RANsTRZ06

I had on fail at about 45000 mile on a stock motor 2004. It took out the block.

Xx_Black-out

Just found the VIN, as I had sold that car a while back. You can update the info if you would like:

2002 Z06
Built March 11, 2002
1G1YY12SX25124999
Intake spring (YELLOW) broke on cyl. 7 broke at 130000mi

skyavonee

dart.deanda

Big thanks for compiling the data. I posted in the original thread regarding the damage. Substantive. Anyone know if I can remove the piston by taking off the oil pan, cap and pushing the rod and piston out of the top? Just trying to avoid pulling the motor.

skyavonee

I've updated the plots on the first page to reflect the latest data. The statistics have changed a little, but the general conclusions remain the same.

Current count is 132 broken springs, and 44 build dates.

Black 02

Thank you for putting this together. From my vin #, a vin breakdown site I found showed my car as being built on January 31st. I would say this makes me an honorary member of the "danger zone" group and makes me wonder if the other cars from my category were also built in late January.

ZeeOSix

And just think ... only a small percentage of owners hang out on this chat board, so how many have failed that we will never know about. The spring failure rate is way higher than what these stats show. It's an epidemic IMO.

mattzoom

yay

thechosenone

Good idea.

Black 02

Not to mention all the ones that were uninstalled when cars were cammed early in life. Those springs never had a chance to fail unless they were reinstalled in another lsx based vehicle.

skyavonee

- which is why my likelihood graph is given in relative terms among the groups, instead of as absolute probabilities.

skyavonee

Yours is actually the only one I have on record from January. But you're probably right about being an honorary member of the danger zone. Breaking up the data into months, although helpful, is really kinda arbitrary. Ideally, I'd have VIN info on all the failures so I could more precisely group the different risk levels. But there are quite a few springs that I have build month info on but not VIN, so I used what I had.

MikeD33

I will add another one for you later after I swing by the shop and get the build date and VIN. Mine was 60k miles #5 failed and cracked the block around the lifter socket and made it a nice oblong shape.

skyavonee

Current numbers are 133 failures and 48 build dates. A duplicate was found in the 2004 models, so they're back down to 5 total, again equaling the 2001's. The charts have been updated to reflect the latest info.

varkwso

I broke a spring on my 2002 Z06. Somewhere around 60k miles. Most of them on track. I bought it new 15 Sep 01 so it is an early production 02 model. I ran it hard so not surprised it failed. Did not take out motor. It broke on I 20 near Columbia SC at 60 mph on cruise control. Took a while to sort problem out.

Chinookmtp

Finally finished changing my springs in my 2002 Z06 last weekend. Had ordered the wrong valve spring compressor and wasn't able to get to the #7 and 8 changed out. Used the Trick Flow Specialties TFS-90306 compressor worked great. Accidently ordered the 90307 which doesn't fit the LS6....at least it's done and I fell better about it.http://www.summitracing.com/parts/TFS-90306/
old springs were yellow new ones blue...

joopblog

I wonder what the failure rate is, in comparison to c4's or c6's? Maybe this failure rate isn't higher than normal, just wondering.

RC000E

Great work on this man! I inform guys all the time about this, but even shop owners who work exclusively on Corvettes say they never heard of such a thing. I just look at them in amazement.

Lucky for me, I won't be on this list. I have a 56k mile 2002 Z06 and just changed mine, as a preventative measure, when I did my supercharger. Now I don't even think about it. I used to start my car sweating almost...haha.

Z06TWT

Crap, my 02 was built in April and the VIN is 28868 (Danger Zone) . I bought the car several months back and have been tracking it ever since. It would be helpful if CF members would post the type/brand of springs used to fix the problem along with the parts/labor costs. Once again GREAT work on this subject!

MY03C5Z

You can find all the part numbers in Steve's other valve spring post. I went with stock LS2 (blue) springs in mine recently.