Meissen's LT1 Rebuild Thread

[sman]

Thanks for filling us in ang, I was getting antsy.

[Phantom409]

Any updates??

[1BADAIR]

B. Hopefully I will get cable back tonight then I will send some info for the machine shop we use

[meissen]

I'll post pictures and then text...

[my95z28]

I mean, I just, I don't even know what to say B. This sucks big time man. Im sorry for your loss.

[bigjon88]

man we did some good work b and larry and craig!!

[meissen]

Alright - so we started working at 10am and finished about 11:30pm. We only stopped for dinner, otherwise we just kept going. We had the engine out by 5 or 6. Then we tore down the block with a lot of messing around and fussing with the engine stand and cherry picker. We also made a freaking mess with the coolant and oil all over the place. Had to lay cardboard down when we were done because the floor is so slick.

But anyway, the damage... we only pulled three of the main bearings to check them and you could smell a "burnt" smell as soon as you cracked each bolt loose. All of the ones we checked were either really damn worn or spun.

So, looks like we're going to have the cylinder walls bored out, new pistons, new rings, new rods, maybe new crank or atleast machined, new bearings, etc. Thankfully the cam looks pretty good from what we could see from the bottom end. But yeah, chunks of metal from the bearings, metal shaving/dust all over in the oil pan... it's toast.

[WMCC Doug]

ouch !!!!!!

[WMCC Doug]

So, looks like we're going to have the cylinder walls bored out, new pistons, new rings, new rods, maybe new crank or at least machined, new bearings, etc. Thankfully the cam looks pretty good from what we could see from the bottom end.

Brian, sounds like you have a pretty good plan laid out there. However, I would question using the same cam. Not so much because of the cam itself, but the rest of the valve train. I spent nearly 30 years working at the GM/Delphi plant that makes those valve lifters. They have extremely tight tolerances internally (just a few microns) and won't take well to any type of contamination. Further, they have needle bearings at the roller, another place where metal particles would not do any good. Just replacing the lifters and putting new roller lifters on a used cam may not be the best policy either, as a wear pattern has already been established.

Did you upgrade to performance rocker arms too? They also rock on needle bearings. The oil pumps through the valve lifters, up through the push rods and out onto the rockers, making them vulnerable to the metal particle contamination as well. Especially damaging to these parts are the metal particles you can't see (of the micron size).

I would have your engine builder take a look at the rods. You may be able to reuse them. The rod bearings will get replaced anyway, and if you bore the block, you'll get new pistons and piston pins. If the new pins fit the old rods within tolerance, they should be reusable. The area of piston pin and rod connection is not nearly as fussy a place as the valve train stuff I mentioned above.

Don't forget to check the cam bearings too.

Good luck and keep us posted (I know you will. LOL)

[meissen]

Well, we're going to be soaking everything in mineral spirits for awhile to try and clean them out but the cam looks pretty good and with only 100 miles on it it's hard for me to throw that money away... The top end looks great, it's just the bottom end that's all effed up.

Dunno, we'll see - all depends on what we find when we start taking it down to the bare block.



I forgot to mention - on a positive note the burr that was in the driveshaft was gone and now I finally knew what y'all were saying about the driveshaft moving freely in and out of the tailshaft of the trans.

[s.reef]

man that sucks brian, you thinking of going 355?

[81DaytonaPaceCar]

I just kept scrolling down and every pic brought on another little wince of pain...

[ICEPICK]

thats all i can say. hope it all comes together for you and at a desenct price, but that is just sickining

[meissen]

man that sucks brian, you thinking of going 355?

Either 355 or 383. Pretty much has to be bored to a 355 either way.

I just kept scrolling down and every pic brought on another little wince of pain...

Yeah... what sucks the most is I have no one to blame but myself for it.

[DETROITMUSCLE]

this is making me sick, between your car and Ricky's and then Spencer saying his lifters may be bad I am scared to get my car out and running this week. Don't worry though Brian you and angie will just have to put some miles on her bird this year, now go take a few days off and relax with a cold one.