95z_28_camaro_4_Ivan

I am in need of some general help from the pros,

I finally saved up enough to rebuild my LT1 engine, which has over 200 thousand miles, and I believe it has a spun rod bearing.

I want to go with 396 all forged internals, but I need a little help getting the right parts (reliable parts). This is my weekend toy, not a daily driver, nevertheless I do want something reliable.

my intention is to eventually (one year or so) get a nice blower kit install. So I want to make sure I get the right parts right now that will support such kit.

I don't have an unlimited budget, in fact for parts only I have set aside ($2,000) give or take ...

I'm hoping I can get a nice crank, pistons, rods and what ever I need to support my 396 build.


since I do have a limited budget, I dont think I can afford a dragon slayer crank, but I'll take your advice on any reasonable priced cranks.



I really don't want to buy the wrong parts, so I want all the advice I can get before ordering my parts. if you guys can suggest maybe a kit that I can use just let me know...


If there is any supporting parts that is a must I buy, let me know, so I can plan accordingly.


Thanks in advance, I can't wait to build it and drive it....!

Injuneer

"All forged internals" and block work are going to eat up your $2,000 budget pretty quickly, assuming that your budget is just for that part of the work. Heads, intake and cam will add another $2,000+. The Dragon Slayer is expensive, so look at the CompStar as a lower cost alternative. Going 396 vs. 383 raises the cost of the block clearancing and machine work. If you are going with a S/C, just build the 383... I've seen a 383 LT1 with a blower make 1,125HP at the flywheel. I would also recommend the minimum overbore you can get away with, for example 0.020" over, yielding 381ci. Now you have strong cylinder walls, and room for another rebuild in the future, and you will not miss the 2ci.

Then there's the issue of compression ratio. If you are planning to add a blower in the future, and you don't want to rip it apart in the future to replace the pistons, you're going to have to set your CR at 9.0 - 9.5:1, rather than the 11.0:1 that would be preferable for a normally aspirated setup.

Before doing anything, I would find a reliable shop. There are things you just don't want to do yourself, if you haven't built an engine before. Even if they are only doing the block prep, they can help you pull together the components, and may even be able to get you better pricing.

95z_28_camaro_4_Ivan

Thanks for the response, Yeah the 2K I set aside is just for parts only (crank, pistons, rods, ) I have a different budget for labor... having set that, I keep hearing from different sources that a 396 build might be too complicated and may not be worth the extra money. So now I'm leaning towards the 383 since it seems to be what most people have been advising me. Now this is something i want to do once and do it right, I dont like the idea of saving some cylinder wall for the next re build, since i'm not planning on doing this again... (hopefully).

I'm not doing any of the work my self, I'm taking all the parts to a machine shop and they're putting everything together for me, hopefully without any problems... as far as the heads and cam, I already had a cam installed years ago Compcam 305 and everything inside the heads is literally brand new (roller rockers, lifters, pushrods...ext). the only thing the machine shop guy said over the phone is he could send the stock heads to get them ported (intake, exhaust) and he said he would port the intake as well to support my 58mm TB.

Now compression ratio is something I need a little more help understanding... I want something that I can run on regular gas, but that will support a blower when and if I get one in a year or two... and that will run right even without the blower...

My other question will be, do I have to get any other mods to support the 383 build (timing chain, clutch, electric pump, oil pump, gas pump) or are the stocks just fine???


The same machine shop guy has a guy that tunes, so he will be doing the tune as well.

taking all that in to account, any specific parts you would suggest???