LSXNV

iTrader: (1)

I am rebuilding my LT1 to bone stock specs. i cant afford a computer tune or much else for that matter. i had a few questions,

are the blocks interchangable from every year of LT1. i have a '97 and i know some of the earlier block didnt have crank sensors.

does anyone sell a factory replacement cam? the only cam i can find is the 12551142. and i have read even that cam needs to be tuned.

does anyone have good rods, cranks, or a stock cam they want to get rid of? even a stock shortblock thats in good shape?

i spun a bearing on this thing doing 6000 rpm in fourth gear. it damaged more then just the bearing. i guess i just ran out of oil pan.

94fixerTA

iTrader: (5)

That's pretty much the same thing I did. A stock lt won't keep up with a moded c5. Lol. But I think the blocks were the same in 96 and 97, but I may be wrong. I just reused the stock block. But I'm doin a 383 with the cc306, ported heads, valve job, gasket matched intake, yada yada. It's running me slot of money but should put down alot of pony's.

Why do you want to stay with a stock cam, and stock tune. There's ways to do mods and still pass emitions for not much more than stock cost.

nik1703

Yeah, upgrading your cam and doing a few other things won't cost you very much more since you're already doing the rebuild.

fex77k

iTrader: (2)

You should find a used lt1 long block and try to start from there. If the bottom ends is still good all you would have to do is get an oil pump, rings and bearings and you would have a really cheap starting point.

gregrob

iTrader: (8)

I have a stock cam

LSXNV

iTrader: (1)

well, right now i have no choice with upgrades. as hard as it is to go stock, i just cant afford to do anything else. i have to keep this build under $1000. and just a cam swap will cost me close to that. not to mention, when i get back on my feet i will be going the L92 route with this thing (no offense to the LT1 lovers out there). i just have so many more options with an LS style engine. when i spun this bearing it took out the big end on 2 rods, perhaps a third. lunched on my main bearing, causing two of them to spin. in turn, ground out a few of my main saddles requiring a big cut on the align bore. my cams lobes and lifter were unscathed but killed my cam bearing journals. don't know if i can polish that out. this turned out to be a big mess.

LSXNV

iTrader: (1)

pm me about the cam. i may have found a good short block, and i am in contact with another guy about a crank.and just as a little advise to those who are building an engine they like to rev, get a good, large capacity, oil pan. alot of people underestimate the importance of one.

94fixerTA

iTrader: (5)

Rebuilding a stock motor you should replace the cam rings too. That's something that a machine shop has to do. Mine were fairly worn after 200,000. I got my cam for 260. And if your planning on having any machine work done at all + the rebuild kit and all the little crap that has to break while your working on it, I don't want to bust your bubble, but good luck staying at $1000.

LSXNV

iTrader: (1)

Cam rings?

i am going to be close but i think i can pull this off for under $1k. that block being damaged is making it tough though. if i can that short block and its in good shape, i will be in good shape.

but back to my main question at hand, are all years of LT1 blocks interchangable?

bigj2717

iTrader: (15)

I think he ment to say cam bearings

fex77k

iTrader: (2)

Cam bearings, this is going to cost you a bit of money to install.

The blocks are all the same no real difference, save for the 4 bolt main blocks.
The real difference is the front.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...3/lt1front.jpg

The machine work alone is going to kill your $1000 budget. I won't reuse lifters with over 100k miles unless they looked perfect, but you are going to have to reuse everything.

94fixerTA

iTrader: (5)

Cam bearings.

And all lt1 short blocks are the same. As long as they came from an f-body and your putting your year stuff back in it it will all work.

LSXNV

iTrader: (1)

cool, the cam bearings are only like $50 to install. the line bore was what i was afraid of. you can only go so far then you run into issues finding a short enough timing chain to fit. in some instances your piston may even run out of the deck. or you may even find they dont make a bearing that will work with the new cut. as long as the damage wasn't too bad, and things clean up well, it would cost about $400 in machine work. i am hoping to get a short block that doesn't need "cleanup" work for less then that.

TheDon619

iTrader: (4)

be much cheaper to get a complete motor pulled from a junkyard car that was hit in the rear or side than to build urs.

LSXNV

iTrader: (1)

well, i don't really need a whole motor. just a shortblock. and we don't have many good junkyards here with latemodel stuff.

ls2pontiac

iTrader: (1)

you really need to plan on spending $3000. 1k is going to be machining costs and parts. i think its really foolish to pull the motor and go thru all that, just to put it back to factory. save your money until you can do it right, at least a Hotcam and a mail order tune (costs $125!)

LSXNV

iTrader: (1)

well i just found a good used short block that doesn't need much machine work (if any). that was a god send. i know where you all are coming from, and it kills me to be doing a stock rebuild. of all the engines i put together i can remember doing a bone stock build once, back in high school. ironically that was a small block chevy. anyways, i have no choice on this. it is stock, or nothing.

LSXNV

iTrader: (1)

Well just a little update. I found a short block (Thank you Hawks Third Gen!). It was a recent rebuild. .030 over, new rods pistons and crank. Good lifters too! I got it for $250. Freshened it up and stabbed it into the engine bay. All is well and I did it for about $1000 even. For those in need of a rebuild kit, Northern Auto has a great deal. Its good to have the ole bird back on the road. Now time to ponder the specifics of doing a 408 LSx build!

brucer

good deal... i've used northern auto parts forever i think.
i would have had a hard time not sticking atleast a used lt4 cam and springs in it...but i understand what your saying, if your plans are an lsx your saving money doing the stock rebuild..


nice looking car...

LSXNV

iTrader: (1)

Yea it was an exercise in self control to keep this stock. Its a 355 now so it's not exactly stock.