[Z06] Add me to the list ..........FML
08-22-2014, 01:21 AM
#41
Advanced
Thread Starter
they just did the wiggle test and yeah it sounds like absolute **** now
08-22-2014, 02:35 AM
#43
Burning Brakes
You do have the choice. No one is forcing any upgrades to the cam or porting. You can leave it bone stock except for the rework
08-22-2014, 02:40 AM
#44
Burning Brakes
Since you have the documentation from a dealer stating there is a problem and what the recommended solution is you should go back to the dealer and ask them to see if GM will cover the head replacement under a goodwill warranty. The worst thing that could happen is they tell you NO. However, you will not know what the answer will be if the Service People don't start an inquiry with GM. Nothing to lose but some time but a lot to gain.
Bill
Bill
08-22-2014, 05:07 PM
#45
Melting Slicks
You make it sound like all LS7 engines will blow up at or before 50k miles. I've got 96+k miles on my stock heads so far with no problems. And no, I have not had the guides checked - but plan on redoing the heads when I hit 100k.
08-22-2014, 06:02 PM
#46
Safety Car
I like Mark's suggestion.
If I was going to do Aftermarket heads, be they Am Heritage or WCCH or whatever, I would want a very competent local shop to do it and those words together seldom mean your local Chevrolet Dealer. Also if you take it to a competent local shop and during disassembly they find a mistake the Dealer made in doing the wiggle test then it can be documented and back to the dealer you can go to negotiate.
I don't believe I would have many dealers put on aftermarket heads or a cam for me.
Now I have done precisely that, but it was with a GM Tech at a dealership owned by a friend and the Tech was most excellent. In fact in the C4 ZR1 era you may remember the piston problems they had. Normally that meant a new engine but GMPP actually had many of those engines sent to him where he rebuilt the engine in the shop. He was a fastidious "Never a Come Back for a Redo" tech, which is why he was the Service Managers go to guy for tough expensive work.
And I had the added pleasure of having the heads, cam, and header combination done on a Sat/Sun when the dealership was closed and I was in the service bay with him hopefully not being a pain in the butt but an able assistant. I can't tell you how much time he spent getting the old gasket material off the block and cleaning things up before he installed my new heads. So their are some really good guys out there, but most of us don't know how to find them.
PS: if we all could update our profile to indicate a rough idea of where you are, you might find some specific recommendations of shops near you to check out.
If I was going to do Aftermarket heads, be they Am Heritage or WCCH or whatever, I would want a very competent local shop to do it and those words together seldom mean your local Chevrolet Dealer. Also if you take it to a competent local shop and during disassembly they find a mistake the Dealer made in doing the wiggle test then it can be documented and back to the dealer you can go to negotiate.
I don't believe I would have many dealers put on aftermarket heads or a cam for me.
Now I have done precisely that, but it was with a GM Tech at a dealership owned by a friend and the Tech was most excellent. In fact in the C4 ZR1 era you may remember the piston problems they had. Normally that meant a new engine but GMPP actually had many of those engines sent to him where he rebuilt the engine in the shop. He was a fastidious "Never a Come Back for a Redo" tech, which is why he was the Service Managers go to guy for tough expensive work.
And I had the added pleasure of having the heads, cam, and header combination done on a Sat/Sun when the dealership was closed and I was in the service bay with him hopefully not being a pain in the butt but an able assistant. I can't tell you how much time he spent getting the old gasket material off the block and cleaning things up before he installed my new heads. So their are some really good guys out there, but most of us don't know how to find them.
PS: if we all could update our profile to indicate a rough idea of where you are, you might find some specific recommendations of shops near you to check out.
Last edited by pkincy; 08-22-2014 at 06:07 PM.
08-22-2014, 07:09 PM
#47
Burning Brakes
I'm a liar also, I changed my heads out at 40K even though they didn't need it.
08-22-2014, 10:03 PM
#48
Advanced
Thread Starter
08-22-2014, 10:50 PM
#49
Le Mans Master
08-22-2014, 10:52 PM
#50
Le Mans Master
I like Mark's suggestion.
If I was going to do Aftermarket heads, be they Am Heritage or WCCH or whatever, I would want a very competent local shop to do it and those words together seldom mean your local Chevrolet Dealer. Also if you take it to a competent local shop and during disassembly they find a mistake the Dealer made in doing the wiggle test then it can be documented and back to the dealer you can go to negotiate.
I don't believe I would have many dealers put on aftermarket heads or a cam for me.
Now I have done precisely that, but it was with a GM Tech at a dealership owned by a friend and the Tech was most excellent. In fact in the C4 ZR1 era you may remember the piston problems they had. Normally that meant a new engine but GMPP actually had many of those engines sent to him where he rebuilt the engine in the shop. He was a fastidious "Never a Come Back for a Redo" tech, which is why he was the Service Managers go to guy for tough expensive work.
And I had the added pleasure of having the heads, cam, and header combination done on a Sat/Sun when the dealership was closed and I was in the service bay with him hopefully not being a pain in the butt but an able assistant. I can't tell you how much time he spent getting the old gasket material off the block and cleaning things up before he installed my new heads. So their are some really good guys out there, but most of us don't know how to find them.
PS: if we all could update our profile to indicate a rough idea of where you are, you might find some specific recommendations of shops near you to check out.
If I was going to do Aftermarket heads, be they Am Heritage or WCCH or whatever, I would want a very competent local shop to do it and those words together seldom mean your local Chevrolet Dealer. Also if you take it to a competent local shop and during disassembly they find a mistake the Dealer made in doing the wiggle test then it can be documented and back to the dealer you can go to negotiate.
I don't believe I would have many dealers put on aftermarket heads or a cam for me.
Now I have done precisely that, but it was with a GM Tech at a dealership owned by a friend and the Tech was most excellent. In fact in the C4 ZR1 era you may remember the piston problems they had. Normally that meant a new engine but GMPP actually had many of those engines sent to him where he rebuilt the engine in the shop. He was a fastidious "Never a Come Back for a Redo" tech, which is why he was the Service Managers go to guy for tough expensive work.
And I had the added pleasure of having the heads, cam, and header combination done on a Sat/Sun when the dealership was closed and I was in the service bay with him hopefully not being a pain in the butt but an able assistant. I can't tell you how much time he spent getting the old gasket material off the block and cleaning things up before he installed my new heads. So their are some really good guys out there, but most of us don't know how to find them.
PS: if we all could update our profile to indicate a rough idea of where you are, you might find some specific recommendations of shops near you to check out.
Except those you list are not 'aftermarket', Mast and PRC are.... and a couple others
08-22-2014, 11:14 PM
#51
Melting Slicks
08-23-2014, 06:36 PM
#52
I concur. No doubt there is probably a stock LS7 with over 100k miles out there, probably with out of spec guides. But still running.
08-23-2014, 09:31 PM
#53
Safety Car
Member Since: Dec 1999
Location: Virginia Beach, VA & Port Charlotte, FL (snowbird)
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There wasn't one guide out of spec on my 07 with 88K miles on the clock. This wasn't a wiggle test. The heads were pulled and measured by WCCH. All 88K was with a tune and headers too.
No, they're not all bad.
No, they're not all bad.
08-23-2014, 10:36 PM
#54
Burning Brakes
You're right, they're all defective, not a single engine built right. Oh wait, mine was fine when checked.
The freakin' morons on this board kill me.
08-23-2014, 11:36 PM
#55
Wow you let them off the hook very easily. If I brought my car in for a wiggle test (and I won't), and it came back sounding like it was about to blow up, they'd at least be forced to fix something. .. there's a big difference in "out of spec guides" and and engine that's about to blow up.
08-25-2014, 11:14 PM
#56
Edit: after rereading my post and the post I quoted, I almost get the feeling you meant to quote someone else.
Last edited by spy2520; 08-25-2014 at 11:34 PM.
08-26-2014, 11:45 AM
#57
Team Owner
I think he was saying(sarcastically) that there are some LS7's that left Bowling Green with heads without badly machined guides from GM's supplier . It's reasonable to expect that they would last 70,000 miles. BUT, we all know that not every LS7 that left Bowling Green had heads that were in spec when new, thus they are more likely to fail in the field with much lower than 70,000 miles on the odometer.
09-08-2014, 10:32 AM
#59
Advanced
Thread Starter
so small update warranty solutions wants the heads checked out by a local machine shop to see if the heads are salvageable . I hope that means they are considering covering the work.
09-08-2014, 01:32 PM
#60
It certainly sounds like it, since it would be cheaper to rebuild the heads than to replace them, at least as far as the typical valve guide issue is concerned. Good luck 