Wooooooooo, finally after months of waiting the build for my engine is starting!

Today we started to assemble the shortblock. First thing's first.. there was a BEAUTIFUL Fox body Mustang (looked to be a 91-93) in the shop. 52k miles, original paint, 18" Cobra wheels. Really made me miss my Mustangs. Pics:





Then we backed the truck in and got the block on the engine hoist. I couldn't believe how clean it was! Looks new:



Moved it over to the stand:



The pistons and rods chilling before the install:



A shot of one of the main bearings pressed in:



A shot of the crank (stock crank, freshly polished.. didn't need to be cut):

 

Closeup of one of the pistons (forged ):



Here's a pic of one the rod bearings. They're the nice hardened, coated ones



Pistons all snug in their homes:





Next the cam was installed along with the waterpump drive and the timing chain (Extreme Duty from GM.. probably overkill for me but I got a good deal on it):



Lifters and "spider" installed. They're known as LS7 lifters because that's their original application, but now they're listed as standard replacements for all Gen II-IV engines:



That's it so far... I have to order a new optispark on Monday, and the heads should be finished by Tuesday. So hopefully it'll be completely assembled sans the intake manifold (probably won't fit into the bay while that's installed so I'll put it on after it goes in) by Friday. Then next weekend the install can start... w00t

 

Looking good man.

 

Looks good, WOMAN.

 

TY

 

Oops, sorry.

 

Not sure running a chain through the cylinders like that is a very good idea.

 

I initially had the same knee-jerk reaction, but if you look CLOSELY,
you'll see bolts though a chain's link and into a head-bolt hole.

 

Even then, I would not let chains touch my freshly honed cylinders.

 

OOOPS Just goes to show, you can look and not see.