I have a 2003 z06. I had an engine light going for the last few weeks. I was about to take it in this weekend, but it's too late now. As I was driving it slower than usual trying to get home after a rough week, the engine begin to lose power and make sounds. I immediately pulled over and had it taken to a dealer. The dealer told me that the engine blew when they let it run for some time. Even though I love driving fast cars, I don't know as much as I should.

Is it even worth trying to drop another LS6 engine into it? I don't even know if it's worth doing. Not only is it expensive to do, but it's a lot of money I know I should be hanging on to in case something happens. It also seems that you can have a custom engine built for about the same price that are better in quality and power. I was also thinking of trying to locate a used engine but I was told that could be a risk because it could be rebuilt with cheap parts, or just be ready to go like my last one. Even then I don't exactly know about paperwork and making sure it's legit.

I would like to hear what all of you enthusiasts and experts have to say. I would appreciate any thoughts or ideas. I need to make some sort of decision soon. With everything that's been going on in my life, I really didn't need this too.


Thanks

 

I'd either put in a used one or get a crate motor from Chevy.

 

Sorry to hear that. I wouldn't replace it with another LS6. I would either buy a GM LS2,3,7, or 9 crate engine or buy a new block and choose heads, cam, and intake, etc. Good luck hope it works out.

 

Sorry to hear that. First, I think I would find out exactly what "blew" means. Siezed? Or is there a window in the block? If you don't plan on doing any crazy mods to the car I would say rebuild the block with some good internals and put it back in... providing it is not damaged.

If you get it to good shop they should be able to pull the motor, rebuild the bottom end, freshen the heads, and reinstall for less than you probably think. Using better components than stock won't cost much more money and if chosen carefully can bring a nice little increase in hp.

You can swap in a newer LS engine but this will cost you more. Trust me, once you start down the mod path it never ends!

Whichever way you go, I am of the opinion that you should go with a reputable shop and have them take care of it. I would have them build the short block and not purchase a crate engine. IMO you can get better parts and attention to detail with a hand built engine.

Good luck and make sure the next time that light comes on... you get in to the shop!

PS. WTF was the dealer doing running the car "for some time" with an obviously unhealthy engine?

Charlie

 

I f this is your daily driver ,I say get a GM crate engine with a warranty.Then pick up a book and gain some insight on how to take care of your vette!

 

That was my thought also. Why run a engine that is hurt? Also at what RPM did it let loose. I have never seen a engine blow at low RPM. Quit, and no restart, yes but blow? If it guit at low RPM there may not be any major damage done. But if there is a hole in the block or the pan I would have to ask some hard questions. Bob

 

What was the oil pressure at the time of its death? Water temp?

 

You need to find out if the engine is rebuildable - if so, you could just stick new internals into it and motor on down the road. If it's shot, then an LS6, LS2, LS3 or LS7 could be some alternatives, depending on how much you want to spend.

 

I'll have a low mileage LS1 for sale in a couple of weeks if you decide to go that route.

 

the car has been engineered and tested with the LS6. If you want to keep an semblance of reliability I would think the best plan would be to put a stock replacement LS6 GM crate motor in it.. and this probably goes without saying.. but next time when the light comes take it in right away.,, or at the very least pull the codes and post them on the forum to get some idea of what the car is trying to tell you..

hope all goes well for you and your pocket book!!

 

You need to find out from the dealer what they meant by "blew." I agree with the other posts that this sounds very odd. Why would a dealer run an engine that has an obvious problem?

How long did the dealer run your car for and what exactly did they say the problem was?

 

At first I thought that it was odd as well, but my brother-in-law who's a mechanic told me they need to run the engine to figure out what's wrong because the engine codes are not enough.

 

What was the oil pressure? Water temp when it died?

 

When the car started giving me trouble before taking it to the dealer, the oil pressure and water temp looked at normal levels. I didn't notice anything odd and I would have if it was a problem.

 

"I had an engine light going for the last few weeks." I know hindsight is an exact science but, that should of been your clue to park it at the first sign of trouble. The engine light does come on for petty stuff like a gas cap not being tightened enough but to let this persist is just asking for trouble.

While i had to pay stealership prices, I got mine fixed at the first sign of trouble.
I dont know your financial situation, but a crate motor with a warranty is a safe bet...I would also look into the health of the tranny as well.

Regardless, get your baby back out on the road and dont forget the wave.

 

I want to either get the same engine or better. Money will keep me from getting anything better. I was offered a custom engine that would cost me the same as a brand new LS6 as a possible option.
I thought that even though the money might be tight, I should probably go for a brand new LS6, since you're paying the same for labor it might be more worth it to go for a brand new one than a used one.

 

Do you know what the failure was in the engine? Is it possible to reuse the block?

 

I think you're short a LOT of information.
When you say "the light" was on, which light? The check engine light is for emission related items and should have nothing to do with an engine failure.
I know you're not a mechanic and neither am I but "losing power and making sounds" isn't very specific.
When the dealership said it blew "after some time", exactly how much time, and exactly how was it being run?

I guess you have two issues right now. What really happened to the motor, and, what do you do now? The second answer depends highly on the first. If the motor damage wasn't catastrophic you could rebuild it just fine and go on your way. No need to replace it.

More info please.....

 

Yes, I do mean the check engine light. I guess miss-firing would best describe what it sounded and felt like.

The dealership told me that they ran the engine for about 5 minutes.... It started to make loud banging sounds and it died right after.... All the oil spilled out on the floor.

It sounds to me like the engine block is cracked. After opening this thread, there were a few questions I wanted to ask the service representative that's been handling this. I haven't been able to get a hold of him today. However, he does want to charge me 8k $ with labor to put in a new one.

 

Where are you laocated and what dealer did you take your car to ?