Alright so as the title says i have 2 LT1 blocks, both virgin bores. One of them was a stock short block with a spun bearing and one was bare. The crankshaft is still usable but will need some machining on one of the journals. My question is im going to use them both (maybe) as projects. This is the first time ive personally built a v8. I know all about LE and AI but im wondering if i have more options then that?

I want to use the stock crank and build a mean 350/355... will it hold?

I wana use stock ported heads and ported stock intake and tb.

I want to try to reach 400/400 rwhp/tq

will see some track time but mostly street.

budget isnt an issue, these 2 engines are going to be my project for the next couple years.

so i guess my real question is what are my options for custom cams and head porting other then AI and LE? and who makes good connecting rods/pistons.

the other block will be a 383... but thats for another day.

haha im going to learn how to build my engines myself since the last engine i had built for me never really met my expectations as far as power and reliability.

 

There is nothing wrong with the stock crank. It can take a decent amount of punishment. I had all my rods resized and everything bolted down with ARP. Stock pistons too.

As for heads, this is where the power is at so it'll all come down to your goals and your $$. FYI, every so often people on these forums are selling their LE/AI heads. I'd keep a lookout. That's how I scored mine.

 

In regard to the first post im sorry for not posting my budget... edited

 

thanks Rob, will the rest of the stock rotating kit support my power level goal reliably? i mean its probably going to rev 6200+ to make 400rwhp?

 

Absolutely. Some of these loonies are going to 7000 rpm solid roller with the stock block.

 

o geez, ok thats pretty extreme haha... so you dont think it would be really worth it to go with forged rods and pistons? i mean i am going to street these things and i would think that for reliabilities sake forged would be the way to go for that?

 

IMO if your gonna use power adders then I would highly recommend forged. But for only 400rwhp a nice balanced stock shortblock is just fine.

 

i am throwing around the idea of spraying like 75-100 shot maybe a little more

 

Still OK with a stock block, too a point. I've already spoken to a few juice pros and they wanted to hook me up with a system that got me 650 rwhp but I didn't want to take the risk.

 

hmmm that'd be a fun ride haha... i wouldnt run that much on a stock setup lol