Asking again since there is a wealth of knowledge here. The reason I ask is that I was told that the 85 TPI motor 305/350 was a very special motor and I read that early production motors were hand assembled.
Thus I ask if it was a common thing for the engine builder to initial the bottom of the pan after assembly. There are wax initials on the bottom of my pan.

Ill take pics

 

Please take pics and I will have to look at mine. Mine is a Norwood car, so if yours is VanNuys, it might just have been something one guy did there are youre the lucky one that got it.

 

Will do Ill post it tonight as Ill be finishing my shift kit install.

 

What kind of shift kit are you putting in? Planning more mods to it? I kinda liked how stock that car was

 

LOL its a repair on the TV using the SK700jr.

Stock all the way unless there are some internal faults that need correcting. I weighed out so many way of repairing the stuck shuttle valve in the Valve body.
Let me know what you think so far after reading it.
Here is the write up on it.
http://www.nttga.net/forums/showthre...read-with-pics!

 

I can't imagine that a hand assembled engine would be viable in a $15k car. These aren't exactly AMG or ZR1 engines.

 

The only real difference in the '85 LB9s was that they came equipped with the L69 cam and good gears. In later years, the automatic versions came equipped with what is known as the "peanut cam", (which was essentially, the LG4/L03 cam), and standard 2.73/2.77 gears.

In '91-'92, the non-G92 auto LB9s came standard with the bigger cam, but unless you ordered the G92, (which required a stick on the LB9), they came with the more restrictive L03 exhaust.

The '85 is the hottest version of the LB9 that you could get with an automatic trans.

 

I read on my vette board an article talking about the TPI engines for 85 were hand built until they could get production ramped up, There were actually pics taken of some ladies assembling the TPI motors for production.

 

Well ok then. Any of those ladies holding a micrometer?

 

There's nothing whatsoever special about "the engine" in a L98 or LB9. It's just yerbasic 305 or 350 long block, as far as assembly is concerned. Requires absolutely no treatment different in any way from any other 305 or 350 long block.

TPI "the intake system" might have been a different matter... they might have had to hack some together garage-like if they couldn't get the production fixtures built in time. Might at least partially explain why there were so many QC problems with TPI in 85. I had 2 friends with 85 Vettes in 85, and both of em spent as much time in the stealership for the first couple of months, as they did on the road...both for TPI-specific issues.

 

Check out this thread, The 85 TPI may have been under rated. https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tech...k-85-iroc.html

 

I would have to agree. No telling what GM did.




Here are the initials on the bottom of my pan.


By scotiapilot at 2012-01-08

 

Are you sure it's not a quality checkpoint before the pan went on, and not initials ? To me it looks like a paint chip was circled and inspected for a leak (inside), then the inspector simply put a checkmark there when he found it OK.

 

Not sure of anything but will accept anything that sounds reasonable like your explination.

 

I believe that they were all hand assembled.. All engines in those years... Keep in mind that the Corvette engine was hand assembled with white gloves...


John