# 1996 Chevy c1500 restoration/project



## cjohnson4318 (Sep 30, 2014)

My grandfather has a 96 c1500 that has been sitting up for 5 years and besides the exterior, it's in bad shape. He's giving me the truck and I would like to do a full restoration on it. The reason it's been parked is because the timing chain broke. I'm sure the engine is no good now so I envisioned buying a crate motor, preferably a 454 (if that's possible) I want to do this right, performance first, then cosmetics. If anyone can help me sort my ideas and help me make a list of what all I need, it would be greatly appreciated


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

What size is the engine in the truck now? A bad timing chain doesn't mean the engine is shot. I would do a tear down to see what kind of wear it has. Check and see if it is a 4 bolt main engine, if it is and the wear isn't too bad and it hasn't been bored before and the crank hasn't been turned.

I personally never liked a 454 but that is just me, it just didn't have the power the 427 had.


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## r0ckstarr (Jan 8, 2013)

4.3 or 5.7? Why would the engine be no good now? A new timing chain, change all fluids, tune-up, and it _should_ run. 

Why do you want a 454? Any special reasons? You could easily make the same amount of power from a LSX motor, with less weight and an easier install.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Hey Rock, I am an ole mechanic, there are so many new engines now days I can't keep up, what is a LXS motor? Cars were my hobby back in the 60s but I got burned out after a few years working as a mechanic. Built some mean engines back then.


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## r0ckstarr (Jan 8, 2013)

BigJim said:


> Hey Rock, I am an ole mechanic, there are so many new engines now days I can't keep up, what is a LXS motor? Cars were my hobby back in the 60s but I got burned out after a few years working as a mechanic. Built some mean engines back then.





> The General Motors engine family commonly called the LS series debuted in the then-new1997 model year C5 Corvette as the all aluminum LS1 V8. General Motors called it the Gen III small-block V8 and a year later (the 1998 model year), the LS1 replaced the LT1 small-block in Camaros and Firebirds, which was followed by the iron-block version of the Gen III V8 appearing in the full size trucks and SUVs. The LS1 displaced 5.7 liters, similar to the previous-generation small-block, but the cubic-inch measurement differed slightly: 346 for the LS1 vs. the traditional 350 cubes.
> 
> In 1999, the Gen III platform spawned the higher-performance LS6 that was standard in the Corvette Z06. In 2005, the Gen IV branch of the LS family was born, differing from the Gen III with cast-in provisions for fuel-saving cylinder deactivation, larger displacements and revised camshaft sensing. The performance versions of the Gen IV include the LS2, LS3, LS9 supercharged, LSA supercharged and the LS7.
> 
> ...





Now you'll be able to keep up (with the GM's that is). :thumbsup:

If you go to Youtube and do a search for "LSX swapped", you'll see just how popular these engines are. They make full kits to swap them into almost anything. Because so many have been produced, they're cheap and easy to come by. 

(People are also putting them in Mazda Miata's )


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

That is just too much to keep up with for me. LOL Back when I was doing mechanic work I could name every engine from then back to the late 40s. Back then 10:1 was stock compression ratio. A lot of my engines had 13:1, can't do that now days, can't get the good gas unless you go to the airport and buy avgas or racing gas. Even if you could get good gas easy, the metal in today's engines just isn't good enough to handle that kind of pressure. 

Man talk about hijacking a thread. Sorry CJ.


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## Mort (Nov 26, 2008)

You can get an LSX out of a wrecked pickup or van and have better power, more potential power, and waaaaayyyyy better fuel economy than an old 454.


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