When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Looks like a new oil pan and some LS3 valve covers. You may be able to modify the LS7 valve covers. I would expect that to be easier than modifying the valley tray. BTW cool motor. That should make good reliable power. I have my LS7 down now to “fix” the heads. Had them CNC ported for a little more power.
Looks like a new oil pan and some LS3 valve covers. You may be able to modify the LS7 valve covers. I would expect that to be easier than modifying the valley tray. BTW cool motor. That should make good reliable power. I have my LS7 down now to “fix” the heads. Had them CNC ported for a little more power.
I'm going to use my spare LS7 heads to do just that. BTW, where did you send your heads? What guides are they inserting? What do they charge?s Also, did you get a tune on your LS7? Can I believe the hype?
My builder who did the bottom end of my L-82 355 just used the AHP heads on my recommendation for a customer C6Z06 and the results turned out great. I am still considering my options for my 10C6Z06 since I only have 5,200 miles on the motor...car was brand new......when I bought it in 2010.
I used AHP heads. They arrive on Thursday. I am using their hardened PM guides. The Moldstar guides are a little over kill for the street and since I am not racing Kohle said these would work just fine. I got the BTR dual springs with Ti retainers since I have a little more cam than stock. I also opted for the CNC porting which should add 20-25 rwhp according to Kohle. That should put me right in the 550 to 560 RWHP for this setup. As for the cost their are options but go to this site and choose what you want. Yes my car has been to the tuner so it is not stock at all.
My LS7 is stock so I figured AHP's standard porting would suffice and I would go with the Moldstar guides as insurance since the potential stock head issue appears to be related to the stock GM guides wearing prematurely........
My LS7 is stock so I figured AHP's standard porting would suffice and I would go with the Moldstar guides as insurance since the potential stock head issue appears to be related to the stock GM guides wearing prematurely........
We are pretty much just doing our CNC porting program now adays (it replaced both our older hand porting programs).
Its an awesome CNC porting program that keeps a nice small intake runner. Keeping the intake runner small keeps High air velocity in the port which translates into good performance gain throughout the entire power band and (not just at the top like some ported heads). The Exhaust port on our CNC heads is also killer and flows some huge numbers!
I own a C3 I have sitting in the parking lot at the shop. I have been meaning to stick a LS7 into for the last year or so. Problem is every time I build and then engine dyno break in and test the LS7 for it I end up selling it right away. Thinking im going to have to use one of the old 383 LS1 Engines that we pulled out of our series track car back in the day if I ever want to get an engine into her.
Ok, big problem. I got the engine mounted on the engine stand. Look at this oil pan! It’s 8” deep. I assumed I was getting the Holley retro oil pan 302-1. Here is the part# of the pan attached. I don’t this will work. Small problem, I have these LS7 valve covers. There is no way to add oil. Can I modify the engine valley cover with an oil filler cap? Also, the engine came with this cool small balancer with timing marks.
Bee Jay,
There are a few options for your oil pan. You can use an older LS1 Camaro pan (also available new, in kits with the gaskets and pickup tube) or an LS2 Corvette pan. I think that the Holley retrofit pan fits too. I've seen some people use the LS1 Corvette "batwing" pan, but I think that you have to use manifolds with it rather than headers.
FWIW, the Camaro LS1 pan fits nicely in my car, but I'm using a Borgeson box, so I've eliminated the slave cylinder.
You'll need to sort out your PCV/breather system and decide if you need either a port or a breather in your valve cover. If you need a port to run an OEM style PCV system, then I'd recommend finding a set of factory LS3, LS7, or even LS9 valve covers. This will also solve your oil filler issue.
Otherwise, if all you need is a place to add oil, I'd just find someone to weld in a fitting for a filler cap and be done with it.
The small balancer is nice to have, especially since we end up running a smaller P/S pulley with these swaps. The small balancer will keep you from over-spinning the pump when you're running it hard.
Blue Print engines is awesome, especially Kell and Josh. They are shipping a Holley 302-1 oil pan to me today. Only 6" tall, so plenty of ground clearance. I just return the GM Muscle Car pan they shipped me in the same box. They don't recommend the 302-3 because of the extremely long stroke for these LS3 427s, and have experienced interference. Also I'm ordering Summit's Lifter Valley Cover with oil fill cap. Hopefully everything gets here before Saturday so I can drop the engine into the Vette Saturday.
Summit is awesome. The valley cover came overnight. Polished and finned aluminum, and it looks good. The oil filler tube is optional and I decided to put the filler cap on without it. One problem, I lost my oil pressure port, so I moved my oil pressure sensor to the front drivers side of the engine. I’ve read that the pressure will read high here.
From what I can see you are going to have nothing but problems with that engine, look how hot the crank got at the opposite end of the spun bearings, all of the mains are fried, and the line bore is not right based on the 60 foot pounds needed to spin it in the block. I wouldn't use that engine for your build, you are throwing good money after bad IMO.
Cut your losses and get rid of that thing.
Sorry to see you spend so much time, and money, the new mill looks really nice
I had one thing to do on this engine. Exchange the oil pan, and I screwed that up. I filled the engine with $8 a quart break in lube and cranked with no spark plugs. No oil pressure!!!!! Dang it. After rigging up a pneumatic tester for my oil pressure senders and testing the gauge, I drained and dropped the oil pan. Listen closely, pay attention, the color of the o ring you use on the pick up tube is very important. I reused the brand new red o ring that came in the engine. The new pickup that came with the new oil pan requires a black, or dark brown melling o ring. Watch this helpful video.
[QUOTE=Bee Jay;1600805994]I had one thing to do on this engine........ /QUOTE]
Wow, uhm, I don't know what to say about that. Maybe I should just pretend that I didn't see this post, but I can't, because like so many others that have been following this thread with all it's ups and downs, broken parts and cool new hardware, I thought that we would soon be hearing about how well it was running, tearing through the countryside with a glorious roar. Instead, we're reading about another potential set-back, hoping that there's no damage, and secretly thanking the LS engine gods for not treating us as harshly as they have been to you.
Hopefully there's no damage to the bearings since the engine wan't actually started.
I think I've seen that video from Melling before and that's where I got the idea for my pressure luber. I bought a cheap garden sprayer from Home Depot, put a threaded fitting and small ball valve on the end of hose, instead of the wand, and filled it with oil. Then I connected it to the port at the front, left side of the block and pushed oil in through there, so that it would fill the pump and and oil passages and prelube everything.
I wish you the best of luck with it, and I hope to see it out at the track in March.
-Chris
Thanks Weatherman. It's a hobby, and this forum is to share and learn. After putting everything back together, I still only say very low oil pressure while cranking, but the needle did move this time. I finished wiring and plumbing last night, so maybe I'll start it this weekend. I better see oil pressure real quick though.
Bee Jay
It started and the oil pressure jumped to 60psi immediately. Yea, happy dance, high five. It took a while to get it to idle down at 1000rpm, but it eventually started hitting on all eight and idled. I wanted the water temp to come up before I shut it down, but as the temperature came up, the oil pressure started coming down. 15 psi at 200 degrees idling. Damn it! I’ve been here before, so I shut it down. My 2002 LS1 crew cab never sees less than 30psi, and my LS7 427 Vert sees 100psi when cold and idles at 35-40psi when hot. Maybe the pickup o ring still isn’t in there right. You guys got any ideas. I can’t call blueprint till Monday I bet.
From: Las Vegas - Just stop perpetuating myths please.
Could be that different sensor port. But BluePrint Engines may or may not know depending on who you get to talk to. You could try a known good mechanical gauge at another/better location. I know nothing about LSX motors so couldn't tell you where though.
I used AHP heads. They arrive on Thursday. I am using their hardened PM guides. The Moldstar guides are a little over kill for the street and since I am not racing Kohle said these would work just fine. I got the BTR dual springs with Ti retainers since I have a little more cam than stock. I also opted for the CNC porting which should add 20-25 rwhp according to Kohle. That should put me right in the 550 to 560 RWHP for this setup. As for the cost their are options but go to this site and choose what you want. Yes my car has been to the tuner so it is not stock at all.
