Today at lunch, I went and dropped my new heads off to the local head shop. He's going to install the new valve springs, set the spring height, and inspect them for me to ensure they're ready to run. He had some cool engine builds going on in there too, fun to check out the operation!

I also am documenting the first case of "while i'm in there" And so it begins! I've known i've had a little rot on the end of my frame rails under the #3 Body mount, but ignored it until I got around to addressing it.. While I had my car on jack stands this weekend, I started poking around that area with a screwdriver and realized it's worst than I thought! Cutting out some bad metal and welding in new pieces, is no big deal, but it looks like I'm going to have to unbolt all the body mounts and raise the body up to get to the area... So I'm going to do exactly that and weld in some new metal and change out the body mounts. But "while I'm in there" , I'm also going to take advantage of the body being up so I can clean/paint the frame and replace the fuel lines. Just added a lot of work, but it'll look so nice when I'm done! Let's see how well I can manage the scope creep this go around.. LOL Anyone that's done a partial body lift like this, please share your experience!

Here's some pics of the frame end rails, Looks like I need to cut out about 4" of them and weld in new sections. Good news is the kick ups are in good shape and no damage where the trailing arms are bolted in. I think it's a safe assumption that the #3 body mount is going to be a PITA to remove!

 

I know I have more photos of repairs, if you would like to see them. Good luck with your project!

 

Looks like you had to do the same! If you have more pics, I'd love to see them!

 

I may have more pix - I need to look in my camera files. I didn't get to see this work as it was being done, so these may be all that I have for pictures The shop that did the work is no more as Danny McGee, the owner, died. But I can reach the magic metal guy who did the work, should you have questions.

 

Yanked the engine out of the C3 tonight, and it went really well. It took less than 10 minutes to get it out, these cars are so easy to work on! Immediately tore the engine down and inspected it: It looks great on the inside , with the below notes:

• Engine has definitely been rebuilt, it was well done and is super clean on the inside.
• Has domed pistons that say TRW on the backside - stock or aftermarket?
• Rods look stock (not certain) can see where they were numbered with a punch for rebuild.
• Crank has number 3832442 - Is this correct for LT-1 ?
• a little bit of metal and sludge in oil pan , rest of engine super clean.
• great cylinder walls that still have the crosshatches visible
• One main bearing had a little copper showing through , so going to replace all main bearings.

 

From memory, 'TRW' is correct. Pistons should have groves in the pin bore for lock rings if used with non press in wrist pins. (Wrist pin bore needs to be enlarged slightly.)

But OMG you'd best stay off caffeine!

 

Holy cow, that’s a ton to get done in one night.
nice work!

 

Wow you got a lot done.
So a suggestion on the copper bearing.
Put the crank back in, no seals, oiled up real good. Torqued down. And see how easily it spins. It should spin several times on it's own.
That will give you some feedback on how straight the crank and the bore is.
If it spins easy, then the copper could be from dry starts. Sometimes these cars tend to sit for a long time....
Which one showed copper?

Piston domes look correct for an LT-1, forged ones, and TRW sounds right. Look for a .030" mark on the piston tops.

 

I've done some more research and confirmed that these are the correct pistons!

Thanks! If only I could do multiple productive nights like that a week!

 

I'll try that with the crank after I pull the pistons. I believe it was the middle main (third from front) . None of them were horrible, but there was some wear and it's too easy to change to ignore it. I may have the block hot tanked and line bored while I'm at it too.

 

That's why I mentioned it.
If it spins well, with new bearings, then there is no need to line-bore it.
That just costs money and causes other issues like a loose/shorter timing chain.

If it needs it, well you can feel it, and then it needs it!

Bearings can wear to copper for a couple of reasons, and needing a line bore is only one of them!

Don't knock the crank over while it is out, yes they can and do get bent that way!

 

Hopefully it doesn't need to be line bored. So I put in new bearings and put the crank back in, and if it spins well a few times it's good?

I picked up my heads today and the shop said they could : hot tank, change cam bearings, and freeze plugs for $175. Seems like cheap insurance, but the engine seems like it doesn't have many miles on the rebuild and the freeze plugs still look nice. Should I do it?

 

Yes... the block is full of rust and crud that will plug your radiator eventually and prevent decent coolong. If the plugs are steel they may already be rusty and ready to leak. If you need cam bearings have them do it unless you want to buy a tool you will use once....$175 is very cheap now a days for any machine shop work.

 

Picked up my heads from the machine shop today, had the new springs installed and they inspected them as well. They had a lot of engine builds going on in there, and it was fun picking their brains and looking at all the builds in progress! They put in Howard's Part # 98213-K12 Springs

 

Picked 'em up. That's all ya did?! Even I can keep up with that!

 

Yeah, might as well for that price! The freeze plugs are brass and look great. They can install the cam bearings, too cheap for them to do it! It'll be nice and clean to paint after a hot tank too!

LOL

 

Found my harmonic balancer puller, and was finally able to pull the cam out to see what was in it: Crane HMV-260-2-NC...

So when this LT-1 engine was rebuilt, they removed the awesome LT-1 cam and put in a 204/210 @ 112LSA with .427/.454 lift! Wow they really didn't like performance! lol This engine is going to REALLY wake up with this new cam and heads!

 

WOW! That kind of cam makes peak power around 5000 rpm. Or under.
Boy are you gonna like it when you put a real cam in it!
You are gonna gain 1000+ RPM!
Something in the 230s would be good to 6500+ rpm!
The LT-1 cam says it has 242 dur @ .050", but after you account for the big lash it is only 231.
The 30-30 cam is much rowdier and has 239 after lash.
Something in that duration range would be good, and totally in character with that motor, and the forged bottom end will take it.
I had one for 27 years and revving it to 6800 was such a blast!

 

Yeah I'm excited to get this cam and heads on it, going to be a totally different animal! Putting in the Howard's Rattler roller: 227/235 @ 108 with .527/.535 , going to wake this beast up!

 

Maybe a prior owner swapped cams during the decline of high octane levels and lead in fuel at the pump back in the 70’s.