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I like your low buck approach, Im doing the same thing to my 97 Z. Same color as that green one you showed in that pic. However I just want to return it to DD status.
This one had about 190k on it when I tore into it. Heard a metallic squeal one day. Puller a valve cover and saw flakes coming out of one of the pushrods.
Your right about the cylinder walls, they hold up very well.
I think the cause of that lobe/lifter wear was that plugged pickup screen.
Someone siliconed the pan gasket at some point and the pieces eventually ended up in the pan.
I like your low buck approach, Im doing the same thing to my 97 Z. Same color as that green one you showed in that pic. However I just want to return it to DD status.
This one had about 190k on it when I tore into it. Heard a metallic squeal one day. Puller a valve cover and saw flakes coming out of one of the pushrods.
Your right about the cylinder walls, they hold up very well.
I think the cause of that lobe/lifter wear was that plugged pickup screen.
Someone siliconed the pan gasket at some point and the pieces eventually ended up in the pan.
Right on! For you might be time to upgrade the cam. I’d upgrade if it wasn’t for my Spec Rules for my class. It’s a lot harder to find used original OE cams and stuff and in many cases more expensive than aftermarket upgrades.
New timing chain is in, and I realized this has a crank sensor. I don’t think my harness and PCM are setup for that. I guess for now it’s just an oil plug.
Cleaned sealing surfaces and timing chain installed and torqued.
242 cam goes back in. Cam bearings were so-so. I guess good enough…..meh. See anything missing? Yea as I tapped that timing sprocket onto the crank a lifter fell through to the oil pan! Oh well, was gonna open up the oil pan anyways, and eventually it’ll get replaced with the canton racing pan I have off my 305. Just got to do it early. Lol. Such a rookie!
Problem: my crank hub has grooves and corrosion where the seal rides on it. Not super happy about this. A new one is in the $120+ range. I wonder if I could get away with haveing a shop turn it down .001 or .002 to clean that up? The seal should still have a good press? What do y’all think? This engine didn’t leak before I pulled it. Think I should just send it as is??
Last edited by 64GunPilot; 10-05-2022 at 08:37 PM.
New timing chain is in, and I realized this has a crank sensor. I don’t think my harness and PCM are setup for that. I guess for now it’s just an oil plug.
Cleaned sealing surfaces and timing chain installed and torqued.
242 cam goes back in. Cam bearings were so-so. I guess good enough…..meh. See anything missing? Yea as I tapped that timing sprocket onto the crank a lifter fell through to the oil pan! Oh well, was gonna open up the oil pan anyways, and eventually it’ll get replaced with the canton racing pan I have off my 305. Just got to do it early. Lol. Such a rookie!
Problem: my crank hub has grooves and corrosion where the seal rides on it. Not super happy about this. A new one is in the $120+ range. I wonder if I could get away with haveing a shop turn it down .001 or .002 to clean that up? The seal should still have a good press? What do y’all think? This engine didn’t leak before I pulled it. Think I should just send it as is??
Crank hub: be careful, they are different for obd2 cars to account for the crank reluctor wheel.
if you are not using the crank reluctor (so not installed) use the older hub. It is slightly longer.
if you are using the reluctor, use the newer hub which is slightly shorter.
DUDE! Idk why I didn’t think of this. Went to oriellys, installed and done.
Tomorrow my fresh heads and intake will go back on and maybe the accessories.
Im gonna use my existing air to oil cooler already installed in the 3rd Gen. I won’t need the coolant lines to/from the original oil cooler so I was thinking maybe using a B-Body water pump. IDK I’m still kicking around ideas.
A lot of progress made today. I’m on my way building it back up. Thanks for all the suggestions and pinpoint advice so far.
Crank hub: be careful, they are different for obd2 cars to account for the crank reluctor wheel.
if you are not using the crank reluctor (so not installed) use the older hub. It is slightly longer.
if you are using the reluctor, use the newer hub which is slightly shorter.
Thanks! I did install the reluctor wheel just in case my wiring harness and PCM has provisions for it. Otherwise it’s just an oil plug.
Yeah, I thought about putting an aftermarket cam in it. But after springs, rockers, and it being a 97, my HPTuners won't work on it. Mainly I just want it to run again. I got a new stock cam from Melling after not being able to find a good used stock one.
I had a steady leak from my hub ridge, nothing awful but enough to drip in my garage. F, B, and Y bodies all have specific hubs. Impossible to find pretty much, even aftermarket, everywhere I looked was back ordered. Jegs has a listing for $70~ but they had no idea when it would be back in stock. Well see if if this sleeve works when it runs I guess.
Be patient: I may have a reason for you to keep that 4X reluctor in the works.
I already have one running on an 0411 without using a cam sensor. Wire it like an Express van, use the opti as a distributor. It runs flawlessly even if it is not sequentially injected.
If I had known I could run one in that manner, my Express van would have had its 383 built with the 4-bolt main LT1 block and LT4 heads and intake I had. Hands down the LT1/LT4 has a better intake design than the L31 or L31 marine. I will also add that I found that a LT1 can use a traditional SBC harmonic balancer and wear the L31 accessories. In hind sight, I would have used the LT1 block, LT4 heads and intake and used the savings to build a 12:1 396. What I have learned from the 11:1 383 even without using reverse cooling tells me that 12:1 would not have been a problem.
I already have one running on an 0411 without using a cam sensor. Wire it like an Express van, use the opti as a distributor. It runs flawlessly even if it is not sequentially injected.
If I had known I could run one in that manner, my Express van would have had its 383 built with the 4-bolt main LT1 block and LT4 heads and intake I had. Hands down the LT1/LT4 has a better intake design than the L31 or L31 marine.
Way to spoil it! My 93 already batch fires the injectors and as a science experiment years ago I unplugged my cam sensor on my 1500. Saw no difference in mpg or drivability.
Way to spoil it! My 93 already batch fires the injectors and as a science experiment years ago I unplugged my cam sensor on my 1500. Saw no difference in mpg or drivability.
I hurt my back right after putting the 4L85E into the van years ago and the front pump seal blew out. I had it towed to a guy I know who pulled the 4L85E back out and replaced the seal. He sandwhiched the cam sensor wiring between the block and bellhousing. Popping the fuse. Well anyway I drove the van for several weeks with the cam sensor wires cut. I too saw NO real difference. When my back healed and I replaced the connector, the only difference I saw was the SES light went off.
Way to spoil it! My 93 already batch fires the injectors and as a science experiment years ago I unplugged my cam sensor on my 1500. Saw no difference in mpg or drivability.
Knowing what I also now know about the 0411 and P59, I would have bought the used intercooled marine whipple I had a line on that only uses 6 injectors at the inlet of the blower as well. The 0411 can be setup to run batch fire and a single bank. The 0411 and P59 for that that matter will happily run a V8 on 6 injectors by firing all 6 at the same time on a single bank. A couple inches of body lift and I could have had an intercooled marine whipple on my L31 Express van. The Marine L31 whipple is a far different animal than the L31 truck one. It eliminates the factory intake manifold and makes a massive power bump. Combined with a killer chiller for the intercooler water loop and a cam a little bigger than the marine cam, would have been over 500 hp and tq from a lowly L31. I had a line on a new, never installed kit for $2500 several years ago. Still kick myself for not picking it up. On the HT383 block version of the MPI marine engine those numbers grow to 600 ft/lbs @ 2,500 and 500 hp @ 5,500 still with a 196/206 @ 0.050 cam and Vortec heads.
Now you really want one with a HT383 short block? Low speed torque is explosive with the 3.8" stroke and ~10 psi of intercooled boost. I would absolutely take this Gen1 over a LS cammed to rev to the moon.
Had my two boys for the weekend, so spent most of my time with them doing stuff like paintball and trail bike rides. They never been too interested in working on cars with me but my youngest did venture into the shop to help set the valve lash today.
Heads installed and torqued, valves set, and did a little cleaning on the intake manifold.
Not going super crazy cleaning and painting stuff. I’d love to have a pretty engine bay, but I’d rather have this thing on the track as soon as possible. I could spend a whole week detailing everything but that’s a future project. It’s a racecar not a show car.
A wipe down with a rag and some mineral spirits is all the attention these items will get. I’ll spend maybe 2hrs cleaning and that’s it.
I'd splurge with a wire wheel on a drill, but that's it. Nothing wrong with a clean stock looking setup, something that doesn't show its age. Rattle canning everything to look pretty is just inviting leaks and all other sorts of trouble.
What is this little port for? I have block off plates for it and for the EGR valve but what is it? Google and forum quick search didn’t produce an answer.
10-05-2022, 03:41 PM
