Jim Barker

I'm surprised GM doesn't want the Engine back unmolested so they can determine actual reason for failure. But maybe they already know, and are just doing damage control! My '97 had axle seal problems dealer could not fix and they pulled a new trans off the assembly line and shipped to dealer. This was first year new trans and were not available over counter yet. It would seem to me they would rather warrantee an Engine they made as opposed to taking chance with dealer mechanic expertise in the future. An example of what a dealer mechanic might miss: Casting flaws causing oil to be partly restricted or leaking pressure internally on a specific feed to main bearing. Line bore movement when block is heated up from casting problems or shift of the mold. There is just to much they will miss working flat rate wages. I had cylinder heads replaced on L-72 that never stopped using quart every 100 miles. Rings on two cylinders was the real problem. So they did not fix the oil usage. And now the Engine was shy 1500 usable rpms because they didn't check valve spring installed height. These heads went to parts because they where out tolerance but not scrap because they could have been shimmed. The valve pockets were one tenth of an inch too deep. Again the garage mechanic didn't take the time working flat rate. I let them off the hook because I was going to blue print the engine anyway for the drags. There is such a turn over of Mechanics they cannot keep all of them trained. Hope that dealer has one!

aj98

Not that it will make you feel any better, but I know there is a '14 at my dealer with a knocking noise in the torque tube. GM directed them to tear it down, and IIRC, an engineering team is coming to inspect as well.

Point is, contrary to what we sometimes think (as frustrating as it may be)
GM does take note of issues with the 14's, and dealers will shuffle other cars/customers to put priority on the 14.

Bigger problem for whomever owns the one I referenced is the (heavily) certified vette mechanic is out sick for (undisclosed) reasons, so no vettes are being worked on.
My C5 is in the shop, but was shuffled back when that 14 showed up.
The story is what I was told when I called and asked for status.

Gadfly

BS.

I would never accept a rebuilt motor by some tech in service department; No way will they get the tolerance and bearing clearances right. It would be the start of a never ending string of engine issues, head aches, and warranty service work. Nope, no way. That said I would never buy a used vette that had this type of warranty work performed on it in the past, as I would just be buying into that car's issues.

To that end I would expect a new crate motor fresh from the factory to be installed as an assembly. I have had a few bad motors under warranty before, and each time the entire engine has been replaced and the old engine sent back in the shipping container the new engine arrived in. Anything else is half assed.

I cannot even image some garage monkey replacing main bearings, rod bearings at a dealership..

Higgs Boson

where did I say they are rebuilt at the dealership?

I said they are remans, which are not done at the dealership.

if there is a simple part swap fix, yes, it can be done at the dealership.

I have not seen a dealer fix a component in many years. everything is a swap.

all I said is you won't get a new engine, which you will not. new engines go in new cars. used cars, which is what we all have the day we rolled off the lot, get used engines....remans.

if you do not understand the process it does not mean your opinion is an authority. it is not.

what do you do for a living?

Bill Dearborn

I have been through GM's replacement engine process twice. It is pretty simple, first they check to make sure the car or computer hasn't been modified, second they order a tear down of the engine to find out what failed and have the dealer service dept develop a should cost of how much it will cost to repair the engine. If that should cost is higher than or a little less than the cost of a crate engine you get a crate engine. They don't seem to question the should cost. When the dealer was doing the should cost on my 08Z which had dropped a valve but hadn't grenaded the engine they said they would need a replacement block Vs a sleeved block, they needed a new crank, two titanium rod/piston assemblies and on and on. You have to remember the repair cost includes the cost of the parts (at GM's cost not the dealer cost and the amount of money paid for labor). At GM's cost Crate Engines aren't all that expensive so it doesn't take much for the cost of repair to exceed the cost of a replacement engine. Two years ago my neighbor bought a used CTS and when the engine quit running was told the crankshaft sensor had gone bad and GM had decided to replace the engine Vs repair it since a replacement engine was cheaper. My daughter's Pontiac Torrent V6 froze up and the dealer did the same exact process they followed with my Vette in determining whether or not she got a rebuild or new crate engine. Once they got the oil pan off they saw the cause of the problem and the engine couldn't be easily repaired so she got a new crate engine.

The service adviser at the dealership told me it is a standard process and they are non committal all the way through it until they get final permission from GM to proceed. Owners have to be patient and understand the process takes time and that they aren't the only people bringing their cars into the dealership for service.

Bill

Higgs Boson

It's good advice.

I agree they will replace the engine. I have yet to see them use a "New Crate Engine" but always a "Remanufactured Replacement Engine that comes in a Crate Because That's How You Ship an Engine."

Lavender

Fancy that. Im from Europe too..and I have never heard of anything like that. Im in touch with a lot of other Stingray owners and no one has ever mentioned smtn like this.

Z06Norway

i got it from a GM certified tech, that works solely on Corvette.
He is also certified on C7

Business in Alsdorf , then you might know him......



Rune

Lavender

Never heard of him No one of the other folks who own Stingrays have heard anything either. Couple torque tubes replaced but thats all. Not saying it never happened..I was just curious. Thats all!

Coc5

I have worked for MANY Automotive Tier One companies. I also have been in the GM SW USA parts warehouse. I have seen the NEW engines. I have also seen them THROW AWAY more new parts in a day than you will ever buy in 1000 lifetimes. They threw away, at least two 40 yard dumpsters of parts EVERY DAY when I was there. They are sent to the dump to be trampled, crushed and then buried with a dozer under the eyes of security..

It isn't what you know, it what can you prove.

So the question is, will these engine repairs or replacements not be found with a carfax later?

Higgs Boson

carfax is hit or miss....sometimes the hit is vague.....carfax is just a means, not an end.

DON T.

All of this sounds sadly familiar. Gm pisses me off so much. They can design such a great car. But then have trouble building them. I still believe my C6Z06 is the greatest performance car for the $ ever built. But to help me sleep at night i shelled out 6000.00 $ for new heads. Granted, these are badass heads. But remember reading how these babies were hand built and bullit proof. Yes sir, i think you should be scared as hell. Blown motors in only the 1st few months of production. Jezzzzzz.......Whats next? flying roofs

halt00

Did we ever get an update?

live4toys

Right on. That's exactly how it works. Having been a tech at a dealership, I know the tech definatly does not what to overhaul that thing in house under warranty. We would always try to exceed the 70 percent rule on warranty engine repairs. And for good reason. First of all the tear down really is just covering major failures that are visible. I have never been through a dealer that was equipped with the necessary equipment to overhaul an engine like a machine shop or engine builder would. So when we would find an engine with a spun bearing lets say that we were forced to repair we would basically replace the crank if needed, and whatever pistons/ rods that were needed, and keep our fingers crossed from there. Not what we wanted to do at all because there was no way for us to know how sound the rest of the engine was, but that's dealership mentality.

Rkreigh

your dealer doesn't have the same specialized equipment as the factory for building the engine

they torq all the head bolts at the same time, have a process for the builds, and are likely better at it since they do it all day

but stuff does happen. and because it's on GM's dime, you might not have much choice and going higher up is troublesome if they say NO

good luck, the old LT5 they pulled the engine and sent it back because everyone was afraid. now me and my buddies build them as we are not.

Bill Dearborn

Why? It is known as infant mortality and happens all the time in man made products. That is why new cars come with warranties and why used low mile cars without a warranty are a big risk to the purchaser.

What if the OP was somebody who let his car sit in the garage for most of 5 years and put 2500 miles on it. The buyer would be praising themselves and bragging about their astute purchase of a pristine low mile car. 100 miles later and just about the time they get done posting their pictures and saying would a deal I got the engine takes a dump and the new one comes out of the new owner's pocket.

Bill

Bill Dearborn

BS as well. They have been doing that type of stuff at dealerships for years with no particular problem. They don't even have to be certified on that particular engine. it isn't that much different than other GM engines. Hell people on the forum do it themselves and other than getting the engine in and out of the car do pretty well getting it back together and running reliably. Remember it is a domestic manufacturer's engine. They don't require exotic tools or procedures.

Bill

Late Model Racecraft

Sorry I did not take the time to read the entire thread so sorry if this discussion has already been brought up. There is a problem guys, and a reason why people blow out front seals and why stock engines are breaking and knocking hard stock with stock tunes in them. We have built over 50(just a round number) give or take C7 Corvettes and almost on every single one of them when we pull the air inlet tube off and let it sit on the ground for 5 mins you can see all the oil that runs out. This is why our LMR Breather system is so important for not just boosted cars but for even Naturally Aspirated vehicles. Oil going into the intake manifold WILL cause detonation. Simple fact. Our breather/catch can system eliminates any worry of that happening.

XEUROTRASHOWNER

Production for the C7 for 2014 was high 37000's, this is GM's # at Carlisle

ZZ06

In a way i feel like im bringing a knife to a gun fight here. Ive seen both ways happen. When i was 18 and working for a GM dealer, we had a customer bring in his 99 Z28 that had a knock. It was a spun bearing and the master tech i was under did infact REPLACE and REBUILD the customers motor. Repleaced 2 pistons rods, and all bearings. Now just last year i had a friend that had a 2010 GS where the motor would just bog down from clogged cats. LONG story short, it took them 2 months to narrow it down to stuck injector. BUT they replaced his motor twice b4 discovering this. That thread is on here