LS 6 engine block repair(s)
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
LS 6 engine block repair(s)
My 2003 Z06 (LS6) engine fell victim to the batch of bad valve springs GM used and sucked a valve causing extensive damage to the cylinder. The steel sleeve was penetrated and the aluminum block broken/cracked. Car is up and running again with donor engine, but I am going to try to save the original block. I have it pretty much torn down and will attempt to attach a photo here. I have been doing some research on aluminum welding repairs, but was just wondering if anyone has had some personal experience with repairs of this nature and what success you have had.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 16,028
Likes: 170
From: oregon
scrap
blocks are cast aluminum, a weld would never hold the same or be able to penetrate. sleeving also would be expensive
you can buy a complete ls6 from a wrecked car with excellent compression for $3000 or so complete.
get one of those and sell that block for scrap after you salvage all the usable parts
to even attempt a repair you would have to go to a shop that sleeves engines, press that sleeve out, then tig weld the cracked area if it's only the place that's visible. then you would have to bore the aluminum to true that weld up, then press a new sleeve
that's just to save the block, not a build, not boring, not a hone, not anything. could be a lot of $$ for a block that's been weakened
blocks are cast aluminum, a weld would never hold the same or be able to penetrate. sleeving also would be expensive
you can buy a complete ls6 from a wrecked car with excellent compression for $3000 or so complete.
get one of those and sell that block for scrap after you salvage all the usable parts
to even attempt a repair you would have to go to a shop that sleeves engines, press that sleeve out, then tig weld the cracked area if it's only the place that's visible. then you would have to bore the aluminum to true that weld up, then press a new sleeve
that's just to save the block, not a build, not boring, not a hone, not anything. could be a lot of $$ for a block that's been weakened
Last edited by racebum; Jan 19, 2014 at 05:45 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 5,955
Likes: 161
From: PNW
Ouch ... that sucks. Anyone who still has the OEM valve springs in their 2002 & 2003 LS6, best read this thread and swap out those springs.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-z...-failures.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-z...-failures.html
