
What an awesome shop! This engine is an already built
LT1-396.
|

Motor arrives in Maryland without a scratch. We'll look deeper
into the motor and see what can be left alone and what might need an
upgrade.
|

An Ellwein/Stef's oil pan is always a good idea.
|

Since we have a 3.875" stroke motor I think a pan with stroker
notches might be a good idea.
|

The Stef's pan is build to my specification with an oil level sensor
bung and front notch and room to fit a Titan gerotor oil pump.
|

Check out that notch in the front. That is required when the
motor lives in an Impala SS due to the steering center-link.
|

|

|

quite a bit of cooked on oil but clean otherwise.
|

|

|

GM LT4 heads, (unported)
|

Looks like SRP -16cc D-dish pistons
|

Bone stock main caps.
|

|

A very nice Callies USA crankshaft.
|

Connecting rods of unknown brand. They look a bit like Oliver
billet, (but they are not).
|

Main bearings are in bad shape. All worn down to copper.
The rod bearings were all out of shape too.
|

3.875" stroke.
|
The cylinder heads
will be shipped off to Advanced Induction.
The block will be set aside and we have a fresh block on order from
Chad at Golen Engines. |

Freshly machined block
|

Main caps a little rusty on the non-machine surfaces. All will
receive a buff and a good POR-15 paint job
|

Here is the Callies crankshaft on the balance machine.
|

Advanced Induction ported LT4 intake manifold. I like how they
remove the core plugs so that they can clean it and I can verify that
it is in fact clean.
|
|

Powder coated Red
|
|

The block is a bit "more" red than the GM LT4 red but a
pretty good match.
|
|

Custom piston from Diamond. Notice the pin boss area is
polished.
Piston is 406.5g, Pin 119.4g, rings 34.8g, wire lock 2.7g
|

I weigh the parts individually and as a unit.
|

563.4g added up individually and 563.0 as a unit.
|
While the Crankshaft is at the balance shop I will clean the block,
add freeze plugs, install oil galley plugs, install cam bearings and
file fit the piston rings.
|

Here the block is posing with the freshly installed freeze plugs.
|

Then cam bearings
|

Notice that the oil galley plugs are threaded.
|

This is the oil galley plug that goes under the rear main cap.
|

One method I like to use to measure piston to cylinder wall clearance
is via feeler gauge. Here I have .004" and the recommended
clearance from Diamond is .0045"
|

Ready for piston ring file fitting.
|

Top ring at .024" (just in case the motor gets a small hit of
nitrous in the future.).
|

2nd ring at .0020". (Mahle and Total Seal both recommend the 2nd
ring gap to be smaller than the 1st ring gap. This is a change
from the past.
|

The pistons are "L" and "R". This helps me
organize and acts as a 2nd check to the proper orientation.
|
|

All rods and pistons assembled, (except rod #4 which is at the machine
shop).
|
|

Picking up the crankshaft tomorrow. Soon you will see final
assembly.
|

Main bearing clearance check. Mostly a mix of .001 under and
standard in order to make the bearing clearance slightly tight.
.0017" to .0020"
|
|
|

Notice that I enlarged the oil hole in the bearing to match the oil
hole in the block.
|

Thrust is .008"
|

Rod bearing clearances set with a mix of .001 and standard bearing
half shells. Generally .017" to .0022"
|

This is a 4.035" piston. I don't have a tapered ring
compressor for 4.035" but I do have this super duper tool and
it's working quite well.
|

Pistons are .003" out of the hole
|
|
|

Advanced Induction camshaft.
|

Single roller timing set from Cloyes set on "0"
|

1st check 103.5 degree intake center. 2nd check 104 degree
intake center. This is with crank sprocket on the "0"
position.
|

Titan gerotor oil pump installed. Modified stock windage tray
installed.
|

All rod bolts torqued to 65 ft-lb. Rod side clearance is .018"
|

Last look at the chambers of the Ai CNC ported LT4 cylinder heads.
|
|

Very nicely stress relieved and finished valve springs.
|

ARP head bolts cleaned and loaded with thread sealant.
|
|

Cometic MLS head gasket.
|
|

Crower shaft rocker sits right on the valve tip. Nicely
centered.
|

Pushrod length check. 7.2"
|

You can just make out the mark. Right in the center of the
valve.
|

New oil pan from Stef's. The other one had to be sent back for
repair. Then it was lost by UPS. (1st time UPS messed up a
shipment for me). Now this new one has a billet rail.
|

....And we ordered it with an 1/8" NPT bung for oil temp sender.
|

Final view of the bottom end. I only used RTV on the ends of the
oil pan gasket.
|

The firm billet pan rail compresses the oil pan gasket very nicely.
|

I am hoping that the oil pan does not seep oil when the motor is
installed and running. It looks to be a very good seal by eye
and feel. The pan fits very well and there are no crank or rod
bolt clearance issues.
|

One head had to go to the machine shop to have the valve cover
hold-down bolt boss fixed.
|

Now the head is reinstalled and ready for the shaft rockers.
|

Shaft rockers on.
|

LT4 head gasket on and ready for intake manifold.
|

Before the intake manifold goes on I will do an oil system test.
|

2500rpm drill gives 58psig with 30W oil.
|
|

All lifters pumped up and sending oil up the pushrod to the rocker.
|

GM LT4 intake manifold gasket #1236777
|

A nice thick bead of Right Stuff RTV
|
|
|

Old (non-LT1) thermostat on the left and new Hypertec 160T-stat on the
right.
|

I drill holes in the T-stat if the motor has an electric water
pump. That allows for bleeding of the coolant system without
running the engine.
|

Taped up and ready for shipping.
|
|

Extra long tranny dowel pin transferred from old block to new block
|
|
|

Wrapped up tightly and ready for R+L
Carriers
|
|
|

Nice wire loom and oil line set up.
|

Notice the Meziere starter and looms
|

Stainless oil fittings.
|

Custom oil line support
|
|
|
|
Very clean and well made remote oil cooler
lines.
|