My L98 runs pretty good, it has 315,xxx km on it so it's not exactly new. I know it has an oil leak and the valves tick on the passenger side. I am putting in a new diff this summer and doing some other things but in the winter I would like to rebuild the engine without having to win the lottery! Is it best to start with a top end or bottom end rebuild? Where should I start, should the block be remachined, what is a half decent rebuild going to run me?

Thanks

Chris

 

There are lots of opinions out there but with that kind of mileage it doesn't make sense to just do the top or bottom end. I'd just drive it, in the mean time save your coins until you can do the whole sha-bang-a-bang.

It sounds like you just want to do a basic rebuild, yes?

 

what he said... no way i'd just do one or the other with that mileage...

 

I believe the slang term is "welfare" rebuild lol. It means using a ball hone on the cylinder walls, new piston rings, new rod bearings, new main bearings, and maybe replacing the valve seals.

Personally, do it right, or at least better than that lol. Mine has 244,000 now and I hope to make it to 315,000!!! Damn dude, major congrats on that!

If I needed to save money but still do it right, I would:

Disassemble the entire engine down to the bare block.
Have a machine shop check/deck the heads if needed and check out all my valves, a couple might need replacing. Also replace all valve seals and do a hot-tank on the heads. I would pop for new valve springs too, LB9 springs tend to float at a hella low RPM lol.
I would drag the engine block to the machine shop to just for a hot-tank and a once over. If anything, have them replace the cam bearings and use a proper machine hone. The hone will last MUCH longer vs. a ball hone on a drill and will be 100% square with the block and remove imperfections.
Of course new rings & bearings. I would also drag all of my intake components and anything else to the machine shop just to be hot-tanked.

Then bring it all home, buy all of the needed seals and gaskets, mask off and paint the block/heads, and go to town on re-assembly. I would replace the oil pump while I was at it too.

Good luck!!! If you want to do it proper, replace the lifters, rocker arms, and cam too. I won't even get into the sensors and electronics. I've replaced EVERYTHING on my engine at least 2 times so I know what's good and what needs replacing.

Oh and price wise, I'd say $800-$1100 for the machine shop and mechanical parts.

Alex

 

At 315K I would not advise anything other than a total rebuild. You won't know for sure what it needs until you get it apart. I'd run it as-is for as long as it runs well.

 

Shortblock it and have the heads done, Keep the original block and build a 383 out of it.

 

Try to find a used TPI engine locally that is in decent shape. Start buying your parts until you piece up everything needed to do the rebuild. Then work on your engine at your leisure. I wouldn't have machine work done until you are ready to put those parts together though. Once your finished, it will only take a weekend to swap your engine out. In the meantime, keep juicing your current engine like an orange. Get every last drop.

 

Doesn't need a TPI engine.
Can use any 350 and rebuild it to suit the intake

QUOTE=BOSS HOGG LOU;5611418]that is in decent shape. Start buying your parts until you piece up everything needed to do the rebuild. [/QUOTE]

If you are planning a " full " rebuild why would you pay extra for a engine in decent shape then replace all the parts ?
You buy any 350 that has proof it is not cracked and has bores that can be rebored for the cheapest price

 

You really do need to do a complete rebuild. If you work on the bottom end, it'll break things in the top end and vice versa. Plus, you'll find a whole lot of OTHER things that start having issues. Take it from someone who spent 10 years restoring theirs, every time you fix one thing on a car that old, 2 other things break! lol

 

NO DOUBT EH! I have only been working on mine for just over a year, but **** one thing gets fixed and two more things go,like last year fixed my exhaust and put headers on and my 9 bolt blew up! Thanks for all the great responses guy's! I am going to try and maybe save a couple grand and throw in a new crate motor