LS 5.3L Build Part 3 Machine Shop Work | Project Rowdy Ep007 

I as well am doing a 5.3 Engine rebuild. I stumbled on the Rowdy Project as a Video series to help me with my build. This part 3 was very interesting as I was doing research on a Machine Shop to do the Work to the Block, and provide Pistons, Rods etc. When I met the Machinist for the first time I was impressed. I informed him I saw this project, and wanted to do something similar, and he knew exactly what to do. I highly recommend Coosa Valley Performance for any Machining that you need to have done. Mike, I also appreciate all of your input to my project as well. Thank you.

Finally a serious ls build video instead of corny out takes in between the build!

the gentleman at the machine shop is one extremely skilled individual....

Wow, that guy at the shop really put in the effort to do it right. Thankful there is still good machine shops out there.

Now that’s the way to do a video. It’s fascinating to see the processes applied to the engine. Thank you for your time and effort in putting this together for us all to see!

Awesome video! Shout out to you for making the video....Special shout out to the machine shop for allowing you to film their work on the block. Not a lot of shops will allow you to see what they do.

Excellent Build Videos!

I’ll be rebuilding my first LS/ Vortec engine this year. Very well put together vids. Your process background helps for an easy viewing and understanding of your vids. I subscribed. Thank you.

I'm gonna have to go to Coosa Valley from N C FL. I didn't know there was a real machine shop left. I worked in one during school! Super as always, Lee, N FL

Always interesting to see the difference between an actual machine shop work vs the DIYers on RU-vid. Not saying the DIYers are doing a bad job, just good to see why for me, the novice, to understand WHY you want to go to a machine shop for most of your work.

As a machinist, I appreciate this video

That’s a damn good machine shop you found there

Nice of them to let you film. Nice process.

The first tank that they use is a caustic soda tank. It has a heater and this one looks like they are using the circulation. It removes oil, grease, and anything aluminum. If this was a LS1 block you wouldn't have anything left. All bearings must be removed before using this tank. The second machine is a pressure washer that you can put any kind of part into, even aluminum. It has a heater and some people use just plain water. Looks like a Sioux Valve Grinder, Rottler Boring Machine, haven't use that deck machine but it looks like a Rottler. Must have been a pretty high mile engine to need .02" over, if you are lucky with an LS motor you can get away with a .005" over piston that doesn't need the boring step. That measuring tool he is using on the bores is a bore gauge that you will zero to the widest part of the piston skirt, the barrel. Then the bore gauge will show + (clearance for the piston) or - (not enough clearance for the piston), this number is different for piston material. The bore gauges can quickly measure to about .00005-.0001" depending on the quality. Looks like a Sunnen hone, one small detail is that you shouldn't hone the cylinders in a row, 3,7,1,5 is a good way to do it and evenly distribute the heat of honing. If you bore or hone the cylinders in a row and measure it at the end there will be a difference between #1 and #7. That last brush is a nylon bristle that used for the plateau finish on the cylinder. Works great on plasma-moly rings which I'm sure you are using. www.pro-bal.com/tech_info/library/Precision_balancing_of_reciprocating_engines.pdf This is a good article on balancing by Pro-Bal who makes a lot of the balancing machines out there. It all comes down to the fact that some of the connecting rod is considered rotating weight (big end) and is added to the crankshaft while on the balancer and some of the connecting rod and the pistons are considered reciprocating weight. Some people do all the calculations and then still add their own over or under balance to it as they feel it is better for them. The balance machine usually turns around 500rpm. You wouldn't want to be near it if it was spinning much faster. That is an old type balancing machine, but it seems to work fine.

I now think with the help of your videos I can rebuild a motor thank you sir I am going to keep watching

I think I am a process guy too! I love this stuff.

Hey I’m from Rome Georgia I’m coming back home in October on leave from japan and starting a rebuild on an LS motor. Your videos are super helpful and will help me get prepared for it!!!

Awesome video....love the break down part list....great build.....im currently building a lm7 myself.......

your videos are very well made I'm a suscriber now..

The last step in honing the block is what’s called plateau hone. The purpose is to knock down the microscopic peaks made during the honing process.

Those heads look beautiful now

Great video

Your videos are legit my man. Thanks for doing this, truly. 🍻

your videos are great i really appreciate the time you took to make them as i am sure it would have been much easier to put the camera down and get to work so thankyou I subscribed

That is cool that you got the process on video Very cool to see how that is done.

Hmm Cartersville...only about an hour and a half from when I live. Neat video to see what happens at the machine shop!

Really like your videos you do a great job with them thank you “subscribed” 👍👍👍👍

Looks great Mike. Looking forward to seeing it all come together.

really enjoy watching your videos keep it up!!

Great machine work✅ Lot goes into a Quality build for sure and I’ll be looking for the same✅ Best Regards to all

Nice precision work!!

That was awesome!

How much would this entire procedure cost for a junkyard LS 6.0 Liter or 350 block Engine (Heads included) cost to have done general for slightly upgraded cam, valves and piston?

that was so cool to watch. thank you

very good informative video

What did this cost

You weren’t too far from me lol I live in the dalton area

NICE!

Nice video, were you satisfied with the machine shop's work and would you use their services again?

Correct me if I'm wrong so you bought the .020 over pistons first and measured them. You took those readings to match the block, measured the block to see how much to remove and while doing so also found the bore was tapered? Just want to know because I'm also doing a rebuild and it seems I have to take the pistons to the machine shop rather than let them cut away first and then take them.

Ik you have prob said but how much hp did you end up with, great videos to I’m currently doing a 5.3 for my c10 and your videos have helped tremendously, thanks

What do you think your total cost was on this build? I can get a reman for 1,900...I can’t decide if I want to send my current engine to a machine shop or just do the parts store reman.

I think this is the besth video about fix a engine ever and forever..just excelent...one question how much was the cost just in the machine shop service?...

Nice video series.

Great video and procedure but I do have one complaint. I really can't understand why the machinist at 2.10 seconds cut and angled the valve tips on a WET grinder but didn't turn on the pump for lubrication and dry shaved them leaving a really rough, course and uneven cut wearing out the rocker tips Also it damages the stones on the valve grinder. All else was great and I enjoyed the video. but I just found this odd. Oh thumbs up.

Shouldnt the machine shop use a torque plate when boring/honing the decks?

How much was it? I really wanna know how much they charged you, i think they are over pricing me on a local shop. Info on the machine shop pls thanks

You may have made a mistake decking that bad-boy.

How much you spend on machine shop Plus parts like know maybe in future I ll do ,, nice and clean job

Was your total $1,215.00 for all your machine shop work, including the heads and block??

My understanding is the early experience with these engines is the heads being torqued to the block distorted the block causing oil consumption..so a torque plate was used during boring...was that mentioned?

Looks scary to bolt on those bob weights and stand 3ft in front of them as the spin at 6,000rpm!

The heads are the stock ones correct?? I’m going to rebuild my engine soon once I pay my truck off.. it’s only a 4.3 vortec so it shouldn’t be as much I would imagine

Man, looking at that shiny head at around 2:00 into the video...that's engine porn right there. Great stuff! Also, it appears those pistons have the ceramic coating on the top? You'll love that...cuts down on carbon build-up and is slightly better on containing heat.

What bearings and pistons did you go with? Do you by chance have a part number for them? Thanks for the helpful videos!

How much did the Machine Shop charge you for all its work? Just asking so I can budget when I do mine.

I would have a fit ! No gloves ! but the rest of the vid was very professional .

I can't believe I haven't found this before, great videos! But why the new rods?

If you don't mind me asking, how much was the rod and piston set and where did it come from ? I'm doing a 5.3 build, and I also have to bore my block.

Hey great video! I just wanted to know where you got your rebuild kit from and do you think it is suitable for about 500hp?

What's the shop and where? I will drive therefor that good of work.

For an internally balanced rotating assembly, I’m curious why the balancer was needed to balance fully. I do notice the improvement made, but my impression was that the balancer and flywheel aren’t necessary to balance for an internally balanced LS engine. ? Thanks.

Really like the videos. I have a 2000 Silverado with the 5.3 and 862 heads that I am looking to put a cam in as well as have the head done. One of the things I am looking to do is making he intake valves 2". Did you consider doing that or did you pass on it for any particular reason.

What cam and springs did you guys end up going with?? I'm interested as I myself am building a 5.3

I'm from Cartersville

I have a 05 5.3 LM7 and am curious what this cost, not all of it but just how much the stuff in this video cost.

Are you still happy with the job that Coosa Valley Performance did? I'm in North GA and looking to do a similar engine build. About how much do they charge for what you had done?

When you installed the cam bearings how did you index them so that the holes in the bearings matched the holes in the journals - are there really two holes in each of the bearings for oil, both in the lower quadrant so that the oil enters the cam in two places of each bearing or what?

Great videos! Does anybody know the part number for those new pistons?

Hey buddy, did you clean inside your intake? I’m thinking about soaking mine in simple green+water for a day or 2

😎 With the 20 overbore what is the new cubic inch from 5.3 and have you done a Horsepower check?

How much an average it cost to have machinist clean and balance/spec the block???

I would appreciate your recommendation on the best rebuild manual? GREAT VIDEOS...

I noticed you removed the timing chain gear from the crank. Was that necessary for the machine shop? Was it installed when they balanced it?

Do you have a part number for the crank?

Wow

Weird that you spent the money for H-beam rods for a stock motor and also used circlips instead of spiro-locks! Odd combination there!

what would be the cost of build

why does the block have 4.8 and 5.3 stamped on it sorry for the questions I'm gonna build the 5?3 in my tahoe

How much did you have total in new parts? I have a 5.3 that need some freshening up and wondering how much parts will cost me

were did you get those pistons and rods

Estimate on how much did all this work cost you?

About how much did it run you to have the motor machined? Looking to have about everything done the same except for the boring on my 01 5.3. Thanks!

What was the price for all the machine work

Great video what happen with valves did you get wrong size so they have to shave them or what ??

I live n Charleston sc..can someone tell me where i can find a 5star machine shop in the area

great videos, did you go back with all oringinal internals and valves and springs?

What was the price for all that work???

Where did you get your .020 pistons at may need my block bored

so you can bore these blocks out I was told you could not is possible to make a stroker motor out of a 5.3

whats the cost of something like this

What is the title of the of the manual you used to assist you with this build?

If I may ask want piston and rods did u use ?

No torque plate for honing?

can you tell us how much did you spend in machining and how much as it in part. Thank you

What did that work run you

Mind if I ask you where this was done at and what kind of coast it was?

price ?

I subscribed cause u didnt tell me too..I hate that in youtube videos

Wat was the cost of all of the machining