VRedZ06

I have to say I mod'ed the engine with some of the best parts and the work was done by one of the best corvette guys in the market MTI Racing in Marietta GA. I really race her in the TT's and HPDE's 3/4 category. I love and am addicted to speed so I really hit her hard on the track and it's at least 2 time a month.

When you use them hard things happen, I got 46K totaly fun miles and 21K of them were hard track miles most don;t last 6K miles of hard track use.

But I love your sweet ride and the old 427's are sweet sounding too!!!

ErnieO

Silver05GTO

Older carb engines don't fail? Amazing.....

Fartpipe

Sorry I must still be missing where it says what valves.
I see
"MTI RACING Ported / Polished 90mm Throttle Body
MTI RACING LS7 Cylinder Heads, High-flow CNC Ported,
hand finished w/ Serdi multi-angle valve job and finishing.
MTI RACING Intake Manifold Ported and port matched
MTI RACING Custom Cam Profile
CNC Valve Spring Retainers,
Nextech Alloy Valve Springs With Hardened Locks
MTI RACING Super Alloy Hardened Spring Seats
Manley 434Chrome Moly Push rods"
Nothing that saves valves are changed?

VRedZ06

I will get exact info from MTI.

OKsweetrides

One of the more ignorant posts I've seen all year.

I'm certain that you think a LCD tv sucks compared to badass old school black and white tubes.

OnPoint

OP,

Sorry to see you having to build an engine. But it sounds like yours served you quite admirably given its duty cycles that it saw.

If you can, please let us know how the valve guides looked/measured out on your heads. Many of us have been curiously following the "worn valve guide" theory of LS7 failures

Also, to the extent your engine builder is at all looking at what "gave loose" first - i.e causal factor, many of us would be all ears on that as well.

You'll end up with a better unit, and you'll be back having even more fun, hopefully, in short order.

VRedZ06

wILL DO AND i WOULD LIKE TO STAY AT 600 rwhp AND 520-550- torque MAX SINCE I do road racing and it is that perfect place to be for road racing. More than that which I have driven gets to be a hand full and too much work to have perfect throttle rolls on every corner.

ErnieO

jschindler

Agree all the way.

saleentim

I say you got your moneys worth out of it

VRedZ06

I have been getting Multiple PM's and to my surprise Some from very BIG engine builders. I seem to have hit a note of agrement on going with the LSX Block. Even with the extra weight there are some ways to reducesome of the weight by 10-15 lbs. with simple easy basic methods. So I will most likely go the LSX route. Make a extremely strong engine to handle very reasonable power and torque levels and simple head maintenance should result in a very long life to the new engine. The car will continue to be what I started and ended up building a road racer and every day driver as it was until 2 weeks ago.

Well that's it for tonight and tomorrow will bring a long day of LSX searching and info gathering. Lots of discussions with all of the boys to include Reese at MTI and Jason at KaTech. There are some additional friends I have meet through out the last 5 years and I'm sure I will be in info overload quickly but the LSX block to me is a great start.

Ernie O

Mopar Jimmy

1000%!!

You will be perfectly fine starting off your new build with a new or better yet, an excellent condition (seasoned) LS7 block, and I really seriously doubt that the LS7 block had nothing to do with your catastrophic failure (most likely directly related to your valvetrain or your pistons).

For n/a road racing applications the LS7 block is a GREAT block, PLENTY STRONG, and your going to want to stick with an alum. block for road racing, as these cars have almost a perfect 50/50 weight distribution, and adding 100 lbs to the nose with an iron block will throw that off.


Now as the above poster states, if your looking to drag race with STUPID POWER, 800+RWHP, then LSX iron block all the way. Of course if you can afford an alum. ERL or RHS block by all means go for it (they are the best)! I SERIOUSLY doubt whether Jason at Katech would recommond an iron LSX block, over a alum LS7 block, for building a new engine that will make 600rwhp, stay naturally aspirated, and built for road racing (but we shall see I certainly don't work for Katech, they are the experts).

Great attitude from you poster and your car lead a good racing life, and racing engines certainly ALL have a shelf life to them, and yours just expired after some GOOD HARD USE on a nicely modded h/cam engine making NICE POWER!

Best of luck to you on your rebuild!

Wulverine

It's surprising an LSX block was recommended for your application. Whatever you decide, post the build details and results when complete.

Fartpipe

I completely DISAGREE with the LSX block. Thats approx 80+lbs more on the nose of your car. Completely the wrong direction for what you use your car for. Plus I find many places just trying to sell the blocks cause its a lot to have around in inventory. Sure they are strong blocks but as stated above your block wasnt your problem. It was either a edge of the one piston came off due to detonation from bad gas or a little extra oil in one cylinder leaning it out, or a valve issue(could be valve tip, could be a valve spring, roller rocker) "IMO".
I had a 2000 C5 and put the iron block in front and man did it make it weird around corners from what i was used to.
Do yourself a favor aluminum block, keep the car light nimble, well balanced, close to or the same as you were used to. You will thank me later!!!

Everett Ogilvie

No way would I put an iron block in a road race car. You will pay the weight penalty every time you are on track. JMHO.

Mopar Jimmy

100000000000000%

This really is a no brainer for a n/aspirated road raced C6 Z.

MTIRC6Z

I'm about 99.9% sure the intake and exhaust valves in Ennie's engine were all stock, they are in my Stage II Extreme. I can also say the same for the pistons.

If I were a bettin man I say the failure was either exhaust valve or piston, leaning heavily to the piston.

As far as blocks, while Katech sees Diamond pistons as a must do modification for something that's gunna see serious track time, they don't seem to feel the same way about changing out the stock exhaust valves or the stock block. I suspect something can be gleaned from that.

Cheers, Paul.

Kappa

If you're going to get a different block, I'd go with RHS or ERL over the LSX.

wrc69v

Ernie your in great hands at MTI. Reece and his crew have taken care of my cars for over 10 yrs. I also have the stage 2 extreme in a red '06 Z along with MTI's custom twin disc clutch, roll cage, and many other mods.

MTI's shop is top notch and so is the work they do. I cant say enough good things about the customer service. To have someone with Reece's racing and engineering backround not only work on your car but discuss with you whats being done its nice peice of mind over a sales guy.

One of the advantages of MTI building your new powerplant is their in-shop engine dyno, state of the art and can fine tune better than any chassis dyno.

Good luck with your rebuild and please keep us posted on the progress!
-

VRedZ06

With the Floods we had last week in NJ and NY if anyone knows of a flooded dealer car or insurance cars from the dealers that got hit BAD, that would be a great buy off an insurance company or Used car Dealer that got flooded bad.

Any help is always appriciated!! Drag guys that moved to the LSX and have their LS7's

YES I will be going LS7 after all. Just had some in depth talks and the good vs bad went to the LS7.

ErnieO

Mopar Jimmy

Smart Man!

Let us know when your new 700+ (crank) Horsepower fire breathing N/A LS7 engine is built and complete!