock bore is 3.898 after the machine shop gets done deglazing the cylinders that these 3.905 pistons will fit without further bore/honing of the block??

 

The machine shop is gonna (or at least should) hone the cylinders to get the desired piston-wall clearance depending on the actual diameter of the piston. Usually, the piston manufacturers spec a piston for a 3.905" bore, but the piston is actually smaller (.002-.004") for clearance.

I would recommend having the crank turned .010" on both the rod and main journals. This will get them straight and true, and if you can check the bearing clearance with a dial bore guage before the crank is ground, you can eliminate the need to sort through different bearing sets to get the right clearances.

But before any of this machine work is done, I would have them align hone, or at least check to make sure the housing bores are within spec. Same with the rods' housing bores. If they are too big (there's a range of about .0005"-.0008"), then you may not get enough crush on the bearing shell to keep it from spinning, ie catastrophy.

If you have anymore questions, feel free to ask.

 

Thankx for the reply. This is the kinda technical info & help I need.

And I talked to my machine shop yesterday after talkin more to Jon@TSP & had them add the honing to me quote price. My machine work is gonna be less than expected. So thats a good thing especially since this shop has a great rep. around our area.

I also called a local place called Carbone Racing about balancing my stuff.

Anyone else have any more helpful info.