95 re-ring and cam install ?s
 

1.)my engine leaks like all of ours im sure. seeps here and there. im tired of it and putting on a complete gaskets set. my question is what gaskets are identical to a standard sbc and which are lt1 specific. it seems that any lt1 gasket kit i see is $180 or so. im on a budget so im trying to make it cheap. whats the best route to take with this?

2.)also, im thinking of doing a re-ring job while im in there. i bought the engine as a pull out and am unsure of the mileage. cylinder walls have no detectable ring groove so a bore is unnecessary. i forgot to do a compression check before i pulled the heads, so this is more of a preventative measure. flatlander racing sells a re-ring kit for $279 that includes Rod Bearings, Main Bearings, Thrust Washers, Rings, and Gaskets. are they reputable? what is the minimum i need to do to it to have a reliable stock engine as far as machine work goes? also, will want to replace head, main, and rod bolts with arp's. are they the same as a standard sbc?

3.)i have a zz4 cam that im thinking of swapping in also. mines an opti so ill have to have the cam machined for a locating dowel hole and longer dist. drive pin. what do i need to replace when i do this? springs, pushrods, rockers, timing set? would it be ok to use my stock lifters? im not looking for info on different cams. i decided on this cam because im pretty much stock besides headers and looking for low end power, plus its cheaper than a lt1 cam.

4.) since im on a roll with questions here and have searched my heart out. ive got one more i want to get feedback on. will 1 3/4" primary headers seal well on the d-port heads and if so, what gaskets should i use? im having trouble finding d-port headers that will fit into my swap. the only d-port headers i can find are the zz4 headers from headman. are they the same port design as the lt1 or are they raised more than the lt1?

thanks for any help you can give on any of the above.

p.s.- awesome forum, thanks to everyone that makes it happen.

Re: 95 re-ring and cam install ?s
 

I believe you won't be happy with that cam in a truck, particularly an off road 4x4. I wouldn't do that cam. As far as the gaskets are concerned, There are very few that are common to other SBC the oil pan, valve covers, throttle body and the rear 1-piece seal come to mind. The heads, water pump, intake, front cover gasket and 3 seals are all unique.

As far as the other engines rebuild, it should be checked for cracks and flatness at the deck. Then honed and checked for correct bore diameter. If a bearing was spun, then an align hone is a minimum if an align bore is not necessary.

The parts coming out of the old engine should be checked, for example the rods should be checked for sizing and twist.

The parts from flatlander can be gotten seperately cheaper and you will not duplicate some gaskets if you buy a gasket kit. I think you will be happy with the kit from Fel-Pro. I used it and it was complete from one end to the other.

Sorry can't help you with the other questions.

Dave

Re: 95 re-ring and cam install ?s
 

The ZZ4 cam will not be friendly to the fuel injection. This is primarly a carb cam.

If your going to all the trouble to tear down the engine, don't wuss out with a re-ring job. Do it right and bore it. I've seen engines with almost no ridge that still needed to be bored. It may cost more money now, but you will have a better engine in the long run.