Lobmoth1

Just blew my engine up a few days ago (not my fault) on my 2003 Z06. Should I stick with the LS6 as a replacement or is there another option with more HP somewhat close to the same price range? Welcome any suggestions.

BlackZ06

What price range ?????

Would you purchase an LS6 short block, long block, crate motor .... what did you "blow up" .... is the block damaged ???

There are a ton of "options" .... give someone an idea of what you would spend.

Lobmoth1

Sorry for the lack of details. Insurance company is taking care of the cost. The shop has only told me that "the engine is toast, the whole thing has to be replaced." I don't know much more than that. I'm just thinking that since I need a new engine, I might as well look into putting a tiny bit more $ into it and get something "nicer."

Ran over a foreign object on i10 and it punctured the oil pan without me realizing it. You can imagine the rest... engine seized up is my guess, sounded really bad

BLOWNBLUEZ06

here is a forged replacement 347 shortblock for 2789.00

http://www.sdparts.com/catalog/lsgen...kAssembly.aspx

Here is a forged, stroked LS2 402 shortblock for 4349.00

http://www.sdparts.com/catalog/lsgen...kAssembly.aspx

for the roughly 1500.00 difference you're going to pay, you could simply put on some good ported heads and a cam and have a motor good for spray, F/I (forced induction ) or whatever you want to add in the future. There are plenty of F/I cars out there with only forged pistons making 700+rwhp. Just be careful. Once you get the performance bug, it might not quit biting!
I blew my 520rwhp Magnuson supercharged engine 347 and am now building a iron block 403 with a Vortech Ysi supercharger that will easily make 750rwhp on pump gas. Spent about 14k so far on the build.
Decide where you want to end up and how much money you want to spend. Get back to us with those goals and we'll be better able to make some suggestions.

Lobmoth1

Roger that. I admit my extreme lack of knowledge in regards to this subject. I'm doing my homework though. The price mostly depends on how much my insurance company pays on the engine. I'm able to put about $1500 on top of whatever my insurance company puts towards the repairs. Understand there's tons of options. Just figure this is a good time to upgrade since I have to get a new engine anyway.

BlackZ06

My guess (since I have no clue what your policy says) is that the best the insurance company will do is authorize payment for a "like" engine ...

So ballpark ... a new LS6 crate motor (part number 17801268) is list price at $7,141.43 and then they will put in something for labor .... but that's a "wash" ..... the labor is gonna have to be paid on any engine you have installed.

Obviously they will charge whatever your policy "deductible" is ... .don't forget that.

lucky131969

so how long did it take to seize up after you lost oil pressure, and got a "low oil warning" message?

AU N EGL

GM Create LS2 ( with 24 tooth wheel ) from SDPC is a great option.

J.R.

Agree with AU N GEL

GM Crate engine.

LS2 or LS3 with 24x reluctor from SDPC. approx $5700 for LS2 and $6300 for LS3 plus shipping (about $250). or an Australian LS2 with L92 heads (approx. 385 hp) for approx $4900, also from SDPC.

Harness adaptors - approx $100.

You will be very happy with a GM factory engine, have a dependable product and at a reasonable price from a forum vendor.

Wicked Weasel

LS7

MPM IV

I went through a puddle and killed mine. Insurance paid about $9200 after deductable. I had already ordered a new engine, so for me it was good luck. Had I gotten a replacement from a shop on my insurance companys authorized list it would have had a lifetime warranty. If the warranty dosen't matter to you I would go bigger now. You will never get that much money for your engine anywhere else.

Lobmoth1

I'm not worried about the warranty really. Can I just tell my insurance company I want to find my own engine or are they going to want the shop that's working on it to find the parts? Or can I let the shop know what I want to do and have them work with me? I'm sure it all depends on who I'm working with, understandably.

Sounds like you'd already ordered your engine before you'd ran through the puddle... is that the only reason you were able to go bigger?

MPM IV

They shouldn't care who does the work. I told the dealership I only wanted them to evaluate the problem and they gave the estimate to the Ins. company. I hoped that would help the agent in determining how much I would get. They deposited the money in my acct.
Assuming you have similar results $9200 will buy a nice complete engine, but probably not cover the labor and misc. parts to complete the build. I would start by calling a reputable tuner in your area and discussing the situation. There are a lot of variables and options at this point.

MagneticRed1977

When dealing with insurance companies it is better to give them direction and that applies to the dealership as well. Tell the dealership to give a price (which will be list) to the insurance company for a new long block and installation for your year vette. That should be the amount of the check given to you buy the insurance company.

Now you know how much you have to play with in getting a motor and installing it yourself or a corvette garage in your area.

Guess what you get to keep your old engine and you can do a trade in to several shop that build engines if it is not really damaged. Good Luck

Corvette-Chris

Im getting mine rebuilt by one of the best LSx engine builders in the country but its a forged 347. Im not sure what ci you want to go with but im spending right at 4K with new cam, oil pump, timing set, and everything cleaned, balanced and blueprinted

Lobmoth1

Here's some pics...











Gonna have the work done in Corpus Christi, Texas. Any recommendations on shops in the area? So far, without any engine work, the appraisal is at $4500... figuring after the new engine is added into the equation the repairs will be well over $10k. Gonna go with the LS6, too much hassle switching to anything else.

Corvette-Chris

Good call on the LS6

Lobmoth1

Wow, ends up I do have to get a new engine and it's cheaper to get a brand new LS6 then a re-build. Total cost of repairs is just under $14k. Just curious, how much would a 50th Anv. 2003 zo6 with 21k miles and a brand new engine sell for?

txFRC

so your saying the ins. company is making you get a 'new' from GM engine?

thats alot of $ for engine budget, could go with something really nice and reliable for that much.

these guys are about 3hrs away from you, but personally i would tow the car to them. they do GREAT work on corvettes, i dont think they are on CF, but look on LS1Tech and see the following they have:
http://www.gforce-tx.com/

this guy is a good builder in houston:
http://www.hkracingengines.com/

or you could get a SDPC crate setup, or Texas Speed and Performance has some good deals on forged 347's.

these guys are good too:
http://www.latemodelengines.com/

Lobmoth1

Thanks for the info txfrc. Regrettably I don't have the time or extra $ to take the car out of town. Not sure why the insurance company is paying for a brand new factory GM engine rather than a rebuilt one. I've been told it'd be a huge headache to switch the engine out with anything other than the stock LS6. Guess this is due to the complicated electrical setup or something... new wire harnesses or what? The new engine estimate is around $7k, only about half the total $14k I'd mentioned before. There is more damage than just the engine.