VR Senator with LSx454

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

One spotless engine block!! Heavy duty degreaser, karcher wash down, lint free cloth wipe down, air gun final dry, repeat x 6!! Then a light spray of WD40 over all the surfaces and bagged up.  Heading into the city later, so tomorrow should be able to fit the crank and check the ring gaps. Assembly begins! (Finally!!)

• This reply was modified 6 years, 8 months ago by  VRSenator065.

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Btw in between all that, just sold my beloved 911, and this week take delivery of my new daily

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Well I have to say that’s about the most satisfying day I have spent working on it since building the exhaust.  I know to you more experienced engine builders its pretty minor, but for me being my first total engine buils was good fun.  Go at nice even pace, took my time.  I went to Target down the road and bought a cheap single white sheet for the bench, then laid everything out, cleaned and checked it.  Then slowly assembled it all, checking as I went and have to say if feels really nice to turn.  Channeled my inner Dad too, remembering what he used to tell me about being clean and methodical.  Very satisfying looking at it starting to go back together.

Not the most action packed pics I know but I will throw them up for posterity.

And anyone like me doing an LS for the first time, I would highly recommend this book, very clearly laid out, and easy to follow.

 

 

• This reply was modified 6 years, 8 months ago by  VRSenator065.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 8 months ago by  VRSenator065.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by  VRSenator065.

[Anonymous View build HERE Member since: January 1, 1970 Posts: 0]

It’s a very satisfying job well done Gary!

[cava454Moderator 93 VR BT1 View build HERE Member since: February 20, 2015 Posts: 2 390]

So take it all the machine work has been completed and all parts arrived?

Is this final assembly or just a dummy? Heads done?

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Thanks Ian, watching what you have done is actually pretty inspiring!!  Cav yea its all been machined and blue printed by Brenton, bores honed, block decked, mains line honed, and all the bearing clearances set.  So really this is the relatively easy final assembly.  He is aiming to have the heads finished very soon, so i will plug away with ring gaps, and other assembly bits and pieces until then.  Then he is coming up and we are going to do the rest of the assembly, he is keen for me to do it, but he will work with me to make sure I don’t cock it up.  Then he wants to double check the piton to block clearance so he work out exactly what combustion chamber cc he needs etc.

[Anonymous View build HERE Member since: January 1, 1970 Posts: 0]

I’ve lost count of how many engines I’ve done over the years, doesn’t matter if it’s the first or the hundreth it’s still a great feeling putting one together then you have the first start of a new build, never fails to put a huge smile on my face!

When I build for other people I try to have them around for at least a day so they can turn the torque wrench a couple of times, it seems to invest then in the build and I find they’re more likely to look after “Their Engine” if they’ve helped assemble it!

Have also done the Mentor thing a few times and just overseen the assembly as Brenton is doing, always good to be able to pass on some knowledge and skills to someone willing to learn!

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Totally get how satisfying it would be to help someone else learn the skills. It’s actually a big reason i chose Brenton.  From the get go he wanted “me” to assemble it.

[SSZ 666Participant AdelaideVZ SSZ View build HERE Member since: March 4, 2015 Posts: 33]

So without reading back X amount of pages, how’d the motor get hurt to warrent a rebuild ??

And yes very satisfying to build something with your own hands, makes you appreciate it just that much more. Im hoping to do the same with my motor when the time comes

for the money, for the glory.... and for the fun !! Mostly for the money

[cava454Moderator 93 VR BT1 View build HERE Member since: February 20, 2015 Posts: 2 390]

Good stuff car. Slow and steady but SUPER clean is the best way. As everyone has already said it’s quite satisfying. Makes it easier on the first build when all your doing is assembly. Then you can work you way from there eventually and start measuring etc yourself.

 

 

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Yea agree Cav, cant wait to be in the engine dyno room and listening to it spinning around at 7,000 rpm

SSZ666, pretty much the issue with the engine was I sold the incorrect wide spray pattern injectors from the get go, that led to un-atomised fuel washing down the bores, so it didn’t bed the rings in, causing excessive blow by, leading to contamination in the oil, and excessive wear etc.  I also don’t think it was machined/assembled properly from the start, but I am not sure I could prove that.  Luckily I pulled it before it let go in a big way.

 

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Well that’s a wrap up for the week end, checked all the ring gaps, currently Top are at 18thou, second is at 0.020″.  Brenton wants them at 20 and 26 respectively, so a little gapping required.  Checked all the rings in one bore, then checked one ring in all 8 as a cross check and they are all exact, bores and gaps.  Had to improvise with my ring tool to get them to sit square in the bore.  Borrowing a manual ring grinder off a mate, so aiming to get them down next week end.  Also the cleaning process continues, I stripped and cleaned the oil pump and some other bits and pieces.

[Anonymous View build HERE Member since: January 1, 1970 Posts: 0]

I use an old set of Oil rings on the piston if I don’t have an aluminium plug already machined for that size to square the rings.

Bit of a tip on filing the rings, go easy on the 2nd ring they’re way softer than the tops.

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Anonymous wrote:

I use an old set of Oil rings on the piston if I don’t have an aluminum plug already machined for that size to square the rings.

Yes will if idiot me hadn’t thrown out all the old rings when I pulled the motor down I would have!!

Anonymous wrote:

Bit of a tip on filing the rings, go easy on the 2nd ring they’re way softer than the tops.

Thanks very much for the tip, I did notice they felt very different when fitting them in the bores to the tops, as thought they were a different material or something.

[Anonymous View build HERE Member since: January 1, 1970 Posts: 0]

Yep tops are probably Moly filled Stainless so hard as, 2nd will be Iron so soft by comparison, very easy to take too much off the 2nd’s if you’ve done all 8 tops first…. 

[SSZ 666Participant AdelaideVZ SSZ View build HERE Member since: March 4, 2015 Posts: 33]

VRSenator065 wrote:

Yea agree Cav, cant wait to be in the engine dyno room and listening to it spinning around at 7,000 rpm SSZ666, pretty much the issue with the engine was I sold the incorrect wide spray pattern injectors from the get go, that led to un-atomised fuel washing down the bores, so it didn’t bed the rings in, causing excessive blow by, leading to contamination in the oil, and excessive wear etc. I also don’t think it was machined/assembled properly from the start, but I am not sure I could prove that. Luckily I pulled it before it let go in a big way.

 

Damn !!

for the money, for the glory.... and for the fun !! Mostly for the money

[ImmortalityParticipant 97 HSV Senator 185i 02 VX L67 Calais View build HERE Member since: August 31, 2015 Posts: 535]

This isn’t the first time I’ve seen stories about poor workmanship from the factory in these LSx engines unfortunately.

[Anonymous View build HERE Member since: January 1, 1970 Posts: 0]

Immortality wrote:

This isn’t the first time I’ve seen stories about poor workmanship from the factory in these LSx engines unfortunately.

Same they don’t have a great Rep as delivered…

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

My advice to anyone now would be if you buy one, do a tear down and check everything before you fit it.  If its all good (as it should be) its a a pretty simple reassembly job, but if you find something you will be glad you did it…

[ImmortalityParticipant 97 HSV Senator 185i 02 VX L67 Calais View build HERE Member since: August 31, 2015 Posts: 535]

Unfortunately that doesn’t just apply to LSx engines, fairly much everything these days need to be checked.

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