what would you do?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 2,161
Likes: 5
From: Knoxville TN
what would you do?
I got a call today, silly me I thought the shop was calling to tell me my H/C package and Lambo doors were done, the call went like this,
"we wanted to tell you we pulled your engine out of your car"
"Why?"
" when we pulled the head from the passenger side there was coolent in one of the cylinders",
seems I have a crack in the block.
Here are my options:
1. get a new block and add my new H/C package to it
2. try to seal the crack
3. button it all up and sell the car
I am leaning towards number 1, I have so many mods and money in the car it seems to make the most sense to just get a new block.
What would you do?
"we wanted to tell you we pulled your engine out of your car"
"Why?"
" when we pulled the head from the passenger side there was coolent in one of the cylinders",
seems I have a crack in the block.
Here are my options:
1. get a new block and add my new H/C package to it
2. try to seal the crack
3. button it all up and sell the car
I am leaning towards number 1, I have so many mods and money in the car it seems to make the most sense to just get a new block.
What would you do?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 6,420
Likes: 5
From: "This is not a psychotic episode, but a cleansing moment of clarity."
First thing I would have done was asked them why they pulled the engine BEFORE they called you to ask for your permission to do it.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 3,469
Likes: 4
I'd lean toward #1, too. No sense in selling the car and losing all the mod money you've put into it, epecially if doing so means you're going to sell a car with a bad block... that only propogates the reputation that it's bad to buy a modded car since it's been abused. Get a new block and enjoy it!
Pro
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 607
Likes: 0
From: Olympia Washington
They made a mistake, legally they need to advise you before doing any unauthorized work. In our state you can only be 10-15% over your original est. or its on them, you did get a written est. right? To address your question what about another complete motor already modified.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,059
Likes: 12
From: AKA Harvey Mushman-I know just enough to be dangerous "Those who sacrifice liberty for safety deserve neither"- B. Franklin
Senior Member
Cruise-In V Veteran
Hmmmm. Your first post says that you were hoping it was the "It's done" call. Was it supposed to be finished by now? The reason I ask is that I would have hoped that you'd have noticed if it had a coolant problem before you brought it in. I've seen posts where a few people have not Q tipped the threads in the block (blowing it out with air is NOT sufficient) and left some coolant in there. When they torque the headbolts the block cracks. I'm not saying that is what happened, but you should have someone who knows take a look at it.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 2,161
Likes: 5
From: Knoxville TN
I had hoped the car was going to be done late today or early tomorrow, I had noticed low coolant messages on the DIC and also some sort of leak under the car, they found the coolant when they pulled the old head, they went looking and found a crack.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,059
Likes: 12
From: AKA Harvey Mushman-I know just enough to be dangerous "Those who sacrifice liberty for safety deserve neither"- B. Franklin
Senior Member
Cruise-In V Veteran
Originally Posted by 3rdtoy
I had hoped the car was going to be done late today or early tomorrow, I had noticed low coolant messages on the DIC and also some sort of leak under the car, they found the coolant when they pulled the old head, they went looking and found a crack.
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 19,459
Likes: 48
From: Schaumburg IL
CI 7-8-9-11 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '06-'10, '13
I'd go with number 1, and it sounds like the shop was trying to do the right thing by pulling the engine to make sure you understood clearly what the problem was and where it was coming from.
Good luck and hope you get back on the road soon
Good luck and hope you get back on the road soon
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 6,420
Likes: 5
From: "This is not a psychotic episode, but a cleansing moment of clarity."
Originally Posted by madeouttaglass
Sounds legit then.
I was going to say that if you had a cracked block with coolant getting into one or more cylinders, you would have definitely known about it before you brought the car in... You would have been losing coolant and seen white smoke coming out of your exhaust, more than likely... Okay then, new block it is.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 2,161
Likes: 5
From: Knoxville TN
First of all, I want all to know the LAST thing I would do is "put a bandaid" on it and sell it. those who have bought parts from me know I am good to my word. If I was going to sell the car I would either have told the buyer the issues or put a new block in and sold it.
My car is my "toy" has been for 8 years, this is my third vette, I have been burned and never want to do it to someone else.
Having said that I decided to buy a new short block from Cartek and have my local shop add the new H/C package to it and bolt on my other engine mods, LT headers, ported TB, LS6 intake. (I also have 4"10 gears in the car) I did not want to spend really big bucks on a 427 or other such engine as I never race my toy, I drive for fun and show it, hence the new H/C package I bought was designed more for low/mid power/TQ than pure HP, I learned a long time ago you drive TQ, it is what gets you alway from the stop light quickly.
Thanks for all of the comments
My car is my "toy" has been for 8 years, this is my third vette, I have been burned and never want to do it to someone else.
Having said that I decided to buy a new short block from Cartek and have my local shop add the new H/C package to it and bolt on my other engine mods, LT headers, ported TB, LS6 intake. (I also have 4"10 gears in the car) I did not want to spend really big bucks on a 427 or other such engine as I never race my toy, I drive for fun and show it, hence the new H/C package I bought was designed more for low/mid power/TQ than pure HP, I learned a long time ago you drive TQ, it is what gets you alway from the stop light quickly.
Thanks for all of the comments
Originally Posted by 02gt350
dont put a bandaid on it and sell it thats for sure, the next guy will be screwed, thats not cool
Administrator
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 368,340
Likes: 24,781
From: In a parallel universe. Currently own 2014 Stingray Coupe.
C7 of the Year - Modified Finalist 2021
MO Events Coordinator
St. Jude Co-Organizer
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '26
NCM Sinkhole Donor
CI 5, 8 & 11 Veteran
I'd go with number 1 too. Probably much cheaper in the long run when you take into account all the mods.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 11,308
Likes: 1
From: The Beautiful Greater Bay Area California
Originally Posted by pro1955
They made a mistake, legally they need to advise you before doing any unauthorized work. In our state you can only be 10-15% over your original est. or its on them, you did get a written est. right? To address your question what about another complete motor already modified.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 16,135
Likes: 5
From: Newberry FL
Cruise-In VIII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '07
Originally Posted by FrankTank
I'd go with number 1, and it sounds like the shop was trying to do the right thing by pulling the engine to make sure you understood clearly what the problem was and where it was coming from.
Good luck and hope you get back on the road soon
Good luck and hope you get back on the road soon
A new block is a good thing when you get a 402 or something like that!
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 14,285
Likes: 0
From: Houston, Tx Got traction?
CI 5-6-7-8-9-10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '07-'08
I'd go ahead and upgrade pistons and rods. New block, stock crank, and forged pistons and rods.
this can be done on a budget if you shop around.
Chris
this can be done on a budget if you shop around.
Chris
