Time to build a motor, what options have others found?
 

So last night it appears I had cam(s) issues and my motor had at the very least blown a head gasket or worse.

While I am going to talk to the dealer I m obviously not stock and it may be a known issue but I expect to get told tough luck. I don't mind this so much as trying to plan out my next plan of attack.

I always intended to keep the car on a stock block on E85 and a safe setup. @moto-mike has been a big help with that. But after what just happened I am now at the fork in the road here I need to make a choice.

I am curious as to what other's have been able to build there FA20's for and what they felt needed to be done to make them even stronger.

I will say I want High Compression just like it is now, I like it. Other than that I am really open.

What are stock motor's people are pulling out selling for?

I have a complete Heads and Cam LS1 sitting here with PCM and harness I could technically do that swap but honestly I just don't want to.

So with all that in mind I would like to hear some input from those who have built and those who would build if in this position. I would like to weigh my options and make a choice this week which direction I am going.

***Update***
Still going back and forth, found a 11k mile motor for the right price.

I also found that the damage to my motor is not extensive so rebuilding would not be an issue... but if I do how far should I go. Trying to find some more concrete numbers on things. Everything seem's buried in threads.

I swear the general consensuses was the factory block was good to up to 500. Yet it seems the locals have been having issue above 400.

I wanted the 350-400 range and felt on E85 should be completely safe. Now I did have a cam issue but I am of course questioning now just how much can the stock motor really take and is it worth it to go after a built block with my power goals?
Perhaps I should only do specific parts like Head Studs and... what's the bigger weak point? Another question I really have not found an answer too.

At some point I hope to find my answers because I want to get started this week on a direction, another stock and accept it was a fluke or some format of a built motor...

can we get some info on what happened to your motor?


To answer your question Maperformance and Fullblown offer some serious shortblocks. MAP is talking about heads but nothing yet. Fullblown on the other hand just made 750WHP on a longblock they have with cams.


What about a just stock rebuild with pistons and rods? Did anything break? How much power do you want/have?

Not sure on power never got a chance to get it back on the dyno after finding the boost leak. Boost Cut was at 1.25 Bar. So I am saying under 400 over 325. (Since it did 323 on the dyno with the boost leak)

At this time I am not sure what happened. Last night I drove it home from seing Jeff Dunham I was not pushing it hard or even WOT I was in 5th gear and suddenly the car lost power and there was a pop. No smoke, no oil all over the ground but there is oil in the engine bay.

I have no answer yet other than having the following codes and it being humid and rainy out but there is no water or any type of residue in the charge pipes.
P0300
P0301
P0021
P0014
P000B
P000C

So your cam position sensor failed basically.. ?
I have had P0021 randomly happen twice, but no damage was done and it went away with. Never did figure out why.


What kind of damage is done?

No idea motor is not out

I have a long block for sale if you are interested?

How much

You have a PM

Other choices for short blocks (no longblocks yet, although I'm sure FBM will release a longblock that has their shortblock plus their new heads) are;

FBM and MAP. although higher hp limits and you'll want to look at getting some good bearings though.

If you order the shortblock and heads from FBM I think they would send it assembled if you asked.

They have both stage 1 and stage 2 heads and shortblock so you could build quite the beast especially with some of their stage 1/2 cams.

My longblock wont be for sale until September or so :x

Hopefully we'll get a good teardown on this one to see what happened. My gut says a lifted head. Fullblown seems to have the built motor thing down pretty good. If I had to go with an off the shelf block it would probably be there.

I think I have another motor the question is do I do another stock or build... Or have the fabricator here in town do the ls1 swap he is offering to do for the cost of materials only since I Already have the motor.