Can an LS engine survive fire damage?
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,719
Likes: 1
From: Florida
St. Jude Donor '07
Can an LS engine survive fire damage?
Can an LS engine and trans survive fire damage? I am going to look at a LS2 GTO engine and trans for sale that was in a fire. The manifold and all plastic has melted; sensors, alt, wires, injectors, etc. The transmission top plastic piece in the shifter is melted.
Would the aluminum block disapate the heat due to the antifreeze?
Or should I be concerned about distortion?
Does anyone have experience with recovering a fire damaged engine?
Would the aluminum block disapate the heat due to the antifreeze?
Or should I be concerned about distortion?
Does anyone have experience with recovering a fire damaged engine?
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,962
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From: Van Buren Arkansas
Wounded Warrior Escort '11
No clue here. I suppose that all of the seals would be damaged of course on top of all the sensors. The internals though I would guess are fine. Now if it was a propane fed fire for an hour...then no...but otherwise the internals could be ok. So many seals on things are o-rings so there would need to be a tear-down anyway. Put a socket on the harmonic balancer and see if the crank will turn.
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2004
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From: Winston-Salem North Carolina
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
A few years ago a friend who bought an ls engine from a fire damaged car was changing and tourqe-ing the head bolts a couple of them of them stripped out the block.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,962
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From: Van Buren Arkansas
Wounded Warrior Escort '11
The engine internals run at very high temperatures under normal circumstances already, so a fire on the outside, hopefully wouldn't do too much on the inside...other than as I stated, seals and etc... pull the plugs, put a wrench on crank and see if it turns over.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 23,480
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From: East Meadow NY
St. Jude Donor '12
My guess is a lot of parts can be saved, but it is probably not worth the money or the effort. There are going to be so many little things to look at and worry about. I wouldn't pay any money for that engine.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2006
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From: Van Buren Arkansas
Wounded Warrior Escort '11
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Race Director
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From: South Western Ontario
I would be concerned about where the water went that put the fire out. 3 or 4 cylinders and a oil pan full of water for months doesn't do much for the health of an engine....
You have to see how bad the damage is. I saved a LT1 that was in a fire but it wasn't too bad and I got the water out in time. I still had to completely pull it apart and clean it up.
Peter
You have to see how bad the damage is. I saved a LT1 that was in a fire but it wasn't too bad and I got the water out in time. I still had to completely pull it apart and clean it up.
Peter
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2006
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From: Van Buren Arkansas
Wounded Warrior Escort '11
[QUOTE=Chicago1;1579956868
With rims like that and it being a C4 I would burn it to...[/QUOTE]
Yeah, it wasn't mine for sure. This other person in the apartment complex where I lived told me he had a bad oil leak and was going to get it fixed the next day...one day too late for this car. Wheels were crap and worse in that the window weatherstrips were all done too before the fire.
With rims like that and it being a C4 I would burn it to...[/QUOTE]
Yeah, it wasn't mine for sure. This other person in the apartment complex where I lived told me he had a bad oil leak and was going to get it fixed the next day...one day too late for this car. Wheels were crap and worse in that the window weatherstrips were all done too before the fire.
