GM spends a ton of cash developing parts, so in many cases there's no need to go exotic. In this case, Turn Key chose a GM timing chain and a ported LS6 oil pump. Many people feel the overwhelming need to run a double-roller timing chain, but in many cases it's overkill. Even GM's new supercharged LS9 runs a single-roller arrangement.
With the crank and cam installed, Turn Key moved on to carefully installing the pistons. The cylinder walls were liberally lubricated before the pistons were slid into the bores using the appropriate ring compressor.
For a bumpstick, we had Comp custom grind us a cam to Turn Key's specifications. Drivability was as important as making big numbers, so Turn Key went with one of its proven LS7 grinds. The specs are 230/242 with lift numbers of .572/.593 and a lobe separation angle of 114. This should give us great idle characteristics and still make gobs of tire-immolating power.
After file-fitting the Wiseco rings, Turn Key assembled the rods and pistons. The 4340 I-beam Lunati rods (6.125-inch length, PN 6125FM3) comes matched to +/- 1.5 grams and utilizes ARP cap hardware. Rods take a lot of abuse, so it's nice to know we're running the best. The pistons, provided by Lunati, are Wiseco Pro-Tru slugs (PN WISK446F125) and are forged from 2618 aluminum.
Once all the pistons and rods were in place, the ARP bolts were properly torqued to spec.
With the windage tray and pickup in place, Turn Key was then able to install the F-body GM oil pan. Pan alignment with the front and rear covers is critical to avoiding any oil leaks, so Turn Key made sure it was done right the first time.
RHS sent over these sweet Pro Elite series Gen-III heads (PN52225-05) for the project. They came fully CNC-machined and have a thick 0.800-inch deck for increased structural integrity. These heads just scream for forced induction or a nice shot of nitrous, so they should be virtually bulletproof on our naturally aspirated mill. Another benefit of the increased deck thickness is the heads can be decked down to 36cc for increased compression, but our goal is good pump gas manners, so we left them at 62cc. Also of note is that Racing Head Service (RHS) has re-engineered the valve placement by rolling them over 4 degrees from stock to create an 11-degree valve angle. This helps accommodate high lift cams by creating additional free drop spacing.
For the 427 to fit in the '69 Camaro, we needed to run an F-body oil pan rather than the more exotic LS7 dry sump system. Here you can see the F-body windage tray and pick-up bolted in place. Notice the liberal use of marking paint by Turn Key to insure than every bolt has been properly torqued down.