Best pistons for mild re-build

[tsaltario]

Hey, I'm being faced with a rebuild of my stock block. I'm not looking for crazy power gains, but and wondering if there is a specific brand of forged piston, and cam to look for.

Here's what I'm looking doing so far:

Deck the block
Port/polish the heads
206 cam
machine the crank/oversized bearings of course
double roller timing chain
forged pistons
ARP bolts to hold it al together

Now, I'm having an engine builder do the work for me, (as I have NO idea/time, resources to do it myself).

Is there anything else that would be different from a big block re-build that we should know of? There are not many people in my area that know our cars all that well. Lot's of quality engine builders, just not as familiar with a turbo v-6,

thanks for everyone's help.

Tom

 

[Blazer406]

Let me first say..... you can't treat these engines (during a rebuild)..... like it is a chevy..... these engines have a whole different set of clearances... and little ticky stuff that real Buick engine builders only know..... you don't have to search long here on the board... where some members have had major issues from reputable engine builders... that built them to "chevy" clearances. ........ however.... IMHO.... a good engine builder... armed with the proper clearances for our engines.... should be able to do it properly..... just make sure he has the correct info....


As far as pistons..... if on a budget.... TRW forged.... if not... JE's.... others may have some different brands they like... but many here run either of these.... I am using the TRW's in my current rebuild... looking for high 10's when I get it back together...

On the cam..... go hyd roller if you can afford it. These engines are gaining a bad rap for wiping lobes on flat tappet cams....although.... there are many who speculate it is the zinc that is missing from most of todays oils that is a major contributing factor... If you do go roller... Mike Licht at FullThrottle has some cam kits with everything you need....

HTH

 

[cruzn57]

check with ...........

Mike at "Full Throttle"
vendor here, has Diamond pistons, very nice, reasonable.

good luck

 

[Brer Rabbit]

roller cam good idea.

Let me first say..... you can't treat these engines (during a rebuild)..... like it is a chevy..... these engines have a whole different set of clearances... and little ticky stuff that real Buick engine builders only know..... you don't have to search long here on the board... where some members have had major issues from reputable engine builders... that built them to "chevy" clearances. ........ however.... IMHO.... a good engine builder... armed with the proper clearances for our engines.... should be able to do it properly..... just make sure he has the correct info....


As far as pistons..... if on a budget.... TRW forged.... if not... JE's.... others may have some different brands they like... but many here run either of these.... I am using the TRW's in my current rebuild... looking for high 10's when I get it back together...

On the cam..... go hyd roller if you can afford it. These engines are gaining a bad rap for wiping lobes on flat tappet cams....although.... there are many who speculate it is the zinc that is missing from most of todays oils that is a major contributing factor... If you do go roller... Mike Licht at FullThrottle has some cam kits with everything you need....

HTH

Hey I think theres a guy sellin a 206/206 hydraulic roller in parts for sale section, it included the lifters and pushrods for $550.00. That sounds like a good deal to me. As far as pistons, I think my buddy used speed pro forged pistons and they were around $300.00 new. They are way better than stock.

 

[Brer Rabbit]

One more thing to consider..

I think theres an accepted standard for the size of the cylinder bore on our 3.8s. I think 30 over is about the limit U will want to go, so if ur block is already bored u better start lookin for a new block. 40 might be pushing it but Im sure theres a bunch of guys out there with 40 over blocks.

 

[tsaltario]

thanks for all the info guys. I've been visiting some of the vendor's sites, so now when I'm looking again, I have an idea what to look for. As for my block, it has not been bored out before so there should be some room there if I decide to go that route.

 

[ChavoLC2]

Engine rebuild.

I would encourage you to go over to gnttype .org and look up in the Tech.section an article called Basic engine rebuild. Has alot of good info. Also has stock engine specs that you can print up and show your machnist/mechanic.

A friend of mine had his motor rebuilt by a reputable engine builder(Dutweiller) a few years ago the car ran like a Banshee on crrack. Well the need for speed he ended up needing another rebuid. Actually think think that prooblem that led to engine failure was injector failure, in talking with Red Armstrong he said the 50's had been known to stick for a milli-second and that would be enough for a cylinder to go lean i.e.to not get the fuel it needed and cause severe detonation.

I believe he said the 50's were made intially for marine application and not the high boost induction we see in these Bufords. That they had a tendency to stick all you need is one to stumble at WOT under high boost to malfunction and that he would not use them for his own turbo application due to this known intermitant sticking. Not that he probably didn't sell them to the masses. He actually told me to go with 009's instead of 50's, this was before 60's came out. Granted it took awhile for the chip tuners to master the 009's as they had there own problems initially, running fat,tip in stumble etc.etc.
,
Anyway to make a long story short my friend had to have his motor rebuilt and he took it to a local guy who was very succesfull with Chevy's and the other brand names . It took him for ever to get his car back and the guy I think he rebuilt it like he was building a sbc v8. Not that it takes a rocket science machnist/mechanic to rebuild these LC2's but there are little tweaks you need to know that are exclusive to the LC2. I've heard stories of guys having their heads ruined by over zealous mechanic. He had to change head gaskets very soon after getting the car back and it still makes a weird clickinng noise. Then thru the grapevine this mechanic's son mentioned to somone how bad Lee's car was that he had taken it out before Lee took repossesion and just hammered it at high boost. Lee had turned boost way down to prevent anyone from messing with the the car had pump gas in the tank,I'm sure they didn't know how to fine tune it and this kid just turned the wick up and mashed the gas pedal.

Just make sure these guys are straight up and willing to look at any info you supply to them about these LC2's. If I had to have mine rebuilt I would be in a quandry because there are really no known shops here that specialize in these little motors. I would probably take it over to AZGN and let Nick and his crew work her up! The 1200 mile round trip would be worth it because they know what they are doing.

 

[bison]

I would probably take it over to AZGN and let Nick and his crew work her up! The 1200 mile round trip would be worth it because they know what they are doing.

Shipping the engine to a reputable builder like Nick would be the smartest decision you could make at this point.

 

[Boost231]

i agree. get the motor over to nick micale if u can. i droped my motor off with him and zimmermans to get a once over. good luck on yours