Haha, where to start.
We got the engine built on Weds->Thursday, and picked up the remainder of the lines and fittings to finish the updated fuel system. Still needed a few things (and a lot of work), but were looking good. Then I started test-fitting accessories and NOTHING was lining up - the crank hub and pulley are two separate pieces (ATI via Vortech) and the power steering pump bolts into the Vortech bracket... those seemed close. The water pump was way off, and the alternator was off quite a bit. Anthony (fabricator) rolled over to help me figure out intercooler end-tanks after he and Robert took care of "Project: FD axles + Explorer axles = a huge mess and FD 8.8 axles" - thanks guys!
Turns out my water pump was from the LSA, which has the Corvette offset (really close to the engine) whereas all the Camaro pumps are VVT-friendly, so they're spaced way the hell out from the timing cover. The alternator bracket needed some clearancing from the Comp timing cover, but eventually got settled and lined up. So as of Friday night-> Saturday morning, we had an engine that could go in the car, but no water pump, and also needed some work (some new wiring and fuel stuff, intercooler tanks fab'd, and diff installed). I had to give a go/no-go at 10am, for dyno at noon, and since we couldn't get a LS3 water pump from a dealer (and no AC Delco parts dealers had one) we had to call it.
Mark (GNX7) called me Saturday and gave me the run-down, heard about Mike's bad luck with one of the new turbos going out, and a couple guys breaking... and the UGR Lambo going 210+mph! Crazy stuff. Wish I could have made it, but we'll have it out for Formula D Irwindale this week at one of the booths in the pits and take it to the track the week after that most likely.
Now for pics!
Decking the block, only took .004", deck height ended up right where I expected at 9.350"
Callies Magnum crank on the balancer, JE Asym FSR coated pistons/wrist pins and Callies Ultra Billet rods out to be weighed.
Bob weight under 1700g if I recall, drilled the shit out of the crank lol. Greg got it balanced to 0.0g on the front and like 0.5g on the back, mmmooonnnneyyyyyyyyyy
Greg suggested we get Clevite HNK (race, narrow, coated) and HNXK (race, narrow, coated, .001" extra clearance) main and rod bearings, so we can dial the oil clearances to .0005" by using half of one and half of another if needed ~ throw in some Calico-coated Durabond cam bearings, and you've got $750 in f'ing bearings.
Came in super handy though, and now I've got another set of bearings for a customer motor/etc.
Mains lookin' real pretty after the rough line hone, and you can also see the baller dowels that Greg put in for cap alignment and the piston oil squirter holes that the LSA and LS9 blocks have
My little brother showed up with the supercharger box, so we did a little product photography. I might have posted this the other night - 4" piston never looked so small.
Greg didn't spec out these springs, the guys at SDPC did, so we checked them for pressure at installed height, pressure at full lobe lift, and how much past max lift before coil bind - these are .660" springs and the cam runs out to .630" or something, but they had over .100" more travel before coil bind... this can make the valve oscillate more than it needs to, but we didn't have enough shims to do all the valves, so it's on the list of "Things to Maybe Do Someday, Maybe".
Here's Justin @ Millennium doing his typical picture pose, and filing my rings at the same time. When you know the thermal expansion characteristics of the block, pistons, and rings, you can nail the ring gap for perfect seal at temperature without ring end contact - or so Greg says
Gaps are pretty tight for a blown motor, and laughably tigher than the JE spec sheet says for "supercharged alcohol" engine.
One of my favorite pieces in the entire engine - the .005" short Comp billet timing set. Since the mains needed to be cleaned up, the crank centerline moved up closer to the cam, and a standard chain would be 'loose'. This one is beefcake, and was so tight I almost couldn't get it installed. I really saw no need for the OEM LSA tensioner, but hey, I bought it, so in it went.
Pushrods - ooooooh, pushrods. We're using Comp's limited-travel race lifters (which look like black LS7 lifters), which supposedly have .050" travel but only like to be preloaded .005". After the heads came back from WCCH and Greg did a valve job, we set all the valve stem lengths the same as installed in the heads (with this awesome Sonnex attachment for a little tiny bench grinder) so why the HELL did I end up with .020" difference between my shortest pushrod and longest? After approx 30hrs building this engine, it stumped us, but we measured 3x with a control pushrod on each lifter and a feeler gauge under the rocker tip to get true pushrod length and landed within .001", so the measurements look legit. Manton Pushrods made custom 11/32", .120" wall, 210* tip rods in three different lengths so I could get them all within .003" of their targets, all in <24hrs. Thanks Al!
Pushrods installed with stock LS3 rockers (with Comp trunnion bearing upgrade)
Polished covers on with fancy pants ARP hardware, stock LS3 coilpack, Taylor Pro409 wires and SpaceAge boots
Annnnnnnnd, that's where I went to sleep at about dawn on Saturday morning... 5 LS-powered cars tucked in there, along with a rotary and RB26 car. Peep the killer Porsche endurance racer in the back of the shop though!
