MTPZ06

Do you know if they reused OE valves or installed new valves? If the intakes are OE Ti, and it was the intake that failed...check to see if lash caps were reinstalled on the other intact Ti valves. If they weren't, the head assembler should be held liable.

MTPZ06

MH663

Now that's funny and they have "buddies" that know it all. Wonder which Buddy they call at 4:00 am?

BrandonScott

Intakes were OE Ti. No lash caps present on any of the other intact Ti valves. I have a picture of the heads prior to installation and they don't appear to have lash caps. Should the installer of the new heads have swapped lash caps with my stock heads? I'm a bit ignorant when it comes to this unfortunately.

Tech

You need lash caps with OE Ti valves.

MTPZ06

Yes, the OE Ti valves require lash caps or else the Ti intake valve tip will get pulverized and damaged by the rocker arm until it fails. So yes, they should've been reinstalled.

Michael_D

You'll want to take a hard look at the failed valve then..... After time without the lash cap, the tip of the valve will wear. Additionally, the rocker may come in contact with the retainer or locks and unseat the retainer, which will allow the valve to drop into the cylinder. You may have found your smoking gun.....

If you got the R&R'd heads from AHP, they note in the packaging in very large and bold letters that lash caps must be used and the installer will not have an excuse for "not knowing" about them.

MyLS1Hauls

Here is another thread where the same thing happened...missing lash caps, and a dropped valve. Most mechanics that don't specifically have LS7 experience, wouldn't know anything about the caps being required. Unfortunately, sometimes the simplest mistakes are the most expensive.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-hills-sd.html

REDZED2

BrandonScott

I'm going to swing by the mechanic in a few hours, I wouldnt be suprised if this is the case. The mechanic who installed the heads is INCREDIBLY popular in the Phoenix area and actually has a H/C/I C6Z on spray. If it is the lash cap I guess I am just taking the loss on this one and learning a 15000 dollar lesson.

BigVette427

Really unfortunate position that you are in. Certainly the lack of lash caps on Ti valves would be an issue.

Sounds like you are going to need a whole new bottom end, and you might end up needing an entire new engine. $8.5k sounds like a good deal for a rebuilt LS7 if you could perhaps get some paperwork on it. Would have to pick it up locally, in NH.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LS7-7-0L-V8-...RYZU5p&vxp=mtr

Dan_the_C5_Man

IF these are OEM inakes AND you know what a lash cap is AND there isn't one on every single intake valve, someone (the installer, NOT the head re-work vendor) owes you a motor, peroid-end.

My advice, DO NOT open the other valve cover, or if you do, video tape the process (not pictures - you need proof that you didn't take them off yourself) - no vendor, no matter how large, wants to eat 10K in parts and hours of free labor, not to mention the credibility hit they will take.

User Omega

I think the mechanic who didn't install the lash caps has some liability here. I'm sorry to see this happen to you. You may want to contact an attorney before doing anything else.

redbird555

ASE= Ask Someone Else

seriously some of the worse mechanics I've ever met are "certified"

not taking anything away away from the OP but he said he wasn't that far in depth with these things so are we sure the lash caps are missing? It certainly would make sense. Even a worse case scenario of bad stock heads wouldn't cause failure in 500 miles, on the intake valves no less.... pretty evident it seems there was an install error or faulty part here somewhere rather than the typical guide issue

BrandonScott

I'm certainly not too familiar with these things which is why I had it towed to a local auto shop. They're the ones who told me it was missing lash caps. I will swing by his shop in a couple hours and verify for myself. If the caps are missing I'll record the other valve cover being opened and verify that the caps arent on any of the intake valves.

STANG KILLA SS

that spring kit and cam lift sounds like Texas Speed. am i right?

and to answer your question, no the vendor is rarely ever liable.
they have no control over weather you sprayed 400 hp of nitrous threw it, or down shifted to 1st gear at 80mph etc. even if you didnt.

Undy

It could even be a Ferrera hollow stem exhaust valve. The hollow part doesn't start until quite a ways up in the stem. The OP didn't specify whether it was an OEM valve or not.

Edit: It sure appears to be an intake though, especially in light of it not having lash caps. It would probably take about 500 miles for the rocker to eat through the titanium valve tip, enough to wear the valve tip down to the valve lock/keeper groove. The locks would then pop out and the valve would then drop. The rest of the intakes probably aren't far away from dropping.

kbreese

At this point I think it's a good idea to just forego "fixed" heads and just buy aftermarket heads, such as the PRC heads.

lamboworld

I didn't know that so I am curious to the answer. What broke, Intake or Exhaust?

I had a local company build my car and I now want to go check my valves for lash caps, because I certainly haven't looked since my heads were rebuilt and installed.

rjacobs

IF, and its a big IF, this is a matter of not re-installing the lash caps, i.e. an installer error, the brand of head has zero impact on the outcome.