ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Not that I know of. I can check the wire harness but im pretty sure it was auto.

In order to use my harness and pcm I would almost have to use an ls1 crank wouldn't I? For the correct reluctor wheel?

coptzer

iTrader: (2)

Not sure what you have for a pcm and harness, but if it was for an LS1/LS2 it should be fine for the LQ4. I'm pretty sure that all LQ4's (gen 3 motor) were a 24x reluctor up to '07 when the new body style came out, and all LS1/2's were 24x up to '05 including the GTO I think.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

This seems to be what I need confirmation on. Because I keep reading different things about the reluctor wheel count. I guess I could wait to pull my motor and see what's in there...but I wanna get this short lock straightened out first.

Im going to do some more searching later and give the remain company a call on Monday. They mention a new reluctor ring on the lq4 crank, but no mention on the ls1. so I want to verify it actually come with one. Might be why its cheaper. I won't be buying a wheel and having a shop install it...thatll get expensive really quick.

J.

89ROC-Z

iTrader: (7)

TPIS told me $40 bucks to have the old relucter taken off and the new one put on. Biggest cost would be the relucter itself if you don't have the correct one

coptzer

iTrader: (2)

Here is a good write up with pics I had saved on reluctor wheel info. It seems to be consistent with everything else I have read. http://www.ls2.com/forums/showthread.php?t=834483.

If you do end up with a 58x reluctor, I think Lingenfelter makes an electronic plug and play adapter to work with 24x systems. It's always something when you are on a budget isn't it! Good luck with getting everything fixed.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

huh...ok cool. Thanks for the link! I know the LQ4 is 24x. My ls1 is a 99 using a 2002 pcm. So that SHOULD all be set to use 24x.

So...assuming the LS1 crank kit has the wheel installed, and no one sees an issue using it, I'll probably order that through work. Or if that's not a good idea, I can just snag the lq4 replacement.

Might not be such a big deal after all. Im goona give my block one more once over to make sure nothing else is out of wack. Then order that sucker.

J.

Edit: So I guess you can tell by the color of the sensor? Black is 24..gray is 58. The 99 LS1 and 2002 LQ4 share the exact same sensor, per multiple parts websites. SO that pretty much confirms it. Thanks again for the link!

EDIT AGAIN: Did some more reading. Seems like the LS1 cranks are gun drilled through the mains. There seems to be some back and forth as to what this actually accomplishes. Some say it helps to equalize crankcase pressure. Some says its just for less rotating mass. But I have yet to read anything saying NOT to use the LS1 crank in an LQ4. Im not 100% sure why I would have to get things balanced since the crank should be balanced during the reman process. And most of the piston/rod assemblies are pretty tight as far as weights go. And I could check them. But I guess if worse came to worse, I could get the rotating assembly balanced together.

Still researching. I hope to have things figured out in the next few days. Ill order the crank kit at work and then give it a shot.

Pocket

iTrader: (24)

5.3/5.7/6.0 engines all used the same crank

Car engines were gundrilled to reduce rotating mass, truck cranks were solid. Doesnt really matter, find whatever good crank you can get your hands on. Stay away from 4.8 cranks, dont be afraid of 58x cranks, the reluctor is simply pressed on and around $20 new. A machine shop must press this on accurately or you will have problems, there is an inexpensive tool for the job

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Thanks pocket. I called the company that sells the reconditioned cranks. The guy was very patient with my stupid questions haha.

Basically all their cranks, for LS motors anyway, come with brand new from GM reluctors and they are pressed on properly from what he said. He told me they spend a little extra time dressing the thrust surfaces of these cranks....without me even cluing him in or asking him about them.

I would like to order through my work since if there is a problem I can return it easier. But the LS1 part number isnt showing up in the system. So I might just snag the LQ4 crank. Its about $250 and comes with matching bearings.

Plan is to grab that, and gut the block completely. Im just going to spend some extra money and de-glaze/re-ring the darn thing. As long as I dont see any ugly cam bearing wear, Ill probably leave em. Otherwise...Ill de-glaze the bores, then take it to a shop to have new cam bearings put in and have the thing hot tanked just to clean it up. Going to get prices on this anyway because if its as cheap as Ive read online, it might be safe insurance.

Like I said...I can only do this one more time...at least for a while. I need to keep it cheap, but I want it to last. I dont mind spending a little extra and getting a few things freshened up.

What I NEED to do is start finding a home for some of the extra parts so I can get some spending money. I really need to figure out if my current heads will work well with the 6.0 combo. If so, the 317s need to go. I was kinda holding on to them until I was sure my heads would work.

J.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Ok...small update.

I have an official plan now that its all tore down. The crank was unusable for me. This project has obviously taken on some extra expenses and work that I wasnt anticipating. But...Im still making out ok.

I ordered an LQ4 and LS1 crank kit at work. Both are the same price. Im basically going to look at them, and pick the nicer one. I keep hearing that if I go with the LS1 crank, Ill need to get things balanced. But I dont understand why. The crank is balanced, and if each piston/rod assembly weighs the same, how wont that work?

The cylinders will be de-glazed by me.

After that mess, the whole thing will be taken to a machine shop to have the cam bearings replaced. It only costs $25, and bearings are like $30. The ones in there are "OK"...but show enough wear for me to want to replace em.

While its there, its getting hot tanked. 1) It will save me work and 2) it will get all the crud from deglazing out of it.

Thats it for the shorty. Ill measure the bearing fit and all, and get some file to fit rings. It'll be like a new motor.

Ill be cleaning my heads, and measuring the chambers/checking the valves. Make sure they are ok. And then make sure they can run on the 6.0 without issues. Going to stick with my current cam (unfortunately) until I can afford a new cam and springs to go with it.

The parts list is growing, and Ill be buyin things as money is available. But I hope to have the short block finished soonish, and start accumulating parts. Really gotta get my old motor out too.

I took a couple pictures, but they are boring. Just pics of old oily parts. Ill pick up with the picture posting once I get to work on the block itself and start getting it back together.

J.

cam-

Sounds sensible just be careful you dont hone out too much on the cyls.... deglaze is simply deglaze and there are certain rings that you should run for this I just cat recall the exact type but some bed in faster than others etc. Just tired and cant think straight but more importantly....

I know your thinking budget conscious but you seriously need to put new valve springs in man. Most of the serious guys I know replace them every year. Nothing will take an engine out faster than a valve spring that isnt up to snuff so for the extra few bucks throw some patriot golds in there or at least some new PAC1518's

Money well spent imo.

Happy wrenching

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Yup I hear ya on the de-glaze. Thats all the cylinders need. They're pretty clean as is and I can still see a little cross hatch. I figure just a few passes in each hole to clean things up. I measured the bore and the piston on a couple cylinders and Im still pretty much within specs.

Good advice on the springs. Im not 100% sure what is in my LS1 now. I know they are double springs...but no clue on brand or anything. If Im going to spring for springs (haha) Ill probably just try to squeeze a few hundred extra and go for a cam package. I need to price that stuff out and see.

If I get a good price for my Jeep, none of this will be an issue because I should have enough to cover whatever I need. I need to get the Jeep running. Couldnt get it started last time I went over to try to get it prepped for sale. Thats gonna suck a lot of profit out if it doesnt run. We'll see.

J.

cam-

If your gonna step up to a cam EPS is my vote. TSP 228R is a solid performer too. But glad to hear your going to upgrade the springs at minimum. I always love fresh springs they almost make the engine feel crispy new again. Springs sag so slowly you dont notice them going away on you until you swap freshies in then all of a sudden its an ANIMAL above 5500 RPM again.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Same crank casting...but the LS1 is gun drilled through the mains. It supposedly saves about a pound. Which...at this point kinda has me thinking I might as well stick with the LQ4 crank. I still dont see how they are balanced so differently that I would need a rotating assembly balancing by mixing the two. But again..might just be another PRO for the LQ4 shaft.

As for price...they are exactly the same. When I first looked up the crank in Autozone's system, it gave me a part number that was for Gen I&II small blocks. Awesome huh? I called the vendor and got the correct number, and it turns out the prices are equal. Both are reconditioned the same way and all. I ordered both. I have until Tuesday or so to decide which one to buy.

Im almost 100% sure the truck had an auto. I popped the crank spacer off today so I think that tells the story. I did a bunch of research on thrust bearing wear, and it sounds like most cases of extreme wear comes from torque converter ballooning or an issue with the trans set up/fluid pressure. But a few cases of older cars with manual trans...although in those cases the bearing was worn on both sides, and was attributed to engine set up.

J.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Sorry for the slow progress and lack of interesting content here fellas haha.

Well..the crank kits came in. And to say Im disappointed would be an understatement. The journals and thrust surfaces look great. Perfect in fact. The bearings were nice, and everything seemed to check out.

EXCEPT...the rest of it was beat to heck! On the LQ4 shaft, the snout looked like a rough casting...? And it had gouges in it. Also, one of the counter weights busted through the box due to their crappy pack job, and got knicked up. See pics below.







What do you guys think about that snout? I dont even think I want to try to push anything on that... Im not sure the knicks in the counter weight would cause me a problem....but I shouldnt have to "test it out".

Here's the LS shaft snout. Smoother...but kinda pitted. Im sure this would clean up. The same thing happened with the box getting busted through.



One final note. The LQ4 shaft was 0.010 under on the mains, and 0.020 under on the rods. The LS1 shaft was 0.020 on both.

I sent both back and ordered another LQ4 shaft. If its just as bad...Im calling them and finding out what the heck they're doing over there haha.

J.

dprest68

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, I'd be pretty disappointed too. Maybe you should call them before they send you another one so they get it right this time. Seems a bit inefficient otherwise. Just my two cents

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Well Im ordering them through work. So I havent paid for anything yet, and sending them back is as easy as putting a sticker on the box. So I figured I would give them one more try before calling. It'll be at the store on Thursday, which is when I work again. Then Im off from my main job on Friday to work on the motor...so if this one isnt right, Ill call them on my day off and figure out another solution maybe.

Im not sure if they could give special attention to a specific order or not. Like if I said "Ill be ordering another crank through autozone in PA. etc etc..." And then they can watch for that order and pack it different. I dont know if they'd do that.

Tuffguy611

Glad to see you are putting another motor in it. I have been trolling on here lately to see what deals come up on parts to build an LS powered thirdgen. I saw a 91Z roller on LS1tech that was clean as a whistle, and it sold before I could get the guts to pursue it. Now I've got the bug. I'd have to sell the 99' and find a clean enough thirdgen chassis, but I'm in no rush. I miss the clean thirdgen lines and the T-tops, which I don't have anymore. I'll try and score a wrecked fourth gen with an LS1/T56 on copart.com once I get everything settled. My plan includes a 12 bolt, a performance clutch yet to be determined, and a nice heads/cam/intake on the motor with a dyno tune. Anyways, good luck getting that motor straightened out.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Yo Mike whats up! Yeah man...ditch that catfish and come back to us! Ill have to let you know when I get the car done and you can check it out. IF I ever get the thing done...

More crankshaft debacle. So...crank #3 came in the other day. I opened it, and was greeted with a GORGEOUS crank. Snout was clean, journals were only cut 0.010, weights werent all beat up. I was happy.

Then....I turned it over and looked at the @#@$!$ reluctor wheel.





Awesome huh? So, today I called the company to see what was up. The main guy wasnt there, but I was told to just order another. And she told me they ship 1000's of cranks a month, and maybe only get a couple calls about the quality or shipping. So I guess I just got unlucky twice? I dont know.

So Im just going to keep ordering them until I get one that is perfect. She didnt seem to mind the fact that I was ordering and returning them due to issues. So, no skin off my back. Takes 2 seconds to order another, and two days for it get to the store.

Today I was going to work on the motor, but I ended up hard core cleaning the garage. It was horrible in there. And I still needed to find room for the front suspension and motor and trans from my car when I pull it. Im such a packrat. Kills me to even throw bolts away haha.

J.

camaro1185

I thought I was the only one. I have every part I have replaced on my car. Luckly its nothing too huge and it all gets boxed and thrown in the shed "just in case"

STREETDEMON

"just in case parts" and coffee cans full of bolts have travelled with me through 3 big moves...i'm talking to different states. i even have parts for vehicles i don't own anymore....but, you never know!

good luck on the next crank

coptzer

iTrader: (2)

That makes 4 of us packrats......I also have all my parts off my car from throughout the years, funny, I thought it was just me. I have a big junk drawer in my tool box full of random nuts and bolts and stuff. Comes in so handy.

That blows on the crank Ghetto! When I ordered my reman crank from Advance Auto for my SBC, it came through perfect. At least you are going through this now and not when you are ready to bolt everything in!

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Yup! Im not in a huge hurry. And since the company gave me the go ahead to just keep ordering them until I get a perfect one...thats what Im gonna do. Its still saving me money and the motor will have more work done to it than if I just used another used crank.

As for the pack rat thing... I keep taking totes from Autozone. Those things are DANGEROUS. Because they hold a ton of stuff, and they stack. So when I clean the garage, and I find a bunch of u-joint clips, bolts, hose clamps, screws, spare parts, etc and I dont know where to put them, in the totes they go. Then they get stacked up and forgotten about. I have 3 boxes of bolts going right now. I need bins. So I can label thread sizes and be organized.

I DID get a little bit of work done finally haha. Last friday I took off and cleaned the garage. Its still a dungeon, but its so much better. Sunday my wife wanted to do some things, so I took the kid over to my folks and finished cleaning. And then decided to drill and tap for the alternator mount on the block. Which was kinda hair, but it came out perfect. Here are a couple boring pics of that...





I used the method of leveling the block on the stand, and using my bubble on the back of my drill. Seemed to work great. The only thing is, I think I needed to go just a tad deeper with the drill. The bolt bottomed out about 2mm before tightening against the bracket. So since those bolts have about 1/4" of "snout" on them, I ground it down to make it shorter, without actually removing threads. Viola. Worked great.

Here is the alt mounted. After looking at my brackets and accessories...Im def. cleaning them and spraying them with cast alum paint. Everything is pretty horrible looking haha.



Just in case youre curious...here's my garage. Thats as clean as its been in YEARS...because I usually work outside when its nice. Not during the winter. I still have some piles of stuff to throw out...and a kitchen sink in my way haha. Both my work benches are finally cleaned off and I think I have room for the other drivetrain to make its way in soon.



More updates soon hopefully. Going to check out crankshaft #4 today after work haha.

J.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Ok gang...still not much of an update. I HATE that i have to go weeks between working on the dang thing. Im thinking about taking off this friday again and making another all day event out of it.

I ordered a 4" 400 grit flex hone and a 4" nylon cylinder washing brush today. Also should be picking up my crank kit, and cam bearings on Tuesday. So if everything on Friday goes to plan, I should be able to have the block ready for the machine shop. That will atleast get me to a point where I dont need anything but parts.

Another thing Ide LOVE to get done, is getting a set of rings, getting them gapped, and getting the piston assemblies back together and ready.

Im going back and forth on ring brands. But pretty much going to just stick with Mahle or Sealed Power.

My question to you gents... Should I get file to fits at this point? Or should I snag a set of standards first and see how the gaps are. I imagine that some wear has occured, and my de-glazing will take an ever so slight amount off as well... But I dont know if its worth spending more and getting file to fits, and then buying a ring filer. Any input here fellas?

Ide like to order rings today so they might arrive by Thursday.

Thanks!

J.

Im going to order standard fit rings from work. Ill check them out in the bores, and if the gaps are good, thats what Ill run. If they arent...then I can send them back much easier than if I mail ordered them. Sealed Power 921's.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Ok...Got my bi-weekly chance to work on the motor...man this is going to take forever haha.

Pretty decent updates today. Im just gonna blab for a bit, and post some pictures.

I bought some parts, and got my flex hone and a cylinder wash brush. So the first thing I did today was get started de-glazing the cylinder bores. Which scared the crap out of me. Once I got into it, it was amazingly easy, and came out, at least I think, pretty good.



I used 10w30 while honing. And spent about 20 seconds in each bore. To get my final hatch pattern, I sped up my in/out cycle and did about 5 cycles in each bore. I measured after I was done and Im still in good shape spec wise.

After the cutting was done, I used a 4" wash brush and hot soapy water to rinse the bores out. Followed by brake cleaner, then ATF, then brake cleaner, than ATF...etc. About 6 cycles of that until blue shop towels were coming out clean after the ATF wipe.

This is after all that, cleaning of the gasket surfaces, and a wipe down with 10w30 while it sits. THe flash makes them look rough but the hone is a 400 grit, and the hatch is pretty subtle.











I also finally got a good crank. Its cut 0.010 on the rods, and 0.020 on the mains. Thrust surface looks great, snout is great, and the reluctor ring is perfect. Here it is.










Cont....

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

After I finished the cylinder bores, I stuck a few rings in and took some end gap readings. They were VERY close with the std fit rings. Std fit meaning not file to fit.... They measured just out of spec. Just enough for me to want to try a set of file to fits. So...thats for a different post after I get some of those.

The cam bearings, 1888M from Sealed Power, are NOT correct. This is the part number that Autozone's system gives. I trusted it...guessing I shouldnt have. The bearings WOBBLE on the cam journals. They measure a good deal bigger than the spec in the GM book. So...Im going to order a set of cam bearings from a tech sponser...probably Texas-Speed since Im getting most of my parts from them.

The last thing I did was check my bearing clearances on the crank. I was nervous about this. So I put it together and plasti-gauged them. To my utter surprise...they all measured almost exactly the same, and were only a hair higher than the LOW spec in the manual. End play measured in right at where I wanted it. So I should be good to go!





Wiped all the surfaces I touched with some 10w30 again and put a trash bag over til the next round!

Next step is ordering parts. I already have oil pan, valve cover and new intake gaskets. Head bolts and some other odds and ends. The list is still long...going to try to order it in two stages. Stuff I need NOW...and stuff Ill need for final assembly/install.

J.

mwfrels

Glad to see the progress Justin. I hope you can get it back on the road without any more painful surprises. You deserve a break finally with all you have had going on concurrently the last year or so.

M

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Thanks! Rest should go pretty smooth. After the shop puts bearings in and dips it, it's all standard assembly. I've had a few surprises, but cost wise im still in "budget" territory. After I sell off all the leftovers, including my ls1 short block, I should be coming in well under 2k. Haven't added everything up yet.

J.

89ROC-Z

iTrader: (7)

Are you balancing it?

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Im not planning on it. The crank was balanced during machine work, and its a stock LQ4 crank with stock rids/pistons. I might go as far as checking the weights of each assembly since it takes nothing to weigh them. But otherwise for my goals I think I'll be ok.

I am going to price the service out at my shop though. If it's within budget or a good price, I might. As of now, new cam bearings and a hot tank is all they're doing for me.

J.

coptzer

iTrader: (2)

Nice job so far. It will be a great feeling once you finally fire it up for the first time knowing you took your time and did it right.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Thanks. I only hate how slow my progress has been. Ive given thought to just trying to have this thread deleted, and starting another when Im close to getting the thing running haha. So Ill have a nice line up of pictures and stories and info ready to go.

That being said...I might have a small set back on parts ordering times. I was going to order a set of file fit rings. however...after reading for a couple hours, I might go back and re-check the standard rings. But this time, take my measurement deeper in the bore. One...this will give me an idea of what my taper is...which I know there is some. Two...it sounds like its better to gap the rings at the bottom of their travel to account for taper.

I sort of did this towards the end of my day...but I had it in my head to gap near the top of travel since thats where the most compression is. That would be true on a fresh bore job where the cylinders were perfectly straight Im assuming. SO I didnt relaly pay attention to what those gaps were at the time. Maybe Ill get a chance to do it soon haha. Thinking about going home at lunch time and doing a cylinder real quick so I dont delay myself if I need to order more.

J.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Ok. Went home at lunch and stuffed a few rings into a couple different bores to see what it looked like further down in the cylinders. It got a little better. My taper doesnt appear to be concernable amount for what Im doing here.

My top ring gaps were around .020. And my 2nd ring gaps were around .022.

I was figuring on .016-.018 for the top gap per the old bore x .0045" rule. But Im wondering how horrible the extra .002 will be overall? They are tighter than the rings that I took out which were about .022+ when I did a quick measure.

I know Im not doing this per the standards of some builders. And I know while its apart I SHOULD be doing this that and the other thing. But Im freshening it up with bearings. And Im thinking that putting in stock rings wouldnt really be any worse than if I just ran the original rotating assembly...should be better by some degree. PLUS...Ive been reading that higher than stock compression could benefit from opening the gaps up a tiny bit, and with my milled 5.3's it should be bumped a bit from stock. Even with the LQ4 piston dish.

Since I already have this rings, file to fits are $135 + shipping, then I have to either buy a file or use one in a vice...plus hours and hours and hours of filing to gain a tiny bit...I think Im going to run em.

J.

Brando5641

iTrader: (-1)

I would

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Still nothing real exciting. Getting close though. Im going to order a few things from TSP like the cam bearings, then Ill be ready for the machine shop.

One more big order from GMPD and Ill be in business! It will be assembly time.

Still need to get my car apart. With the nice weather, Im hoping that will happen sooner than later. I need to asses my head situation and get them cleaned up. Also...Im thinking I have to use my current cam for a while. Just not sure its in the budget for a new cam. Maybe if I get a decent amount for my left over LS1 stuff and all.

Here's what I did the other day. Pretty much the worst job ever. Cleaning the stupid pistons. Those grooves are pure evil. Might see what the mach shop can do for me as far as getting them even cleaner. No sandpaper or anything. Just lots of cleaner and elbow grease. Used an old ring and soft wire brush to get the gooves cleaned.







And yet another reason Im glad I pulled this thing apart... This was the #1 rod bearing.



J.

V6canvas

iTrader: (1)

Wow, look at all those pretty stripes!! Good call on pulling it all apart. Hopefully reassembly goes smooth and you are back to driving real soon!

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

SO CLOSE!!! I thought for sure I could get the motor out yesterday. But rain clouds moved in and I decided it'd be best to wait. Im gonna get back on it this Sunday I hope. Should be out then. Here are a few pictures for the heck of it...nothing really interseting yet.

Started removing the A/C stuff.



Radiator, fans, and A/C system removed.



Driveshaft and y-pipe out. Torque arm disconnected.



And here she sits. Got the shifter disconnected, and most of the wiring disconnected. All I need to do to drop the motor is disconnect the front brakes, remove the front suspension, and drop her on out.



Sunday's plan, assuming my kid behaves with his grandparents, is to get the motor out. If that happens, I have to get the 6.0 off the stand and get the LS1 mounted so I can start stripping it down. Mainly the heads, cam, water pump, oil pump, and anything else Im using.

I have to check my funds, but I would like to get the block to the machine shop NEXT WEEK! That's a huge step because after that, assembly can begin!! Still not sure whether Im getting a new cam or not. Still not sure what Im doing for injectors. Still not sure what Im doing about a base tune to get the thing running...esp if I change the injectors and cam. Stupid things like that keep adding up!

J.

coptzer

iTrader: (2)

Dude......mine has been sitting in my basement for over a month now without being touched! So don't talk to me about slow progress...lol! Although I have managed to shine up the 'ol leather shifter and run her through the gears while making high revving motor sounds...good thing my wife didn't see me...

So, I think you are doing just FINE

alan91z28

if you lived closer i would gladly let you use my barn and my lift for all the great advice your threads have given...

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Yeah she's getting there. Once I get things torn down and can start assembly it ought to pick up.

Thanks Alan! I didnt realize you were even in PA until that post haha. Ide KILL for a nice spot to work. I havent had access to a lift in a long time. I sure do miss it. Especially since laying on the ground isnt too fun anymore haha.

I learned one thing from the other day. I HAVE to re-loom those wires. Ugh...I cant believe I ever let it go like that. I mean, its all split loom, but there's just way too much of it. I can clean my wiring up so much better.

I also have to decide about A/C. I pulled it all out, and afterwards was thinking to myself...this is a PITA. I dont really use it much. I can honestly say, being able to say "yeah its got this and that and this annnd 4th gen A/C" is probably high on the list of reasons to keep it haha. I put a lot of work into making that system work and I hate to ditch it. But...I LOVE all of the crap it would eliminate. I have a line on a heat only box that Ive been holding off with. Decisions decisions...

Ill keep ya'll posted! Sunday should be a good day if the weather holds out.

J.

coolmarocrzy

iTrader: (2)

Keep it up big pimp. We are all rooting for ya to have that beast back on the road soon!

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Sunday was... frustrating. Just a few short years ago I yanked and replaced the motor like it was nothing. But this time, it just seemed like it fought me the whole time. Maybe Im getting old?

But...ITS OUT! I rolled the motor into the garage about 2 minutes before the rain came. No MAJOR hiccups. Just lots of little things that I forgot about. Also taking the front suspension off is a PITA. I wish that didnt have to happen.

Here are some pictures...which will look eerily familiar to anyone that has followed any of my threads the past 6 years haha.

Front suspension out, ready for lift off.



Everything disconnected and starting to lift.





And its out!









So there she sits. Waiting for good friday. Then Im going to do my darndest to tear the LS1 completely down. I want the trans off, heads off, covers off, cam out...everything. Ide LOVE to start cleaning parts.

I got my cam bearings finally. So I just have to save a few pennies, then take the 6.0 to the machine shop. As soon as that is back, Ill be able to put the rotating assembly together. Ill need another big order to keep going, so might see a lull until that happens. But if I can sell my Jeep and some more left over 6.0 parts, it might happen sooner.

Another thing I realized after it was out. I need to redo some work... My wiring is horrible IMO. Needs to be re-loomed and re-evaluated. I have things that I should delete that I never did. Also my front brakes and front brake lines need to be redone. The piston boots are rotted away, the lines are kind of looking like crap. And I would like to route the front lines so that I dont have to disconnect the brakes to drop the motor. Thinking about running it against the firewall over the trans for the passenger side. Shouldnt affect brake performance any...I dont think.

Anyway, here's hoping progress continues!

J.

Bullydawg

iTrader: (7)

Looking good! Keep plugging away!

mwfrels

Good idea and I am going to keep that in mind for my swap. One thing that I have always heard and you may want to keep in mind when you route your cross-car line is its location relative to the MC. The MC should always be the highest point in the brake system. That way as all air bubbles or pockets are trying to naturally rise due to gravity they can easily find there way out.

M

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Yeah...Good point. I dont like the idea of looping the brake line up and over the trans hump. Im going to do some figuring. I actually dont MIND disconnecting the brakes. Its just an added step that Ide like to avoid if possible. My brake set up was kind of a mix of lines and fittings. I hate that. I used some of the front lines from the LS1 car, made some custom lines in other places.

I just know it can be cleaner, more simple, and easier to disconnect/deal with.

Maybe instead of running over the trans I could run foward and along the core support/rad cradle area. Ive run lines like this on Jeeps...specifically Wranglers. Run the line up front and across.

We'll see.

J.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Another thing that is irking at me... Rod bolts.

I have ARP's in my LS1. I have a build receipt saying those rods were resized. Been reading for hours on re-sizing, not re-sizing, Katech, ARP... and my head hurts.

I was planning to just stick the ARPs in since I have them. But the more I read, the more I get torn because I really didnt watn to have the rods resized. I wasnt able to find info about rod bearings that were oversized in both the O.D. and I.D....to accomdate the line hone as well as the resized crank journals.

I also dont know if I want to pony up the extra cash for Katech's. Those things are $200!!! For a set of bolts!!! Im half tempted to just re-use the stockers and hope for the best haha.

J.

cam-

Id throw your used ARP's in there before I ran the stockers. The ARP's are good and you cant resize an LS rod anyways. You have to over bore it and get larger bearings because of the cracked rod design. So bolt swaps dotn affect jack if you install them right. My first LS1 still wails to 7K very often running stock bottom end ave for a katech bolt swap. I never even popped a cap off to take a look I just swapped em in. Five or six years later now? Still going? Worry not

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

This seems to be where stories will differ. So you just swapped the bolts, never pulled the caps? For some reason people claim that if you pull the caps off, like when you do a rebuild, you gotta get them line honed EVEN if you use the stock bolts.

It doesnt make much sense to me really... And people claim that if you dont want to mess with having them sized, to get the Katechs. But $200 is a tad out of my range... Ill get them if its what I need to do but dang. haha.

Starting to wish I held out for a lower mile, no crank end play 6.0 hahaha. Oh well...once the money is spent this should be fun!

J.

cam-

I cant see how pulling a cap off can make any difference. I think that caution is out there simply to prevent some less experienced wrenches from messing up the bearings etc. My friend used ARP's the same way I did without resizing on a tt 6.0L build thats put down 644 whp on an otherwise completely stock engine ( stock truck cam even )

Anyways good luck whatever route you choose

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Yeah I cant either. I guess if Im going to trust my home de-glaze job, and all my other work, might as well trust that the rod bolts wont screw me up.

The other thing I was thinking about, was that if by chance someone wanted my short block from the LS1, might be worth more to leave the bolts in, and get new bolts. I have to see what my money situation is like I guess. I still have a few hundred in parts that I need, not including injectors. Also not including new springs, or a cam package. Or tires...

Thanks for the advice Cam!

J.

V6canvas

iTrader: (1)

It may also be the easiest way to get people to not put the wrong caps on the wrong rod. Since, by nature, cracked caps only fit perfectly with it's mate, it should always go back on the same rod it came off of, in the same orientation. I don't know, otherwise, why it would matter.