Jrgunn5150
Questionable methods
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2016
- Posts
- 3,153
- Reaction score
- 2,744
- Location
- Ionia Mi
- First Name
- J.R.
- Truck Year
- 1979
- Truck Model
- C10
- Engine Size
- 6.slow
I figure there will be some interest here, since this is slated for my C10. C10 is currently a 3600 rpm converter, 3.73 gear, turbo LS with a .585 cam at 230 degrees duration, running on a Holley Terminator X.
I'm no expert, and learning as I go as well, but, I've purchased a PSI 8.8L "R" block from KB Cores on Ebay. Price was 1800 bucks plus 175 shipping to my local R&L Dock.
The 8.8 was a stroked 8.1, after Power Solutions International bought the tooling etc from GM. They continued to develop the platform for various medium duty and industrial applications. School busses, pumps, generators.
The R block specifically has a LS style rectangle port on the head, uses LS7 1.8 exhaust rockers, a pretty sweet intake compared to an 8.1, all metric fasteners, different style plugs, a valley girdle like an LS, giant TB opening, etc etc.
For my C10, I'm pretty married to the 4L80e, so I don't really want to go back to a carb from the turbo 6.0 in it now. Which had me looking at Vortec 7.4's and 8.1's. It's even really why I bought my current K2500, to harvest the 454 from.
8.1's have pretty restrictive intakes, modding one is a pain, the valve train is really expensive to add a real cam too, and they tend to run 7-800 bucks on Marketplace.
The 7.4 is it's only little funky monkey, switching it to something 24x and 1x cam was unappealing.
The added costs of either helped me justify spending way more on an 8.8 with "normal" rockers, springs, pushrods, lifters, and an intake that flows to 500 hp or so as is. Will still be added costs, because it showed up with a flat sump oil pan, R blocks are 56x crank and I need it to be 24x... But, whatever, last engine I intend to build in my life, so might as well party.
So anyway, pictures, here's some, paid my money to KB Cores, they had it on a pallet and out the door the next day, picked it up at the depot today. Plan to pull it down to a shortblock over the holiday.
The engine pics I stole from an offshore boat forum, until I can take my own
I'm no expert, and learning as I go as well, but, I've purchased a PSI 8.8L "R" block from KB Cores on Ebay. Price was 1800 bucks plus 175 shipping to my local R&L Dock.
The 8.8 was a stroked 8.1, after Power Solutions International bought the tooling etc from GM. They continued to develop the platform for various medium duty and industrial applications. School busses, pumps, generators.
The R block specifically has a LS style rectangle port on the head, uses LS7 1.8 exhaust rockers, a pretty sweet intake compared to an 8.1, all metric fasteners, different style plugs, a valley girdle like an LS, giant TB opening, etc etc.
For my C10, I'm pretty married to the 4L80e, so I don't really want to go back to a carb from the turbo 6.0 in it now. Which had me looking at Vortec 7.4's and 8.1's. It's even really why I bought my current K2500, to harvest the 454 from.
8.1's have pretty restrictive intakes, modding one is a pain, the valve train is really expensive to add a real cam too, and they tend to run 7-800 bucks on Marketplace.
The 7.4 is it's only little funky monkey, switching it to something 24x and 1x cam was unappealing.
The added costs of either helped me justify spending way more on an 8.8 with "normal" rockers, springs, pushrods, lifters, and an intake that flows to 500 hp or so as is. Will still be added costs, because it showed up with a flat sump oil pan, R blocks are 56x crank and I need it to be 24x... But, whatever, last engine I intend to build in my life, so might as well party.
So anyway, pictures, here's some, paid my money to KB Cores, they had it on a pallet and out the door the next day, picked it up at the depot today. Plan to pull it down to a shortblock over the holiday.
The engine pics I stole from an offshore boat forum, until I can take my own
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