finch13
Well-Known Member
Hey guys, long time, no post!
I picked this little guy up from a friend's dad about 3 weeks ago. 1999 Chevy Silverado 1500 4x4 Z71 regular cab/short box with the little 4.8L V8 in it. Tons of fun to drive around in the snow; definitely nice not to have to put transmissions in my trunk to haul them anymore. She's just shy of 150k on the clock, but well maintained and the interior/exterior is spotless. Surprisingly peppy for the miles, I even towed 5,000 lbs the other week with no problem.
Current Mods:
Line-X Bedliner
20x9.5 Enkei RT-6 wheels
295/50/R20 Yokohama Parada Spec tires
04-07 17x7.5 Silverado wheels
265/70/R17 TreadWright Sentinel A/T tires
Pacesetter long tube headers
Pacesetter off-road Y-pipe
Magnaflow split-dual exhaust
AEM Brute Force intake
Engine Build:
2004 LM7 3.780" bore block, decked .005" for flatness
Crankshaft Supply machined crank (.010" removed from all journals)
Silv-o-lite coated hypereutectic 4.8L flat top pistons
Cylinder heads milled .010", enlarged intake/exhaust bowls, 3 angle valve job, 2.02" intake valves installed
CompCams 54-456-11 LSr Cam 219º/227º .607"/.614"
PAC Racing 1518 valve springs
CompCams retainers & locks
Harland Sharp aluminum 1.7: roller rockers
Cloyes Race Billet keyway adjustable double roller timing chain set
ARP head studs
ARP main studs
ARP cam bolt kit
ARP rod bolts
Delphi 42# injectors (440cc/min)
GM new stock oil pump
Pacesetter ARMOR Coat long tube headers [installed]
Pacesetter Off-road Y-pipe (no cats) [installed]
Magnaflow dual 2.5" exhaust [installed]
Using DesktopDyno 2003, this setup is looking to put down 457 HP/ 467 TQ, hoping for 365/373 to the wheels with 20% drivetrain loss
Stock numbers at the crank for the 4.8L are 255 HP/ 285 TQ and the 5.3L are 270 HP/315 TQ, so we're looking at some serious gains.
________________________________________
2/15/11 Update
Picked up the block yesterday morning, had it torn down before noon. Took the block, heads, mains, and pistons over to the diesel shop to use their awesome parts washer.
Apparently the engine I picked up was run out of oil; every single bearing was garbage. Scoring on every single crank journal, cam is ****ed. Oh well, a new crank is only $210.
I'll be dropping off the block and heads at my machinist friend's shop tomorrow. He'll be honing the bores and resurfacing the deck as well as pressure checking, milling and doing a valve job on my heads.
Here's the 5.3L beast:
Getting ready to pull the bottom end apart:
________________________________________
2/16/11 Update
My machinist tells me the block is not worth using. The thrust bearing appears to have spun multiple times before the tang locked to the block again. The damage is not very noticeable, no groove or anything, but the thrust bore surface does not match the honing of the other 4 mains. I'll talk to the guy I bought the engine from tomorrow and see about picking up one of the others he has or I'll just buy one from the salvage if I have to.
________________________________________
2/17/11 Update
My instructor offered to let me use one of the schools 5.3L for parts as long as I gave him a complete engine back. Instead of a junk '99 block I grabbed an '04 block, heads, intake (without egr), lifters and rockers. We started teardown at 8 AM this morning. 4 hours later we had a bare block and heads in the back of the truck and a complete 5.3L rolling back into the classroom. The other students jaws dropped. My machinist was surprised I was back the very next day with a new block and heads. He'll be checking them over within the next week or so and letting me know what condition they're in.
________________________________________
3/5/11 Update
I order the new exhaust up since one of my pipes broke yesterday; should be here within a week. I also heard back from the machine shop last week that the heads and block checked out. This week he started milling .015" off the heads, opening up the intake and exhaust bowls, doing a 3 angle valve job, and installing larger 2.02" intake valves to the tune of $860. Next week I'll be bringing the block to a different machinist I know who is going to overbore the cylinders 0.118" (read: huge) to 3.898" so I can throw in some -1cc domed Mahle forged pistons. The new displacement will be 5.7 liters with a compression ratio of 11.47:1.
Over the last few weeks the engine build has turned into an iron LS1 build, the new estimated numbers are 457 hp and 467 ft. lbs. at the crank. Stay tuned.
________________________________________
3/14/11 Update
As you can see I keep changing my mind about the build. The "Iron LS1" wasn't a very practical or reliable option, plus it was going to be at least another grand for a measly 20-30 hp. I've scrapped that idea and we're now replacing the -5cc dished OEM pistons for flat top OEM 4.8L/5.3L HO pistons. This will drop the compression ratio down to ~10.66:1, which I'm hoping (and very likely) Nelson Performance will be able to tune for 87 octane fuel.
As of today, I've installed the complete exhaust system. The muffler shop glasspack dual exhaust finally rusted all the way through last week and one of the tailpipes drooped down redneck style. The pistons are ordered and will be fitted to the block this week; I'm still waiting on pricing for my CompCams parts which I'll know tomorrow morning. I'm hoping to have a finished short block in the next few weeks so I can degree the camshaft and double check piston to valve clearances before I go ahead and do the final assembly.
________________________________________
3/17/11 Update
The build has slowed down a bit. We've had a hard time finding some 4.8/5.3HO flat top pistons to use since a lot are on backorder. I just got most of my valvetrain parts today, the camshaft and timing chain should be here later this week. After that I just need to order my ARP fasteners and buy all the gaskets.
The exhaust sounds pretty sweet. I can barely hear it on the highway, but if I get on the gas I can barely hear anything. Just need to finish this engine so the bite can match the bark.
Pacesetter long tube header
Headers and Y-pipe
Magnaflow exhaust
The front U-joint on the front drive shaft is about 1/2" away from the collector...
Comp stuff that came today
________________________________________
3/23/11 Update
I was sent valve spring retainers for a small block Ford, they're sending me the correct ones tomorrow. I also returned the CompCams timing chain set as it wasn't a double roller. The new Cloyes chain (CompCams supplier) is a billet double roller. More benefits, less money. And after reading horror stories about the 26918 valve springs breaking and dropping valves, I opted to send those back as well. They say that the problem has been corrected, but I'm not about to risk an engine over some springs. I'll now be running some PAC Racing beehive springs. PAC was the original supplier for the Comp 918 springs before Comp switched to a Mexican supplier. The PAC springs I bought are a beefier version of the 918 that can handle .025" more lift... they're also $200 more
________________________________________
3/24/11 Update
ARP bolts and cam break-in lube came today; gaskets, thermostat, and spark plugs will be here tomorrow. Still waiting on pistons, valve retainers, valve springs, cold air intake, and timing chain set. I'll start short block assembly on monday and check main journal clearances while I wait for the pistons to come in. Then, once the engine is nearly complete, I'll order the new programmed PCM and 440cc injectors from Nelson Performance. If everything goes as planned, I'll be throwing this bad boy in my truck 2 weeks from now.
In the meantime, this is what $620 worth of bolts looks like:
And the little 4.8L is still pulling strong!
________________________________________
4/6/11 Update
Crank and cam are in; bearing clearances are right where I want them at .002" inch and consistent. Pistons came in and fit them onto the connecting rods. I had to order Napa's last set of Speed Pro piston rings from one of their Phoenix stores, they showed up this afternoon. Tomorrow I'll put them in and put the timing chain on. The new valve springs showed up at the machine shop, but I'm still waiting on valve spring retainers from my ****ty wholesaler, which will probably be middle of next week. Once I get the heads back I'll degree the cam and check valve clearances. After that, I'll order my injectors and PCM (tune) while I do the final assembly. I hope to have the engine completely assembled by the 18th, have it installed by the 21. If it runs halfway decent, I'm going to dyno it on the 23rd at our local shop's Boost for Boobies event. That probably won't happen, but I'll dyno it the following weekend if things are looking good.
Crank nice and snug in the mains:
ARP main studs look pretty sweet:
Box o' pistons:
Assembling some pistons:
One hypereutectic piston with a Teflon coated skirt with connecting rod installed on the wrist pin:
Box o' complete piston/con rod assemblies:
________________________________________
4/8/11 Update
Pistons are in!
Small gouge on the rod journal between #7 and #8. It was mostly under the surface, but I did have to use a polishing stone to make sure it wouldn't eat the bearing.
Driver's side bank of cylinders. So shiny!
Pretty impressed with the quality of these pistons!
Rod bolt pron:
Assembled bottom end
I picked this little guy up from a friend's dad about 3 weeks ago. 1999 Chevy Silverado 1500 4x4 Z71 regular cab/short box with the little 4.8L V8 in it. Tons of fun to drive around in the snow; definitely nice not to have to put transmissions in my trunk to haul them anymore. She's just shy of 150k on the clock, but well maintained and the interior/exterior is spotless. Surprisingly peppy for the miles, I even towed 5,000 lbs the other week with no problem.
Current Mods:
Line-X Bedliner
20x9.5 Enkei RT-6 wheels
295/50/R20 Yokohama Parada Spec tires
04-07 17x7.5 Silverado wheels
265/70/R17 TreadWright Sentinel A/T tires
Pacesetter long tube headers
Pacesetter off-road Y-pipe
Magnaflow split-dual exhaust
AEM Brute Force intake
Engine Build:
2004 LM7 3.780" bore block, decked .005" for flatness
Crankshaft Supply machined crank (.010" removed from all journals)
Silv-o-lite coated hypereutectic 4.8L flat top pistons
Cylinder heads milled .010", enlarged intake/exhaust bowls, 3 angle valve job, 2.02" intake valves installed
CompCams 54-456-11 LSr Cam 219º/227º .607"/.614"
PAC Racing 1518 valve springs
CompCams retainers & locks
Harland Sharp aluminum 1.7: roller rockers
Cloyes Race Billet keyway adjustable double roller timing chain set
ARP head studs
ARP main studs
ARP cam bolt kit
ARP rod bolts
Delphi 42# injectors (440cc/min)
GM new stock oil pump
Pacesetter ARMOR Coat long tube headers [installed]
Pacesetter Off-road Y-pipe (no cats) [installed]
Magnaflow dual 2.5" exhaust [installed]
Using DesktopDyno 2003, this setup is looking to put down 457 HP/ 467 TQ, hoping for 365/373 to the wheels with 20% drivetrain loss
Stock numbers at the crank for the 4.8L are 255 HP/ 285 TQ and the 5.3L are 270 HP/315 TQ, so we're looking at some serious gains.________________________________________
2/15/11 Update
Picked up the block yesterday morning, had it torn down before noon. Took the block, heads, mains, and pistons over to the diesel shop to use their awesome parts washer.
Apparently the engine I picked up was run out of oil; every single bearing was garbage. Scoring on every single crank journal, cam is ****ed. Oh well, a new crank is only $210.
I'll be dropping off the block and heads at my machinist friend's shop tomorrow. He'll be honing the bores and resurfacing the deck as well as pressure checking, milling and doing a valve job on my heads.
Here's the 5.3L beast:
Getting ready to pull the bottom end apart:
________________________________________
2/16/11 Update
My machinist tells me the block is not worth using. The thrust bearing appears to have spun multiple times before the tang locked to the block again. The damage is not very noticeable, no groove or anything, but the thrust bore surface does not match the honing of the other 4 mains. I'll talk to the guy I bought the engine from tomorrow and see about picking up one of the others he has or I'll just buy one from the salvage if I have to.
________________________________________
2/17/11 Update
My instructor offered to let me use one of the schools 5.3L for parts as long as I gave him a complete engine back. Instead of a junk '99 block I grabbed an '04 block, heads, intake (without egr), lifters and rockers. We started teardown at 8 AM this morning. 4 hours later we had a bare block and heads in the back of the truck and a complete 5.3L rolling back into the classroom. The other students jaws dropped. My machinist was surprised I was back the very next day with a new block and heads. He'll be checking them over within the next week or so and letting me know what condition they're in.
________________________________________
3/5/11 Update
I order the new exhaust up since one of my pipes broke yesterday; should be here within a week. I also heard back from the machine shop last week that the heads and block checked out. This week he started milling .015" off the heads, opening up the intake and exhaust bowls, doing a 3 angle valve job, and installing larger 2.02" intake valves to the tune of $860. Next week I'll be bringing the block to a different machinist I know who is going to overbore the cylinders 0.118" (read: huge) to 3.898" so I can throw in some -1cc domed Mahle forged pistons. The new displacement will be 5.7 liters with a compression ratio of 11.47:1.
Over the last few weeks the engine build has turned into an iron LS1 build, the new estimated numbers are 457 hp and 467 ft. lbs. at the crank. Stay tuned.
________________________________________
3/14/11 Update
As you can see I keep changing my mind about the build. The "Iron LS1" wasn't a very practical or reliable option, plus it was going to be at least another grand for a measly 20-30 hp. I've scrapped that idea and we're now replacing the -5cc dished OEM pistons for flat top OEM 4.8L/5.3L HO pistons. This will drop the compression ratio down to ~10.66:1, which I'm hoping (and very likely) Nelson Performance will be able to tune for 87 octane fuel.
As of today, I've installed the complete exhaust system. The muffler shop glasspack dual exhaust finally rusted all the way through last week and one of the tailpipes drooped down redneck style. The pistons are ordered and will be fitted to the block this week; I'm still waiting on pricing for my CompCams parts which I'll know tomorrow morning. I'm hoping to have a finished short block in the next few weeks so I can degree the camshaft and double check piston to valve clearances before I go ahead and do the final assembly.
________________________________________
3/17/11 Update
The build has slowed down a bit. We've had a hard time finding some 4.8/5.3HO flat top pistons to use since a lot are on backorder. I just got most of my valvetrain parts today, the camshaft and timing chain should be here later this week. After that I just need to order my ARP fasteners and buy all the gaskets.
The exhaust sounds pretty sweet. I can barely hear it on the highway, but if I get on the gas I can barely hear anything. Just need to finish this engine so the bite can match the bark.
Pacesetter long tube header
Headers and Y-pipe
Magnaflow exhaust
The front U-joint on the front drive shaft is about 1/2" away from the collector...
Comp stuff that came today
________________________________________
3/23/11 Update
I was sent valve spring retainers for a small block Ford, they're sending me the correct ones tomorrow. I also returned the CompCams timing chain set as it wasn't a double roller. The new Cloyes chain (CompCams supplier) is a billet double roller. More benefits, less money. And after reading horror stories about the 26918 valve springs breaking and dropping valves, I opted to send those back as well. They say that the problem has been corrected, but I'm not about to risk an engine over some springs. I'll now be running some PAC Racing beehive springs. PAC was the original supplier for the Comp 918 springs before Comp switched to a Mexican supplier. The PAC springs I bought are a beefier version of the 918 that can handle .025" more lift... they're also $200 more
________________________________________
3/24/11 Update
ARP bolts and cam break-in lube came today; gaskets, thermostat, and spark plugs will be here tomorrow. Still waiting on pistons, valve retainers, valve springs, cold air intake, and timing chain set. I'll start short block assembly on monday and check main journal clearances while I wait for the pistons to come in. Then, once the engine is nearly complete, I'll order the new programmed PCM and 440cc injectors from Nelson Performance. If everything goes as planned, I'll be throwing this bad boy in my truck 2 weeks from now.
In the meantime, this is what $620 worth of bolts looks like:
And the little 4.8L is still pulling strong!
________________________________________
4/6/11 Update
Crank and cam are in; bearing clearances are right where I want them at .002" inch and consistent. Pistons came in and fit them onto the connecting rods. I had to order Napa's last set of Speed Pro piston rings from one of their Phoenix stores, they showed up this afternoon. Tomorrow I'll put them in and put the timing chain on. The new valve springs showed up at the machine shop, but I'm still waiting on valve spring retainers from my ****ty wholesaler, which will probably be middle of next week. Once I get the heads back I'll degree the cam and check valve clearances. After that, I'll order my injectors and PCM (tune) while I do the final assembly. I hope to have the engine completely assembled by the 18th, have it installed by the 21. If it runs halfway decent, I'm going to dyno it on the 23rd at our local shop's Boost for Boobies event. That probably won't happen, but I'll dyno it the following weekend if things are looking good.
Crank nice and snug in the mains:
ARP main studs look pretty sweet:
Box o' pistons:
Assembling some pistons:
One hypereutectic piston with a Teflon coated skirt with connecting rod installed on the wrist pin:
Box o' complete piston/con rod assemblies:
________________________________________
4/8/11 Update
Pistons are in!
Small gouge on the rod journal between #7 and #8. It was mostly under the surface, but I did have to use a polishing stone to make sure it wouldn't eat the bearing.
Driver's side bank of cylinders. So shiny!
Pretty impressed with the quality of these pistons!
Rod bolt pron:
Assembled bottom end
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