if you plan on running nitrous or meth in the future, go with the coatings

 

Cars don't come stock with coatings, just cast or forged. If engineers don't do it from the factory I don't see the reason for me to get them, seems more like a waste of money to me.

 

Ive pulled Diamond 9.5-1 standard bore forged pistons out of an LSJ after about 8k miles of use. The bottom of the skirts will scuff most of the side coating off due to the piston requiring more clearance than stock. As for the top coating, they claim cooler temps which if true should allow more timing but we never saw a difference.

Just my experiences.

 

Perfect. You were one of the few I wanted input from.

Is there anything in particular I need for the rebuild? I'm planning on getting arp studs and a new cometic gasket. What about rod bolts, bearings and all that?

 

The ones we pulled were from djt81185s engine after it spun a con rod bearing last year. If anything the abrasiveness of the top coating I would *imagine* would collect carbon deposits faster than a non coated piston resulting in hot spots. This is just imo.

Never understood why you would want to polish a CC to prevent carbon but coat pistons with an abrasive coating. /shrug

 

was it messed up during the pull we did?

i am pretty sure my car is still running in tip top shape.

 

Ive only replaced bearings on the one engine that spun one when he oil starved it.

Rod bolts yes, grab 8 of them from the dealer, they arent reusable. You *should* replace the cam gear bolts and crank pulley bolt but we have reused them in the past with no ill effects so far. The ARP head studs, just follow the instructions they give, use their specs and not GMs. They do have different torque specs depending if you lube them with motor oil or their included sealant.

For lubricants and adhesives I just go to Pep Boys and use the Engine Assembly lube they carry (dont be shy with it, lube everything a lot), the red gel looking gasket maker for the cam end caps, standard black RTV sealant for the oil pan and the grey high torque sealant if you drop the crank and seperate the girdle from the block.

If reusing or installing stock rings I use OEM ring gaps. If you are using Total Seals I use their forged piston recommended ring gaps.

The above info is just what Ive been doing on 4 rebuilt LSJs Ive done so far in the past 12 months. Some people do things differently, so take all my advice with a grain of salt.

 

Yes, cylinder 1 was down to 150 at the time.

 

damn so your balt is messed up? how much yo u pay to get the cylinders checked and where?

how much you paying to get new ones in there and where? lol

how much you planning on spraying once it's fixed?

 

That willl help me out a little, I was wondering about the sealants and some of the TTY bolts. Thanks.

 

buy a compression tester it isnt that much , and if someones gonna charge you make sure it isnt more that 20 bucks.

 

I had a tester since my mechanic days. Advance auto has them for less than $40.

I'll be doing the work with my dsm buddy at work. Probably give him a few just for the help.

Once I finish it's going to get a nice long break in period. I'll be purchasing HPT and tuning it as well. Once I get everything running perfect, it'll most likely get a 100 shot.

 

Bump, looking for some more opinions.

Also, what exactly is involved in removing the head. Obviously the valve cover has to come off and the timing, but how do I get the motor untimed?