billla

Inside starter bolt stripped and apparently allowed the outer bolt to flex enough to break at the top thread. Spent today trying to extract the bolt - not happening...and the inside hole is stripped regardless.

I don't think I can do the helicoil myself given very limited working height on my Race Ramps, so I'm going to bite the bullet and let a shop do it.

My go-to shop has been Corvettes of Auburn, but but if anyone has a solid, experience-based recommendation for a shop closer to Monroe, WA I am all ears

Thanks!

Mufflerbearing

Jim Green's Speed Shop has been around since I believe the late 60s although not in Monroe where they have been for several years now.

www.jimgreens.com

billla

Totally forgot about those guys - I still order my typical speed shop stuff from them.

I'll give 'em a call.

Thanks!

billla

I'm set up with Corvettes of Auburn to do this Wednesday; wish me luck

billla

Oof...4 hours labor and $450 later, I have threads.

I don't feel quite so bad about giving up and taking it in, given that kind of struggle with it on a hoist...

JETninja

They want 8.5 hours (at $104 per) to replace the valve springs and trunions on the 2002 Z06 I recently got, think I may just do it myself. Seems a bit excessive to me....

billla

I have to admit that I thought the time was a little high, especially in that they got the car with the H-pipe and starter out. But I had buggered the bolt a bit with extractors and the heli-coil had to be fairly deep, so I'll give them that.

Having done the valve spring and trunion swap personally, I'm not sure that price is way out of line. Getting all the stuff off the covers and back on is a couple of hours, plus getting all the plugs out. Then the CompCams tool on each cylinder...yeah, I'm not sure that number is completely nuts.

If you decide to do it yourself let me know as I have the P/Ns for seals, etc., the CompCams valvespring compressor, air fitting to hold the valves up and if you're doing the CompCams trunion bushings I have the Summit Racing pilot tool for that as well.

JETninja

They tell me they use Lil Johns stuff:

https://www.liljohnsmotorsports.com/...pring-kit.html


https://www.liljohnsmotorsports.com/smith-brothers-ls-bronze-bushing-trunion-upgrade-kit.html

They say they've never had a failure with his stuff.....

billla

I can't speak to that stuff, but in terms of the work it takes a fair bit of time to press out the trunion bearings and press in the bushings. Honestly, I don't think that number of hours is nuts. I know it took me a few hours to do it and I was working pretty consistently once I had the process down.



I'm assuming they're matching the springs to your cam...

Personally - and just my opinion - I was happy with the CompCams trunion bearing replacement. There's been a lot of talk about a few failures, but from what I've seen a) they were all really big cams and b) the indication from the failure was that the bushings were pressed in incorrectly. I took a fair bit of heat for that analysis, but CompCams and my two machine shops agreed.

Again, don't want to get back into that can of worms I'm sure the bushings are dead silent and will last a long time.

JETninja

I would like to add a Cam and long tube headers maybe a year down the road when I have more $$$$.........

billla

I'm trying to stay bone stock until the engine needs love, then I'll plan ported heads, bore to 427 CID and a cam with long-tubes.

But, frankly, I think just the maintenance over the next year or so (clutch w/slave upgrade, leaky butt, etc.) will keep me busy

But this project is done