LT1-LT4 Modifications 1993-97 Gen II Small Block V8

LE heads and cam?

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Old Mar 27, 2009 | 02:37 PM
  #21  
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it has more to do with power and higher faster rpms.
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Old Mar 27, 2009 | 05:32 PM
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Originally Posted by JB_97ws6TA
he is not on a high mileage shortblock and why on earth would torquing the heads have anything to do with your rod bearings???
Kinda what I was wondering.....
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Old Mar 27, 2009 | 10:12 PM
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Originally Posted by gregrob
Rod bearing... Not disputing that some have ran high mileage stock short blocks with heads/cam. Just that I've heard of spinning a rod bearing after a head swap, to me its cheap insurance to throw bearings in it at the same time. I know will be...
Explain to me how removing the engine and doing a complete rebuild is cheap insurance.
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Old Mar 28, 2009 | 05:00 PM
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ok...I don't think that I am going to do the rings..I am not planning on dropping the motor at all...I don't want to do that. But I do apprecaiate the heads up on that. I'm just gonna take my chances. If need be I will drop the motor later.
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Old Mar 28, 2009 | 06:29 PM
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Originally Posted by RamAir95TA
Explain to me how removing the engine and doing a complete rebuild is cheap insurance.
I didnt say a damn word about doing a complete rebuild...

I said take the engine out the bottom which gives much easier access to the heads/cam swap anyway.

and while you have it out flip it over and put bearings in it...

and I have seen multiple times, one guy being in my own town when someone does ported heads swap, and spins a rod bearing very shortly afterwards...

so yes, what I said is cheap insurance to me to have the peace of mind that when you throw heads on an engine that already has close to 100K on it (most lt1's do now) that you have fresh bearings and all the forces acting on the block from torquing the heads, main caps etc, are "playing nice together"...

Again, this is just my OPINION. I did clarify what I first said by saying your on a low mileage engine and you probably dont need to worry about it.

I have 78,000 on mine and it will be closer to 100 when I do heads, so yes I personally am going to take a little extra time and put bearings in the bottom end, nothing else... Whether anyone else does or not is up to them, most wont have a problem. Some will... I've seen it before.
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Old Mar 28, 2009 | 06:34 PM
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Originally Posted by gregrob
I didnt say a damn word about doing a complete rebuild...

I said take the engine out the bottom which gives much easier access to the heads/cam swap anyway.

and while you have it out flip it over and put bearings in it...

and I have seen multiple times, one guy being in my own town when someone does ported heads swap, and spins a rod bearing very shortly afterwards...

so yes, what I said is cheap insurance to me to have the peace of mind that when you throw heads on an engine that already has close to 100K on it (most lt1's do now) that you have fresh bearings and all the forces acting on the block from torquing the heads, main caps etc, are "playing nice together"...
Let me ask you this...have you ever done exactly what you just said?
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Old Mar 28, 2009 | 07:00 PM
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NOPE.

Like I said, I will be when I do my heads. I prefer to learn from others mistakes.

What's so bad about me suggesting to put bearings in it while its out?
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Old Mar 28, 2009 | 07:02 PM
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Originally Posted by gregrob
NOPE.

Like I said, I will be when I do my heads. I prefer to learn from others mistakes.

What's so bad about me suggesting to put bearings in it while its out?
You're making it sound like you can just unbolt the crank, put new ones in, and go. It's not that simple. In order to do it right (and I stress RIGHT), you need to completely disassemble the rotating assembly. At which point, you're doing a complete rebuild.
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Old Mar 28, 2009 | 07:21 PM
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What requires you to pull the pistons out of the bores to put rod bearings in?

Honest question
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Old Mar 28, 2009 | 07:25 PM
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I'd still like to know how torqueing heads would mess with the rod bearings???
I know bolting the heads can distort the bore and thats why torque plates are used when boring a new build....
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Old Mar 28, 2009 | 11:26 PM
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Originally Posted by Ferg95 T/A
thanks I think that I will!!! Mainly I MUST beat my bro's 02 SS camaro. Its FAST. I MUST beat him.
haha thats awsome. unless hes gone into the motor you probubly will.

By the way, you doing exactly what i was going to do this winter. I never got a chance to save the money because of work slowing though. I did pull it out and overhaul it and got some longtubes and tune and intake etc. Its a totally different car now, I can kill an ls1 too....if it stock or close to stock haha. I love it.
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Old Mar 28, 2009 | 11:39 PM
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There seems to be alot of confusion here haha. If its a low mile motor and you have good oil pressure and doesent use oil you dont need to do rings or bearings. I would just stick with a mild 1800-6200 cam to be safe. I makes more sence to go with a mild cam than it does to pull the bitch out and do rings or bearings in my opinion. You could even go with a bigger cam and be fine, but if your gunna cringe at every hi rev shift it might just be a better idea for you, besides if your really that worried, the numbers you will see in a bigger can probubly wont justify it for you.
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Old Mar 28, 2009 | 11:47 PM
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Originally Posted by gregrob
I would drop your motor out the bottom and put new bearings in it when you do the head swap.

It's not uncommon for a higher mileage car to spin a rod bearing after a head install. Seems the bearings sometimes dont like the release/retorque of the heads.

You have relatively low miles so you might be ok, but I would do it anyway for cheap insurance.

Plus R&Ring the heads will be soo much easier with the engine out.

.02
HAHA you'r a tard man, you should stick to bolt on's. There are a variety of causes for a spun bearing, "release/retorque" isn't any of them.

Besides have you ever even freshened up an engine, if you have you will know how fast it gets VERY expensive. And for his plans it would be completely insane for him to do so. Especially since he has weekends to use a shop, and has pretty low miles on the engine with no problems.
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Old Mar 29, 2009 | 12:45 AM
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Originally Posted by gregrob
It's not uncommon for a higher mileage car to spin a rod bearing after a head install. Seems the bearings sometimes dont like the release/retorque of the heads.
Wow... Moreoever bearings don't like careless/dirty/sloppy installs either...
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Old Mar 29, 2009 | 03:59 AM
  #35  
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Thanks guys, lots of helpful info...

name calling really adds to the technical aspect of a thread.

OP, forget I ever said anything. Just consult with someone who has done what you want to do, and you should be good to go.

Sometimes you have to learn to seperate all the internet bs from the real world experience...
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Old Mar 29, 2009 | 06:37 AM
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Originally Posted by gregrob
Sometimes you have to learn to seperate all the internet bs from the real world experience...
So are you saying what you posted regarding "release/retorque of the heads" is not something you pulled straight out of a horse's ***?
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Old Mar 29, 2009 | 07:42 AM
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Originally Posted by gregrob
Thanks guys, lots of helpful info... Sometimes you have to learn to seperate all the internet bs from the real world experience...
OP, forget I ever said anything.
And is what you posted BS? I rearranged your post in the quote to read correct.
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Old Mar 29, 2009 | 11:21 AM
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Y do you say "thanks guys for alll the helpful info"? Your not even the op. And sorry i resorted to name calling.......tard. Do you know how frustrating it is when you ask for advice and some idiot just comes in and bashes you over the head with shear ignorance? What if he took your advice and pulled the engine and did all that only to realise he never had to. I would be pissed to say the least.

Oh and i actually talked to AI ann they said i would be fine even with my 100k lt1 with heads that flow almost the same as the le2, even with the big cam too. I all depends oil oil usage and pressure. If your bearings need replaced youll see a decrease in pressure. If your rings need replaced youll see alot of oil usage.
Hope this helps.
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Old Mar 29, 2009 | 11:46 AM
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"Cleanliness is next to Godliness" !!!!!!!!!!! if you get gasket or other **** in the engine it will KILL the bearings. i did my upgrade with 145K km's(70K miles) and was VERY carefull and I have NO problems. You should take care taking the cam out and installing it. Banging the cam around will damage the bearings= low oil pressure.
Good luck
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Old Mar 29, 2009 | 01:48 PM
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Originally Posted by 95zsean
"Cleanliness is next to Godliness" !!!!!!!!!!! if you get gasket or other **** in the engine it will KILL the bearings. i did my upgrade with 145K km's(70K miles) and was VERY carefull and I have NO problems. You should take care taking the cam out and installing it. Banging the cam around will damage the bearings= low oil pressure.
Good luck
Hallelujah for a great testimony regarding a clean install!
Guaranteed those who spin a bearing after a cam install did something wrong during the process or their bearings were shot before hand. This craptastic tale is as bad as how sheeple believe there is something wrong with Comp R lifters (thanks mostly to Bert) or how the EGR is to blame for the LT1 intake manifold leak...
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