Does anyone know what the general procedure is for balancing and blueprinting an engine assembly? Can it be done simply my carefully weighing, for example, all the puchrods, or all the rockers, and ensuring that they're all within a few grams of each other? Or do you need a professional to do this procedure? I am only looking to upgrade at this time, BTW, a L98 engine in terms of heads, valves, pushrods, rockers, cam, headers, and EFI intake, like MiniRam II. Any info would be helpful - thanks.

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1997 30th Anniversary SS LT4 #74 with K&N, white gage faces, and Hotchkis shock tower brace - SLP SBC's on the way
1996 Corvette Grand Sport LT4 #509 with K&N, Flowmaster exhaust, Hypertech power programmer, and Baer slotted/cross-drilled brakes - on the way: SLP throttle body and 1-3/4" headers, heads ported, 4.10 gears, custom Panasonic/Alpine/Audio Control audio system
2000 Chevy TrailBlazer

 

you need a machine shop to balance the crank, damper, flex plate/fly wheel, and rods all require expensive fixtures and machines. lot of parts could be balanced on a scale.

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ICON Motorsports

1st & 3rd

 

Balancing is done by an engine machine shop. They weigh the rotating assembly parts and adjust the weight to the lightest part (rods, pistons etc). The crank is then spun with balance weights the same as the rods/pistons and balanced to accomidate those weights.

Blueprinting is building the engine as close to perfect specs as possible. The factory specs give a +/- tolerance. Lets say you were gaping rings. The spec says .030" +/- .005. You would gap them all at .030". No more, no less. Do that to each spec in the engine and it's blueprinted.

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Follow my racing progress on Stephen's racing page
and check out the race car

87 IROC-Z Pro ET Bracket Race Car
383 stroker (carbed) with double hump cast iron heads and pump gas
461 Big Block installed and ready for the 2001 racing season

Best results before the 383 blew up
Best ET on a time slip: 11.857 altitude corrected to 11.163
Best MPH on a time slip: 117.87 altitude corrected to 126.10
Altitude corrected rear wheel HP based on power to weight ratio: 476.5
Best 60 foot: 1.662

Racing at 3500 feet elevation but most race days it's over 5000 feet density altitude!
Member of the Calgary Drag Racing Association

87 IROC bracket car, 91 454SS daily driver, 95 Homebuilt Harley

 

There is alot to Blancing that You can Do yourself.


get yourself a Small, accurate scale a Small Drill, and Get to work.


Might as well get out hte Dremel and some tootsie rolls and Beam Polish the rods as well




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60 Ranchero - Project ( Money Hole )
85 Sport Coupe LG4 - Daily Driver

Just another Hot Rod kid, or thats what they all tell me.
Livin' the Stereotype

 

Sounds great and thanks for all your help - I think I'll try doing what I can myself first.


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1997 30th Anniversary SS LT4 #74 with K&N, white gage faces, and Hotchkis shock tower brace - SLP SBC's on the way
1996 Corvette Grand Sport LT4 #509 with K&N, Flowmaster exhaust, Hypertech power programmer, and Baer slotted/cross-drilled brakes - on the way: SLP throttle body and 1-3/4" headers, heads ported, 4.10 gears, custom Panasonic/Alpine/Audio Control audio system
2000 Chevy TrailBlazer

 

Do some research first on balancing before you attempt to do it. Rods and pistons need to have material removed from specific areas only or you could ruin your parts.

You can at least polish the rod beams. Leave the bosses on the ends. That's what affects the balance.