Alright so I will be taking advice from the board about not doing the engine rebuild just yet but instead installing Heads/Cam on my 96 Z28... With that being said i was just wondering if the 130k I have on the bottom end will be reliable enough, a little history on the car is I know it had nitrous ran through it before me, so should I be concerned in how the bottom end will hold, because if I buy new heads and a cam I dont want anything to damage the heads...

With that being said should I just do the heads and cam or take the rotating assemble and have them just work on the LT1 in my car by rebuilding it and doing the bore on it to a 355?

Also what cam would be ideal for my car, I dont want it to be too choppy but I dont want it to be too mild either

 

i forget, do you have all the supporting mods that would go on before heads and cam?

if you don't feel comfortable running the stock bottom end right now, then don't! rebuild the engine and then throw the top end on it...obviously that's the most ideal route, just not as convenient. if you're going to rebuild the engine, its going to have to come out of the car.

as far as cam...talk to whoever you have to do your heads and have them match a cam to your goals. they will take care of you

 

I have headers intake and exhaust... I dont have Gears or a stall or anything... But yeah a shop is charging me like a grand to do the heads and cam with a dyno tune so I was thinking while im at it just have them take out the motor and take it to the machine shop, bore it out and get the rotating assembly for a 355 setup and then put the heads and cam on it... and then id get a stall and gears with a 12 bolt rear most likely

 

With that many miles, you're taking a chance of getting ring blow-by after installing new heads if you leave the rest alone. Right now, everything in the engine is worn as a whole unit. You're already getting some pressure loss past the rings and the valve guides, it's normal wear. Now install new heads with nice tight valve guides, and more pressure will be getting put on the already worn rings. It's not a myth, it can and does happen.

 

that is why im skeptical of just doing heads and cam especially if I have the money to do the whole build... I can always drive my other car for the 2 weeks it will be under the knife... but what I need to factor in is getting a new rear end and gears and a better stall... I have suspension on my car already with blinstein shocks and eibach springs and upper and lower control arms... all im missing is the sub fram support bar...

I need bigger better brakes though for sure... and while im at it might as well paint the car to a color I really like since the engine will be out of the bay

 

And then I wanna...and then...and then... Yep, the list never ends!

 

I hear you on that.. everyday I find something new I wanna do

 

then absolutely rip that engine out! won't see much of a power increase over a 350, but you'll be starting fresh which is obviously safer and smarter!

just to clarify, you can re-use your stock crank in a 355 and that's what i'd recommend doing. a lot of the aftermarket 3.48 cranks aren't as strong as the stock piece...so have them polish it and re-use it. you can use your stock rods too, but that's up to you. i'll be doing a build similar to this in which i'll be re-using my stock crank, but using forged rods and pistons.

who is doing your heads?

 

Yeah I got the rotating assembly already which came with the crank but I may just re use mine...

Im not sure who is doing my heads but I need to find out soon so i can buy a cam and have all the parts ready... but a shop is removing my engine and doing the whole job so I dont know if i can take my heads and send them to lloyd elliot real quick