dsharkman

My 2007 Z06 engine threw a valve and the engine needs to be replaced. The core is completely trashed.

I ordered a crate 427 engine from Chevrolet and it arrived @ the dealership today. We inspected it and noticed it doesn't have the "Build Center" plate with an "Assembled with Pride" name info.

I thought ALL 427 Z06 engines were hand-assembled, but I guess replacement crate engines aren't so they don't have the name plates?

Are we missing something?

erikszr1

I think all of them are assembled by hand.

'06 Quicksilver Z06

Apparently they are "hand built" as well.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-z...post1582892089

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-z...post1579075060

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-z...post1579073275

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-z...post1582118149

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-z...post1581973432

What did the new crate motor set you back, if you don't mind my asking.


Thanks

Mark2009

The hand assembly means little or nothing. It is basically a marketing gimmick unless they are concerned with fault traceability or parts control... the engines are not blueprinted.

dsharkman

yes, I know. I was just wondering if crate engines were "signed" like the original 427s.

Random84

They probably couldn't fit "Built with pride by Estaban Julio Ricardo Montoya la Rosa Ramirez" on the name plates, so the crate engines just come without them.

JwT

You did order an LS7 427 right?

tim414

Pb82 Ronin

OMG! Effing perfect!

erichg1000

shouldn't we be asking about over revs?

dsharkman

yes. the Chevy dealership ordered an LS7 7.0 427

dsharkman

The car wasn't over-rev'd. I was in 2nd gear, at 62mph, around 5500 rpm when the valve dropped. there are a ton of posts on this issue already, unfortunately.

Mar48

The real question is are you paying out of pocket or did Chevy help and/or cover the full engine?

I was leaning towards getting my heads redone once my warranty expires but now I'm not so sure. Might wait an extra year

Mark2009

Wiggle test is your friend. Your wallet's friend too

erikszr1

im not impressed. blueprinting is the key factor, period. and they are not.

Mark2009

As an example, I went thru 16 new valve springs today with one new retainer. The clearance between the OD of the retainer and the ID of the spring was supposed to be tight, but do-able (.640" retainer lock pocket OD vs. .650" spring ID (beehive)).

There was at least one spring that did not properly clearance the retainer (retainer did not seat completely), and had to be be 'adjusted' slightly. In a mass production environment that retainer would have been slapped on that spring and would have been 'worn' to fit (likely spiking the titanium wear metal count on a used oil analysis) or simply would have failed something or left that particular valve with an over-spec spring pressure by some .010" or so (not a lot, but not in line with the rest of the valves).

At final assembly all retainers will have to be checked as well to confirm that they conform in size specification to the one specimen used today.

The fit of the spring seat/ID locator was checked for all 16 springs as well... there were no issues on that end (altho the springs were radiused by hand on both ends to ensure that no sharp edges or burrs dug into the inside edge radius of seats or the retainers).

Bottom line, slapping an engine together by hand doesn't mean any particular effort such as the above has been expended in ensuring that all the parts fit and interact like they are supposed to. That is not a dig at GM, since they really can't afford that type of attention on each Corvette engine, but it is a wake up call to those that think that marketing claims have much validity or that engine failures are necessarily a result of faulty components rather than the more likely scenario of less-than-ideal mass-production-hurry-up assembly.

3 Z06ZR1

He was the best too!

Mark Wade

going by that that tongue in cheek reply does that mean these engines are made in mexico now ? na surely not , but answer to original post who give a rats a-----s who built it as long as its built by human beings and goes back in your car and goes well just put your little plate on your new engine ,hey one other thing why dont you make a neat coffee table out of the old block ,i did it with a LS1 engine great talking point in the workshop over an arostotle or 2 .

eaglei

To the best of my knowledge all new LS7's are hand built by us at Wixom. And yes, a complete engine should have builder name plate attached in the normal location (top of intake manifold bracket).

However, a new long block will not have a name plate. Long blocks are built without intake and exhaust manifolds, flywheel, clutch, front balancer, water pump, spark plugs, etc. Since a long block does not have an intake manifold, we do not have a location to attach the name plate. If you have a new LS7 long block the manifolds and other parts are installed by your dealer service team.

Random84

"Hand built with pride by Judd DeWayne Everest and your Appalachia Chevrolet" also won't fit.