I am tempted to stoke and bore my 94 LT1 out. I am getting another car as my daily driver so i would like to make this one as bad as possible. I am going to fully port my heads out and I was thinkin about putting a cc306 in her; however, i am not sure what would perform best after stroking it as well. Gimme some ideas on how much power gains i am lookin at; how much this will empty out my pocket, and a recommended camshaft. Thanks, Jason

 

Do you have a horsepower or ET goal? "As bad as possible" is pretty vague.

 

look to spend well over the value of your car on the engine alone... O yea, and don't expect to get half of it back when/if you decide to sell it...

 

sorry about the vagueness of my describtion. i would love to have about 550 at the rear wheels if that helps at all. I know it is gonna cost me a little over a grand to get my heads ported. But i am not familiar w/ how much a stroker kit is + labor. Thanks!

 

you should be running well in the 11's...Id look into switching those edlebrocks for some LTs also

 

it'll cost you well over $4000 having someone else do the entire thing. If you do most of the work yourself, you can cut that number in half.

 

how complicated is it so stroke/ bore an engine. I did the cam swap w/ no prob. however, i don't know much about stroking and all.

 

A lot of big questions! Some simplified answers.

Boring: increasing the cylinder diameter (and engine displacement) by removing material from the cylinder walls using a "boring bar". After boring the cylinders must be "honed" to the correct final size and finish. This is an operation that needs to be done at a machine shop.

Stroking: installing a crankshaft with longer throws so that the displacement is increased. Requires material to be removed from parts of the block where the larger radius made by the longer stroke crank interferes with the block. AKA "clearancing" the block. Not very expensive to have a shop do it, but can be done by the "shade tree" mechanic.

You will need new pistons and a new crank for a "stroker". It is possible to re-use the rods if you desire and get the correct pistons. Many people have stronger main bearing caps (4-bolt v. stock 2-bolt) installed when the new motor is being built.

Costs vary widely, depending on the parts selected. As has been stated, the motor can easily end up costing more than the car is worth, depending on what parts are selected. My engine (long block) is certainly worth more than the car ('95 Z-28 'vert).

Rich Krause

 

As stated above a few of the steps to stroking an engine MUST be done at a machine shop. I wouldn't dare mess with cylinder walls or drilling my block. But everything else can be done in your home garage. As far as assembly and such...

The point I was trying to get acrossed was that you need to do as much as possible on your own. If money is not an option hell, let a *reputable* mechanic do it. But I trust no one but myself when working on my car. Plus you learn something in the process.

I suggest if you have never done or witnessed or have no one that can help you that has done it before, to let an engine builder set-up your short block, and then you assemble eveything else. Its all easy as pie, as long as you have a little time. And half a brain. My baby would be stroked out as well if it weren't for the fact that it runs so damn good. I just don't see the sense in rebuilding a mint engine. In all honesty I would LOVE IT if my engine would die (as long as it doesn't take the block with it). Because then, and only then, I would be stroking it out to either 383 or 396.

The best part about the LT1 is that there are so many people that have already done the bulk of the trial and error phase and you can work off of tried and true combinations. Plus so many reputable people sell parts that are almost direct swaps. That's what makes (in my book) the LT1 the ultimate "shade tree mechanic's" project engine

 

Just did mine and it ran about 2600.00. All forged internals...Eagle crank, H-beam rods, SRP pistons. I did the assembly myself, as well as the disassembly. Watch out for all the lil stuff like programming, injectors and other lil stuff.

O yeah.... don't care what they say about pre balanced kits. Have the machinist balance the whole shibang.