Used engine

[jaybee]

A while back I was asking whether a used 5.3L GM V8 was worth the price being asked.  Looks like sometime soon I'm going to get my hands on it.  I'm finding out that it's out of a former rural sheriff Tahoe with 155,000 miles.  That would be a lot of highway miles and these are famously long lived engines.  The new buyer changed out the motor because he was afraid of a little noise right at cold start, then the mechanic that worked on it from new said it always did that...which is consistent with what I've heard about them from other sources.  It doesn't burn any oil.  So with that I have three questions;

How would you store this, as the car isn't anywhere near ready.  I think I have this one figured out, but I'd like to have the discussion anyway.

How much teardown and freshening would you do?  I'm not looking for a hardcore screamer.  With a simple PCM reflash it can do 330hp which is plenty for my intended use.  It'll spin 6,000 rpm with the truck intake, but if I change to an LS intake do I need to slip in a new cam so they'll work together?

Would you freshen the engine now and store it for later, store it as is and freshen when it's almost time to drive?

[Crosley.In.AZ]

I would freshenn it like any other engine.  I have been told by several folks that GM ran some pistons loose in the LS motors.  Too loose on some 6.0 blocks.

A machinist friend was boring LS iron blocks .010 over for a couple local dealerships. Like 50 or more blocks ...  This was 3 - 5 yrs ago, not sure if the problem persists.

[jaybee]

Crosley, my research says that the early iron block versions had a piston skirt design that promoted noise on cold start but didn't affect durability.  Noise complaints and customer concerns nonetheless apparently caused some of them to be changed out at low mileage, sometimes brand new cars.  At bare minimum I think bearings and evaluate the bores and pistons.  Depending on how the cylinders and pistons check out decide on what to do there.  Certainly new valve springs and seals, probably have the valves ground.  Depending on how it evaluates it could turn into a fullblown build, with a cam upgrade and such.  Oops, this is how car builds escalate.

[Crosley.In.AZ]

I have also heard these LS   engines like the lobe center brought back to 108 with a custom cam.

The heads from a 6.0  with #317  are popular too

[phat rat]

I'd store now rebuild later. You never know how long or what change of direction a project might take.

[kb426]

I agree with Phat Rat.

[papastoyss]

If you're accustomed to the cheap parts prices for SBC you will get sticker shock when you buy parts for an LS engine.

[jaybee]

Makes sense to wait, I was inclined to do that anyway.  I'll probably do the usual "mothball an engine" things, seal it up in plastic with a dessicant bag, that sort of thing.

I see that rebuild kits are a couple of bills higher on these than a 350...or even small block Fords.  It's still a great engine design and I'm picking this one up cheap.

[enjenjo]

If you are going to store it for a while, pull the plugs, squirt a tablespoon of ATF in each cylinder, put the plugs back in, and wrap it up.

[jaybee]

If you are going to store it for a while, pull the plugs, squirt a tablespoon of ATF in each cylinder, put the plugs back in, and wrap it up.

Oh, for certain, that's always good advice.  Pretty sure I've said this before, but my then-neighbor decided once that it'd be quicker and easier to just squirt some WD40 in through the plug holes.  Next spring the piston skirts had enough corrosion to stick them in the bores.  He had to knock them all out with a hammer and block of wood.

I'm not saying I don't belong on Team Smart (I do) but if I'd done that I'd use it on my team application.  Wisdom is knowledge acquired just after you need it.