vettin_it

Long story short..motor is toast and Ive almost got it pulled for the rebuild.
So its parts choice time! I figure while its out and Ive got the dough I might as well do everything I had planned for the near future anyways.

Any proven parts combos for Le1/Le2 heads package? pistons, rods,gasket,lifters...etc....size pushrods maybe?

any help would be awesome. thanx guys

2QUIK6

You'll have to measure for pr length. LLoyd recommends the thinnest head gasket you can find for higher compression, I beleive the Victor Reinz is the thinnest at .026 compressed.. Felpro 1074 are .039. The Impy gaskets are .028 IIRC.

jasonisdn

call your head guy and ask him. he will know how he wants it all setup to make his heads happy. Also cometic makes the thinest gasket, because you can custom order it.

James Montigny

Your head gasket selection depends on the final deck height of your block.
Yes, you want to maximize quench, but you don't want the pistons hitting the head when it rocks in the bore.

Make sure that the deck height (distance from piston top to block surface) + the
thickness of your gasket is at least .035". (you might get away with a little less, but do
so at your own risk)

So, a stock deck block + .026" works great (been there, done that)
A Zero-deck block should really have a .039" Felpro or something custom from cometic ($$)


Now, for the rest of the assembly.
LE1 and LE2 are specifically designed for a stock cast 350CID assembly.
You don't HAVE to go to 355, 383 or otherwise, but you can.
If you do, be sure to tell Lloyd so he can help you select valvetrain components and a cam that meet your needs.
(Remember, all of his cams are the same price, you can get something that fits your specific goals)
You can even run a 125 shot on top of that without issue.

Now, if you want to go bigger, what you do really depends on your budget and goals.
Do you want to run a bigger cam and need the extra RPM?
Do you want the extra low-end torque of a stroker? (again, allowing "more" cam)
Do you want to handle more N20? (or are you thinking Forced-Induction?)
How much do you want to spend? How fast do you want to go?
Is this a DD? A street/strip car? An all-out dedicated track car? A toy?

Pistons and rods are the most common upgrades when rebuilding a 350.
The stronger piston will take more cylinder pressure and the stronger rod + better bolts
will handle more RPM.

Stock replacement, LS7 or Morel lifters work very well.
I prefer Comp ProMag rockers for Hyd cams, but any quality rocker will work.
Pushrods should be hardened and the actual length depends on your setup (measure twice, order once)

Click my sig and see pages 4-6 for three difference LE builds I've been though.
The first was a stock 350, which worked very well.
The second was a forged 355, where I made the fatal mistake of not checking the balance
The third is my current forged 383 build.

Good luck with your build
And don't forget that you can call, email or PM Lloyd directly and expect excellent advice.
The man loves to talk about motors and help design combos.

SS MPSTR

How much bore rocking do you account for? How long do you think the rod grows at maximum RPM/operating temperature?

I think a discussion with your machinist, with consideration for all the parts you plan to use, is in order. Like said, if you're going to play the tight quench game, your stuff has to be right on.

ulakovic22

Stock crank and rods with a set of forged pistons like Ross ($$), Mahle, Wiseco, JE, etc. If you have room you can get a set of Scat/Eagle bushed I-beams. If you stay stock you will have to get press fit. Lifters you can use stock after inspection, if not get some newer LS lifters. General Fel-Pro kit for the local store is fine, but for head gaskets it will depend on target compression, deck, quench, etc. like said above. Pushrods also depend on deck height, head milling, etc. Keep the stock ones and toss them in there and see where they contact the valve and order from there.

seawolf06

LE should be able to help you and recommend parts for the whole process. He will eventually need that info anyway in order to match your H/C properly.

slomarao

If you trying to do it on a budget:
stock crank
decent forged pistons(srp or somethin)
arp bolts in the stock rods
go with some compression 11.5.1, to make up some hp. LT1's do fine with high CR on pump gas.

With money the possible setups are endless. Look/ ask around and you will find plently of LE setup, from mild to wild. It all depends on your budget and goals. Give us some more info and we will tell you.

chevy94c

Give LE a call he is very helpful.