Olds ticket to 9s... LS swap adventure.

[64nailhead]

Oh, it was all incorrect tuning. Great learning opportunity that rods aren't nearly as robust as you might think.

I will be doing a full analysis and many pics of shame will be taken. I suspect the bearing won't look terrible as it was pretty much new, but we will see.


What about 500?! Or even 425? 😆

I read back a couple of pages and looked at the screenshot again that you posted. You were only around 14 degrees, but pretty low on rpm's. It was seeing knock as well iirc.

I'm not one to point fingers , motor #2 is in and running just in time for my laptop to give up. #1 will be on teardown this week.

Time will tell though. All I can say is welcome to the club hehe. I have pistons that I detonated to death in a NA build back about 10 years ago -ring lands broke to sh*t. Some of my finest work lol.

Good luck and enjoy - Jim

 

[Northernregal]

Last time looking at bearings got you in trouble. Slam it together and send it.

If the HGs aren't paper, don't even pull the heads. The studs are overkill.

Lol, As if I needed a devil on my shoulder. That is plan A right now. My only criteria right now is that cam bearings stay in the block. Schrodinger's Cat Plan... 😉

In my defense of the studs, I didn't know better before I bought them. I fell for the "While I'm doing it" Trap.

I read back a couple of pages and looked at the screenshot again that you posted. You were only around 14 degrees, but pretty low on rpm's. It was seeing knock as well iirc.

I'm not one to point fingers , motor #2 is in and running just in time for my laptop to give up. #1 will be on teardown this week.

Time will tell though. All I can say is welcome to the club hehe. I have pistons that I detonated to death in a NA build back about 10 years ago -ring lands broke to sh*t. Some of my finest work lol.

Good luck and enjoy - Jim

I have a theory, the LS3 heads have a quench pad behind the spark plug that is part of what causes the swirl and "Fast Burn". I watched a video with Brian Tooley that he said he wouldn't use the heads for boost because of that flat quench pad. He would grind it off and smooth it out because of some complex shock wave stuff in the combustion chamber. In aftermaket CNC LS3 style heads this quench pad is removed also. SO I am thinking it was a combo of spicy timing, questionable Canadian 91 Octane pump gas and bad choice of heads for my combo.

Lesson learned here is keep it simple, The turbo will make the horsepower equal to a fancy combo.

 

[motorheadmike]

Lol, As if I needed a devil on my shoulder. That is plan A right now. My only criteria right now is that cam bearings stay in the block. Schrodinger's Cat Plan... 😉

In my defense of the studs, I didn't know better before I bought them. I fell for the "While I'm doing it" Trap.

If it turns freely and nothing is blue or broken, send it.

Oh, I have a pricey set of ARP studs sitting on the shelf because of bad info. My TBSS has been (new) rocking stock bolts for years and the Monte has (used) stock bolts in it. I am hardly criticizing - build a "nice" spare bullet on the side; that's what I am doing.

Get some of that Ultra94 and some meth (even just a little) for the next iteration.

 

[64nailhead]

I agree and disagree with Mike about the studs. I can see the reasoning behind having them and not having them. I think they come down to how much love you have for your motor.

I just put a set of ARP bolts, not studs, in an aluminum 5.3, only because it it got a new oil pump, DOD delete, lifters, cam and timing chain. Also hope to put 25-30 psi to it as well.

Have to admit though, after I bought them I asked myself why did I do that (second guessed the decision right up to the point of hitting the pay button 😀).

 

[motorheadmike]

I agree and disagree with Mike about the studs. I can see the reasoning behind having them and not having them. I think they come down to how much love you have for your motor.

I just put a set of ARP bolts, not studs, in an aluminum 5.3, only because it it got a new oil pump, DOD delete, lifters, cam and timing chain. Also hope to put 25-30 psi to it as well.

Have to admit though, after I bought them I asked myself why did I do that (second guessed the decision right up to the point of hitting the pay button 😀).

I don't have a 25-30 psi budget. 😉

 

[Northernregal]

If it turns freely and nothing is blue or broken, send it.

Oh, I have a pricey set of ARP studs sitting on the shelf because of bad info. My TBSS has been (new) rocking stock bolts for years and the Monte has (used) stock bolts in it. I am hardly criticizing - build a "nice" spare bullet on the side; that's what I am doing.

Get some of that Ultra94 and some meth (even just a little) for the next iteration.

Sad thing, I have 50L of E85 in the garage. The tank had 30% in it... "I don't need that for a tuning run" :me

You are absolutely right. Slide the cam in, inspect the oil pump and send it. Even if I have to do cam bearings, thats all its going to get.

I agree and disagree with Mike about the studs. I can see the reasoning behind having them and not having them. I think they come down to how much love you have for your motor.

I just put a set of ARP bolts, not studs, in an aluminum 5.3, only because it it got a new oil pump, DOD delete, lifters, cam and timing chain. Also hope to put 25-30 psi to it as well.

Have to admit though, after I bought them I asked myself why did I do that (second guessed the decision right up to the point of hitting the pay button 😀).

They will come in handy for motor 2.0. Maxed out S488 and 150 shot. All the send!

 

[64nailhead]

even if I have to do cam bearings,

They'll be fine if you don't look at them. If they don't come out with the cam then they'll work lol.

They're another component similar to the head bolts. 'I love this motor' or 'the next bullet is in the corner of the garage'.

 

[fleming442]

You're assuming that you still have ring lands on the pistons.
I don't get the 20lbs of boost on pump gas.

 

[Northernregal]

You're assuming that you still have ring lands on the pistons.
I don't get the 20lbs of boost on pump gas.

Your thinking motor 1, motor 2 had 1/4" of ring gap, I'm sure it still has ring lands.

For the record, even I'm not dumb enough to try 20lbs on pump gas, And I'm pretty dumb.

 

[Turbolq4]

I can't get 14 degrees of timing on top of my 14ish pounds of boost on 91 octane fuel, It knocks hard. I have two bent gen3 rods and a broken piston for my feeble attempts. 8-10 degrees is all I dare with the swill we get passed off as fuel around here.