ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Yo Cam! Long time no...post with? haha.

Yeah Im not exactly worried. PatG spec'd my cam, and I ordered it through Geoff. He's a great guy, spent lots of time with me on the phone. His lead time was 2-3 weeks. Then 2 months later I inquired, and he mentioned switching grinders. I guess to cam motion. All in all, it took almost 3 months. Which to be honest didnt really bug me. What was I going to do with it? haha.

My only gripe about the cam sheets, is that I paid extra to have it shipped to him, have the service done, and then shipped to me. So if that didnt happen (and I know this sounds petty) Ide like the few extra bucks back somehow. It wasnt much. Credit towards springs maybe? Along with my time constraints, budget is even tighter so even a little helps!

Thanks for the confirmation on the color guys. Just thought it was odd, and didnt find any info after a search.

SO excited to get to building finally have some more pictures and updates to share!

J.

cam-

Yeah time flies brother, its been a while yet still feels like just yesterday. So it goes eh? Haha

As for the cam? Switching camps mid flight doesnt sound fun. Wonder what happened with Comp to make him do so. Care to share basic cam specs? Curious what they suggest for your set up.

Im sure Geoff will work out something with you. Might have been simple mis coms between grinder and him who knows?

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Yup, no Ill feelings between any parties. Still gots to get my money! haha.

Cam specs...should I be secretive on this? Haha Ill probably post em up. I dont have them handy right now and the exact numbers are escaping me. 230's and .600"+ on both sides from what I remember.

I was told by Pat that its on the edge of what he considers reasonable for a daily driver. I asked for something that would work well as a daily driver, but still be aggressive and give me some oomph. Car wont be a DD, but I dont want it driving like a maniac.

I was also told that there's a chance I wont have to fly cut. But no one will know until I check it. Not too many guys running LQ4 pisons, with 862 heads w/2.02 intake valves and bowl work. Fingers crossed on things. But if I have to cut, Ill cut. In hindsight, I could have picked up an LS1 or other crate engine and been ahead of where i am now.

J.

cam-

Thats cool and close enough re the cam. More than anything Im curious to see what combo works with who and how they like it etc. Certainly not in any rush to find this out im slowly putting info together over the years.

Cams to me are like crack to a junkie, just one more grind.... lol. Chasing aces it seems.

Anyways sounds like a healthy stick, im sure it will fly.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Ill settle for running half decent. If it flys, Ill take it as a bonus.

Hoping for two things. 1) that it runs well. 2) that I dont notice the extra iron weight haha.

J.

cam-

LS power with freshy freshness? Ummm of course its gonna fly


My break in advice? Run it from first start up too temp. Watch for coolant temp and a solid pressure in the upper rad hose ( if flat you have air and need coolant but LET COOL first ; ) Forgoing that < Let cool, change oil and filter ( use break in oil Joe Gibbs ftw ) and then put what you want to run it with in ( Joe Gibbs again LS oil solid choice ) and run the thing around for 30 mins never at constant RPM. If all sounds good? No strange new noises? change oil one more time and;

Giv er HELL!!! Then change the oil every 3k miles and the valve springs in a year or two hit repeat


I should add that some claim to seat the rings fast and hard is priority one and done within the first minute of start up but..... tread lightly.... just saying

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Ive actually gone over this in my head 100 times at least.

I can NOT in all good conscience, start the car for the first time, pull out onto the street and give it hell to seat the rings. That..just sounds horrible to me. Its gonna get run, leak checks, then button things up, drop to the ground and gets the shuffle back and forth/leak check. Make sure the brakes work and all. Then a couple easy laps in the parking lot across the street. If it makes it back from that, oil change, make sure nothing big came apart, THEN if its still going it'll get some blasts.

The other thing is..how the heck do you run a new build hard without a tune? Ill obviously need some type of tune since so much has changed. I dont even know if it'll start? So Ill be getting a mail order tune just to get the car going. But I highly doubt WOT will be pretty until someone can really smooth things out. I wish I could tune myself because honestly the cost of a dyno tune will put a huge stop to the project being "finished" haha.

J.

cam-

I hear you re the tune. Its not really "hard" but it sure is time consuming. Im still greener than grass with half of it ( meaning im constantly looking things up ) but theres lots of good info and so long as you follow the steps and work the numbers its totally doable.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Some updates!

I took a few days off work and got some work done. Spent one whole day cleaning the garage. Wow is that a PITA. But I finally got it to a point where I can walk, find most of the stuff, and work in relative comfort. I also did an inventory of all my parts. I forgot about half the stuff I bought!!!





First things first, I wanted to double check my rings. I was afraid that after using the POS compressor that I might have tore some of the rings up. So I bought new rings and a new ring compressor. I pulled all the pistons out, checked em out, decided they all looked fine. So, now I have a new set of rings to sell haha.

Next thing I did was something I thought would never happen haha. I installed the new cam! No pictures because its messy as heck. I actually took videos, for my lame attempt at informational youtube vids, but somehow that got lost. So, here it is installed...



See...its in there...



I popped on the crank gear, which was a B#@CH!! I cleaned up the crank snout some, oiled it, and proceeded to drive it on. Ended up using a piece of stainless exhaust and whacking it a bunch. Pretty sure its seated and good to go. New crank key also. Then installed the LS2 HD timing set.



After that the moment of truth. I installed two lifters, the head, and some rockers. Set the valves up with checker springs, and turned it over SLOWLY. NO hitting! Took the head off, plopped some clay on the piston, and did it again.





Oh, I also had the head set up with .051" shims to simulate the head gasket...



Here is a cross cut of how close the intake gets to the raised part of the piston. Pretty sure its got plenty...I measured it at around .080".



Here's how close it gets to the recess. Its over .100". Im going to do this once more after I figure some things out...



And finally here's the exhaust. Its also over .100". I think I measured .150". Again, Im going to double check.



Finally, I installed the ARP rod bolts. The method I used was a blend of info I found online. First, I lubed all the ARP's with ARP lube. Then I pulled rod bolts out one at a time. Screwed in the ARP, torqued them to 40 ft-lbs, backed off, re-torqued, backed off...and re-torqued to 40. Did this to all of them. Then I went back and gave them all a tweak to 45 ft-lbs.

Anyone see an issue with this??



One thing I learned the hard way. The ARP bolts are 8mm to match the rod threads. I ASSumed that they would take a metric socket. 10mm 12pt socket seemed to fit nice. Until trying to tq. The dang thing let loose and my knuckles met rotating assembly. Guess who won? So its a 3/8" 12 pt socket..haha.

So there we are. I ran out of time, or else I could have kept going. I have lots of parts that can go on right now. I really need to get on some of the cleaning/painting that I have left to go.

I have to order head gaskets too. And now I have to kind of come up with a final plan. I can order .051" gaskets, leave the heads be, and just slap it together. OR...I can run .041" gaskets and bump my CR. Im almost positive I have enough PTV. ORR.... I can skim some off my heads. Maybe even just a clean up - .005" removal.

Oh, and I measured my adjustable push rod, set to zero lash, and compared it to my current 7.350 push rods. The difference is .076". So, that would give me just about .080" preload on the LS7 lifters, which Ive read is ok? Im still going to do a final measure, but it would be AWESOME if I could reuse my push rods. And I still need to buy new springs....and injectors...and tires...crap.

Anyway, that's where Im at!

J.

Pocket

iTrader: (24)

A couple things

The crank gear should be pressed on not hammered on. You can use a balancer install tool (aka threaded rod) and a length of pipe to press it on. Jim Hogan from Fbody.com lost an engine due to this when his lower gear came apart

You need solid lifters to do the clay test. Hydraulic lifters will bleed down giving a false compression of the clay, meaning your actual PTV clearance will be less than the .080" you found, which is right on the border of needing to be flycut anyways. I see min .100" tossed around frequently, but Id ask someone else

The re-torque method for ARP bolts was to stretch them without using a stretch gauge. I used this method along with many others. It will work just fine

Javier87z28

iTrader: (1)

Saw your last thread and stayed wondering wether you ever got to working on the ta again and then i come across this thread, subscribed, good to hear you didnt give up on her!

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Pocket...well NOW ya tell me!!

Actually, thanks for reminding me about getting a balancer installer. Or making one. It didn't require a severe beating, just some firm taps. Do you suggest yanking it and getting a new gear? I'm betting i could get just the gear from the same guy I got the set from. Better safe than sorry?

With checker springs, esp the lighter ones I have, I doubt the lifters compressed at all. I could hardly make em move by hand. And the clay was warm and very soft. BUT, when I recheck it, I'm gonna make an lifter solid to do my final measurements.

I thought .080 for intake and .100 for exhaust were the targets?

thanks for the feedback!!!

J.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Alrighty, I took some actual measurements of my PTV, and I should be ok. Im going to have to use .051" gaskets, which is ok with me. I crunched my numbers and it looks like Ill be at 10.47:1 static CR with .045" quench. Dynamic CR is 9.44:1.

Gonna shop for some gaskets. Just getting factory MLS, so wherever has the best price will get my business. I also need to order springs ASAP so I can put my heads back together.

My next build day should be eventful. Very eventful. In fact, if I get springs and head gaskets, I might even take a few more days off work, finish my painting, assemble the motor, and get her together and in the car! Injectors and push rods can go in later.

Couple of questions for anyone that feels like answering..haha.

Oil pump. Its a ported pump, with low enough miles to reuse. Pack with anything or just coat it with oil inside? (white litium grease...vaseline??)

My LS2 flywheel is RUSTY. Dang it I hate rust. The friction area is ok, but the rest of it is a mess. Should I take it somewhere for surfacing and clean up? Or jsut give it elbow grease at home as long as the friction surface is ok? Ide love to get a monster...dont think thats in my budget. Unless I get a raise at work haha.

I have a couple pictures of me checking PTV and how I set it all up. Ill post em later.

J.

Pocket

iTrader: (24)

Try LS9 gaskets. Cheap MLS that are pretty thick

Lube up the pump and roll. Always a good idea to check the bypass valve and make sure it has no hangups what-so-ever

Take some scotchbrite to the surface area of the flywheel. If its still pitted, then it needs to be machined. If it cleans up, then rock it. Electrolysis may speed up the process

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

I was looking at the LS9's. They are 7 layer, and still .051 compressed. Summit lists the bore at 4.100". Is that ok to run on the 6.0? They're a tad more than the standard LQ4 gaskets, and Im wondering if Ide see any benefit with my set up.

Check on the oil pump clean out. I planned to check out the bypass and clean things up a bit before bolting it on.

I guess the rust that's on the engine side of the flywheel doesn't matter much, just where the crank flange mates up. So Ill clean that up and see what I get. The other side seems ok.

Any advice as to whether I should "reset" the springs on this thing? Ive heard of people doing it before a re-install, and it will re-adjust itself. But Ive never messed with it.

OH...and one more question for ya'll. Im going to grab some new injectors. Current ones are SVO 30 lb'ers. And after 3 of them got clogged, I don't trust them. Plus I don't know if they'll be enough. Any suggestions on what size/brand injectors to throw on? As of now these will be on a stock pump running a racetronix hotwire kit. Cant spend a million bucks on em, but don't want complete junk. 36#? 42#? Im doing some research, but figured Ide throw it out there.

Thanks!

STREETDEMON

j, i'm running the buick supercharged 3.8 injectors which flow 41.5lbs at our fuel pressure. approximately $130 shipped for a rebuilt set that were flow checked from ebay.

i have been tempted to go to a 36lb, but i'll wait to see what they do after my dyno session. always nice to have room to grow with a set of ba heads and a bigger bump stick.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Yeah Im not sure I need to go to 42's...and while it would be nice to grow, I dont think this car is growing any further. If it does, it wont be more mods to this motor haha.

I wish I knew what kind of power to expect. That would help make the decision I guess. I need to figure out what my fuel pressure is doing. It was a little low towards the end, and I attributed it to poor wiring. I have a funky ground that gave me trouble, and never got to install my Racetronix relay kit. Hopefully that gets it back up. Either that or my Autometer FP Gauge is faulty.

Right now Im trying to find money for new springs, and head gaskets. Forgot about springs...found PRC .650's for $280, so Im probably going with them. Fred Beans is hooking me up on gaskets and maybe a few other things. Trying to come up with more stuff I need haha.

J.

Fireball

iTrader: (2)

It not only hurts the gear but it beats up the thrust bearing in the motor

I have a LS1 balancer install tool you can use if you are reasonably close to me (I'm in Rising Sun, MD)

Fireball

iTrader: (2)

30s should be big enough for a non-poweradder stock displacment car. have you thought about having them professionally cleaned?

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

I dont think I hit the gear nearly hard enough to harm the thrust bearing. Heck with the film of assembly lube on there I doubt it even touched metal to metal. These werent massive wacks with a sledge. I still might replace the gear just to be safe.

Thanks for the offer on the balancer install tool. I dont think Im close enough to you to like, come grab it, then return it haha. I ought to have one anyway. Just in case. I have some threaded rod at my shop at work that I can "borrow" to make one.

I didnt think the old 30's I had would cut it, but Im not sure. I cant remember who mentioned it...it might have been my tuner, but they suggetsed I get a bigger injector with my new cam/rebuild. Im sure I can get them serviced, or modded, but its one of the things I told myself I was going to replace even before the motor went. But Ill look into it! Im not even sure where Ide send/take them, or if the cost would be high enough that I could just get a set for not much more.

Using a calculator, putting in 58psi for fuel pressure, 80% duty, and 500 crank horsepower, 34# is the suggestion. Now, maybe Im being optimistic, but Im hoping for at least 500 at the crank... So a 36 would be ok, and a 42 isnt so far out of bounds that it would be hard to tune, and if I ever change things, I could probably keep em. On the other hand, dang new injector sets are expensive! haha.

Thanks for the feedback!

J.

Fireball

iTrader: (2)

Remember that the 30s were rated at a much lower fuel pressure than the operational pressure of a LS1. Found some old info of mine on LS1tech...

I maxed out my stock 99 injectors (26lb) at 430RWHP

30lb redtops should be closer to 36-38 at 58psi. That should be good for 500 at the wheels...

Bigger won't hurt, but don't go too big cause it makes it a bit more difficult to control down low. I had some 160s on a 366" motor that was always super rich at idle

25th327RS

iTrader: (2)

The svo 30 pounders are closer to 35 at our pressure. On paper atleast, they should be good to nearly 500 HP at the crank at 80% duty cycle. I have 407 at the tire with a 6.0, tuner says I am still within a safe range on injector size.....

Nice to see you working on the car again, can't wait for you to get it back on the street!!!

25th327RS

iTrader: (2)

Fireball, you must have hit reply just seconds before me, lol.

Fireball

iTrader: (2)

3 minutes per the post times

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Haha Hey the more responses the better!

Ok, I dont think Ide go larger than 42 at our 58psi. Seems to be a common rating to go with even on more mild set ups than mine. FIC has a flowmatched set for $240, and I can get them at whatever rating I want. Thats not TOO hard to swallow. But Im going to do some more reading/question asking anyway before I jump.

This is gonna sound really stupid, but I just want to bail on the SVO injectors. I think a cleaning/rebuild is around $200 from FIC. And I like the way the new style injectors look instead of the big body SVO's that I have (thats the stupid part because who cares what injectors LOOK like

Ill have to talk to someone that can tweak my PCM for me. I know there are several mail order guys. Then ill need a dyno tune at some point again. I think FIC gives you all the tuning data too which should make it easier.

We'll see. Everytime I get excited and think Im close I remember what all needs to happen. New brakes all around, new front brake lines, NEW TIRES...I really want to drive this dang thing before winter of 2013!!!!

J.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Any input/opinion on doing a trunion upgrade? My rockers are in good shape, but if I can "bulletproof" one more area of this thing, the cost isnt too prohibitive. I actually have a nice spare set that I was thinking Ide do the upgrade on. Can probably sell my remaining set to offset some of the cost.

I know its overkill, but I have a hyd press, or a big vise. Was looking at the comp cams kit. Hardland Sharp has a DIY kit now too and includes washers. They also offer an exchange based ready to go set for not a WHOLE lot more. Hm....

Anyway, like everything, I figured Ide see what you guys think

Head gaskets are ordered, just have to pick them up from fred beans. And I HAVE to figure out springs. Right now Tick seems to have the best deal on the set I want. I have to sell off something first though. I have the ROSS pistons still, and the LS1 block/crank. Along with my old valve springs, lifters, and guides. I just need to get on the ball. Wish I knew I could just trust my current springs haha.

J.

cam-

looking good there! I dont like the trunion downgrade. Barely ever hear of a stock rocker failure unless someone jammed some huge cam in there, but ive seen issues with the aftermarket trunions and the lock rings etc. Dont bother is my vote

Tune is key, must have it. If you want to do a mail order then use someone like Blackbear or another who will send you the log system and then you mail it back then they tune. Just guessing over the set up is not much better than no tune at all.

Best of course is a live tune with a wb

As for valve springs what cam you running again?

Fireball

iTrader: (2)

I think the trunion upgrade is worth it. stock rockers are notorious for spewing their guts, especially with larger cams. Although it usually doesn't hurt anything when it happens.

Although I don't have any experience with the upgrade myself...I switched to adjustable rockers a long time ago LOL

cam-

Trunion swaps are turning into solder vs crimp perspectives. Some vote yes, some vote no. From all ive seen so long as the cam isnt much over .600 lift the stockers are not an issue.

There sure is a lot of stock LS engines with piles of miles out there without rocker bearing failures though. It happens, but its very rare.

Check this out

http://ls1tech.com/forums/generation...eck-yours.html

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Yeah I saw the clip failure. I kind of attributed that to poor install (stressing the clip) or a bad batch of clips. Its such a small percentage, anything can have a failure. Heck one of the new LS7 lifters I got could go haywire and foul up the works. I just felt like the stock rockers had a little play and wasnt sure if it would be a worth while investment. HOWEVER...I have a spare set that Ill probably hold on to, and swapping the rockers is easy. So Im gonna hold off on that for now. Ill probably be easy on it for a while anyway since I want to enjoy the car a bit before finding weak points lol.

My cam is .609/.612. Its not huge by any means compared to others today, but its over that .600 mark on both.

As for my tune, Im gonna need some sort of tune before initial start up because Im swapping injectors. So I at least need that adjusted. And Im not sure if the tune for the reverse split cam will like having a traditional, and larger, cam in there. So Im kinda stuck. Im not into towing the car to a dyno tune and having its shakedown minutes being flogged haha. So I need to figure out who to go with to get her going. Ide LOVE to get HPTuners and do it. I have a wideband on the car. In the end, Im sure the investment would pay off, and it would be a great learning experience. But its just a huge initial purchase, and Ill still probably need a good dyno tune at some point Ide imagine. Still got some time to figure this out...but hopefully not too much time

J.

cam-

Look deeper into the thread at the shafts galled to hell.

Id run the PAC1518 with that cam or Tooley duals

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Yup saw the galled stuff too. But it seems like there was an explaination for most of it. Old style bearings, different shaft materials, etc.

Plenty of guys running stock stuff and are ok. Im gonna pass on them for now unless something better comes along. I also saw Summit has a kit, and they include beefier snap rings. But Im gonna hold off.

Funny you should mention the Tooley springs. I was just looking at them. His tool steel retainers are almost the same weight as everyone's Ti retainers! Full kit is like $220. Im going to contact him, and ask him if my current seats and retainers will work with his spring kit. Because if so, I might just grab new seals and springs for around $170. PRETTY sure I already have Ti retainers but I have to check. Either way, I think Im gonna contact Brian and just get his feedback on some things.

Thanks for the suggestion!

J.

Edit: Talked to Brian. If my current springs are in fact PRC, there's a good chance his springs will drop in. He wants some measurements to be sure so I'm getting a spring assembly tomorrow morning to measure. That'd be a major cost saving. While the idea of new new new everything is novel, there's no reason.

STREETDEMON

j. this reminded me of an guy that used to live around here. he had a shed full of parts, like 30 years worth. i've watched him build an engine on thursday, including pulling pistons out of a pile, mismatched - domed, dished, flat tops, didn't matter - wipe them off, stick them in, reuse the head gasket, and win at the races the next night.

i don't condone this "style" of building, but i'm definitely on board with what you are saying. a lot of times we go too far in buying the new and spending the cash that could have been better used elsewhere.

interested to see what you find out about the other brand of springs. it would be nice to have a more cost effective option. my 918's are good for now, but later on with a bigger cam and heads, i will probably go to a dual setup.

88FormulaKiller

iTrader: (8)

Woa man, you've been busy! looks good

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Thanks! Gonna look even more busy soon I hope!!

STREETDEMON: Funny...I knew someone just like that growing up! He'd blow motor A up one weekend, slap in junkyard motor B and blow that up...then take the parts from the two of them and make frankenstein motor C and it'd run better than the original two ever did.

I dont love cutting corners, but if I can save some money and re-use something I will. Ive already spent way more than I originally wanted to.

After checking, it looks like the outer step on the retainers are different between what I have and what Tooley sells. So...I dont think I can just get springs. I have no idea what springs I own...or how old they are. So, I might just get his tool steel set. Saves me money, but still gives me all brand new parts. His tool steel reatiners arent too much heavier than some manufacturers Ti parts.

We'll see! Head gaskets are in and Im picking them up soon. Fuel injectors and tires are my last major purchases! Nitto 555's are on the bill since I can get them cheap...but if I can find a good deal on BFGs, Im gonna try to snag them.

J.

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

You posted this 3 days after I ordered the Comp upgrade kit. I had planned on it originally, but time and money led me to put the engine together with factory rockers, at least to start. The intake rockers are new offset style, while the exhaust are the used ones out of the engine (no apparent issues after cleaning before install). I was ordering some other stuff last week, and figured "might as well" add the trunnion kit to the list. I had forgotten Summit had their own brand, besides assuming the Comp ones would be "better".

I read through that thread on tech twice, and see nothing that proves one way or the other that the trunnion kit is good or bad. Pretty sure it wasn't a lubrication or cleanliness issue (would have looked different). For sure it isn't galling. I can imagine poor case hardening by Comp, or inadequate heat treating, but the only way to prove that one way or the other is with some metallography (which I'll bet Comp did, whether the results are known or not). Or, improper needle bearing material choice. I don't know any of the "experts" who spoke up on tech, but most of what I read sounded like second-hand knowledge.

In the meantime, I have a cam with .621" lift. I don't know the specs on the Manley valve springs, but I'm certain they are spec'd to handle the cam (I do know the retainers are titanium). There didn't appear to be a problem with the stock rockers having sufficient travel, and the lift the trunnion upgrade can handle isn't listed.

So, do I go ahead and fire up my engine, or do the trunnion upgrade first? Regardless, I will be running an AMSOIL racing oil with high ZDDP after using their break-in oil.

cam-

Tooley is solid for sure, very knowledgeable man and willing to help out those with questions. Valve springs are always best when new, the serious guys round here change em every season so me thinks you've done a wise move to step up there for new ones.

What did he have to say about the trunions? Does Tooley use them?

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

I havent heard back from Tooley actually. I might just call him. I was PM'ing him on tech, but perhaps thats not the best way to get him.

I didnt ask him about the trunnion upgrade, but Ill ask him.

I really need him to confirm a couple things, so I have a target for how much I have to save up haha. I need to sell the LS1 block, pistons, old valve springs/lifters/guides... and some other odds and ends to help with the last parts. Was hoping I could find a buyer for the block, and it would take care of my spring kit and injectors.

J.

cam-

Busiest time of the year for the racing scene

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

I love Fred Beans

J.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

So, I heard back from Tooley. Def dont want to re-use my old stuff at this point.

He mentioned that tool steel retainers would probably work, but if I had aftermarket valves to def use Ti. I asked him to clarify, since Im only ASSuming that my 2.02 intake valves are from a stock application.

Anyway, I weight my current retainers, and this is what they come in at.



Now, the comparison is with all the various new retainers out there, which tooley provides weights for on his site. They are:

My Current Reatiners (unknown brand): 12.6 g

Tooley Steel: 13.7 g
Tooley Ti: 8.5 g

PRC Steel: 13.8 g
PRC Ti: 9.4 g

So, Im still going to wait for him to get back to me, but since I was already running a retainer that is only slightly lighter than his tool steel retainers, Im almost thinking there wouldnt be any reason I couldnt run the tool steel. But, Ive already conceded to buying a full set vs the $140 springs...so I might just push to sell a few things and get the Ti set.

I started cleaning up old pistons, got my head gaskets obviously, and think I might get to do a few more things on Father's day. Not sure, and it wont be anything major I dont think.

J.

P.S...Just figured Ide post the weights for anyone that might be curious. Im not even sure the weight would make any difference for my application and what Im doing with the car. But...since I had the info, might as well put it somewhere other than a post it note haha.

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

And, what he said about the trunnions was...

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Haha still waiting to hear back from my last message to him. He told me things were pretty busy. Its ok...Im patient. Ive been patient this long.

When I hear from him Ill be sure to pass it along!

J.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Couple of clean up questions...

Valves, Should I lap them or not bother? All the seats and valves had a nice shiney line all the way around. I planned to do the liquid test, but figured Ide check to see if anyone had any opinions on doing a quick lapping on them.

Cam assembly lube. Right now its got Permatex Ultra Sticky on it. Is that good enough? Seem a few folks lately lathering the cam in white lithium grease. Also seen them packing the oil pump with it as well. Thoughts?

Sunday Im heading back over to do some more work. Probably going to install the new cam retainer plate, and if I need to re-coat the cam Ill do that too. Gonna finish installing the oil/coolant plugs. And Im hoping to get some of the painting done. Covers, brackets, etc.

J.

cam-

If the valves hold gasoline or varsol for a few mins without seepage they are fine. Lapping valves by hand especially with this super hard seats nowadays is a tedious and painfully long process but if they do leak at all, you should definitely lap them. Lots of youtube how tos out there.

As for cam assembly lube? Well I did one with engine oil and it worked fine but usually I use cam assembly lube and a dollup of grease under the rocker arm tips/tops of the valves prior to assembly.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

I ordered my springs this morning. Sold a few left over LS1 items and got the money I needed. So they're on their way!! Now to sell the old LS1 block...

Got a couple hours to tinker yetserday. I wanted to pull the cam, clean it better and re-lub it before the final install. So thats what I did. Scrubbed it, and gobbed more lube on it, and ran it back in.





Then installed the new cam retainer and matching tapered bolts. Its the new style.



Also installed the new side mail bolts, new oil/coolant block plugs, and the cam/crank position sensors.





After that I stripped the oil pump and checked the valve, spring, shims, etc. Oiled it all and put it back together. Installed the pump, windage tray, and pick up.





And just before it rained, I got some primer and paint on some of the parts that will be "semi-gloss" on the motor. Im starting to wish I went flat black... So I might scuff and hit them with flat later. Want to see how they cure, and see what they look like next to the block. VCs/valey cover/front cover will be black. All brackets and accessories will be cast alum. Which Im also not sure if I like...







Im not sure I really want to put too much time into being picky about paint. You wont see most of the black parts. And even the brackets are pretty hidden. I just wanted to clean things up. Gonna get road grime and dirt all over it anyway haha.

If my springs come in this week (heard shipping was fast), I might actually take some time friday and get my heads assembled and INSTALLED. Im going to do a tiny bit more cleaning on the back side of the valves. Check the seal..lap if needed. I also have to put the block on the hoist so I can install the back cover, then get it back on the stand to finish it off. So maybe Ill do that before the head install.

Gettin there!!

J.

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

But still nothing on the trunnion upgrade...

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Haha I don't know what to tell ya. I asked, and never got a response. I can bug him one more time, but if he doesn't answer, youre out of luck

These came today tho... Second biggest expense for this build getting beated by the cam only slightly. Not counting the initial motor purchase haha.





Couple weights for giggles.







The retainers are scary light when you hold them.

Springs look great. Almost hate to hide them.

They're going in either July 4th or 5th. Ill be working on it both days. Hoping to have the heads on, rear cover on, front cover on, pan on, everything painted, and maybe the FAST ported. That might be a bit ambitious.

J.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Straight from the man himself...

"They're basically just an insurance policy, as I've never had a stock trunnion fail. Most of the guys who have stock trunnions fail are running valve trains that are completely out of control.

The Summit kit has bigger snap rings that I doubt would ever break. I would bet the guys who had the smaller Comp snap rings break didn't have the bearing all the way in and the bearing/rocker was contacting the snap ring."

So...Im leaving the stock parts in haha. I dont think my valve train is anywhere near "out of control" at this point.

J.

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

Interesting. Not often you see factory rockers praised.