I bought a wrecked LT1 96 ss Camaro. I will be putting it in my 3.8 vert. While I have the engine out, I want to go thru it and freshen it up.
I plan to pull the heads off and have them checked and a new set of head gaskets put on.
What else would you do while its out of the car?
I plan on doing new ignition parts and new gaskets.

 

since it's out why not do a H/C swap and make a few more ponies? Won't cost too much more in the overall scheme of things.....

 

What are your hp goals for the engine? The pistons tend to be the weakest point, along with the rod bolts.

 

I don't want to go crazy with HP. I Just want something dependable and fun to drive. I have a LS1 car that is my fast car. This one I just want to be reliable and fun. Maybe a few bolt ons, but nothing too much.

 

I can't stand to take one apart w/o upgrading How about a little "pocket porting" on the heads? Seriously, though I would at least replace the valve seals and put a new set of springs and do a valve job on it if I were looking at the heads.

Am I correct you are not rebuilding the short block? That seems illogical to me - I would at least take it apart and make sure everything looks good and replace as needed. How many miles on it?

Rich

 

summit sells a complete bottom end rebuild kit with forged pistons for under 700, you cant go wrong.

while everythings apart you should without a doubt put a cam in it. the hot cam kit comes with better springs and roller rockers. a hot cam will not give you every last possible hp but itll certainly help alot and you can be assured the kit is a quality one. the complete kit runs around 5-600 i believe.

now depending on your skillz you may wanna do a little gasket and port matchin on the heads; it really wont cost u anything

button that back up and you should have a nice 330-345 rwhp lt1 that will run for many years

 

X2, i feel the same way. Why not throw a little money into the build if your going to go through the trouble of taking it all apart?

Rings, bearings, seals, vavle springs, timing chain, etc is what i would replace.

 

I wouldn't write of the stock LT1 pistons, if it doesn't need to be bored. They are fine for up to 500HP, as long as you aren't running a power adder and exposing them to severe detonation. And you don't need forged pistons for a 330-345rwHP setup. A nice light set of hypereutectics is fine, as long as there is no nitrous or forced induction.

 

Just do the samething as the fast LS1 car .

 

What needs to be done to replace these parts?
I have never took anything apart past a shortblock.
In my LS1 car I have put in a shortblock, cam, timing chain, lifters, springs, rockers, and push rods. Nothing past that. That is also all I have done on the heads. I would like to learn to do the rest myself if its no harder than what I have done so far.
What is involved in relpacing the rings, bearings, and seals? Is there a guide to doing this on LT1s?

I was told that the engine was rebuilt 8k miles ago, but who knows if they were telling the truth. thats why I wanted to pull it apart and check everything. The car has like 160k or so on it.

 

LT1 rebuild guide:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...0target=_blank

 

I just got myself a used unknown condition LT1 to swap into the 94 with milky oil. After I bolted it all up, i ran a can of seafoam into the intake via brake booster. After it shot bellowing clouds of black smoke out, I did plugs and wires, did another 1/2 can seafoam into oil and gas both, and soaked the fuel injectors.

idk, thats how I freshen up an engine, if I were you I wouldn't have even removed the heads unless it was having problems. I mean I KNOW its fun to take stuff apart but if its not broken and you arent planning on upgrading then let it be.

 

Maybe I will just replace the ignition and throw it in for now and pull it down later.

 

yeah man, I recommend that. You'll be happier that you have it up and running quicker anyway.

 

thats a great book too. I own it. Pretty step by step, with illustrations.