I searched the forums without much help, but here is my predicament. Finding a low mile 99 ld9 in my area is harder than i thought, and now thinking about rebuilding the bottom of the engine. The engine has 275,000 km, approximately 175,000 miles. Previous owner had the oil pump go out and not notice and ended up spinning a bearing and has not been driven much since, just to my garage and driven under 2000rpms. Would like to eventually build this engine to handle high hp and possibly s/c but down the road. Would this be worth rebuilding, do this to get back on the road for now, and at a later time port and polish the heads, new rods/valves/cams/pistons. What i have read I would need the following to rebuild the bottom half, with a little performance upgrade:
-All gaskets
-2.3 oil pump (how hard is the conversion)
-Bearings (brand?)
-Either machine crank or new one?

Thanks


...you want a pic, then help me build something worth taking a pic of....

175,000 out of an LD9 is a very nice life time. and your right, finding a low mile LD9 now a days is getting pretty hard. i would just start fresh though since you are planning on performance upgrades.


-2.3 oil pump swap isnt really that hard if you know you're way around a drill and have mechanical ability. if not any machine shop should be able to handle it. search '2.3 oil pump sticky' and yull find everything there is to know about it.

-bearings- definitely clevite 77's

-new or 'standard' cranks are not an easy find. if you look hard enough you can find them though. 'new' cranks at parts houses are usually re-ground replacements.

Found this reconditioned grand and all the bearings. Or is this engine just to far gone to start building on?

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/catalog/parts/partsProduct.jsp?itemIdentifier=136607_166488_0_&skuDescription=Crankshaft+Rebuilder+/+Crankshaft+Kit+Remanufactured&brandName=Crankshaft +Rebuilder&displayName=Crankshaft+Kit+Remanufactured&categoryNValue=&sortType=&store=2262&isSearchByPartNumber=&fromWhere=&fromString=&counter=0&itemId=229-0&navValue=15100229&filterByKeyWord=&product Id=136607&searchText=&categoryDisplayName=Internal+Engine&parentId=51-0


...you want a pic, then help me build something worth taking a pic of....

define 'too far gone'.

if the oil pump 'failed' it needs a crank and possibly one rod. if it threw a rod then yes the motor is junk. might be able to save the head though.

I have a reground crank and some undersize bearings (not clevitte but for a DD would be just fine)......

Just have to find the bearings to make sure they are the correct size.

I would definitely be interested in the crank


...you want a pic, then help me build something worth taking a pic of....

I have to dig it out and check it over real good to be sure it is in good condition. It came out of a running engine when I did a 2.3 pump swap. Where abouts in the Detroit Metro area are you? Wouldnt have to worry about shipping.

I am inbetween detroit and ann arbor, i275 and 96, i can drive to where you are though


...you want a pic, then help me build something worth taking a pic of....

Before you can say this crank is no good you need to tear the motor apart and check it out real good. I had a 2.4 spin a rod bearing and drive it for a month and the crank just needed polished.

Take the motor apart and have the crank checked.



FU Tuning

Thanks, I guess that will be my next step, just looking at making the engine useable for awhile until I can find a lower mile one in my area, so what i have heard, you can use a 99-01 ld9 for the 99, but you have to change something about the intake?


...you want a pic, then help me build something worth taking a pic of....

Keep in mind to do a stock rebuild using the orginal pistons, rods, cams, lifters is going to mcost you around $1000.00 maybe more. If you are going to rebuild might as well do it right.



FU Tuning

O believe me, what ever i put in there is going to be an upgrade, as of now i have the radiator, whole ac system, intake manifold, and some wires all off, doing more work today to get it preped to take out and dig into it, planning on just rebuilding the bottom half right now to make it drivable and then the top half eventually, so refinished crank, clevit bearings, and i was going to put in eagle rods if i needed rods too. anything i should do to the bottom while i have it opened up?


...you want a pic, then help me build something worth taking a pic of....

where do you find clevite 77's for the ld9, i can't find them anywhere, also if anyone knows where to find a ac compressor bypass pulley


...you want a pic, then help me build something worth taking a pic of....

skinnyman wrote:where do you find clevite 77's for the ld9, i can't find them anywhere, also if anyone knows where to find a ac compressor bypass pulley

dealer or gmpartsdirect.com



PRND321 Till I DIE
Old Motor: 160whp & 152ft/lbs, 1/4 Mile 15.4 @88.2
M45 + LD9 + 4T40-E, GO GO GO

I have tired looking at both places for the bearings, and i can't find clevite 77 bearings for a 99 ld9.


...you want a pic, then help me build something worth taking a pic of....