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I found out the other day that I blew my engine and will require major repair work. The block and heads are un-damaged. My mechanic will be calling me soon with options but I wanted to hear informed advice from forum members. I have a 2001 ZO6 with 100k miles; after market cam, headers, free flow cats, X-pipe and SLP cat backs. The engine made 430 rwhp dyno'd. I've considered a few options...
(1) Crate Engine Replacement....$$$?
(2) Rebuild to a stroker 383....$$$?
(3) Rebuild to 427....$$$?
(4) Rebuild to blue print specs....$$$?
I am concerned about pricing and I have no price points for comparison. Could provide pricing information... I have a $4500 budget. What should I be concerned about when an engine is pulled? Thanks
GM LS7 on sale from GM complete. 12999.00 Or a new LS1 is about 5300.00 or LS2 about 6700.00. If you buy an new GM crate engine it will come with a GM warranty. Sorry to hear about your engine. David
It really depends on what you are willing to spend, but the power the new LS7 is great, but I think you can get equal power with a lot less impact on the wallet. A 383 can be a great motor if done right.
You need to consider what your ultimate goal is going to be. Are you ever going to go FI? Do you want more HP than you had? Do you want a big cam? There are a number of things you must consider here and build the engine accordingly. Forget the crate engine cuz you can do better building one up weather it be stroked or set up for FI or both. Not sure what your installer will charge but you will be looking at a little more than your budget any route, not much, but a little depending on what you do. 427? Gonna be well over your budget. Forged 347, real close. Give more info on your ultimate goal and I'm sure we'll have some answers for you.
Since you're on a budget a 427 is out. If your block and heads are in fact reusable it sounds like a crank, rod or piston problem. Since you have to replace those anyways, drop in a 383 stroker crank with rods and pistons. That's going to be the most cost effective thing to do. Throw something like a 237-242 cam in there and have fun.
You need to consider what your ultimate goal is going to be. Are you ever going to go FI? Do you want more HP than you had? Do you want a big cam? There are a number of things you must consider here and build the engine accordingly. Forget the crate engine cuz you can do better building one up weather it be stroked or set up for FI or both. Not sure what your installer will charge but you will be looking at a little more than your budget any route, not much, but a little depending on what you do. 427? Gonna be well over your budget. Forged 347, real close. Give more info on your ultimate goal and I'm sure we'll have some answers for you.
Thanks for the great info. I'm not a track racer and I don't do burn-outs. I will get into it occassionally and some street racing. I would be happy with something between 470 hp and 490 hp. I love the extra horses. My installer (and thanks that descriptor sounds so much better than mechanic) wants to do something different for me. All parts will be at cost! I even think the labor will be at a discount. He wants to get his name out there. His is a 23 year GM Certified Installer. I trust him so I will see what he will do for me within the budget or plus $1500 over. Yeah, a 427 is definately out of the question. I agree. I've got some connections but they can't get it within my budget. My Installer briefly discussed a 408 or 413. I think that it will be more of a 408. What do you think?
Since you're on a budget a 427 is out. If your block and heads are in fact reusable it sounds like a crank, rod or piston problem. Since you have to replace those anyways, drop in a 383 stroker crank with rods and pistons. That's going to be the most cost effective thing to do. Throw something like a 237-242 cam in there and have fun.
My $.02
Thanks for the great info. I truly appreciate your honesty and candor. I will take this option under consideration since I am only looking for 470 to 490 hp. I will see what my installer says today.
Are you saying that the mechanic says you blew the engine, the head and block is fine, and he determined this without pulling the engine?????
Hmmmm.
I'm not questioning your post but maybe your mechanic.
Thanks for the honesty and I hear what you are saying. Sound like you have a deal of experience in these matters. I trust my installer. He's a straight up guy. His hesitation is that the engine is 100k miles old. A minor fix could eventually turn into a major problem later on. "The horse's heart is injured from a heart attach...so to speak". Perhaps things are not as bad as it may seem. I truly appreciate you for taking the time to respond. This is a consideration that I've not considered until now.
I think you can still get a C5R 427 wth some decent miles on it for a good price. I recall seeing an add for one a few months ago. Its just a thought but I hear those puppies are bullet proof
the budget or plus $1500 over. Yeah, a 427 is definately out of the question. I agree. I've got some connections but they can't get it within my budget. My Installer briefly discussed a 408 or 413. I think that it will be more of a 408. What do you think?
I just did a full on 403 with L92 heads and L76 intake. Figure a budget of 10k to do it right. Mine was actually more like 11.5k.