Project LBZ Part 1

The Tear Down

Meeting late in the evening with Custom Auto, James and the Custom Auto crew began to tear down the engine. With the extent of work on the engine, and more, James knew that he needed unfettered access to the engine, and that freeing the engine from the compartment would expedite the install. In less than an hour the engine was hanging free, dangling from the cherry picker, waiting for the first parts to be replaced and added.

With the engine stripped and on the engine stand, the first new part christened on Project LBZ was the Sinister Head Stud and Gasket Combo kit, featuring ARP head studs. The Sinister head gasket and ARP head studs are specifically designed to overcome coolant leakage, and overheating; they also reduce bubbles in the radiator and coolant overflow tanks, contaminated engine oil, and they reduce coolant loss. Custom Auto removed the cylinder heads, the rocker assembly, etc., washed the parts and components and began the install and rebuild.

After installing the new head gasket and ARP head studs, next up was the Sinister Welded Water Pump. It is important to have a clear idea of the stresses the new engine will experience when overhauling an engine. With the engine exposed, it was the perfect time to replace the stock water pump, given the impeller or gear slips, resulting in overheating issues and future repairs. The Sinister Diesel “Welded” Water Pump was designed to overcome these issues and to prevent future breakdowns because of them.

With the heads rebuilt with the new Sinister head gasket and ARP head studs installed, the crew installed the Sinister Diesel intake elbow, the Sinister Diesel intake tube, and the Sinister Diesel LBZ Valve/Cooler kit. Working around the free-standing engine, the Custom Auto team was easily able to reach and install parts to increase performance and efficiency.

A Sinister Diesel Up-Pipe Kit, Sinister Diesel Race Fuel Rail Plug, and a Sinister Diesel CAT Fuel Filter were added, as well. Sinister up-pipes connect the headers to the turbine side of the turbo, reducing potential failure and spooling the turbo. The Race Fuel Rail Plug is to maintain fuel rail pressure during full-acceleration by blocking the pressure relief point, which, in turn, increases the cylinder head pressure for increased performance. The Sinister Diesel CAT fuel filter is a considerable heavy-duty upgrade and improvement to the stock fuel filter that comes standard on a Duramax engine.