ENRKyle20

just purchased a 95 Camaro Z28 with a LT1. I am going to pull the motor out next weekend and start tearing into it. Here is what I plan to order for it:


First I will purchase a cable to conect my Laptop to the car allong with TunerCat software. I will also get a Windeband O2.
-AKM Cable & TunerCat = $175
-Autometer 52MM Three Gauage A-Pillar Pod = $49.99
-AEM Uego wideband 52MM W/Bosch = $252.50
-383 Budget Stroker Kit: Eagle Crank & Rods, Perfect Circle Rings, Speedpro Pistons, Clevite 77 Bearings - Internally Ballanced - 40over = $720
-Flywheel Neutral Balanced = $Will Call Tommorow
-Venom 30lb injectors = $245.99
-1.75" primary to 3" collector Pacesetter Headers = $Already Own
-Cat & Secondary Air Delete (No emission here)
-Flowmaster CatBack = $Already Own
-SLP Cold-Air Induction Package = $Already Own
- I already have a GM LT4 hot cam kit with cam lifters, valve springs and roller 1.6 RR's. CLICK HERE FOR SPECS -

I dont know if that will be a good cam for this setup or not. Advise?







-I need help deciding on what to do about the intake manifold. first how restrictive is the stock LT1 intake manifold?.. is it worth fully porting and polishing it?. or would it be worth porting it to accept a 58MM throttle body?


-Also For Heads. Should I dump those small valved heads and go for some TrickFlow Heads or other aftermarket heads?


-I know EGR keeps combustion temps below 2500 so then engine does not make oxides on nitrogen helping keep NOx emission low, but do I need EGR to keep combusustian chamber temps down?. I am thinking I dont. Do I?. If I dont I will be tuning EGR off with the tuner since there is no emission testing on 95 and older here.

-I dont believe I will be needing an adjustable fuel pressure regulator since I will have control over the injectors with CATS. correct?

-When I have the flywheel in gettin balanced is it a worthy mod to get it lightned?..

-How strong is the stock timing chain?.. Is it a good idea to get something strong? Is this an interference engine?




Sorry for all the questions. Thanks for all the advise!

IrocSS85

IMHO, that cam is way too small for a 383. I guess it would be alright if you wanted the most docile, low rpm 383, but who wants that? not me anyways. the cam I had in my 383 was a 233/239, and it was an awesome street/street strip cam. when I bought it I was stock shortblock. I wanted a somewhat nasty cam, didnt care so much about low end torque and street manners werent on my list of things to worry about. then the lower end went out, and it was brand new so I just kept it. anyways, long story short, that cam in my 383 was a perfect middle of the road cam. mild lope still, great low rpm/throttle response, good gas mileage (bout the same as I got when the eng. was stock), good top end that would pull till you ran out of rpm (had it to 7000 couple of times, but shifted at 6500 when I raced it). power peak was at 6100rpm. power would peak at around 5500rpm with that hot cam in a 383. you might get a couple hundred more rpm with some really nice heads. I home ported mine, and ofcourse they dont flow quite as good as a pro head or anything. I ran 11.69 with my full weight (ok, no front sway bar and race wheels), fully loaded Z at the track and I could easily drive it every day. and I drove the car everywhere and anywhere.

BTW, my cam and engine are for sale if your interested instead of spending tons of money and time to build yours. got about 7K miles on it.

anyways back on track, I dont think lightening a stock flywheel is a good idea at all. not sure on how that would be acheived, but Id think something like that would make it warp easier. who knows though. def. need to get it neutral balanced though. but why not start out with a new flywheel that fits your bill already. as for the lightweight thing, what are your goals for the car? thats the first thing you need to discuss before anyone can recomend a cam for you, and what flywheel is right for you. in my dads TA I just built for him last year (LS1 car but same principal) I bought him a heavy flywheel. light flywheels are great for quick revs, but very bad idea if you plan on drag racing the car. fine for road racing, where all the time is spent at higher rpm. but at the drag strip, you need to keep the rpms UP when you launch the car, and shift gears. a lightweight flywheel will BOG DOWN the engine when you dump the clutch, and your tires get traction. thats a big time ET killer there. and makes drag racing not so much fun when your dancing around either bogging at too low rpm, or spinning the tires at too high rpm launch. so what kind of driving are you goin to do?

oh, I'll also sell you my AKM cable (obd2 plug, obd1 pcm, mines a 95 also, but the early 95's still used the old obd1 DLC port) for $75 shipped depending on where your located.

58mm tbody would be ideal. 52 worked out ok for me, but if you spend some money on some nice heads, and either have the stock intake reworked (cut,welded, ported) you'll have enough airflow capability to need the 58 instead. but again, if you use a small cam like the hot cam you wont need to worry about 58 or 52mm tbody. or doin anything but the basic portwork to the stock intake mann.. there arent many choices for intake mannifolds unless you go to a carb intake and convert it. but that gets pretty expensive, and not all that necesary if your not worried about having the fastest LT1 possible.

EGR is for one purpose and one only. to lower emision output. but at the cost of power. the stock system is not turned on during WOT though, so its not a big deal. that being said, I eliminated mine also just to simplify the engine, and make it more efficient all the time.

stock timing chain is pretty weak. again, high rpms forget about the stock chain. bad enough on the stock valvetrain, but you go and put in bigger springs to work a bigger cam, and your adding alot more stress to the timing chain. I used the cloyes true roller, but that requres modifing the stock timing chain cover. lots of grinding to make room for the chain. Im sure there is a stronger single roller timing chain out there then the stoke one. or the good GM chain is a bolt in, but very expensive. ($280?)
and dont forget to add all the machining costs, and the fluids, and the gaskets, and the new bolts, and the stroker oil pan (or clearancing the stock one), and so on.

IrocSS85

jeez, thats the longest reply ever in the world. ever.

ENRKyle20

and it is apreciated. lots of good into there:

Yea. I definatly dont want a docile (had to look that one up.lol), low reving 383. I kinda figured it would not be enuff but it came with the car so I thought I would throw it out there. I definatly want a nast cam. I absolutly LOVE the sound of a car that cant idle. I dont it just gets me. I am not worried about gas milage AT ALL. I have a daily driver, this will not be my daily driver.

So I do need to decided on a diffrent cam but would i be correct to assume that the roller rockers and lifters and valve springs and keepers will be good to keep from the LT4 kit?

I apreciate your offer for your engine, but this will be my first build and I just graduated from 2 years of automotive school, I want put what I learned to use. I really just want to be able to say that I build my car. Plus this is a learning thing. I love learnig new things and this is perfect!

Thanks for the info on the flywheel. I will just get it ballanced neutrally

as for what I hope to achieve. I had not considered the points your bring up about the flywheel but it makes sense. I just always asumed lighter rotating mass is better. But extremly high RPM is not confortable for me. What I want it sick ammount of torque. I dont plan on doing a whole lont of clutch dumping. this will be a car I drive on the road 90% of the time. I will take it to the track now and then but not competing at all. im not saying I want it to be a very streetable build since its not my daily driver. But yea, its not a track car. so I dont want a really heavy flywheel, or a extremly light flywheel. So I believe stock will be good for what I want? but a cam that wont let the car idle is a high RPM can with lots of overlap. I do want alot of overlap but not so much that it makes me lose a bunch on the bottom end.

I will take that cable form you., I live in wisconsin, fairly close to you. 53085. I do need to wait until I get the car friday nigth and check to be sure its a obdII plug. but if it is I will go for that. I will send you a PM when I check on friday night (will be late friday night, I am going to get it after work and its 2 hours away). also, your cable is the serial connection not USB correct?

I will be eliminating my EGR also then. I wish my pacesetters did not have the bung for it, but I guess I can just plug it. (sec air also)

I will be adding a timing chain to by build, I have to do some research to chose one.

I did not know there was a special pan for the strokers?.. how much are they and where do I get them.. or how much modification is it to make the stock one work?..

thanks man. GREAT post!

EDIT: also how is the stock oil pump?. I figure for an extra $70 I can get a high flow.. is it worth it?

Kaj

Why not overhaul your current engine if you're concerned with fuel economy, and if it's a daily driver. Just be sure to invest wisely in your H/C package. You might want to research a little more as well. A hotcam kit in a 383 would be a huge turd.

It all really depends whether or not you want a decent daily driver, since you're on a budget just don't skimp out on the important stuff like a lot of people do here. Might as well do it right the first time if you're gonna be shelling out some serious $

Goodluck

ENRKyle20

Its not a daily driver and im not concerned at all about fuel economy.

roadwarrior

yeah I wont quote that post, just wanted to ask if your running stock h2o or an epump with that timing set?

ENRKyle20

does anyone know about how much a machine shop will charge to clearence the block for a 383?.. thats not somehting can do myself is it?


EDIT- I found my own answer

"Ive built dozens of 383 and 396 sbc engines and the clearancing can be done BY YOUR OWN HANDS with a standard HAND HELD drill and a few CARBIDE BURRS OR GRIND STONES in that drill in well under two hours if you take your time and total expence even if you need to buy that drill and burrs will be well under $50 total
But I have more questions..

This is adding up quite fast. I dont have all the money right now. so I think for now I will pull the engine and put the 383 kit in allong with a nice cam and maybe a timing chain, and I will need the 30lb injectors and the tuner. then use the stock heads and intake and throttle body. once that stuff is done I will put it back in the car and brake it in. then when I want to mod it more, heads and intake can be done with the enigne in the car. That should lower my initial investment to under 2K

Whats a recomended injector for a 383. I belive its a 30lb, but what brand>?.


Also, What bolts do I need to oders, all the torque to yield bolts(Head?, What bolts a TTY on a SBC) what about replaicng main cap bolts?.. good idea?.. I figure 80% of the bolts I can reuse.. like oil pan, and echaust manifold bolts (If I dont snap then)

IrocSS85

oh, yes need to use an electric waterpump with the cloyes timing chain. and plug the hole in the front of the timing cover.

as for pans, just do a search. you can modify the stock one, as I did. but its kind of a pain. its fine for what you want though, and it will save you around $300. you have to use a hammer and a propane torch. heat the metal pan in the area you want to "clearance", then bang it out a little. I got a pic somewhere that shows where I had to clearance the pan.

DONT reuse the mannifold bolts. the stock ones rust and get weak and break off. those are relativly cheap from arp. main studs are good upgrade, but will require getting the block line honed WITH the new main studs in place. you can reuse the head bolts, intake, oil pan, timing cover, engine bolts. buy new flywheel and press. plate bolts, main studs (check clearance under the oil pump BEFORE you bolt it down. the studs are a tiny bit too long), crankbolt.

the lifters and rockers from th ehotcam kit are great. DONT use the cam or springs. not a good match for what you want. get those as a set 2 match each other. I would look into a solid roller cam. maybe something in the 250 /255 duration range. or if you want to stick to hydraulic roller then Id say 242/250 duration with 112+4 LSA. that will give you a nasty cool idle and quick rev. that will make tons of power. but wont be a good match for stock heads/intake. so hopefully you wont have to do that for long.

def. get high flow oil pump/pickup/drive shaft.

I think I remember reading people paying around $100 for machine shop to clearance block. money well spent if thats true. unless your extremely experienced with what/where needs to be ground, you'll have to preassemble the short block to grind, test clearance, grind somre more, reassemble, test for clearance, and so on. basically, you bolt in the crank with the old bearings. assemble 2 pistons to rods no rings. put those two rods/pistons on #1 and 2. you'll see where needs to be ground down. take apart, grind, clean, reassemble, test, and so on. THEN you gotta put the cam in to make sure the rod bolts dont get too close to the cam either. the other problem is you gotta do this step between the cyl. boreing, and honeing process. once youve dont the assemble, grind, check thing on all cyl.s, you'll see the cyl. walls have slight scratch's that will need to be honed out. trust me, its alot more then 2 hours of work to clearance the block your first time doin it.

let me know on the cable. yes NOT the usb cable.

30 lb is acceptable, but you could go much bigger on the injector and not have to worry about running out of inj. later down the road when the car gets more serious. maybe some 42 would be a better idea if you have to buy them new anyways.

SVO inj.s are very popular, and a 30lb SVO inj. is really like a 38lb injector at the LT1's fuel pressure. and NO you dont need an adjustable fuel press. regulator. waste of time/money.

ENRKyle20

I only need the electric water pump if I use that cloyes timing chain right. the one where I have to modify the cover?.. If thats so I will just look for a stronger single roller timing chain. That will be a direct bolt on with no cover or waterpump modification correct?


for $300, I will be attempting to make my pan work. lol. If i mess up then i will get a stroker pan, but I will do a search and try it on my own.

I will add manifold bolts to my build (exhaust only correct?) and I will replace flywheel and pressure plate bolts. I am unclear wheather you have to replace the main bearing studs or not. you said its a good upgrade, but then you said to do it. I would do it if I didnt have to get it line honed after. I dont want to do that, so If I can I will reuse them. (blue locktite?)

I will replace valve springs with the cam.

hydrolic roller is less maintenance and somewhat quiter. But with solid roller you can run steeper ramps on the cam, spin higher rpm,, and make better power.. all things I like. But I dont like having to replace the lifter (since I already have a good hdyrolic).. thats money I dont want to spend for the little gain I would see. I can run a prety agressive hydrolic roller cam. Right?.. I would run a little more duration (quicker lift) with solid, but not by much.. is 242/250 the most duration I can run with my hydrolic? I think i will stick with my hydrolic setup.

I like how u describe the 242/250 duration cam, and I really dont know whats good duration, but I am going to trust you on that one. you know what your doing!..

I will be running a standard base circle cam, do you know How much lift can I run with 5.7" rods? the seller says that you can run total .600" lift (for clearence from my pistons I think he means).. but to take advantage of that with my 1.6 rockers I have to get a cam with .352 lift on the lobe. is that going to hit the connecting rod?.. I asume the more lift the better right, so as close as I can get to .600 without any interference from the piston or cam the better?.. (not real cam savy yet, thats one thing i definatly wanted to learn more about, glad im doing this)

I know its overlap that causes the cool cam idle, and I believe that LSA is the distance (degrees of rotation) from the point of highest lift on the intake lobe to the higher lift on the exhaust lobe. right.. but that does not tell me overlap, overlap is going to be found by doing some math. im not quite sure what you mean 112+4.. I understand the LSA being 112*, but whats the +4?.. either way, whats a good overlap to get a nice idle?

high flow oil pump has been added to build

as for clearening the block, if i can really get it done for $100 i will do it, otherwise I can do it myslef. its not had, just tedious. Is it posable to do it with the old pistons and new rods before i send it to the shop.. it would achieve the same thing. thats the exact position the rod will be in to see where it hits the block.

I will pm you tommorow nigth about the cable.

I will think about 42lb injectors, It would be nice to not worry at all, but I can get SVO 30lbs inj. for $239.. it would be $384 for 42lb.. I think I will be ok with SOV 30's right.


Thanks again for all the info. your great man.. one of these time I wont have question to return..lol. im learnig so much form you.. THANKS!!

reamo04

you can get delphi/lucas 42# injectors for 330 from thunderracing.com

I paid 360 shipped for my 60# siemen deka's, but the place is not a vendor on here

Injuneer

My stock pan work fine with a 3.75" crank... minimal taps with a hammer. You might also want to look at the high volume oil pump. Most people here will tell you to run a stock, blueprinted pump with the pickup tack welded. There is at least one moderator who has traced his engine failure to high volume pump pumping the pan dry. Again, I've run the stock pan, stock pump with a 7,400RPM redline for 8 years. Buddy of mine was making 1,150HP on an 8,000RPM blown 383 with the stock pan and pump. The key to oil control is a good windage tray.

For injector size, do not go less than 36#/HR. They will support 500+ flywheel HP without pushing the duty cycle over 85% on a well-tuned setup. 42's are not problem... the stock PCM will handle those with no turndown problems. Stay away from the Venom injectors. I've seen too many reports of problems.

An no... a 30# SVO injector (rated at 2.5bar/39.15psi) will NOT flow 38 #/HR at LT1 fuel pressure (3bar/43.5psi). It will flow exactly 5.4% over rated capacity, or 31.6 #/HR. That will limit you to about 450 flywheel HP if you want to keep the duty cycle down.

Don't forget an upgraded fuel pump.

I run the LT4 Extreme Duty timing set. The cam sprocket has been lightened to reduce rotating mass. Again... demonstrated on an 8,000RPM solid roller LT1 (not mine ).

For more info on cam "basics", go to the Comp Cams website and read their tutorials. Make sure you understand what a 242/250 duration cam will drive like before you jump into it. I've got a very mild 230/242 114LSA solid roller (engine was designed to pass NJ rolling emissions), and its a ***** cat, but exhibits good low end torque. There's a link to a dyno pull on the "sticky" at the top of the "Exhaust" forum, if you want to here what it sounds like.

You've mentioned monitoring knock retard in your earlier threads. A solid roller will necessitate elimination of the knock sensor.... way too much noise.

BCdawg57

just a FYI, you arent supposed to reuse LT1 head bolts. They are torque to yield which means they stretch when they are torqued down. New bolts from arp are only 60 bucks.

IrocSS85

good info to know, I never new that. I only knew the small block chevy head bolts are reusable, so I guessed they were the same bolt. as the ARP bolts are the same. I used head studs on my engine, so I never had to find out for sure.


a solid roller cam will act like a much smaller hydraulic roller due lash settings of a solid compared to the preload. good advice though, def. make sure your familiar with how an eng. will drive, idle, accelerate before just taking someone else's cam ideas and goin through all the work. try to find someone in the area that has an Fbody with a cam similar to what your thinking of goin with.

I ballparked a cam in that general size ONLY on the fact that he wanted a nasty, toy car, and didnt care about idle or general driveability. and wanted it to be a fun car. obviously, as you said injuneer, your cam isnt what he wants at all. but still a good idea to know what your geting yourself into before throwing down the cash.

slomarao

as mentioned that cam should go. with those extra 33 cubes the stock heads are going to choke that motor. Look into Llyod Elliot or Advanced Induction for some basic porting, they are the top two companies around these parts. Like you already said i would build the motor with the stock top end(minus the cam) and than when you get some more funding pick up a 58mm tb, le2 heads and intake.

Have you thought about building a 355? If funds are tight you may want to look into that. You could re use the stock crank, rods, and pick a decent piston. You wouldnt be choking the motor as much either with those stock heads because the less cubes will require less airflow.

Just something to think about. for injectors i would go to racetronix, most brands they sell I wouldnt think twice about putting in MY car. I think delphi and simmens are the big two. anyways good luck.