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C6 Corvette ZR1 & Z06General info about GM’s Corvette Supercar, LS9 Corvette Technical Info, Performance Upgrades, Suspension Setup for Street or Track
Well after a bit over 30k miles, 100+ 1/2 mile passes at airport events, thousands of street pulls, some interstate road trips, and getting me back and forth to work for past 6 years. Motor was purchased from Livernois on 2/15/2012. Combo was working great.
Livernois Pistons, Calles Dragonslayer 4" crank, Calles Ultra Billet Rods, all the fancy tricks they do to the LSX block, coated everything.
Last weekend, at a half mile event, was taking a passenger for a ride. Deep into 5th, around 185mph, car lost power and lost control. Was all over the place. Was able to recover and slow down enough to not crash, which was nice, but car was blowing white smoke out. Got to pits, and coolant was gone. Everything pointed to a blow headgasket.
A week later pulled one head, and all looked good. Got the other head pulls, and you could see where the head gasket failed, right into the water jacket creating a path for the coolant to just dump into the cylinder. Sadly, it looks like it sucked enough coolant in, to crack the block. Right where water jacket starts on the cylinder, there appears to be a crack. Not 100% sure, but 99.9% as I tried to clean it up, and still catch my finger, and it is right where the transition from solid iron to thinner iron where the water jacket is.
Heads are fine, and will be refreshed/inspected, and then probably sold. Initial plan is to see if crank/rods are salvagable. Pistons look fine, but I wouldn't reuse pistons personally. Cam looks perfect, lifters perfect, etc etc. So basically just a junk block from the crack in the wall.
Leaning towards maybe a Dart SHP Pro block, but it all depends on cost and what I can get. Then some All Pro or Mast heads, with probably crower rail setup. Plan would be set it up for bigger RPM. Need to contact HPR and LME to see what options they have.
Thanks for the info. Your experience shows a big build can be reliable and do a lot of hard pulls. I'm glad your run ended well for you and your passenger. I look forward to following your new build.
Crazy.... I cannot imagine going 185 and have that happen.... I was running 160 once and this happened... I about pissed myself.... Looking forward to following your build.
Not trying to be against you or to be mean but I had a feeling you were gonna crack your block after you told me (what makes you think you can hold a FI build if you can’t hold a simple head and cam build) (knowing you were saying it laughing Sucks but it’s all apart of the game.
Not trying to be against you or to be mean but I had a feeling you were gonna crack your block after you told me (what makes you think you can hold a FI build if you can’t destroy a head and cam build) (knowing you were saying it laughing Sucks but it’s all apart of the game.
Please don't quote that guy. It ruins my day when I have to see his stupidity quoted. There is a reason he is blocked.
Only reason it cracked was hydrolock which is extremely uncommon and not a normal failure mode. Anyone thinking "ohh that 2000+hp rated LSX block may is probably going to crack" just shows how stupid they are.
Not only that, but anyone that wants to rag on it, find me another 1000+hp build that has even 1/2 this many miles, or made it past 5 years of abuse. Car lived a long hard life. Sad that head gasket failure lead to a freak failure of the block. I could sleeve that one cylinder and move on, but leaning towards bigger/better/badder.
Right now got to get ahold of HPR and LME and see what options are. Thinking LS next, Mast heads, crower rockers with a solid roller. Something to turn big RPM. If crank is hurt, maybe downsize motor to something like a 388-390.
Glad to hear it wasn't worse Nick. Could easily have ended a different way. Nice job saving her. That motor held up far longer than I would ever expect, especially because you drive it regularly and race it.
Please don't quote that guy. It ruins my day when I have to see his stupidity quoted. There is a reason he is blocked.
Only reason it cracked was hydrolock which is extremely uncommon and not a normal failure mode. Anyone thinking "ohh that 2000+hp rated LSX block may is probably going to crack" just shows how stupid they are.
Not only that, but anyone that wants to rag on it, find me another 1000+hp build that has even 1/2 this many miles, or made it past 5 years of abuse. Car lived a long hard life. Sad that head gasket failure lead to a freak failure of the block. I could sleeve that one cylinder and move on, but leaning towards bigger/better/badder.
Right now got to get ahold of HPR and LME and see what options are. Thinking LS next, Mast heads, crower rockers with a solid roller. Something to turn big RPM. If crank is hurt, maybe downsize motor to something like a 388-390.
Why the LS next block? Seems like that lsx block served you well.
Why the LS next block? Seems like that lsx block served you well.
Cost, and like some of the options it has.
Other options are LSR block but damn it is bling bling. Was thinking Dart SHP pro.
Headgasket was the LSX 6 bolt head gaskets. At the time 6+ years ago, that was the only option for a 6 bolt head gasket.
That being said, only 50/50 if it is actually cracked. Just a little line there that I can feel with finger nail. Could be from piston ring, or who knows. Need to get it out and see. A quick hone and it maybe fine. If it is a small crack, can have that sleeved easy enough and I'll keep the block for another project. Sleeve that one hole, bore it to 4.155 and do a basic n/a grunt motor to throw into a truck or my jeep.
03-10-2018, 09:08 AM
2018 Rebuild, Maybe bigger/better, maybe not.
Sucks but it’s all apart of the game.
