L29 rebuild - give me ideas

[Philip Parker]

Hey all - been chugging along on this one gathering parts. Have the motor currently dangling from a hoist (still in the truck) with the oil pan removed and the front diff carrier rotated down to do the oil pan/timing cover gaskets.

Here's where the project landed and the parts that are going on the truck:

1. 265CC Intake Magnum aluminum heads from AFR with downrated 365lb springs (at specified lift)
2. Custom Crower Cam based on a Comp grind: .510 on both sides, 212 at .50 on intake, 218 on exhaust, 114 LSA
3. Cloyes Timing set that jives with the reluctor wheel.
4. Comp Magnum XD full roller rockers
5. Full set of Melling lifters
6. High Volume Melling Oil Pump (the one that has the pickup tack welded on it)
7. High Volume Milodon Water pump (reverse rotation due to serpentine)
8. RedHead steering gear to replace the junk PSC I put in it last year
9. New PSC steering pump with overdriven 5.75 pulley
10. Disc conversion on the rear axle
11. Motor mounts
12. All new power steering lines
13. New steering coler
14. New transmission cooler lines
15. All new intake gaskets etc.

I am assuming this thing will need a tune to run right. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[rpoL98]

Hey all - been chugging along on this one gathering parts. Have the motor currently dangling from a hoist (still in the truck) with the oil pan removed and the front diff carrier rotated down to do the oil pan/timing cover gaskets.

Here's where the project landed and the parts that are going on the truck:

1. 265CC Intake Magnum aluminum heads from AFR with downrated 365lb springs (at specified lift)
2. Custom Crower Cam based on a Comp grind: .510 on both sides, 212 at .50 on intake, 218 on exhaust, 114 LSA
3. Cloyes Timing set that jives with the reluctor wheel.
4. Comp Magnum XD full roller rockers
5. Full set of Melling lifters
6. High Volume Melling Oil Pump (the one that has the pickup tack welded on it)
7. High Volume Milodon Water pump (reverse rotation due to serpentine)
8. RedHead steering gear to replace the junk PSC I put in it last year
9. New PSC steering pump with overdriven 5.75 pulley
10. Disc conversion on the rear axle
11. Motor mounts
12. All new power steering lines
13. New steering coler
14. New transmission cooler lines
15. All new intake gaskets etc.

I am assuming this thing will need a tune to run right. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

hydraulic roller lifters?

 

[Philip Parker]

hydraulic roller lifters?

Stock replacement Melling hydraulic rollers

 

[Philip Parker]

Oh yeah almost forgot - bought some Gibson shorty headers.

 

[Christian Steffen]

Hey all - been chugging along on this one gathering parts. Have the motor currently dangling from a hoist (still in the truck) with the oil pan removed and the front diff carrier rotated down to do the oil pan/timing cover gaskets.

Here's where the project landed and the parts that are going on the truck:

1. 265CC Intake Magnum aluminum heads from AFR with downrated 365lb springs (at specified lift)
2. Custom Crower Cam based on a Comp grind: .510 on both sides, 212 at .50 on intake, 218 on exhaust, 114 LSA
3. Cloyes Timing set that jives with the reluctor wheel.
4. Comp Magnum XD full roller rockers
5. Full set of Melling lifters
6. High Volume Melling Oil Pump (the one that has the pickup tack welded on it)
7. High Volume Milodon Water pump (reverse rotation due to serpentine)
8. RedHead steering gear to replace the junk PSC I put in it last year
9. New PSC steering pump with overdriven 5.75 pulley
10. Disc conversion on the rear axle
11. Motor mounts
12. All new power steering lines
13. New steering coler
14. New transmission cooler lines
15. All new intake gaskets etc.

I am assuming this thing will need a tune to run right. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Are you stick with the stock intake manifold? What will you CR being? Definitely interested to see how it does with those heads. You will definitely need a tune, in person or some other way for the tuner to see actual data from the truck.

What are you doing for injectors?

 

[Philip Parker]

Are you stick with the stock intake manifold? What will you CR being? Definitely interested to see how it does with those heads. You will definitely need a tune, in person or some other way for the tuner to see actual data from the truck.

What are you doing for injectors?

Stock intake - CR will be down a few points closer 9ish due to the larger chamber of the heads. 99cc heads with oval ports are hard to find. I had to tap an NPT bung for the dash temp gauge as well. I was able to find one of the last new OEM fuel injector rails around, complete with regulator and 6 hole injectors.

Troy Brown at Howell EFI is doing the tune for me. Will definitely need to data log.

 

[Christian Steffen]

Stock intake - CR will be down a few points closer 9ish due to the larger chamber of the heads. 99cc heads with oval ports are hard to find. I had to tap an NPT bung for the dash temp gauge as well. I was able to find one of the last new OEM fuel injector rails around, complete with regulator and 6 hole injectors.

Troy Brown at Howell EFI is doing the tune for me. Will definitely need to data log.

Sounds like you've got a decent plan then. That has always been the biggest issue with aluminum heads for these.. If you're buying pistons then no big deal, but with stockers you're kinda stuck.

That said, you'll probably never have to worry about knock with AL heads and that CR.

 

[Philip Parker]

I was honestly really surprised that the stock heads put the engine at 9.4. That is kind of nuts for something that is slated to run on 85 - they must have the ignition timing really retarded in the stock tune. I suppose that is why these L29s make tons of power with some simple mods.

 

[Christian Steffen]

I was honestly really surprised that the stock heads put the engine at 9.4. That is kind of nuts for something that is slated to run on 85 - they must have the ignition timing really retarded in the stock tune. I suppose that is why these L29s make tons of power with some simple mods.

100% stock timing map blows, but on straight 87 octane there isn't much room to go up. The DCR with the stock cam apparently doesn't help either. I've tuned a bone stock truck, and rebuild +.030 bore and the same cam I have (so slightly higher than stock CR), then my truck which is a little over 9.6:1 CR.

In order of what took the most timing:

.030 bore rebuild + cam > my truck > bone stock

FWIW I thought the stock L29 was 9.1:1? Either way its a decent amount higher than the old 454s

 

[Philip Parker]

100% stock timing map blows, but on straight 87 octane there isn't much room to go up. The DCR with the stock cam apparently doesn't help either. I've tuned a bone stock truck, and rebuild +.030 bore and the same cam I have (so slightly higher than stock CR), then my truck which is a little over 9.6:1 CR.

In order of what took the most timing:

.030 bore rebuild + cam > my truck > bone stock

FWIW I thought the stock L29 was 9.1:1? Either way its a decent amount higher than the old 454s

Do you know whats up with the stock cam being 6 degrees retarded? I've asked and asked about it but no one can give me a decent answer. I have no idea what that would achieve or if its something I should be calculating into a tune with a new cam.