After 4 years of spraying nitrous to my completely stock shortblock(virgin bore,cast pistons 22 dish, stock 5.565 rod, stock 3.75 crank, 9-1 compression) the bearings are shot.
It chewed the crank bad enough that I can't reuse it. It just started to mark the rod bearings.
So a buddy of mine is giving me his stock rotating assembly from his 400, (exactly same as mine)

I was going to put new bearings and rings and giver again for 1 more year. I also have ARP main studs to help with some more strength. I also have the 330817 2 bolt block.

Then in the fall of 2015, I will have saved enough money to get a SHP block and go 421sbc with all forged internals.

So, my question is should I align hone before I putting the rotating assembly back in?
Should I get some 5.7 rods and new (hyper) flat top pistons or is this a waste of money for 1 more point of compression and slighty better rod?
Would I have to balance that new rotating assembly?
New pistons are $240 from summit and give me 10.5 compression. I could probably get some 5.7 rods for free

Thoughts?

 

NOS on stock internals ALWAYS makes a nice BOOM! to run it you need forged internals,a balance & blueprint. as for the pistons from summit, if they are cast, they wont take it. unless the NOS is something rediculas .like a 50 shot. I assume you go bigger.

 

For the last 2 years I have been spraying a 125 shot.
The engine didn't go boom, just a knock, lol.

 

man,,, jesus must love you! usually, a 100 shot makes shrapnel. the fact is this .cast aint gonna last. you endanger everybody at the track around you trying to go big with stock stuff. but hey, its your game.

 

This unfounded conclusion can only come from the experiences of people who have no understanding of nitrous, what to do, what not to do, and how to tune for it. I've been running 150 shots on stock bottoms since 2002 and haven't hurt one yet. I've worn out engines, but no outright failures with nitrous.

 

Agreed.

I had personally seen guys at my track spray 200hp on a stock engine just with a hyper piston change!

SO, back to my original question!
Should I align hone before I putting the rotating assembly back in?
Should I get some 5.7 rods and new (hyper) flat top pistons or is this a waste of money for 1 more point of compression and slightly better rod?
Would I have to balance that new rotating assembly?
New pistons are $240 from summit and give me 10.5 compression. I could probably get some 5.7 rods for free

 

Since you say you'll be going with an all new motor a year from now, I wouldn't mess with any of it. Just drop that rotating assembly in with new bearings, checking all clearances of course. If his crank is straight, the mains will hang in there just as well as they have till now.
Don't use the main studs unless you do decide to align hone.

 

Thats what i am thinking. Throw it in and run it for the year. Get by until 2015, put all your money into that build

 

With any GM block that has been through many heat cycles its best to line hone if your rebuilding and more so if adding a stud kit.

400 blocks required the rear seal area to be line bored and you need a 2909 Felpro seal.

 

It's about $150 for an align hone.

So is it better to go with main bolts or get an alignment and use the studs?

 

Of course it's better to use the studs and have the mains line honed, BUT if your building bigger/better in a year for sure, then why waste any money on this one.

Drop it in and go, put the amount you saved into a savings fund for the new engine build.

 

Thanks for the info guys.

Another question?
What grit number should I use for a hone stone?
240?

 

I ran a 125 shot on my 400 bottom end with no issues. stock crank and rods with forged pistons.