Getting ready to start final assembly this week. I spoke to MAST tech line yesterday about the clearance between rod small end journal and crank counterweights. I emailed them some pictures and will follow up with them later this afternoon. I kind of want to hear their input on this before I move to far along.

Also, is anyone running Delphi replacement ignition coils, P/N: GN10639? I need a set of coils for my build as I currently do not have any. These are the best deal for an OEM replacement brand that I can find at $28.89ea. the AC Delco's are over $80ea.

 

I spent some time on the phone with the tech line at MAST. They did confirm that the clearance (I emailed them pictures) between the rod small end and crank counterweight is okay to run as is with no need to remove any addy material. They tech guy told me he showed the pictures to one of their engine builders he said it looks crazy but that's the way the L8T is from the factory and that all the engines they've built with this crank and rods are the same way.

Also I discussed connecting rod orientation with them. They told me that since the crank is not radiused at the journal (rather is undercut) that there is no need to orient them in any given way. However I did notice that when you install the bearing into the rod journal they only fit in one way due to the tangs, same as gen 3 and gen 4 LS rods. I also noticed that one side of the bearings are chamfered on the outer edge. I'm going to orient the rods with the chamfered bearing sides facing the crank counter weights. It shouldn't matter but best I can tell is that is the way they are assembled from GM.

I'll post up some pictures later. I started the final assembly last night and have the crank installed. Hoping to get the short block done over the weekend.

 

These pictures show the side of the rod that has the chamfer machined on the crank journal end. I installed the rods with this side facing the crankshaft counterweights.

 

This pictures show the side of the rod that does not have the chamfer machined in it. Note the extra tang / point circled in red. I installed the rods such that this side points away from the crank counter weights.

 

hey, not trying to hijack your post. But i just finished building an LQ9 with the same crank, carillo rods and wiseco pistons. everything went together (**** ton of hiccups, mostly with parts from mast. they got a lot of the stuff wrong over and over). i dont know how far along your build is or what trans youre going to be running. I purchased a flexplate (8 bolt) and a circle d torque converter, the flex plate bought a pilot spacer and if i put that on i cant get the torque converter close to the flexplate. im wondering if that spacer pilot is needed or if its included as a (if needed part). maybe someone can chime in if they have any info. TIA.

 

Build is looking great. Just read through the entire thread, and the mast kit looks like a great deal to get into a reliably sized stroker. Excited to hear more and see how it turns out.

 

So I realized I never provided another update. I finished up the final assembly of the short block. Everything with the rotating assembly has gone together well. I going to have the engine sitting on the stand for a couple of months while I finish up some fab work on the car before I am ready to install it and get it fired up for the first time. I left the oil pan, front cover and heads just bolted in place (not final torqued yet). Before I get ready to finalize everything I still have to set the oil pickup tube clearance and measure for push rods. I figure I will pull the pan and heads and give everything a visual inspection and lubricate with oil.

I will revisit this thread in the fall when I am back to the engine (expecting it will be October time frame).

 

I'm really interested in this rotating assembly and have been following your progress. I would need to have a 24x reluctor wheel for my application though, did they really weld yours a lot? It looks like I can almost see a bead on your image above. I would either have to have it removed and swapped by my machine shop or perhaps they would install the one I need, but I haven't talked with them yet.

 

I'd say call MAST and talk to them about the reluctor wheel. I know my crank was machined by a 3rd party machine shop. At least it looked that way based on the paper work that came with the crank. I have good experience dealing with their customer service and tech department. I'm sure they'd be able to find a way to get you a crank with the 24X wheel. May cost a little more and or have a longer lead time my best guess.

 

It's been quite a long time since I've posted any updates on this build. I'm getting back to it and am hoping to have the motor wrapped up sometime next month and get it broken in and tuned on an engine Dyno before I install it in the car.

To recap where things left off, I had completed the mockup and assembly of the bottom end. The pistons are flush with the block deck surface at TDC. With the 0.040" head gaskets and the heads the way they are right now I'm at 10.5:1 static and about 7.9:1 dynamic compression ratio.

My next step is to check PTV and squish clearances. I decided I'm going to send my stock LS3 intake manifold to Gwatney Performance to be ported and rod modded, as well as the stock throttle body. I do plan to have the heads milled a little bit more to bring the compression back up to 11:1 and get the dynamic a little over 8:1. I'm thinking it will take about 0.020" off the heads to get them from 74cc back to around 70cc. That should get my compression where I want it.

I am also considering sending the heads to Katech to have them CNC port them and do the milling. I had a conversation with them on the phone the other day and went over the build and what my goals are.

I'll post another update in a week or two once I measure the PTV and decide which may I'm gonna go with the heads, milling only vs. mill and CNC port.

 

They will put a billet 24x on the crank as that is the way mine is setup.

 

Yeah I contacted them but I couldn't chance pre purchasing the 4.005 pistons without tearing my engine down first and I'm not ready to do that.

Pulled back slightly on my build went with Summit 370 cu in rotating assembly.

I also considered parts availability for future, if you lose a piston or rod how long does it take to get another, especially if Mast stops selling them at some point.

 

You do not have to purchase the Mast pistons (or rods for that matter) so don't let that back you into a corner. As long as your deck height allows it a shelf 4.000 stroke piston with a 6.125 or 6.200 length rod depending on piston CH will do the things needed. That was the draw for me, I'm still not sure if I'm going to put this crank into a LSX/Dart block for one build or an aluminum Gen4 block for a another. One will have significantly more capability than the other and I know SDPC took their L8T to over 2000hp on this crank.

 

Leemans69 - more curious than anything, why did you choose those lifters vs the non-link bar. Cam doesn't seem that aggressive. Also what rockers are you going with ?

 

I chose the limited travel link bar lifters mainly based on feedback from Cam Motion when we discussed the build and spec'd out the cam and valve train components. I wanted to have the most amount of valve train stability I could afford based on my budget. The real reason behind the lifters is that while the car will be mostly street driven I will eventually do some autocross events and potentially HPDE track days later down the road. Running at extended periods between 3-6k rpms.

 

Well instead of spending the Christmas break verifying PTV clearance and measuring for pushrods I wound up having to disassemble the entire thing back down to the bear block.

​​​​​​One of these damp rid things tipped over off my toolbox and onto the work bench and spilled right onto the engine while it was on the stand. I had my driveway replaced and when they were running the jack hammers and removing the concrete with the front end loader the vibrations must have tipped over the container.


I Just dropped the block and crank off at the machine shop. Fortunately it was contained to cylinder one and a single crank journal but after I cleaned off all of the surface rust that the liquid contamination caused, there was some light putting on the cylinder wall in #1 and some very very slight pits on the #1 main journal.

Went over everything with the machinist and he is pretty confident the bore will clean up with a few passes of the home and shouldn't take off too much material. PTW clearance was previously dead on at 0.004" so we're shooting for only having to remove a half thousandth and be left with under 0.005" clearance. He said the crank would be okay as it was but we both agreed it wouldn't hurt to give that one journal a very light polish just to make sure there is no burr or anything that could catch the bearing surface.

All in all not the end of the world but definitely not how I wanted this build to go. Well while I'm waiting on getting things back from the machine shop I will be cleaning the every other component and bagging it getting ready for round two.

 

"Patiently" waiting on parts. Had to send the cam back to Cam Motion to be reworked (e.g. re-polish) on the lobes for cylinder 1 as there was some pitting on one of the lobes. Cam should be delivered today.

Waiting on machine shop and the intake manifold porting at this point.

In the meantime been getting else cleaned up and ready for reassembly. Also started putting together a run stand. Just need a few more components and sensors to be able to get this thing fired up with the Terminator X efi kit.
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If I can be of service with the tuning, please let me know.

Andrew

 

Have you gotten to the balancer install yet? Will an existing LS balancer work with this crank?

 

Will do. I was actually looking at remote tuning and diagnostic services and your name kept coming up on the Holley user forum. Plan is to get this thing back together and idling on the run stand, then install in the car later this year.