Rebuild

[sburke]

So, I'm in the process of rebuilding the upper half of my engine. This is already going to be about $4 to $5k and this is doing a lot of the labor myself.

My question is since I already have the engine apart, spend the extra $4 to $5k to finish the engine, or use that money to do everything else?

Everything else includes:
Complete new interior
New suspension setup
Finally put some rims on the beast
Finally tint the windows
Couple custom exterior mods
Finally paint this thing instead of riding in primer

All I would get for the same money put into the engine is
All ARP fasteners
Wiseco Pistons
Eagle Rods
Clevite Bearings
Billet Flywheel
Centerforce Clutch
etc.

or save the extra engine work for later and have the whole top end redone and the car will look sweet instead of like shit.

[[ion] C2]

My engine parts cost ~ $1300, install is $700-900 typically.

ARP main and head studs would be around $220 more. If you want a Cometic head gasket that's $100 rather than the $12 one I'm going to use. Flywheel and clutch not sure on the pricing offhand, I think somewhere around $700 for both.

This is a list of exactly every gasket, bearing, rods, pistons you need.

Item #		 		Product Name  

CEBSH1817S 			Balance Shaft Bearing Set
CB1647P				Rod Bearing Set
CEBMS2056P			Main Bearing Set
N/A	 			Cometic Head Gasket
FPGBS40591			Rear Main Seal Set
FPGVS50445R 			Valve Cover Gasket Set
FPGVS50490R			Valve Cover Gasket Set
FPG35597 				Water Outlet Gasket
FPGES72103 			Water Pump Mounting Gasket
NOS19887 				P/S Worm Shaft Seal 
FPGTCS45972			Timing Cover Gasket Set
FPGOS30678R			Oil Pan Gasket Set 
NTP9390 				Timing Chain
CRS5710C3D			Eagle Connecting Rods w/ARP Bolts
K584M90				Wiseco 9:1 Piston Kit
N/A				ARP Head Studs
N/A				ARP Main Studs

Rods, piston kit, ARP hardware, go through www.carcustoms.net, or PM "Karo" he's the owner on j-body, he'll give you a better deal than what's listed on the site. Cometic head gasket you can get on eBay all day for $100. Or through TurboTechRacing.com.

The rest, hit up NAPA.

The transmission stuff, buy it at www.turbotechracing.com.

[sburke]

Holy crap, thanks for all the intel. You just saved me an insane amount of time researching.

[DOHC_tuner]

What do you have planned for the engine? What cams are you gonna use?

[[ion] C2]

I suggest the 2.3L High Output cams. You can have the stock 2.4L camshaft towers bored out for the larger 35mm lifters, and have a power steering hex drive welded to the intake camshaft, as well as a little piece to keep your camshaft position sensor reading correctly. They have tons of lift and duration, would provide some massive power gains if tuned.

Stock
Intake: 198 degrees @ .050" with .354" lift
Exhaust: 187 degrees @ .050" with .346" lift

Secret
Intake: 200 degrees @ .050" with .360" lift (GM Part Number: 24574239)
Exhaust: 200 degrees @ .050" with .375" lift (GM Part Number: 22545390)

2.3L HO
Intake: 212 degrees @ .050" with .410" lift
Exhaust: 212 degrees @ .050" with .410" lift

[DOHC_tuner]

"if Tuned"

[[ion] C2]

key word

[sburke]

I plan on just doing the secret cams I have considered the w41 cams but with all the modifications that have to be done to get it to work properly it just seems to make more sense to stick with the secret cams.

Plus customizing the w41 cams could be real tricky for a shop that isn't experienced with 4 banger gm engines, and I imagine it could get really expensive.

If someone has a lot of money I would recommend these http://www.jbodyperformance.com/new/...tName=JP029 5

[DOHC_tuner]

so then where are you getting the price of $5,$6 Gs?

[sburke]

All prices I have compiled below include shipping. This is where I'm getting my numbers from.

1700 - gm supercharger
1000 - for port/polish and reassemble cylinder head
150 - for secret cams
300 - ceramic coated header
250 - welding up exhaust (have all parts just need to install)
500 - gaskets and fasteners (just a rough guess so far)

Total 3900 - and as with anything dealing with cars you always have to factor in some wiggle room or you can stall a project just because you didn't have any money to fall back on.

and yes I know that the exhaust isn't technically part of the engine but I consider it a part because if you do the intake side (supercharger) and the combustion area (cylinder head and cams) then the air needs to get out just as easily as it is getting in.

[sburke]

I should have put in that I'm getting the supercharger I'm sure that is where the confusion is coming from. It's a big ticket item but I'm excited about it.

[DOHC_tuner]

OH! yeah that would help...so you plan for boost....not bad...make sure to take pics!

[sburke]

will do man, if you have any tips, tricks or problems you ran into that you can think of please share. Any help before something happens is always better.

[DOHC_tuner]

New camshafts need New Lifters!
DO it right the first time and properly torque them bolts

[sburke]

sucks, i lost a lot of money with the way the economy is right now..

I'm ordering my parts now, I'll post a list when i'm all done, but I'm going to have to wait on the supercharger until tax season

[sburke]

I'm waiting on a reply for the cost of these parts from Karo:
APR Head Stud Kit (CC-0050) $156.57
APR Main Stud Kit (CC-0051) $ 89.95
Car Customs Competition Std. Size Int/Exh Valves (CC-0003) $200.00
Car Customs Upper/ Lower Engine Mounts (CC-0007) $ 55.00

I purchased already:
Standard Abrasives Deluxe kit (doing most of the P&P on my own and having a local shop clean it up and flowbench it
Cometic Head Gasket .3 not the .74
Secret Cams
OBX header

I have all the other pieces already to finish the exhaust, they are
Oval Tips (I believe they are ractive I'll check when I get home)
Flowmaster 40
Magnaflow Cat

I've purchased an arse load of fiberglassing materials so that I can customize/fix my bodykit

And I am considering a supercharger since I am not building the bottom end at this time. I bid on some on ebay, and we'll see how that goes. If not I may get it and I would like to get the HP Tuner as well I'm still mulling that over.

Speaking of which, does anyone have the base line maps for the supercharger. If I can save the money and flash it myself using HP then I'll definately get it, but I have yet to find the maps on the HPTuner Forums.

(Yes, I know the hptuner is more expensive than a reflash, but I can always change things up with the hptuner a reflash is out of pocket everytime.)

[sburke]

To anyone who may be wondering...............Next year when I have the wife's SUV paid off, I plan on building the bottom end, and the driveline.

[sburke]

Originally Posted by DOHC_tuner

New camshafts need New Lifters!
DO it right the first time and properly torque them bolts

I still need to buy these, I'm curious who you got them from and what's the damage to the wallet I am looking at?

[[ion] C2]

$15 a piece new. I got an entire set for $125 shipped though, j-body ftw.

I'm curious why you're looking into buying the engine mounts from Karo. They won't work in the Alero, only a j-body.

Karo's been busy lately, he's likely checking inventory of the actual suppliers. I put in an order and a question to pay with PayPal to him and he just e-mailed me back he's been trying to get a hold of RKSport to see when he can get them. (Ordering carbon fiber stuff for under the hood)

[Nate's Alero]

how is the engine coming ion?