Hey all,

I picked up 88-WS6's GTA. Only major thing wrong as far as I can tell with it is the rod knock. I managed to get a look at the bottom end and was able to get ahold of a few of the rods. Number one is knocking, don't know if there are more. But I just want to do a factory rebuild assuming I don't find any severe problems in the bore. I AM NOT building a monster here, that is what my 84 TA is for as the 84 is in some ways more built up than the GTA. If I have to have it bored 30 over to correct something then so be it, but I am going for a stock 350 rebuild here.

As far as I know most of the stuff you can reuse. The top end seems solid. I know most of the time people rebuild the bottom end and then the top end blows up. But what the hell, the motor only has 87K on it. I may get away with it. For now this is what my possible shopping list is, I'm running on the assumption that the crank and rods are screwed. However, the crank might just need to be turned and get the proper bearing size, and the rods might need to be trued and proper bearings bought.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ESP-5700BPLW/
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/FEM-CSMHP761-000/
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ESP-103523480/

Naturally, if I find bad injectors or whatever else that might be gone I will replace that as well. Do I have just about everything right there? Or is something missing?

 

Hey guys, I have a rebuild kit, and a crank on the way, the crank was totally gone, rods surprisingly were saveable. But that surprise leaves me with a lil ummm possible fun money.

SCRATCH THAT. Just did a search on the issue and found the 1.6s will work. Now what about springs? Not looking to do much machine work at all, just want some cheap bolt on upgrades while I'm in the motor. This motor is a stock rebuild otherwise. Just doing some insurance work on the top side and if I can find a few cheap easy upgrades I might as well do them.

 

My L98 has 190+k miles and It's Never been rebuilt. Fires right up Everytime but I think once it hits 200k I'll open her up and replace bearings and gaskets. Hopefully I can reuse the crank, cam, heads, Rods & pistons.

 

yeah only reason why I'm rebuilding it is because of the rod knock. I'm gonna replace the pistons only because you get them with the rebuild kit. As for the top end, I'm just gonna swap in 1.6 roller tip rockers because I already have the factory ones just about out. (I know its a poor mans swap and not the best move but I'm not after serious power with this, the 84 is getting the monster power). The motor only had 87K on it so I think the top end has some life left in it.

 

you do have to remember that that particular car has had some Auto X time. so that probably didn't help with the rod knock. If the knock is attributed to only a bearing issue than you can get away with new rings, bearings, and gaskets and she should be fine. I was considering buying that car but I had a really hard time spending that money on a car that needed an engine rebuild and paint work. In retrospect even though I am extremely happy with my car, I should have done it and I would have had a L98 car instead of a LB9 car but it wouldn't be as pretty. If it just needed a motor, or it just needed paint It would have been easier for me to make the buy

 

Yeah I knew full well it was autocrossed. I was in it for the practice really. I went to school for automotive restoration, decided what the hell. I'll make a lil money but I won't be winning the lottery. I'll do the top end when it shows signs of a problem. The machinist looked over the bores and crank and said bores and rods were good. Crank was toast. Told me rebuild it and check my clearances and I'm good to go. The car was rot free too. I figured worst came to worst I'd sell the parts off. Keep some for my own project and sell off the rest. Maybe a quick Maaco respray with my prep work and I'll flip it in a year or two. Most of the paint issues are limited to the clear and even then on the top side surfaces.

Anyway, the motor had no spun bearings, no stacked bearings, rod bearings only showed typical wear, the main bearings were where the problem was, mainly on the front 2 main bearings. I think myself and Matt (the PO) got a lil lucky because it may have been in the beginning stages of what would have led to total destruction. I was gunning for Saturday meet to have it there but it took me a bit of time to get it out of the car. I have time to work on it but my schedule is screwy.

 

I'm swapping out the 1.5 stock rockers for 1.6 stamped roller tips. I already had some hence asking. I checked them with the valve cover vs the stock ones, there should be no interference even with the bracing inside. They're not self aligning but the stock ones I pulled off dont seem to be either. I know its not as good as full rollers but the increase in power if any is in the increased lift of the 1.6s. I'm keeping the rest of the motor stock. Not doing cam or anything else. No sense in doing so. Everything I've read on here seems to indicate other than the possibility of having to file the guide holes out, they work on a bone stock motor. IMO since I already had them, I figured what the hell, a possible 15 horses out of it is a possible 15 horses, though I'll likely only see a 5 horse increase.

I double checked, seems they could be self aligning rockers stock but if you have rollertips or full rollers how do they align if they're self aligning, is there a major issue with swapping for non self aligning rockers on a self aligning setup?

 

damn you GM for changing everything!!! Well it makes sense, I guess the roller tips I have are out. Unless I want to have machine work done to the heads and guide plates installed, I don't know why I even bother asking. The stock ones are self aligning, I found the bumps that show where it seats and keeps it aligned. So, unless I can use non self aligning rockers on L98 heads the roller tipped ones are going back into the parts bin for another project.

 

I installed Comp Magnum 1.6 ratio roller tip rockers on mine and haven't had any issues. Not sure if there self aligning or not, machine shop told me I didn't need guide plates or anything nor did I have to file the guide holes out. After 400 miles I pulled the valve cover to double check everything and the pushrods are fine and everything looks good. This is on a 89 L-98 btw... hope that helps. Not sure if mine are self aligning or not either.

 

I didn't see if you planned on changing the cam or not. I would inspect it closely as my vortec had a rod knock that ruined the crank as well. Well all those metal filing have to go somewhere and that is the cam bearings. The cam and cam bearings were waisted on my block and needed to be replaced.

 

I left it in there, but now that you mentioned that..... I'll pull that too and see how it looks. If I pull it I may just have the new ones put in. maybe freeze plugs too. Hell..... Might as well. If I do wind up swapping the cam is there a cheap upgrade for the L98 cam?

Anyway, yeah the issue of non self aligning rockers on a motor that had self aligning rockers seems to be a confusing and controversial subject. If I can use the rockers without doing any work that would be awesome. I've heard of people just swapping them out and running good with just a lil file work or nothing. And I've heard of people being adamant that it had to be self aligning for self aligning and same for non aligning ones; and if you had to switch it requires parts and machine work.... No sure fire clean answer to that, it seems the heads have oval holes for the pushrods so I may be able to just run them....

 

LilSki, you saved my *** by mentioning that. I decided to take you up on that advice and pulled the cam, it looked like my crank and mains. They're done. Now what would be a good cam upgrade to run with the stock springs and heads? I'm talking cheap, I'm not building a race motor out of this thing, that is for the 84. This one is just getting rebuilt. But if I can get a better cam and keep my pushrods, and springs, (I have yet to know if I can run the 1.6 roller tip rockers since they're non self aligning and the factory ones were self aligning) I'll do it. I'll change the springs if I have to but don't want to go overboard, stock intake is staying because I"m not springing a grand just for intake and runners.

 

Comp cam ?

 

reading around says the LT1 cam is a good improvement and doesn't need any tuning or spring changes etc can even run the factory 1.5s and get .480 lift. Which is just about maxed out, only problem is where can I find one for the standard distributor setup?

 

How about this cam in place of the factory one? Seems I could just do the cam swap and keep the valvetrain. Maybe replace the springs at 60 bucks for the set and thats it.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/CCA-08-535-8/

Or This one

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/CCA-08-530-8/

 

I have a set of roller rockers off a vortech engine if you want them for a small fee. hell i'll give you the springs rockers, lifters and a LT1 cam modified for SBC duties or a vortech 350 cam for a good price. PM me here or on njfboa user name: greenformula92 if your interested

 

LT1 cams have the distributer gear on them like all other first gen. cams. They also have the fuel pump lobe as well.

 

Sending you a PM on NJFBOA now....