Engine Removal

[FreeBeeTony]

Pulled the engine yesterday.......see pics below.
​Tore it down and got the short block in the basement thanks to my sons.
Removed a piston this morning........see pic below. Rings are stuck in the grooves.
​Doesn't look like there was much of a chance saving it.....

 

[Scott Danforth]

why would you want to try to save a stock piston? they are about $40 each

from the looks of the corrosion on the piston, you had a lot of water sitting in the bore for a long period of time.

rebuild time.

here are a few things that will help.

new rods are about the same price as refurbing your old ones
same with crank

get a complete rotating assembly (best bang for buck)

 

[FreeBeeTony]

Wasn't talking about saving the piston..........I had been trying to free up the rings at one point.
​Was hoping to buy new pistons and saving the crank and rods.
​Can't let the $$$ get out of hand.

 

[Scott Danforth]

just to re-use the rods you have, you will spend $40 to press the old pins out and you will spend $40 to press the new pins in. to that, you need to clean up the rods, and you may need to re-size the big end that is about $300. if so, your into saving your rods for $380 new rods are cheaper

New forged I-beam scat rods for floating pins are $300 they are even less when purchased as part of a rotating assembly. for $900 you get new pistons, rings, pins, rods and a crank

the cheapest path is often the one that you think is the most expensive until you look

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,.... Just go to yer local GM Dealer, 'n order up a Chevy HT-383,....

 

[alldodge]

To do a no frills standard rebuild, I would reuse the crank and rods. Done many and never needed to resize the rods. Doesn't take much of a press to do the piston pins, could make something up in a pinch. Contact your machine shop and get their prices to do some of these things. Get some standard .030 over pistons (which ever work out best), balancing is best but not absolutely necessary

 

[FreeBeeTony]

Leaning towards All Dodge's recommendation.........
Going to continue to disassemble the short block the bring the block, crank and rods to the machine shop and see what he thinks.
Would also like to replace the cam which will require replacing the valve spring......thinking of doing that work myself. Seems simple enough.

 

[Scott Danforth]

with the cam, get a complete cam kit with lifters/springs/cam. check lift, on your vortec heads, if not machined for high-lift cam, you need to go with beehive springs.

 

[FreeBeeTony]

with the cam, get a complete cam kit with lifters/springs/cam. check lift, on your vortec heads, if not machined for high-lift cam, you need to go with beehive springs.

Do the beehive springs require the heads to be machined?

 

[Scott Danforth]

no.

http://www.hotrod.com/articles/vortec-valve-spring-upgrade/