I'm gonna throw a LT4 hotcam kit on my car soon and wanted to get ya'lls opinion on wether or not i should rebuild the motor at the same time? I know i've heard alot of stories of people throwing a cam in and then spining a bearing soon after.

 

Spun bearings are usually due to dirty installations or revving the stock engine/bearings beyond their capability. I think you'll be just fine.

 

If it has over 75K and ya have the money,just put a good set of rings and brgs,oil pump,and timing chain,valve job to go with your new springs and let er rip tatter chip.
Wa can probably hone it at home just enough to get the shinny spots out,clean it REAL good(wash with clean solvent and blow out several times. Get file to fit ductile iron rings not moly and Clevitte "H" series brgs and a oil pump with the pickup installed and the one with the HV 3/4" pickup like what is on it stock.Get the OP drive with the steel sleeve and a new stock replacement(cloyes) timing set.Get rod bolts and have the shop resize the rods.

The stock rev limit WILL be exceeded. Most of the brg problems are from RPM's and the stock rod bolts stretching and let the brg spin.

 

What's wrong with moly rings? I know people running them without probs

 

Ya can run them,I don't have good luck with them. They can't stand dirt,heat or detionation-- the moly will fall out. And the iron rings are better and cheaper.
I have used them since the '60's and every time I do I wind up reringing it in a short time.

Don't tell me about cyl finish either I have done R&D for C&A on their rings and they didn't hold either.

 

i thought moly rings were better for nitrous which means they would have to be better with heat, but maybe i'm wrong.

 

Thank you!
I would say bearing failures happen more from neglect to keep the inside of the engine clean while exposed.
75K for these motors is nothing just as long as it has been taken care of w/ religious oil changes.

 

Do you realize how much crap would have to be left in an engine to stop up the OP pickup? Thats BS AND the oil has to go through the filter before it gets to the engine.Sooooo

 

I put my Hotcam in at 90,000 miles. She's still happy and running like a champ.

 

If you have the cash, freshen up the short block now. Then in about a week you'll get tired of the power and want more. Then you'll at least have a fresh motor to swap some ported heads on to.

 

It's my opinion. Friends of mine along with myself in the last 8 years have installed at least 3 cams each in engines ranging from 30K to 100K miles without a problem.
Bearings, if in good shape from the start which have always received ample lubrication, just don't up and spin all by themselves.
The last cam swap I did I spun a cam bearing. I was a dope and gouged the cam bearing upon install. When I pulled the motor apart for freshening up all other bearings were in flawless condition. The block had 105K miles on it.

 

i had 85k miles on mine when i had a 383 kit given to me. when my opti went out, i just went ahead and put it in while the accessories were off. costed me a total of about 1200. i love it.

btw. if you can afford a rebuild kit, do it. dont skimp out on the whim that you MIGHT get 300k+ miles on an lt1 like some people running around here. i'm aware that if you take care of an engine it will take care of you, but none the less...rebuild from scratch if you can.

if you have any thought what-so-ever about putting a blower or nitrous in any time relative to the future, get the cam/pistons now. you'll only lose about 30 hp with dished pistons and about 15hp out of a blower/nitrous cam. it's well worth the money now to put it in and save a rebuild in the near future. i wish i had done more research on cams before i got stuck with the CC306 instead of a nitrous cam that i intend to install sooner or later.