Doing my first engine build here and need some advice. Not a racecar just a mild street build. L31 with vortec heads. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

My current plans for block:
L31 block (bored .030 over)
Stock crank
Stock replacement cam bearings
Stock rods
LS7 lifters
Hyd roller Summit 8802 cam

My current plans for the heads:
Springs -Beehive summit 174002
Retainers- summit 174003-3
Stem seals - felpro SS72861
Locks - PVT32-4326
Screw in studs

Questions for the block:

• Can you suggest a flat top piston part number ? I'm a little lost not knowing to choose 4 valve relief or 2 etc. if you could suggest some pn's thatd be great
• What timing chain? Double roller?

Questions for the heads:

• Are the stock 1.5 rockers ok? or do I need to use 1.6 self aligning rockers with this setup?
• Would stock pushrods be ok to use ?
• Am I missing any other parts needed to get the lift I need? 0.525 int./0.520 exh.

 

For pistons, there are LOTS of choices, so suggesting one part # is kinda ... yeah. Butt: 2 vs 4 VR is simple enough; 2 VRs allows for higher compression, but requires pistons that aren't all the same since the valves aren't arranged the same in all cyls and are on different sides on the 2 banks, therefore 4 different pistons in 1 engine, therefore a bit more care in building (gotta get the right pistons on the right rods). Besides just "flat top", look carefully at their deck height: virtually ALL cast pistons, MOST hypereutectics, and MANY forged including nearly all TRW/SpeedPro, add an extra .020" of deck clearance, to avoid problems with heavily decked blocks; and this DRASTICALLY lowers compression. A stock block already has about .025" of deck clearance, and it's usually very inconsistent (factory machining is rather sloppy there because it doesn't really "have to" be any better than it is), and adding even more is a problem. The stock pin height spec is 1.56" from pin center to piston crown; if a piston says it's 1.54", or if it measures that instead of 1.56", you don't want it. Pretty sure Keith Black hypers fit that spec, at a decent price.

Stock stamped sheet rubber rockers are not OK if you actually care what you're building. Get steel roller ones such as Comp or Crower; not aluminum, as that material doesn't last reliably on the street. In my experience a set of aluminum rockers has about a 25 - 30,000 mile half-life (50% chance that at least one will fail by that many miles). They're great for racing, butt on the street, the sheer number of stress/unstress cycles they go through, causes the material to fatigue. Self-aligning would be the easiest way to go.

Same for push rods. Stock ones are garbage. You don't need to go crazy butt it needs to be better than stock. For around $100 - 120 you can get what you need.

 

Heavier springs go with hardened pushrods, you'll need a means of measuring your new pushrod length as well.

Double roller timing chain will need a new timing cover, probably a new balancer as well. I think they make HD single rollers that would probably be fine and fit easier but if you're not down with a plastic cover then it's not really an issue either way.