Need opinion on "used" parts

[casey02ws6]

I have an opportunity to buy the headers and cam that I am looking for but they are used. A guy in my local club is parting out his 2000 WS6 to sell it - he is taking it back to stock. He dyno'd at ~ 300 at the wheels stock and recently dyno'd at 380 with the set-up he has and has run a < 12.50 sec 1/4. He wants to sell me the cam, headers, pushrods, springs, retainers, all of the stuff needed to put mine over 400 RWHP (hopefully - mine dyno'd 331 stock). The parts only have a few thousand miles on them (though certainly tough miles ) but he takes impeccable care of the car. We have not discussed price but I wanted your opinions whether I should use these parts on my car before I talk price with the guy. FWIW the guy who has the car is a really nice guy that I trust - I am not worried about being taken. Also, he is willing to help me install them on my car if I help him take them off of his car.

[fastTa]

I have an opportunity to buy the headers and cam that I am looking for but they are used. A guy in my local club is parting out his 2000 WS6 to sell it - he is taking it back to stock. He dyno'd at ~ 300 at the wheels stock and recently dyno'd at 380 with the set-up he has and has run a < 12.50 sec 1/4. He wants to sell me the cam, headers, pushrods, springs, retainers, all of the stuff needed to put mine over 400 RWHP (hopefully - mine dyno'd 331 stock). The parts only have a few thousand miles on them (though certainly tough miles ) but he takes impeccable care of the car. We have not discussed price but I wanted your opinions whether I should use these parts on my car before I talk price with the guy. FWIW the guy who has the car is a really nice guy that I trust - I am not worried about being taken. Also, he is willing to help me install them on my car if I help him take them off of his car.

When he pulls the heads just be sure to inspect all of the valvetrain components. Make sure of the valve locks have wiggled loose on the valve stem. Make sure the valve springs don't show any signs of fractures or collapse. Make sure the pushrods are straight (roll them on a flat surface).

How many miles on his setup? Was he going to included aftermarket rocker arms as well? What aboout aftermarket lifters?

Depending on the condition of the combustion chambers, they can be cleaned up very well with a brass wire wheel.

Here is a pretty good link to doing a h/c swap on a LS1:

http://members.fbody.com/ls1/installs.html

And don't forget, it is a good idea and good insurance to go ahead and replace the stocker oil pump with maybe a ported LS6 pump. You are already going to have the front of the motor apart anyway.

[Joe 1320]

Used parts can be a deal or a waste. My take is that unless you put the same lifter on the same lobe, the same pushrod on the same lifter, going to the same rocker, something is going to prematurely wear out. I try to restrict my used parts purchases to external bolt ons that aren't friction parts. Anything on the inside, I prefer new. When I didn't do that I ended up disappionted in the long run. Now assemblies, that's different. Picking up a used shortblock from a reputable seller, adding a set of heads with new upper end parts can be a money saver that usually works well.