Quick question Z06
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,147
Likes: 18
From: Thompsons Station Tennessee
Quick question Z06
i sold a guy my 2002 Z06 this week "Thursday". He drove it 100 miles and the engine started making a racket and quit. The car had 11,573 miles on it when I sold it. He had it towed to a Chevy dealer and they told him a valve spring had failed.
he researched the internet and found a similar problem with another Z06 owner. Was or is this a common problem with the 02 Z06?
he researched the internet and found a similar problem with another Z06 owner. Was or is this a common problem with the 02 Z06?
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,993
Likes: 7
From: LaPine Oregon
Ah yes the LS6 valve springs.......
Yes with the introduction of the new reduced diameter base lobe LS6 camshaft (.550-inch lift, highest lift cam ever installed in a GM production engine to that date) came the new valve train i.e. longer sodium filled valves and striffer 400 Newton ( 90lbs closed) valve springs. The open spring rates increased from 1150N ( 259lbs) to 1310N (294lbs) on both .The Rockwell or hardness of the springs became an issue with higher sustained rpms. The spring's material is a little more brittle than the LS1.
Long story short, yes Virgina there are reports of broken springs on '02-'03 LS6 engines but appears to me to be aggressive driving style that induces the problem.
Long story short, yes Virgina there are reports of broken springs on '02-'03 LS6 engines but appears to me to be aggressive driving style that induces the problem.
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,904
Likes: 28
From: Vancouver Washington
"Long story short, yes Virgina there are reports of broken springs on '02-'03 LS6 engines but appears to me to be aggressive driving style that induces the problem.[/QUOTE]"
Sound like the new owner may have been trying it out a little too aggressively.
Sound like the new owner may have been trying it out a little too aggressively.
Race Director
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 15,960
Likes: 21
From: West Norriton PA
St. Jude Donor '08
It's was a problem on some 2002's. I just hope the valve and pistons did not collide.
Unfortunately, mechanical things fail and if the timing had been a few miles off when he picked up the car from you it would have happened to you.
Unfortunately, mechanical things fail and if the timing had been a few miles off when he picked up the car from you it would have happened to you.
Last edited by ajg1915; Feb 10, 2009 at 04:50 PM.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,147
Likes: 18
From: Thompsons Station Tennessee
Spring failure
When he called me right after the failure, He was in a panic state. Understandable sinc He only had the car one day. He initially told me He was driving through a construction zone behind a truck and was in third gear. This was on the interstate! At the end of the zone He accellerated around the truck and all hell broke loose.
His initial call indicated that the plugs had disintegrated and since He stated plural I assumed Diesel in the tank. However after teardown, it was determined that a single valve spring had failed!
This car was owned by a sixty plus woman originally and when I called Her and mentioned that I was putting on a skip shift, She said that if I needed that I was driving too fast. Soo I am pretty sure She babied it and I know I did so why did the spring fail?
The Z06 was my 10th Vette dating back to my first in 1965 and I have never had a engine problem even with more agressive driving in my younger days. He seemed to have a problem shifting when He test drove the car, could a missed shift have caused the spring failure?
His initial call indicated that the plugs had disintegrated and since He stated plural I assumed Diesel in the tank. However after teardown, it was determined that a single valve spring had failed!
This car was owned by a sixty plus woman originally and when I called Her and mentioned that I was putting on a skip shift, She said that if I needed that I was driving too fast. Soo I am pretty sure She babied it and I know I did so why did the spring fail?
The Z06 was my 10th Vette dating back to my first in 1965 and I have never had a engine problem even with more agressive driving in my younger days. He seemed to have a problem shifting when He test drove the car, could a missed shift have caused the spring failure?
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 5,414
Likes: 25
From: Texas
sorry to say this, but it is his problem not yours, i know it sucks for him, but the only way that you could be to blame, would be if you had just installed the valve springs or had recently done top end work, and you did something that caused the valve spring to break.
but from the sound of it, you had not done any internal work to the engine, i think he probably over reved the engine or missed a shift like stated above and caused the problem....
but from the sound of it, you had not done any internal work to the engine, i think he probably over reved the engine or missed a shift like stated above and caused the problem....
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,573
Likes: 12
From: allentown nj
sorry to say this, but it is his problem not yours, i know it sucks for him, but the only way that you could be to blame, would be if you had just installed the valve springs or had recently done top end work, and you did something that caused the valve spring to break.
but from the sound of it, you had not done any internal work to the engine, i think he probably over reved the engine or missed a shift like stated above and caused the problem....
but from the sound of it, you had not done any internal work to the engine, i think he probably over reved the engine or missed a shift like stated above and caused the problem....
plus his story has changed sounds like driver error to me
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,816
Likes: 16
From: Anchorage Alaska
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10
damn, that's terrible timing for the buyer.
I agree that it's not your problem... but, from the tone of your posts it sounds like you're making some effort to help the buyer anyway, and that is very commendable!
I agree that it's not your problem... but, from the tone of your posts it sounds like you're making some effort to help the buyer anyway, and that is very commendable!