Grrr.. motor #3 go boom need advice

[albrntout]

Anyway, well motor took a poop broke rings in 5 cyl. Smoke show like no other anyway need some advice. I'm rusty on this been 85k since the last time I had to swap my motor.

Current setup on the car was an frankenstein of two previous motors, so it had 1998 crank/cam/sensors 01 zo6/rod/piston/heads/block/intake katek balance oil pump, Compcam timing set, blueprint and balanced, arp bolts and head studs, compcam rseries lifter, hardend pushrods. That setup put 345/356 at the wheels thru a4 w/3800stall and 3.42s, and asp underdrive. It was built pretty well, lived thru n20 bottles and about a month of an sts w front mount and 42lbs big upgraded turbo (i boobooed 14 lbs playing with the boost controller), I couldn't get it tuned in turned out I had a dead 02 sensor my newbieness too tuning cost me as I couldn't diagnose the problem.

Wondering what you would build with a $2500 budget, keep in mind everything survived, except the exhaust valves on the heads, I could go back to what I had for the price of a gasket kit, a cleanup bore, 8 exhaust valves and some rings, maybe a good machinist inspection and at worst a more serious bore (I do have to get the thing inspected but I mic it out and it was fine. Or even my original 98 heads (which are cherry) I do my own work assembly wise but don't have machinist capabilities myself. And don't have the theory knowledge to pick proper parts.

I'm thinking to put good forged rod/pistons in it dished too lower compression, *however that's my real question is how low can I get it changing out rods/pistons with a stock crank* New valves all around as I don't trust mine after the super heating (what do you think is good here?) I can't afford a real set of heads so.. Upgraded Valve Springsand I'v got a mild cam that should work well with the turbo I think I'm going to put in. Still have a LOW mileage ls6 oil pump that will go back in.

Other ideas I'm having are iron block 6.0l just not sure what it would cost in conversion stuff still a little lost as to how well the ls1 transfers into the ls2, and how many of my parts are already compatible.

SO again I ask what would you do?

[danziger]

If you are building for boost on a budget, I'd suggest some dished Diamond/Mahle/sponsor pistons and some decent Eagle rods. The factory crank can take a beatin'. I personally hit mine with 576rwhp/590rwtq on a regular basis and guys like Harlan were well over 800rwhp on the factory piece. Spend the money on block-prep, pistons and a FI-friendly valvetrain. You could also try and do a budget 370ci iron or look around on the classified boards for used stuff...

[albrntout]

Will the 370 block work with my other components, sorry I'm negligent here I don't really know much about the LS2 vs. Ls1 differences.

I personally would prefer the iron block, just wondering if it will take my heads/crank/intake/timing set. Working on a budget The forged piston and rods are for sure, the good hardware is for sure, regardless of what block just do I need to orders specific to the block? Or is the LS2 stuff the same internally?

[slims00ls1z28]

I don't know about the sensors etc but the LS1 crank is the same stroke as the 370 so I would Imagine either they are the same or theat the LS1 would swap into it. Do a little more reasearch to find out for sure though.

[albrntout]

From what I'v found the LS2 is a bigger bore needs a bigger piston, and needs a hole drilled for the alternator bracket, other than that supposedly it's a direct swap over. Since I'm still looking at pistons/rods the cost is the same it's just the extra 600ish bucks for a block, for the power I'm really after the aluminum block should be fine just needs to be double checked for survival of this untimely demise. If it's fine I'll just clean it and reuse it, use the 500.00 for machine work.

Too bad the insides of this motor so far look as good as they did when I put them in.. sob ... just no good rings to be found... unhappy... lil 347 dunno.. just got out from under the car, tomorrow it's motor mounts and pull need to hit up kragens for sand it's gonna be messy.