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01 Z06 98k miles. Bone stock. Car ran great until I shut it down to do a blower and cam. Took the driver side head off today and discovered a crack in #7. Pictures will show in detail. I can feel it with my fingernail at certain points and not in some. Obviously, tearing everything down is the smart way to go, but are there any options to know how deep the crack is or even if it is a crack? There is a break in "it" at one point that makes it seem like it isn't a deep crack.
I started taking the head off a week ago and stopped right before I got the last 3 head bolts out because I ran out of time. Didn't think anything of it, but the cylinders had water in them when i took the head off today. What would have caused that?
Sounds like a new block is in order. You didn't say how much HP/Torque you are wanting, but that block may not survive. I would pull the engine and have a reputable machine shop look at it. IMHO, I would go thru the engine and replace the crank and rod bearings. But if that crack is bad enough, it would be a waste of time and money. Look at LS-series short blocks to make the job easier and quicker.
You'll at least need to hone the cylinder, and probably put in a new sleeve. Either of these will be your cheapest option. If you have the money, then its a good reason to upgrade the bottom end.
Was that the water line? Can’t tell from the picture orientation. Could just be minerals deposited. That a really odd shaped “crack.” I wouldn’t panic yet. Strip it down and take it to the machine shop, or run a deglazing none through that hole and see if it cleans up. If there really was a crack that big in a cylinder wall you would have been blowing coolant out of the tank like crazy.
You'll at least need to hone the cylinder, and probably put in a new sleeve. Either of these will be your cheapest option. If you have the money, then its a good reason to upgrade the bottom end.
From what I'm reading and what a local machine guy familiar with this told me is the sleeve can't be removed because molten aluminum is poured at the time of installation, not just pressed in.
Originally Posted by maj75
Was that the water line? Can’t tell from the picture orientation. Could just be minerals deposited. That a really odd shaped “crack.” I wouldn’t panic yet. Strip it down and take it to the machine shop, or run a deglazing none through that hole and see if it cleans up.
It extends down pretty far and is jagged. I slid a pencil along the crack and it kept getting caught. Cleaned it up best I could and it appears the same.
I would stay as far away from that machine guy as you can. JMHO
There are plenty of articles on the Internet about avoiding a re-sleeve of an LS1 but none of them are because the block aluminum was "poured" around the sleeve.......
Hmm, I read the same thing over on ls1tech about it. Not sure if the link works but a member said the same thing about it being poured into the mold and around them. I'm not familiar with it either way. Is that not true? Why is it then people don't re-sleeve them? Not cost efficient in regards to a new block? https://ls1tech.com/forums/generation-iii-internal-engine/1474410-ls6-sleeve-question.html
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resleeving isn't cheap either and from what I've seen often times the job isn't done properly and you end up with more problems... looks like a new block is probably your best bet... if it's cracked it's screwed and if it's a gouge or deep scrape then it probably won't be able to hone out either... see what the machinist says just to be sure but plan on a new block
01 Z06 98k miles. Bone stock. Car ran great until I shut it down to do a blower and cam. Took the driver side head off today and discovered a crack in #7. Pictures will show in detail. I can feel it with my fingernail at certain points and not in some. Obviously, tearing everything down is the smart way to go, but are there any options to know how deep the crack is or even if it is a crack? There is a break in "it" at one point that makes it seem like it isn't a deep crack.
I started taking the head off a week ago and stopped right before I got the last 3 head bolts out because I ran out of time. Didn't think anything of it, but the cylinders had water in them when i took the head off today. What would have caused that?
that's a weird crack...it looks like it follows the crosshatch pattern from the original honing...like the was some kind of burr on the hone that caused it. Normally cylinders don't crack unless something got into your engine during intake or top end disassembly or a catastrophic issue with a piston or rod...either of which would be very obvious when they happened.
it looks like a factory defect to me...not that there's much you can do about it now. In any case, a new block is in order...a sleeve will cost almost as much.
that's a weird crack...it looks like it follows the crosshatch pattern from the original honing...like the was some kind of burr on the hone that caused it. Normally cylinders don't crack unless something got into your engine during intake or top end disassembly or a catastrophic issue with a piston or rod...either of which would be very obvious when they happened.
it looks like a factory defect to me...not that there's much you can do about it now. In any case, a new block is in order...a sleeve will cost almost as much.
Now's the time to go nuts with it!
Unfortunately or fortunately you are right about time to go nuts haha. What originally started as cam and maybe ported heads has turned into a SC with forged bottom end and cam.
Have you tried turning the engine over by hand? Nothing to lose with that. It would be a shame to get it torn up just to find water residue from you letting it sit.
Have you tried turning the engine over by hand? Nothing to lose with that. It would be a shame to get it torn up just to find water residue from you letting it sit.
Yeah that was the first thing I did to see if it would clean it up. No such luck. New block time
Check with Summit see if they still sell em. Never a good time to have to build but a great time to get those upgrades. Youl pay the Visa off eventually. lol
At least you wont have to worry about pounding on a stock bottom end anymore.
Were the last 3 bolts adjacent to that cyl perhaps?
Check with Summit see if they still sell em. Never a good time to have to build but a great time to get those upgrades. Youl pay the Visa off eventually. lol
At least you wont have to worry about pounding on a stock bottom end anymore.
Were the last 3 bolts adjacent to that cyl perhaps?
It was the 3 bolts behind the rocker arm pedestal so na it wasn't those.
Need advice on cylinder wall crack
