Engine rebuild
Engine rebuild Ok folks found a oil leak on my 143,xxx mile '95 T/a. So of course this is the perfect time to convince the wife that a rebuild is required. So, please help.
I am wanting to stick to a 355 and need some suggestions. I want all forged internals being in the future I plan for forced induction. I have found a few complete rotating assembly's but do not know if they are the best route. Please give me some ideas here, not sure if I should piece it or just buy whole.
I am wanting to stick to a 355 and need some suggestions. I want all forged internals being in the future I plan for forced induction. I have found a few complete rotating assembly's but do not know if they are the best route. Please give me some ideas here, not sure if I should piece it or just buy whole.
For a 355, it doesn't get much more basic than a reconditioned stock crank, resized rods with arp hardware, and some forged slugs. Should last quite a while and make some great hp....up to about 450-500 rwhp without issue(I've seen more but not reliably)....imo.
Building a motor for boost isn't something that is economically sound to do in more than one stage. You could build it, but to be done right you'd need to seriously lower the compression with dished pistons. Then comes the valvetrain. It sounds like you're just interested in the bottom end, not so much the cam and heads.
IMO, wait until you have the budget to do EVERYTHING at once, or else you're just going to be tearing the car down time after time.
IMO, wait until you have the budget to do EVERYTHING at once, or else you're just going to be tearing the car down time after time.
On The Tree
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 126
Likes: 1
From: Lincoln,Nebraska
OR just buy a spare motor and throw all your effort towards that block and just fix your oil leak and keep driving it...I recently just picked up a 95 Z28 motor for my Recently purchased 96 z28
You will sacrifice NA performance now if you build to go FI later.
BTW, if it took a lot of convincing to get your wife to warm up to just a rebuild, then good luck convincing her that you need a turbo!!
BTW, if it took a lot of convincing to get your wife to warm up to just a rebuild, then good luck convincing her that you need a turbo!!
Ramair. Im asking about the bottom end right now because that is I have the least experience with. I planto run LE2 heads and something similar to a cc503 cam.
puck, tell me about it. Do you realize how hard it is to convince a woman to "agree" to buying stuff that she thinks would be prettyfor the new house and redirect it to a car I wont let her drive for a few months. Lol
puck, tell me about it. Do you realize how hard it is to convince a woman to "agree" to buying stuff that she thinks would be prettyfor the new house and redirect it to a car I wont let her drive for a few months. Lol
If you want to go all forged, go 383. It makes no sense to build a forged 355 anymore. My build wasnt cheap because I had so start from scratch so i kept costs down where i could. Im running stock crank, rods (new) and new Mahle replacement pistons for the overbore with ARP hardware throughout. As far as your cam choice let LE spec you one out for your wants/needs
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Ok. So here are my goal/dreams. Give me ideas.
Im an auto car and plan to run a 4k stall. I want to spin the motor to around 6500-6700 rpms max. I would like to see an honest 375 or more rwhp motor only. Then if I go forced induction, between 500-600. If I go thenitrous route, 500rwhp would make me very happy. I want a very fun and powerful car, but I don't want to just throw reliability out the window. My plans for the car is to have streetable/hotrod power tour reliability with 11 second capabilities.
So, would a stock crank, rod 383 do the trick? Cheaper is fine by me. Lol.
Im an auto car and plan to run a 4k stall. I want to spin the motor to around 6500-6700 rpms max. I would like to see an honest 375 or more rwhp motor only. Then if I go forced induction, between 500-600. If I go thenitrous route, 500rwhp would make me very happy. I want a very fun and powerful car, but I don't want to just throw reliability out the window. My plans for the car is to have streetable/hotrod power tour reliability with 11 second capabilities.
So, would a stock crank, rod 383 do the trick? Cheaper is fine by me. Lol.
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There isnt really a way to build something to grow into unless your willing to fork out the cash for some big cc heads down the road. For example right now you could run a n/a application around 10.5:1 with close to stock cc heads and then down the road when your ready buy a set of Trickflow/AFR 65cc heads to lower it to roughly 9.5:1 which is still in some people books high for a the jug or blower application. Thats really my only suggestion if you plan to build it for both.
95, I appreciate the response. Im not wanting this to be a street dominator nor a full blown race car. So if
It never saw a power added, I would be ok with that. I really want something fun and nice the cruise in. But like I said I want it to be able to walk the walk if the need arises and I feel a mid 11's car would do that very handily.
It never saw a power added, I would be ok with that. I really want something fun and nice the cruise in. But like I said I want it to be able to walk the walk if the need arises and I feel a mid 11's car would do that very handily.
10 Second Club
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,630
Likes: 28
To keep it on the cheap....
Take your crank to a good machine shop. Have them turn it .010"/.010". Use ARP rod bolts. Get yourself a new oil pump. Pick a forged piston but not really needed for a 150 shot or less. The 503 cam is kinda mild for any sort of ported cylinder head. It will work but it is not optimal. The 503 is a GREAT cam for stock heads. LE2 heads and a matching camshaft will make well over 350rwhp on a 355. The stock crank will not let you down if it is machined good and assembled good. If you want a forged crank and different rods/pistons, then it makes no sense to stick to a 355, because a 383 will cost the same and make more power.
Take your crank to a good machine shop. Have them turn it .010"/.010". Use ARP rod bolts. Get yourself a new oil pump. Pick a forged piston but not really needed for a 150 shot or less. The 503 cam is kinda mild for any sort of ported cylinder head. It will work but it is not optimal. The 503 is a GREAT cam for stock heads. LE2 heads and a matching camshaft will make well over 350rwhp on a 355. The stock crank will not let you down if it is machined good and assembled good. If you want a forged crank and different rods/pistons, then it makes no sense to stick to a 355, because a 383 will cost the same and make more power.
Here's what I would do. Skip the blower altogether. You CAN build a nitrous motor in stages, but not with a blower setup. Not to mention the SC will cost you about twice what a 355/383 would. Don't think the wife would like that too much...would she? 
Then...
Stock polished crank, stock 2-bolt block
Forged 5.7" or 5.85" rod
Forged piston (Mahle or equivalent)
Advanced Induction 200cc ported stock castings with a custom grind matched billet cam for your specs.
Then all of the bolt-ons, including headers, exhaust, intake, etc. That motor will easily put down 400+ at the wheels through a stalled auto, and 550+ on the jug (add the nitrous later, 200 shotish), and be FAR more reliable than boost. Motor cost would probably be around ~$6000, not including the bolt-ons and a tune. It'll run it's *** off N/A and still wreck shop on the spray.
Then...
Stock polished crank, stock 2-bolt block
Forged 5.7" or 5.85" rod
Forged piston (Mahle or equivalent)
Advanced Induction 200cc ported stock castings with a custom grind matched billet cam for your specs.
Then all of the bolt-ons, including headers, exhaust, intake, etc. That motor will easily put down 400+ at the wheels through a stalled auto, and 550+ on the jug (add the nitrous later, 200 shotish), and be FAR more reliable than boost. Motor cost would probably be around ~$6000, not including the bolt-ons and a tune. It'll run it's *** off N/A and still wreck shop on the spray.
I find a streetable 400rwhp stalled auto 355 to be a bit stretching the imagination.
No need to chase a dyno number with a stall, FWIW my car barely made 350rwhp yet out ET'd many "400+"rwhp cars on this site. Not saying they aren't a true 400hp car, but that it takes a lot more then a big dyno chart to run a number. Alans car ran rock bottom 11s and has 10s potential and IIRC dynos around 375 through a stalled auto.
If your goals are only mid 11s and you want it streetable and not too hard on the wallet, it sounds like nitrous is for you. 355 refresh, modest ported stock head/custom cam package, 3200 stall to keep it tame, and a 150 shot.
100% daily drivable and if it doesn't run mid 11s I'd burn it and buy a honda.
No need to chase a dyno number with a stall, FWIW my car barely made 350rwhp yet out ET'd many "400+"rwhp cars on this site. Not saying they aren't a true 400hp car, but that it takes a lot more then a big dyno chart to run a number. Alans car ran rock bottom 11s and has 10s potential and IIRC dynos around 375 through a stalled auto.
If your goals are only mid 11s and you want it streetable and not too hard on the wallet, it sounds like nitrous is for you. 355 refresh, modest ported stock head/custom cam package, 3200 stall to keep it tame, and a 150 shot.
100% daily drivable and if it doesn't run mid 11s I'd burn it and buy a honda.
Yeah as stated get your dyno #s out of your head. Im probably making around 350 at the wheels and can hang with 400rwhp LS1s. Peak numbers are not as important as under the curve #s. I DD my setup and its streetable. I went a little cheaper and stuck with stock rods/pistons and mildly ported heads but spent money where I needed to (Valvetrain, Exhaust, ARP throughout the motor, good intake setup, custom cam, transmission)
Ok. I really appreciate all the input folks. I found a scat full rotating assembly for a 383 with forged rods and pistons and the 9000 series crank for less than $1100 shipped on summit. Yay nor nay?
I understand not chasing a dyno number. The reason I settled on the 375 was due to it taking a very good valve traing and head combo to reach and it still be driveable and I wanted to make sure I was getting accurate suggestions. Not "slip the biggest cam you can find under a set of hollowed out heads" kind of suggestions.
I may go with nitrous, like I said if it never sees a power added, that will be fine. Im going to talk to a trans guy today after I go to my buddys funeral(tfc chad lecroy 12/27/10 RIP)
To see if maybe I could run some sort of crazy o.d. gear so I could run 4.10's with out just ruining my cruising.
I understand not chasing a dyno number. The reason I settled on the 375 was due to it taking a very good valve traing and head combo to reach and it still be driveable and I wanted to make sure I was getting accurate suggestions. Not "slip the biggest cam you can find under a set of hollowed out heads" kind of suggestions.
I may go with nitrous, like I said if it never sees a power added, that will be fine. Im going to talk to a trans guy today after I go to my buddys funeral(tfc chad lecroy 12/27/10 RIP)
To see if maybe I could run some sort of crazy o.d. gear so I could run 4.10's with out just ruining my cruising.
If you're going to go with a 383, do NOT use a cast crank. Far too many failures lately. You WILL regret it! AI offers some great rotating assemblies for a great price.
And you would be incredibly surprised how drivable a well-matched heads/cam/383 setup can be. I would not hesitate to daily drive mine every day if I didn't have another car.
And you would be incredibly surprised how drivable a well-matched heads/cam/383 setup can be. I would not hesitate to daily drive mine every day if I didn't have another car.
10 Second Club
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,630
Likes: 28
Clayton Racing can build you a shortblock for the price that you would spend on a rotating assembly and machine work on your own block.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SBC-3...item3a56fe59bb
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SBC-3...item3a56fe59bb
I found this old thread helpful building a 355 bottom end, Look down you will Find part #'s as well GL
https://ls1tech.com/forums/lt1-lt4-m...ottem-end.html
https://ls1tech.com/forums/lt1-lt4-m...ottem-end.html
If you want cheap and reliable go down the 355 route. Like everyone is suggesting and get your crank cut/polished and buy a set of mahle pistons and arp rod bolts. If you buy a whole rotating assmbly your going to be easily a 1000 more by the time your done. Im running a stock crank, mahle forged powerpack pistons, and decided to go with forged eagle rods for added cost but totally optional. By the time you get an engine to do the machine work and assemble it your looking at about $2500-3000 for a 355. To go the 383 route you must go forged as stated the cast cranks are snapping in half lately. To do up a forged 383 from scratch your looking easily $4000-5000 roughly. All in all it comes up to budget and how much have to spend.
