Hi guys. First post, but I have been learning all I can from you all by reading the posts for WAY too many hours. Thats how I came to the LE1/LE2 conclusion for my car. Great info!!

Heads and intake are off, etc. I am now looking at my shortblock sitting under the hood in this nice empty engine compartment, and I'm feeling rather silly about leaving it there. I am trying to stick to my plan and budget, which is to keep the stock bottom end for the mods listed in my signature. That way I can save for the rear end I will evidently need. The rest is already covered $wise.

My question is this: Am I being foolish for not pulling the motor the rest of the way out of the car, and opening up the bottom end? New oil pan gasket & pump seem like a good idea. Then I might as well check the bearings. Then the rotating assembly comes out pretty easily, etc, etc, like an avalanche. If I thought the bottom end would be good for a long time I would like to stop here, but I plan to keep the car forever. Car sees about 6-8k miles a year as DD in nice weather. What would you do?

I see now that this is like an addiction. It all started with a failed water pump drive spline, and intake oil leak. "While the car is apart I might as well".....It is costing me $4k or so to fix that water pump! Where to stop?

Review my SIG and let me know if there are any mistakes in my plan, too, please. I know the stock WP costs me 10 HP or so, but my wife will get to drive this, too, and I am not comfortable with the potential for the elec ones to fail suddenly.

 

I can't see my SIG, so here are the details:

95 Z28 M6, 84K miles, CAI, AF, plugs/wires, Slowmaster 80, already torn down to short block. PLANNING: LE2 w/LE1 cam, Jet Hot or Pacesetter LTs & Y pipe, 58mm TB, Promag 1.6 NSA, LT4 timing set, 37# inj., Walbro pump, Centerforce DF. New WP and Opti. Maybe intake porting by Lloyd, PCM4LESS initial tune.

 

I think its a tough call. 84K is not super high miles, but its not low miles either. Things should last a while for you on the stock bottom end - but maybe not a super long time.

The thing that will help you is that you decided on only going with the LE1 cam instead of the LE2. This cam is much friendlier to stock bottom ends with higher miles because it does not need to rev as high to make peek power, (only needs to hit around 6100-6200 RPM's).

But, if you have the budget and really want the piece of mind, then go ahead and freshen up the bottom end while you are in there. You never know. It could last forever as is, but it might not. Better to be overbuilt than underbuilt. But goodluck with whatever you decide to do.

 

Ok, that's reasonable, thx. I guess its a question of cost now vs the huge amount of extra work to do it later. Keep crank, and do rods/pistons/rings/bearings? Maybe $900 forged?

 

Ya, if you decide to do the bottom end, you can definitely keep the stock crank as long as it looks ok. Just get it polished. Stock cranks have been known to hold tons of power - over 550 RWHP in many cases.

Definitely will need new bearrings, I would use Clevite racing bearrings.

Regarding pistons and rods, here you might want to go forged pistons and rods. Forged Pistons at least. But if you go for both forged pistons and rods, you can chose to add a little nitrous in the future if you want. I would recommend SRP pistons and Eagle rods - seem to be quality products for decent prices.

I am personally using SRP dished pistons and Eagle rods with a stock crank on an LE2 heads and cam plus supercharger application making around 500 RWHP. Everything has held up great for the first year so far....

 

Its a tough call, personally, I would be more inclined to do the shortblock before the rearend. Why have to do your work twice? You will have most of the motor disassembled anyhow when doing the heads/cam swap, might as well pull the shortblock as well. This will also save you money on additional gasket sets, fluids, broken knuckles, ect.

 

I am currently doing LE2 head and LE1,5 cam install, I was ready to lide my new cam in and noticed the front cam bearings is worn out bad. It would be cam suicide to ignore this problem so I pulled the block and I am faced with three options.

1. Replace the cam, rod and main bearings and reuse the 78K short block as-is.
2. Hone it out and replace all bearings.
3. Bore it .030" over and replace all bearings.

You better check that front bearing and if its worn then plan on yanking out the block. Pulling the bare block out the bottom was gravy.

 

That helps, thanks guys. I can understand that front cam bearing may take a lot af load due to the WP drive. Hmm....I'll pull it.

I think the stripped block can come out the top pretty easily. It looks like the engine and trans might even come out the top together if I lift the front end enough to rotate the trans tail way downward. If the hoist is tall enough. I just don't like the idea of pulling the engine/cradle out the bottom when there are really no more bolts left to pull for removal through the top.

 

Sweet, you guys even talked my WIFE into it. So, the budget magically grows again......yippie!

 

I'm putting down over 500rwhp with the stock bottom end in my car with 95k miles on it, people underestimate how strong the stock bottom end is on LT1's.