It says in the first post this is a 96, and the profile says 1996-LT1, so why are we discussing the intake manifold here? No coolant in the intake manifold, so its out of the question. The issue is probably going to be a cracked block or cracked head, cause that is all it can be really. If its shooting it out the exhaust, id be going with the head first off being damaged in some way, the block would have to be quite bad to get water in all 4 bores on that side. For the water to get into the oil as bad as it seems youre saying, id say there could be a crack somewhere allowing this.

Coolant in 1 or 2 cylinders is easy enough, 3 is reasonble, but all 4 on one bank and getting into the oil is pretty bad.

if you havent dropped the oil out, do it straight away, it will destroy your bearings pretty quick if you dont.

 

OK I've just read all 144 of your previous posts and checked out all the pictures.It's interesting to see #7 piston(furthest rearwards-driver side).If thats how it looked when you pulled the head that is probably your leak.This is also the cylinder with the stripped out head bolt isn't it.Had you taken the advice and not stuck a helicoil in there you may have got away with it. Don't waste anymore time ,money and effort on this thing as it is.There has been water in there for too long and if you manage to get it running I bet it wont go for long.You're virtually six bolts from having the thing out of there where you can work on it properly.You need a hoist and a stand-both cheap.A crank grind if needed costs nothing.set of rings and bearings and gaskets won't break the bank.You have to pay for the car,might as well fix it properly.

 

I'm going to drop the oil when I get home...As far as the heads I had the skimmed and pressure tested. I don't know how they would have missed a crack if they pressure tested em...Would a compression test while they are on tell me anything?

 

Number 7 was the one with the stripped bolt yes. I had stuck a heli coil in it already, because when I saw the advice on not doing it I had already drilled the hole out for the kit...If I pull the engine out what has to be done to get it going correctly, and lastly in the picture other than the bolt what do you see that shows you that side is screwed up?

 

To me it looks like that piston has had the carbon washed off it indicating a leak.If I was you I would pull that motor and take it to bits and clean and save what internals i could.I would buy a good used block and IF YOURE CERTAIN you have a 383 bore it 30thou. and rebuild using your internals with new rings and bearings,oil pump and timing gear.Perhaps make sure you have a decent cam in there while it's in bits. Then you have a car that will last you through your payments.You go at this half assed and you will regret it. It's not going to cost a fortune and you will learn a hell of a lot.On the job training!!!.And remember all the advice you need is here for free.Why don't you post that picture again for other people to see and chip in?

 

These are the driver side pictures of when I had first pulled off the heads. What I am trying to figure out is whether, or not the block is cracked? Would a compression test tell me if the block is cracked? Assuming the gasket and the heads were good, the only other problem, would have to be something with the block I'm assuming.

 

Try to look very close at each hole around the OD of the cylinder and look for cracks,,,,,,,, mine cracked from a head bolt hole to the cylinder bore

 

Now it seems I'm *** backwards and thats #1 looking steamed. Awful hard to diagnose anything without seeing it.

 

Pull it and plan on a new block and rotating assembly. That way when you end up reusing the rotating assembly you'll feel that you made out.


I'd pretend I was starting from scratch and "remeasure, check and measure everything again."

An old chief used to tell me, "there's never time/money to do it right, but there's always time to do it over."

You'll have it back on the road in no time.

Mike

 

It looks like #8, to me. Those 4 plug wires coming from the left side of the picture should be coming from the rear of the car. That would make the picture, one of the right bank.

RACE ON!!!

 

Nah mate, its an LT1, they come from the front.

 

I see the steering column next to the motor mount.

 

 

You Sir, are quite right.I figure a couple of hundred for a used block-i would go for an earlier 4bolt main truck block.Around 125 to bore it.while i was at it I would dump the optispark crap.I wish i was closer to the guy,I'd build it for nothing.If you have everything at hand and a buddy to help it's a two day job.Hell I just built a couple of strokers for my boat and changed them out all by myself and coming up on 65!

 

you can't just "dump" the opti. As great as that sounds, you can't do it. Converting them over to an HEI is a step back. You can add any number of quality Opti replacements, Dynaspark or MSD, or, use the LTCC or DelTeq systems that transfer high voltage out of the opti and to modern coil packs.

The LT1 isn't a bad motor... really, it's a very refined and durable engine. The problems rap87 are having are very rare.

My 92 has 163k miles on it, no major problems... sure, it's tired out, but it does run fine and it's not loosing any coolant - well, not anymore

 

As Bogus has said, you cant ditch the optispark, without it youll get no order to fire. The issue he is having is unrelated to what is in my opinion a very good and quite reliable distributor.

 

Of course you and the guys backing you up are right. I've played with a lot of Gen Is and no Gen IIs so my statement was "automatic", without thinking about the situation at hand.

RACE ON!!!

 

Easier said than done.

 

I appreciate all the replies. Currently in the process of unbolting the other head. The bank I posted was cylinders 1,3,5,7. Ignore number 1 and how clean it is. I am pretty sure there was a bunch of coolant in that cylinder because it was down, and I wiped it out with a rag, making it pretty clean looking. I called the shop that milled my heads he told me to bring it in and he would recheck them for free, but he said if they were getting in all 4 he had the feeling it was more of a seal issue. Otherwise he fealt it would be the block, because he was damn sure those heads were right when he sent them out. He also suggested a sleeve, if it had a crack, but I would still have to pull the motor, if that was the case, which I have no clue on doing...I'll take some more pics when I get it off....

As a side note before I started unbolting the head bolts I tried re-torquing the bolt with the heli coil in it, and it torqued fine...so...I don't think that was the problem at least while I dont' have the head off.

*I'm at the point though if its more than 1000.00 bucks to get this fixed I almost want the bank to auction this damn thing and I'll pay for my **** up. I know I had some grinding of the rear end, and the interior is pretty messed up at this point, I almost think its going to take another 5k or more to make the car look worth a ****. I feel pretty hosed at this point really. Bank wants me to register the car there goes $450 bucks, then the $350 a month/payment to let the damn thing sit, and another $175 a month for insurance for it to sit...Mistakes are pretty ****ing expensive it seems...**** I'm 20 and I thought I should be able to own a vette...how stupid of me I suppose...guess I should have waited till I was 50 and bought a new one huh .*

 

The pic. you posted showing cylinders 5 and 7, did you edit it?
Looks like the top of cylinder 7 is missing some of the casting?