can ring damage permanantly damage the block? or are the rings more forgiving than the sleeve? i ask because i had 3 of 8 cylinders showing loss on a leak down test. i had the test done because i had blue smoke in the high rpm band and it drinks a quart of oil every 2,500-4k miles or less

 

Whatever is damaging the cylinders is probably killing just the sleeves. You can resleeve a block though. Sounds like it might be a good time for a little more displacement...

 

yeah, thats why i was asking. if it can be resleeved, ill do a stroker kit, other wise do a new block.

 

*looks into crystal ball*

"A bore to a 347 or a resleeve to a stroker motor is in your future."

 

to go to 347 bore, do they remove the sleeves then? pros and cons to that?

 

AFAIK, the LS1 sleeves cannot be bored, only honed. As well, I think they can only be taken to .005" above stock (maybe it's .010", but I don't even think it's that much? ). Nothing like the .060" that an iron block can be bored!

Before you go re-sleeving your block, I'd be pricing out a brand new LS2 block first . If the cost is about the same, you might as well start with a 4.00" bore and work from there .

 

Teh Capt'n is correct. You cannot severely bore the Stock LS1 Block. Only C5R blocks. Honing never hurts anything, tho... won't remove SEVERE scouring, tho.

STROKER!!.......

 

Are you sure that the leakage is past the rings? And how much leak are you talking about?
Many things can make a motor smoke a little or make it use a little oil such as valve seals, valve guides, PCV problems. But at a quart per 2500 or more miles wouldn't be enough to make me tear my motor down. A quart every 1000 would.

 

It can go .005 to .010, depending on the block year.

A set of new pistons and rings, and you're there

Yeah, I agree with Al. The LS1s typically can use around a quart every few thousand miles, especially if they are an 01

 

I thought the 98's were the "bad" year??

But even on my '02, I've had it be down close to ~1 qt between oil changes (typically 3 - 4k in between) but I'm sure it's also depended on whether I was just driving to work and back, or if I had any track time in between .

 

i wasnt there for the test, but was told the upper end seemed fine. only 3k miles on the heads. i had smoke with the old upper end too. i was told when they were checking the cylinders, 3 of the 8 dropped pressure. it is only 1 qt for ever 2500 miles of normal driving. if i am constantly stomping on it like going to the track few weeks in a row, i can lose a qt every 1k.

i keep going back and forth with my mood swings. i dont know if i will ever truly be satisfied with the car. just like everyone else, i want the fastest car that you can still drive on the street (mid 10's is my goal) so i have talked to nick and eric are vre about getting a 408. i had a 402 from a wreck i got from a buddy, but sold it. (it was questionable, car was f'ed up big time) but if i go with a 408, im gonna want a huge turbo or tt to make 1200+hp, where as a stroker in the stock block id settle for whatever gets me to my goal. im at 11.8 now with stock tc, and intake. im sure if i finally get a ls6 intake or 90/90 setup, and a high stall will put me in the low 11's and n20 or f.i will get me to my goal.

as far as the price, a 408 is $4k+, but a local shop can cleanup my current block and install a stroker kit for $1k (i provide the parts) and a eagle kit i guess goes for $1700. so im also looking at the long run on how greedy i am going to be.

thanx for the help guys