Budget rebuild items?

[Charlie207]

Others here are giving you most of the items, but I’ll just consolidate mine to one list because it’s easier for me to think through it.

I agree on leaving the bottom end alone if it’s in good shape and relatively low mileage. Then:

1/ have the heads sent out to a machine shop along with new valve springs and valve stem seals. They will install them for you.

2/ depending on the mileage, I would consider installing new Chevrolet Performance lifters as well.

3/ I would at least pull the cam to look for cam bearing wear and probably replace the cam with new while I was in there. They’re relatively cheap.

4/ replace the starter with new. Again, cheap insurance.

5/ replace the harmonic balancer and bolt with new, and use ARP for the bolt.

6/ use ARP bolts for the exhaust manifolds and cylinder heads.

7/ obviously, new front timing cover, rear cover, and crankshaft seals. And new oil cooler plate seal.

8/ new barbell in the oil galley, oil pan gasket and oil pickup tube o-ring. And I agree with the idea of installing a new high volume oil pump, though because it’s a cast-iron block a standard volume pump should also be fine, regardless of wear.

9/ new knock sensors with pigtails

10/ new intake manifold gaskets, valve cover gaskets and grommets. I might even be up for new fancy valve covers to dress it up a little bit.

11/ and of course, all new belts and hoses all the way around. Including all coolant hoses, heater hoses, engine oil cooler and transmission cooler hoses. It’s also a great time to replace the power steering hoses.

12/ It would be a really good time to replace that torque converter on the front of the transmission with a billet unit and stronger lockup clutch.

13/ New plugs and wires, and I would probably remove the fuel injectors to have them sent out, cleaned, and new O-rings installed.

14/ new motor mounts.

I know all of this will be fairly pricey, but you’ll have basically a new rig that will be trouble free for another 200K at least.

Is something like this worth it, or Scamazon trash? Unless the pistons are beat up, I don't think I'd need to replace those. (unless I do!)

https://www.amazon.com/Engine-Rebuild-Overhaul-Kit-FITS/dp/B07DX8B1H7

It's not going to be a track/kill-mode engine... more hp/tq would be nice, but reliability as a DD is at the top of the list. Assuming it's a good candidate for a refresh, I'd probably only add a cam (and associate valvetrain) as upgrades at this point. Headers would be down the road.

Seller claims not to know the mileage, but that it came out of a running/driving 2008 2500 pickup that was too rusty to pass VT inspection. But, for $600 I'm going to take a chance that it's not too hammered to revive. (I just spend $425 on a 2008 SIG P226 PD trade-in that works great, so I'm betting 2008 is a solid year for projects*)

The person I was going to borrow the truck from had an emergecy dental appt. today, so I was scrambling to find another truck to borrow, but my neighbor's dad is gonna let me borrow his pest-control truck, so this should be a fun day.

 

[Charlie207]

Excellent advice this guy is cruising for a bruising. Murphy's law

Who said I had no experience? I have plenty of time, beer, and a fast YouTube connection. Plus, all of you experts.

But seriously, I've had 7 Saabs, 4 BMWs, 3 Nissan SUVs, and a VW a looong time ago. I'm not too worried about the nuts & bolts of this. I've never heard anyone complain about the complexity of an LS vs. any euro-DOHC engine I've had apart. But, since it's the first time I'd be doing an LS I'm going to ask lots of questions.

 

[Charlie207]

honestly this is a horrible take. we should encourage guys to dig deeper into engines. not tell people they can't do it. this is literally the days of easy info and places like this to ask questions.

I am curious to hear what you think is so mind blowingly difficult about an ls engines that only a pro can touch one? read a little bit, watch some videos and it's fine. 16 year old kids are throwing these things together in their friends driveways, half in the dirt to go drifting. its about as easy as an engine gets.

there's guys that post here that end up rebuilding the entire top end of the engine over a sruck lifter in a parking garage of their apartment, up north in the winter. give people some credit.

I see this all the time.. mechanics think to highly of themselves when talking to others. you knew nothing at one time either. I know nothing about anything I've not researched yet either.. my fleet has almost gone completely electric. I knew nothing about it besides racing rc cars as a kid. picture tons of old guys refusing to work on them, to now 2 years later they are all experts and no one else knows anything.

it's ridiculous. but that's the mind set of gate keeping.

Realistically the hardest part right now is getting the thing into my basement. There is no driveway to the double-doors, and the back yard is a little soft. Neighbor has a tractor with forklift blades, so he said he'd help get it as far past the threshhold as possible, but it may be close, and I just hope there's enough reach to get to the engine stand on the concrete basement floor.

 

[Geotrash]

I

Is something like this worth it, or Scamazon trash? Unless the pistons are beat up, I don't think I'd need to replace those. (unless I do!)

https://www.amazon.com/Engine-Rebuild-Overhaul-Kit-FITS/dp/B07DX8B1H7

It's not going to be a track/kill-mode engine... more hp/tq would be nice, but reliability as a DD is at the top of the list. Assuming it's a good candidate for a refresh, I'd probably only add a cam (and associate valvetrain) as upgrades at this point. Headers would be down the road.

Seller claims not to know the mileage, but that it came out of a running/driving 2008 2500 pickup that was too rusty to pass VT inspection. But, for $600 I'm going to take a chance that it's not too hammered to revive. (I just spend $425 on a 2008 SIG P226 PD trade-in that works great, so I'm betting 2008 is a solid year for projects*)

The person I was going to borrow the truck from had an emergecy dental appt. today, so I was scrambling to find another truck to borrow, but my neighbor's dad is gonna let me borrow his pest-control truck, so this should be a fun day.


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In general, I'm not a fan of all-in-one kits unless I know the manufacturer of each of the components in it, and they seem to always make some compromises somewhere. And there have been so many reports of fraudulent parts through Amazon, that I will no longer buy parts through them. Summit, Texas Speed, Rock Auto and JEGS are reliable suppliers so if I were going to buy a kit, I would only do it through one of them. A notable exception to my first concern here are transmission overhaul and banner kits because those are almost always put together by well-known suppliers and most have high quality parts in them. They're also sold through Rock Auto.

Anyway, that looks like a good find that you'll have a lot of fun working on. Then the next question is: do you really want to do all of that work and put it into a rusting body and frame? Or could you also find a $3000 Yukon or Tahoe in Arizona or even North Carolina, with a bad motor and have it shipped home first?

 

[Charlie207]

I

In general, I'm not a fan of all-in-one kits unless I know the manufacturer of each of the components in it, and they seem to always make some compromises somewhere. And there have been so many reports of fraudulent parts through Amazon, that I will no longer buy parts through them. Summit, Texas Speed, Rock Auto and JEGS are reliable suppliers so if I were going to buy a kit, I would only do it through one of them. A notable exception to my first concern here are transmission overhaul and banner kits because those are almost always put together by well-known suppliers and most have high quality parts in them. They're also sold through Rock Auto.

Anyway, that looks like a good find that you'll have a lot of fun working on. Then the next question is: do you really want to do all of that work and put it into a rusting body and frame? Or could you also find a $3000 Yukon or Tahoe in Arizona or even North Carolina, with a bad motor and have it shipped home first?

The good thing is that my Yukon is still in good shape, frame & body-wise. The mechanic that did my inspection last October, and the other mechanic that did my undercoating right after both said it was one of the best 2014s they'd seen in NH in a while.

If I had my way I'd have a clean E39 540i with no engine to throw it in, but I sold my last one to a guy wanting my V8 for his wagon.

 

[strutaeng]

I think those kits are decent from Enginetech (if they are legit...'cause Amazon is kinda sketchy on auto parts these days); They seem to be local distribution warehouse here.

But you need to know the bearing sizes. I'd wait until you tear it down and do some measuring. Do you have a micrometer to measure crank journals? If not, the backs of the bearings should have a "STD" or "010" stamped on them. Bottom end is probably okay if it was a runner.

 

[Charlie207]

I think those kits are decent from Enginetech (if they are legit...'cause Amazon is kinda sketchy on auto parts these days); They seem to be local distribution warehouse here.

But you need to know the bearing sizes. I'd wait until you tear it down and do some measuring. Do you have a micrometer to measure crank journals? If not, the backs of the bearings should have a "STD" or "010" stamped on them. Bottom end is probably okay if it was a runner.

Thanks!

 

[Fubar0715]

The good thing is that my Yukon is still in good shape, frame & body-wise. The mechanic that did my inspection last October, and the other mechanic that did my undercoating right after both said it was one of the best 2014s they'd seen in NH in a while.

If I had my way I'd have a clean E39 540i with no engine to throw it in, but I sold my last one to a guy wanting my V8 for his wagon.

When I was part of the e39 forum group - there was a guy on there that did a 427 swap into a e39 wagon with a 6 speed. That thing was awesome looking and a real sleeper for the ricer crowd! Had a personalized plate from VA "E39 427"

 

[Geotrash]

When I was part of the e39 forum group - there was a guy on there that did a 427 swap into a e39 wagon with a 6 speed. That thing was awesome looking and a real sleeper for the ricer crowd! Had a personalized plate from VA "E39 427"

I had a '98 E38 740iL that I did a transmission rebuild and timing chain guides on, and while I was at it, did pretty much everything else under the hood but the bottom end. Ran great, but if I'd kept it I would've LS-swapped it with a 6.2 and turned it into a monster.

 

[Charlie207]

Progress.

Story is that the transfer case in the 2500 donor blew up, and the frame was too rusty to throw money at. Truck was a daily driver until that, with ~154,000 miles on it. [Allegedly] it ran fine with no oil burning issues, no weird noises, yada yada.