Blueprint engines long block feedback?
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 79
Likes: 0
From: Reading, PA
Blueprint engines long block feedback? So I'm having my annual "what am I going to do with this thing" discussion in my head since the engine is still out of my car, still sitting on an engine stand, and I'm trying to work up the focus to get somewhere with this. (Kids, pick one hobby - when you have a boat/fishing/gun/hunting/car combination it leaves little time or money for any of them). I've been ignoring this car for... 4 years now?
Still thinking of a mild rebuild on the stuff I have now, but last night was perusing summit and came across blueprint's LT1 long block - https://www.summitracing.com/parts/mll-bpg35029c
Now, for someone who wants to keep the engine fairly stockish, this doesn't seem like a bad deal. .30 over, 4 bolt block, and a 50,000 mile/30 month warranty. Anyone have experience with these? I've seen good and bad of course in my googling but it seems like most people are buying 383's or something like that.
Otherwise it's take my existing short block to get checked out, freshened, and hopefully be able to reuse the original rotating assembly.. then get the heads redone, pick a cam... just throwing this thing in there and putting all the stuff I need off the old engine is awfully tempting. That warranty is really nice as well.
Not looking to race, not looking to beat on it, just a nice cruiser for spirited on-road driving.
What to do... what to do...
Still thinking of a mild rebuild on the stuff I have now, but last night was perusing summit and came across blueprint's LT1 long block - https://www.summitracing.com/parts/mll-bpg35029c
Now, for someone who wants to keep the engine fairly stockish, this doesn't seem like a bad deal. .30 over, 4 bolt block, and a 50,000 mile/30 month warranty. Anyone have experience with these? I've seen good and bad of course in my googling but it seems like most people are buying 383's or something like that.
Otherwise it's take my existing short block to get checked out, freshened, and hopefully be able to reuse the original rotating assembly.. then get the heads redone, pick a cam... just throwing this thing in there and putting all the stuff I need off the old engine is awfully tempting. That warranty is really nice as well.
Not looking to race, not looking to beat on it, just a nice cruiser for spirited on-road driving.
What to do... what to do...
Unless you have issues with the original short block (spun a bearing/ damage to block, etc.) you're better off having it redone with Clevite P bearings and a light hone. Resize rods and have ARP hardware on them. Maybe have the block decked to a known height so you can make a good head gasket/ quench decision, i.e. .015 deck with .028 Impala gasket for a .043 quench, .015 deck with .026 Clevite/ Mahle gasket for a .041 quench. Put you around 10.7.10.8:1 with stock 54-58cc head castings. Do all this out the door for maybe $1500, should include balanced with new pistons if you want them. You don't need 4 bolt mains. Most remans from BluePrint, ATK, etc. are aftermarket 4 bolt main caps like Cific/ other questionable Chinese pieces. Maybe ok, maybe not. Spinning to 6800 isn't the place to find a casting void in a cap.
Heads- most are very happy with Lloyd Elliot. LE2 with right valvetrain parts and a cam in the mid-220s-low 230s/ mid-500s lift would make you very happy, give you about 360-390 at the tire, depending. Tune required. GOOD tune required. Would need slightly larger injectors. Warning on that- Injector voltage offsets are way different if you switch from the stock Rochester to something like a Ford or other Bosch type. Most tuners tell you not to worry about it but it's BS to ignore them and use fast responding Rochester style values on a slower offset injector. Like wasted fuel, settling for less timing, poorer mileage.
Heads- most are very happy with Lloyd Elliot. LE2 with right valvetrain parts and a cam in the mid-220s-low 230s/ mid-500s lift would make you very happy, give you about 360-390 at the tire, depending. Tune required. GOOD tune required. Would need slightly larger injectors. Warning on that- Injector voltage offsets are way different if you switch from the stock Rochester to something like a Ford or other Bosch type. Most tuners tell you not to worry about it but it's BS to ignore them and use fast responding Rochester style values on a slower offset injector. Like wasted fuel, settling for less timing, poorer mileage.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 79
Likes: 0
From: Reading, PA
Unless you have issues with the original short block (spun a bearing/ damage to block, etc.) you're better off having it redone with Clevite P bearings and a light hone. Resize rods and have ARP hardware on them. Maybe have the block decked to a known height so you can make a good head gasket/ quench decision, i.e. .015 deck with .028 Impala gasket for a .043 quench, .015 deck with .026 Clevite/ Mahle gasket for a .041 quench. Put you around 10.7.10.8:1 with stock 54-58cc head castings. Do all this out the door for maybe $1500, should include balanced with new pistons if you want them. You don't need 4 bolt mains. Most remans from BluePrint, ATK, etc. are aftermarket 4 bolt main caps like Cific/ other questionable Chinese pieces. Maybe ok, maybe not. Spinning to 6800 isn't the place to find a casting void in a cap.
Heads- most are very happy with Lloyd Elliot. LE2 with right valvetrain parts and a cam in the mid-220s-low 230s/ mid-500s lift would make you very happy, give you about 360-390 at the tire, depending. Tune required. GOOD tune required. Would need slightly larger injectors. Warning on that- Injector voltage offsets are way different if you switch from the stock Rochester to something like a Ford or other Bosch type. Most tuners tell you not to worry about it but it's BS to ignore them and use fast responding Rochester style values on a slower offset injector. Like wasted fuel, settling for less timing, poorer mileage.
Heads- most are very happy with Lloyd Elliot. LE2 with right valvetrain parts and a cam in the mid-220s-low 230s/ mid-500s lift would make you very happy, give you about 360-390 at the tire, depending. Tune required. GOOD tune required. Would need slightly larger injectors. Warning on that- Injector voltage offsets are way different if you switch from the stock Rochester to something like a Ford or other Bosch type. Most tuners tell you not to worry about it but it's BS to ignore them and use fast responding Rochester style values on a slower offset injector. Like wasted fuel, settling for less timing, poorer mileage.
LE and AI have been the names I've heard since forever for heads. I guess AI is out of the LT1 game though? I'd have to check. But I've heard lots and lots of good feedback about Lloyd, not just the work done but the customer service. Problem with any aftermarket work needing tuning is finding someone who can do it. Seems fewer and fewer every year requiring a Torqhead/24x/etc type setup for a modern PCM. Then I worry about OBDII emissions, blah blah blah. The rabbit hole gets deeper.
Teching In
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: Columbus, OH
Thanks for the feedback. I guess I've just had the car sitting for so long an "easy" way out sounds appealing. Like I said, just a street cruiser so spinning to 6800 probably won't be part of the plan, lol. But I get your point.
LE and AI have been the names I've heard since forever for heads. I guess AI is out of the LT1 game though? I'd have to check. But I've heard lots and lots of good feedback about Lloyd, not just the work done but the customer service. Problem with any aftermarket work needing tuning is finding someone who can do it. Seems fewer and fewer every year requiring a Torqhead/24x/etc type setup for a modern PCM. Then I worry about OBDII emissions, blah blah blah. The rabbit hole gets deeper.
LE and AI have been the names I've heard since forever for heads. I guess AI is out of the LT1 game though? I'd have to check. But I've heard lots and lots of good feedback about Lloyd, not just the work done but the customer service. Problem with any aftermarket work needing tuning is finding someone who can do it. Seems fewer and fewer every year requiring a Torqhead/24x/etc type setup for a modern PCM. Then I worry about OBDII emissions, blah blah blah. The rabbit hole gets deeper.
That said, I just put a Blueprint block in but swapped out the heads and cam for Lloyd Elliot LE2 ones. I've only got about 100 miles on it but I'm happy with it so far.
TECH Regular
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 471
Likes: 14
From: Tucker, GA
You'll want to be careful. Blueprint has 2 different LT1 blocks. One is pin driven distributor and one is for a spline driven. Make sure you get the correct one for your model year.
That said, I just put a Blueprint block in but swapped out the heads and cam for Lloyd Elliot LE2 ones. I've only got about 100 miles on it but I'm happy with it so far.
That said, I just put a Blueprint block in but swapped out the heads and cam for Lloyd Elliot LE2 ones. I've only got about 100 miles on it but I'm happy with it so far.
Blueprint engines has a lot of negative feedback in some of the forums and in their BBB page. I'd avoid them.
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I just recently had one out in my 94. After being in the car for a month I have not one complaint. Pulls strong and sings especially on a nice hour long cruise. Are there other better options out there yes absolutely. For me, living in a apartment complex severely limits what I can do and what I can store. This was the best route for me seeing that the car is a weekend cruiser hitting the strip once or twice a year.
