He can get re-built for less than the cost of a new shortblock, there is no doubt.

The point I think people are trying to make is that if the money is say $ 500 away from a better engine why not go with the better engine. Like I had arecent guy go witha 383 over a 408 and the money was less than 400 difference. It didnt make sense to me but maybe he didnt have the 350 more it took to get the 408 so he did as best as he could for his money. No one will or should disprespect that. Its an economics decision.

If you dont have a good budget then you need to do what ever you have to. Buy used parts if need be and get it going again. There is more than one side to the coin but it wont be on the same playing field as a short block prepped by a professional. Maybe thats all you need though.

 

It cost me $800.00 just to pull my motor.

 

?? i know engine builders can do anything, we see it all the time on this website. i'm just saying - i don't understand why the solution to a simple problem is always...throw a lot of money at it and have *someone else build it. it's a recurring "solution" to problems on this website. if this dude openly admits he is no mechanic and has no idea what goes where, etc - then yeah, he should have someone do it. otherwise, there is nothing stopping him from furthering his mechanical education and understanding of the engine in HIS own car. save money, learn something. god forbid we find a do it yourselfer. it's just an engine, it's not like we're doing heart surgery. i am not an expert, nor do i claim to be, but i've done enough work to know that finding a $3,500 replacement for this spun bearing is a joke.

 

Many people go with a 383 or 370 over a 402/408 because they already have AFRs or trickflows etc that will work GREAT on a 383. It's not more cost effective to spend another $400 on a shortblock when it costs you $2400 heads

Just throwing that in there.

If you had plans to buy heads etc, then it changes the game, but there is more to that selection than a $400 shortblock price tag




I propose that you find out what's wrong first, then start thinking about options. It may be a sub $1,000 fix and you just won't know until you get in there. No reason to throw money into more than it takes to fix it unless you just wanted an excuse to upgrade

 

thats what i was about to say. i'd say, depending on what your budget looks like. park the car, part out everything salvegable and use that money for a new shortblock while driving your extra vehicle. or if your happy with what you had, just rebuild your old motor. everything depends on your budget.

 

Or, you get the 370 or 383 for $400 less, sell your old block for that $350 you speak of, and now you're at $750 under the price of a 408 and it become even more sensible to keep your current top end and build a 383! Damn I'm good at this. Then, instead of selling an awesome set of heads, you bolt your old setup onto your new shortblock and you're making killer torque with an entire assembled engine for hundreds less than ONLY a 408 shortblock. No selling heads, finding used heads, upgrading to a fast90 right away if you were running an LS6, no extra wiring adaptors (more$$$ for the 408 that wasn't already accounted for ), smaller injectors that cost next to nothing off of a terminator cobra.

The 408 doesn't always make more sense. Different strokes for different folks. Maybe my PUN skills need some work . In a situation where it IS just as cheap or easy to go 408, of course it is the better choice, but in many other situations, a 383 WILL save you money and hassle and perform to the customers exact needs and desires.

 

Another option is getting a used shortblock of the LSX for sale section like 99blancoss said. That would be another cheap route. If it was me though, I would just get it working with the idea of what if it happens again, and be ready to start saving for a new forged block or fresh stock shortblock. All of us are performance entuisiasts and want more power, but that would be the real world logic though unfortunately not being prepared to spend $3000+. A shortblock may be $2700,, but need to think about the little things it will need to be installed (gaskets, fluids, etc..)

 

Lots of options...just depends on your price range.If you have the cash I would agree with 99blancoSS and go for a 402 or 408, then of course you would have to go all the way with some trick flows or afrs to match it.

A 383 would be ok but I think the motor would do much better with some better flowing heads, the TSPs are awesome for stock cubes but I dont think they would let a 383 work to its full potential, and if your going for a 383 why not just go 402 or 408.

It shouldnt cost much to just reapair the spun bearing, if thats the case.Mostly time in machine work.

 

I kinda agree with you, and am not challanging you in the least bit (seeing that you are a experienced engine builder.) but I did the $700 job, and it still runs. Would i have rather put that $$$ towards you 416 ls3? YES, but unfortunately I didn't have the coin at the time.

OP:> If you feel like you can rebuild your shortblock, give it a shot. No real harm in trying. Are you gambling??? Yes, but look at the risk reward.

3 options:
1) Rebuild yourself for $700 and it works=> Great, you save $3300 on shortblock
2) Rebuild it yourself and it breaks => Your out $700, and have to buy the shortblock anyway but maybe you learned a thing or two
3) Buy the shortblock => Sweet, you have a forged & stroked motor.

Anyway you look at it, life ain't that bad. Good luck on your build. If you do decide to go with a new shortblock, 99blancoSS sells a quality product he will build to your needs.

 

I just came into the same exact issue. Last Monday I took the car out to do some tuning and came home with a knocking engine.

5 days later I had the motor out in my garage with all the internals torn down and knew what I had on my plate and what parts were damaged. My knock was fairly quiet, and after taking it apart, my crank is basically garbage so my options were to machine it for $250 and run 10 over bearings, or I could have ran a pull out factory crank from a local LSx shop for $275. But I also found two other rods that looked like the rod bearings weren't far from spinning (graphite colored oil behind them and all sorts of marring on the rods...

So after considering all this I started looking at stock and forged rotating assemblies. I found prices from $1400 to $2500 plus... then I starting thinking that I didn't have that kind of money to repair this so I started searching through for sale ads...

I found a local sale for a short short block, built on the LS6 block and a stock crank. Mahle forged pistons, JRE forged rods, full ARP bolts, a set of milled/ported/polished 241 heads, hardened pushrods, and a number of other items including injectors, gaskets, etc etc... for $1k.

Granted I worked a killer deal and was in the right place at the right time... but you can do the same! No way you'll come away from a spun bearing for less than $1000-1500 even if you're doing the work yourself. Because its a must to turn the crank as well as have your entire rotating assembly inspected for issues. If you don't, you're basically wasting your time and money because you'll be back in the same spun-bearing-boat quickly as the issues you over looked blow all the effort and expense you've invested when they too fail...

Good luck and just make sure you take your time and do it right!

-Eagle

 

everyone has a 408 but no everyone has a LSx 383!!!....lol

 

It wasn't a contest, I'm just pointing out that I don't understand why you keep saying a 408 is hardly any more. Using your own logic I've got the 383 to $750 cheap, plus harness extensions and bigger injectors we're near $1,000. You need to upgrade to 1 7/8 headers for a 408, and until the new TSP headers that wasn't cheap either. These little things add up to an easy $1750-$2000. I don't know about you, but anything over $1000 (which it WILL cost to go 408 over 383 or 370) is not a small amount of money. Thinking you know it all and not offering a 370 or 383 is your own loss, there are a LOT more of them out there than you think. The 370 is a fairly popular engine for people that were already set up with a good top end for boosted 346s (there are a LOT of those around too).

I guess my point is, don't always upsell when something cheaper is exactly what a customer wants and will make them more than happy. People get PISSED when the price difference grows to well over $1000 when they are told the difference is going to be $350-$400. It's just a matter of opinion and informing the buyer, I plead the fifth from here on out.

 

Wow, do you have to turn someone giving out information that you don't like into a throwdown argument? Telling people it's only $400 to get a 408 over an 383 and not even offering smaller cube engines IS an upsell, and is also very incorrect. You know what else is an upsell? Offering EVERYTHING with callies standard and considering scat/eagle a downgrade. You've been selling engines for a month, take some advice. Again, it's not only about a "budget" for a 408, it's plain and simple not always the best option over a smaller cube setup. I'm persisting because you don't want to be informative about engine size options, but would rather be "right" that a 408 just makes the most sense over smaller cubes and in that effort you are leaving a thread with incomplete information on a board where most people read these threads and try to make a well informed decision based on more than what someone on the other end of a phone tells them. Let people know that there are options for them based on their needs, preferences, current setup, and budget. . .not what you would do if it were your car. That's what we're here for more than anything, information to the LS1tech community.

 

God Damn.... I guess you had a shop do it?

A friend of mine spun a bearing, he put a new piston, rod, polished the crank, and put it back together.

If you do the work yourself, you can do a strong bottom end with your stock block for less than 2k easy.

It all depends on if you are doing the work and your plans for the car.

 

And Scoggin-Dickey wins it!
Makes perfect sense, I would love to build a 454ci blown beast but my budget says I have to choose between a small stroker with cheap heads or a 346 with a stock crank and budget forged rods and pistons with trick flows.

I spun a bearing years ago on my 1980 Z-28 350. Basic machine work, 2 used stock rods, and a used stock crank later she was back up. I had Dart Sportsman 2 heads and decent sized cam and she hit 6400rpm many, many times and never did blow up again. ran damn fine on a budget.

You can build a good shortblock without having to tell the kids they don't get to eat anymore.






I like Trick Flows.

 

I respectfully disagree CodeRedSS on here is making 470+rwhp N/A and 640+ on spray with a 383 with PRC 5.3's and MS4 High 10's N/A and he won't tell us what he is running on the spray yet

 

Ok I guess I got stuck in sales mode, sorry.

As for the 383 Tony Mamo put down over 550 rwhp with his setup so there is power to be made with the engine no doubt! The power comes from the heads and cam selection. There is a vid of him running a 10 I think in it floating around here somewhere. It was very impressive!

 

Really? Thats interesting...I stand corrected. I have yet to see numbers for those heads on a 383, though they are great heads for a great price...I cant wait to put them on my motor!

 

whatever you do i would just spend a little extra on the best parts so this does not happen again and you will have a well built motor to handle whatever you can throw at it.

 

I just got off the phone with him and the 10.9's were on his old tune. He's now 10.5's N/A Maybe he'll chime in. I think you will like that setup just make sure you get your compression up by flycutting or running dished pistons to keep up your DCR. He is at 11.6 SCR.