Am I crazy...???
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 59
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Am I crazy...??? I've never built a motor...I've never even opened a motor up. I have done everything from header installs to a stall converter in some of my other fbodies, but never internal motor work. I'm thinking about buying all the parts and building a forged motor for my TA. Would I be crazy to just buy a block, a rotating assembly and a "how to" book and go to town? My brother has actually built a couple of small block chevys (not LSX's) and he will be helping me. My plan is to take my time building a forged short block then swap my top end over, put it in my car and spray the heck out of it. Is there some sort of black magic voodoo I should look into before I build an LS motor, or can I pretty much go by the book?
Thanks!
Thanks!
Interesting thread. My answer is no, you should not be trying to build your own engine unless you've got the money to waste. Will you get it right? Who's to say. We see engines come in to get fixed that a real shop built for someone... and the shop didn't get it right. SO you with no experience have how much of chance of building it correctly?
It's a great way to learn, but it might be a costly as well.
It's a great way to learn, but it might be a costly as well.
he is right it will get expensive. i can personally say i never learned how to build engines except taking things apart and putting them back together. i have been building engines from bare blocks to complete longblocks in my garage and none have come back to me for repair. however, i have seen people screw stuff up.
have money, take plenty of time, check and clean everything, and have fun with whatever decision you make.
have money, take plenty of time, check and clean everything, and have fun with whatever decision you make.
No, it wont. If you dont know what to do taking a year to do it won't help...LOL
These things just dont go together like some plastic model.
Yes you can replace all the internals with OEM parts and have reasonable success but the minute you add stroke your in a different world.
SO if your just going to rebuild and have help chances are you might be ok to a certain degree. But if you adding a 4" stroke crank things wont just snap together and thats where the experience takes over and pays off.
The labor isnt the expensive part of building an engine. Its the parts/peices that cost the money.
These things just dont go together like some plastic model.
Yes you can replace all the internals with OEM parts and have reasonable success but the minute you add stroke your in a different world.
SO if your just going to rebuild and have help chances are you might be ok to a certain degree. But if you adding a 4" stroke crank things wont just snap together and thats where the experience takes over and pays off.
The labor isnt the expensive part of building an engine. Its the parts/peices that cost the money.
the biggest problem i see is having calibrated tools and patience to check the clearances. ive never build one, but man do they come apart fast! following torque specs and sequences is a no brainer but finding a good thorogh machine shop is tuff.
again my fear was spending 4 g's and ******* up any of the clearances and being back at square one.
for the time it will take you to build, spend that time saving alittle more and have 99blancoss , lme or any other sponsor help ya. no one will warranty a built motor but the good ones will at least stand behind their work for at least start up and such.
good luck
again my fear was spending 4 g's and ******* up any of the clearances and being back at square one.
for the time it will take you to build, spend that time saving alittle more and have 99blancoss , lme or any other sponsor help ya. no one will warranty a built motor but the good ones will at least stand behind their work for at least start up and such.
good luck
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 59
Likes: 0
wow...I'm suddenly getting over the urge to build my own... I appreciate the insight. It's a good point that most of the expense comes from the parts so screwing them up from lack of exprience would be stupid.
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I agree with ZDOG. I think it's important that you have some good tools to aid your build. Without them it will be hard to check clearences and torque specifications accurately. I'm building mine now without ever having experience with an LSx. But I have done a couple SBC. It's on a budget and I will be doing all the work myself so I think I'll come out cheaper than buying an already built shortblock. If I had the money I might have bought one but I don't so I'm making due. If you have a second vehicle and can afford it and are confident and dedicated about doing it I say go for it. But be sure to do all the research and have some experienced buddies come over and aid you when you're not sure about what to do.
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if u own the proper tools, it will be fairly easy,
if u dont know what youre doing or how to check clearances or assemble
the motors, u will have a hard time.
in my own exp. i have built many lsx engines,
even for forced induction, but i was trained in rebuilding diesel engines.
not too different, from gas engines
if u dont know what youre doing or how to check clearances or assemble
the motors, u will have a hard time.
in my own exp. i have built many lsx engines,
even for forced induction, but i was trained in rebuilding diesel engines.
not too different, from gas engines
i like doing as much as i can to my car by myself, but i wouldn't attempt building a complete motor. if you know anybody that knows what they're doing and can walk you through it, that'd be great, but if not i'd just order an assembled short block. you can read about something and think you know it, but unless you have hands on experience, you'll be lost. good luck with whatever you decide on though.
well, the good news is you don't need an aftermarket crank to make power. the bad news is lsx parts are wicked expensive.
i see nothing wrong with building the engine yourself. i would invest at least 100x the amount of time to physically build the engine in reseach. reading, asking questions, maybe tearing other motors down and rebuilding them. an engine is an engine is an engine.
i see nothing wrong with building the engine yourself. i would invest at least 100x the amount of time to physically build the engine in reseach. reading, asking questions, maybe tearing other motors down and rebuilding them. an engine is an engine is an engine.
Go to a junkyard and see if you can scrounge up an old LS motor or similar block with all the supporting parts (or find a engine someone just wants to dump)... then just play with it. Good practice 'cause you don't have to give a crap whether or not it works, just have to assemble and tear down.
Granted you may not know whether or not what it's going to run because you may not be able to fire it up... but i think it would be valuable experience.
Granted you may not know whether or not what it's going to run because you may not be able to fire it up... but i think it would be valuable experience.
building a motor I'ts not rocket science, I've built my share of small blocks, couple of big blocks. but the LSX is a totally different beast IMO with all the TTY bolts, covers without dowels to locate them balancers that take rediclous torque to get where they need to be. I'm apprehensive to say the least! When it comes time to assemble the LS6 block I have now, I want someone with some experience, looking over my shoulder cause I dont want to overlook anything! I'd rather be safe than sorry 
Take your time and make sure you have all the proper tools to do the job. Make sure you have a reputable machine shop do the block, assemble lots of times and check all your clearances, then check them all again. Experience makes the difference, but we all started with none. Like the saying goes, "measure twice, cut once". If your brother has had success building and he is willing to lend a hand, make sure he is there to watch you as you build. The more experienced people you have to come help out the better. Check all your clearances, I can not stress that enough. Good luck on the build.