[Z06] Had heads inspected today. Advice needed.
07-23-2014, 09:56 AM
#21
For the OP, sometimes an aftermarket warranty will let you use aftermarket parts in the repair if you pay any additional cost. Also, some dealers use outside machine shops for precision repairs (like cylinder head rebuilds). You should talk to both your dealer and your warranty company about that, explaining your concerns.
07-23-2014, 12:46 PM
#23
Team Owner
Having said that; you and I will NEVER see eye-to-eye on this subject matter. If you’ll have me believe that there is an army of “qualified” techs throughout our local dealerships across this great nation, just willing ready and able to jump in at a moment’s notice to diagnose any and all valve train issues with LS motors…you’re not going to get me there, at all. The truly talented techs that you speak of will migrate to the private sector which tends to be far more lucrative for them…it’s just the American way. Retention and turnover has always been a struggle for dealerships. I stand by my original statement...the good ones are few and far between.
In my opinion, your beliefs are far outweighed by the masses here; and rightfully so based on recorded comment after comment on this forum and others, which you choose to dismiss as anecdotal…and that’s your right to do so. Heck, even GM themselves tried to dismiss the valve train issues as nothing more than internet folklore. There is only one competent and qualified dealership that I’m aware of in the state of California that is truly educated on the topic at hand, and unfortunately they are about 400 miles north of me. I’ve talked to several dealers local to me, they all deny any knowledge of the valve train issues that plague the LS7 on occasion, or dismiss it as abuse by the driver.
That’s all I have to say…I’m out.
07-23-2014, 01:35 PM
#24
Le Mans Master
I’ll take the high road here and admit I was a bit harsh towards you in my last post, so I’ll apologize if I offended you in any way…that wasn’t my true intentions. I’m not a morning guy, what more can I say.
Having said that; you and I will NEVER see eye-to-eye on this subject matter. If you’ll have me believe that there is an army of “qualified” techs throughout our local dealerships across this great nation, just willing ready and able to jump in at a moment’s notice to diagnose any and all valve train issues with LS motors…you’re not going to get me there, at all. The truly talented techs that you speak of will migrate to the private sector which tends to be far more lucrative for them…it’s just the American way. Retention and turnover has always been a struggle for dealerships. I stand by my original statement...the good ones are few and far between.
In my opinion, your beliefs are far outweighed by the masses here; and rightfully so based on recorded comment after comment on this forum and others, which you choose to dismiss as anecdotal…and that’s your right to do so. Heck, even GM themselves tried to dismiss the valve train issues as nothing more than internet folklore. There is only one competent and qualified dealership that I’m aware of in the state of California that is truly educated on the topic at hand, and unfortunately they are about 400 miles north of me. I’ve talked to several dealers local to me, they all deny any knowledge of the valve train issues that plague the LS7 on occasion, or dismiss it as abuse by the driver.
That’s all I have to say…I’m out.
Having said that; you and I will NEVER see eye-to-eye on this subject matter. If you’ll have me believe that there is an army of “qualified” techs throughout our local dealerships across this great nation, just willing ready and able to jump in at a moment’s notice to diagnose any and all valve train issues with LS motors…you’re not going to get me there, at all. The truly talented techs that you speak of will migrate to the private sector which tends to be far more lucrative for them…it’s just the American way. Retention and turnover has always been a struggle for dealerships. I stand by my original statement...the good ones are few and far between.
In my opinion, your beliefs are far outweighed by the masses here; and rightfully so based on recorded comment after comment on this forum and others, which you choose to dismiss as anecdotal…and that’s your right to do so. Heck, even GM themselves tried to dismiss the valve train issues as nothing more than internet folklore. There is only one competent and qualified dealership that I’m aware of in the state of California that is truly educated on the topic at hand, and unfortunately they are about 400 miles north of me. I’ve talked to several dealers local to me, they all deny any knowledge of the valve train issues that plague the LS7 on occasion, or dismiss it as abuse by the driver.
That’s all I have to say…I’m out.
07-23-2014, 01:58 PM
#25
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Hi all. I took my 2007 Z06 in to get the heads/valves checked today at a local performance shop. 25k miles. They showed me that while the wiggle wasn't terrible, there was clear sign of wear on the tips of the intake valves that they were concerned about. He said that the outer metal layer had started to strip away and that the tips were starting to mushroom out and break up. They said they were OK with me driving the car home and for short drives, but that they highly recommended having the heads reworked. I'd like to get your input.
The shop recommended sending my heads to WCCH for the stage 2 service. They also suggested that I could pursue a cam swap or bolt on super charger while it was in. My questions:
1) The car came with a Hendrick Autoguard CPO maintenance repair service. Is there any chance that they will reliably fix this issue under their warranty to an extent that I can push the valve drop issue to the back of my mind, or is the stage 2 the clear way to go? The documentation says they cover valves and guides, but that doesn't mean they will cover a true fix. My next step is to take it back to the dealer and see what they will offer to do, but I'm not optimistic.
2) I want to make sure the car remains comfortable to drive on city streets, and I'm not looking to drag it. Is there a cam you would recommend? Any other smaller ticket items I should address while it is in?
3) Is there a good source of information for bolt-on LS7 superchargers? Not sure I will have the funds to go down that route.
The shop recommended sending my heads to WCCH for the stage 2 service. They also suggested that I could pursue a cam swap or bolt on super charger while it was in. My questions:
1) The car came with a Hendrick Autoguard CPO maintenance repair service. Is there any chance that they will reliably fix this issue under their warranty to an extent that I can push the valve drop issue to the back of my mind, or is the stage 2 the clear way to go? The documentation says they cover valves and guides, but that doesn't mean they will cover a true fix. My next step is to take it back to the dealer and see what they will offer to do, but I'm not optimistic.
2) I want to make sure the car remains comfortable to drive on city streets, and I'm not looking to drag it. Is there a cam you would recommend? Any other smaller ticket items I should address while it is in?
3) Is there a good source of information for bolt-on LS7 superchargers? Not sure I will have the funds to go down that route.
07-23-2014, 05:00 PM
#26
Team Owner
Hi all. I took my 2007 Z06 in to get the heads/valves checked today at a local performance shop. 25k miles. They showed me that while the wiggle wasn't terrible, there was clear sign of wear on the tips of the intake valves that they were concerned about. He said that the outer metal layer had started to strip away and that the tips were starting to mushroom out and break up. They said they were OK with me driving the car home and for short drives, but that they highly recommended having the heads reworked. I'd like to get your input.
The shop recommended sending my heads to WCCH for the stage 2 service. They also suggested that I could pursue a cam swap or bolt on super charger while it was in. My questions:
1) The car came with a Hendrick Autoguard CPO maintenance repair service. Is there any chance that they will reliably fix this issue under their warranty to an extent that I can push the valve drop issue to the back of my mind, or is the stage 2 the clear way to go? The documentation says they cover valves and guides, but that doesn't mean they will cover a true fix. My next step is to take it back to the dealer and see what they will offer to do, but I'm not optimistic.
2) I want to make sure the car remains comfortable to drive on city streets, and I'm not looking to drag it. Is there a cam you would recommend? Any other smaller ticket items I should address while it is in?
3) Is there a good source of information for bolt-on LS7 superchargers? Not sure I will have the funds to go down that route.
The shop recommended sending my heads to WCCH for the stage 2 service. They also suggested that I could pursue a cam swap or bolt on super charger while it was in. My questions:
1) The car came with a Hendrick Autoguard CPO maintenance repair service. Is there any chance that they will reliably fix this issue under their warranty to an extent that I can push the valve drop issue to the back of my mind, or is the stage 2 the clear way to go? The documentation says they cover valves and guides, but that doesn't mean they will cover a true fix. My next step is to take it back to the dealer and see what they will offer to do, but I'm not optimistic.
2) I want to make sure the car remains comfortable to drive on city streets, and I'm not looking to drag it. Is there a cam you would recommend? Any other smaller ticket items I should address while it is in?
3) Is there a good source of information for bolt-on LS7 superchargers? Not sure I will have the funds to go down that route.
DH
07-23-2014, 07:49 PM
#27
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07-23-2014, 08:04 PM
#28
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Note the highlighted portion, failure is eminent, once metal starts to break down. Wiggle/Squiggle what ever, select a shop, many members have made recommendations based on past experience; Fix before your posting another LS-7 failure. You can present the findings to your warranty provider and cross your fingers...
07-23-2014, 10:16 PM
#29
Hi all. I took my 2007 Z06 in to get the heads/valves checked today at a local performance shop. 25k miles. They showed me that while the wiggle wasn't terrible, there was clear sign of wear on the tips of the intake valves that they were concerned about. He said that the outer metal layer had started to strip away and that the tips were starting to mushroom out and break up. They said they were OK with me driving the car home and for short drives, but that they highly recommended having the heads reworked. I'd like to get your input.
The shop recommended sending my heads to WCCH for the stage 2 service. They also suggested that I could pursue a cam swap or bolt on super charger while it was in. My questions:
1) The car came with a Hendrick Autoguard CPO maintenance repair service. Is there any chance that they will reliably fix this issue under their warranty to an extent that I can push the valve drop issue to the back of my mind, or is the stage 2 the clear way to go? The documentation says they cover valves and guides, but that doesn't mean they will cover a true fix. My next step is to take it back to the dealer and see what they will offer to do, but I'm not optimistic.
2) I want to make sure the car remains comfortable to drive on city streets, and I'm not looking to drag it. Is there a cam you would recommend? Any other smaller ticket items I should address while it is in?
3) Is there a good source of information for bolt-on LS7 superchargers? Not sure I will have the funds to go down that route.
The shop recommended sending my heads to WCCH for the stage 2 service. They also suggested that I could pursue a cam swap or bolt on super charger while it was in. My questions:
1) The car came with a Hendrick Autoguard CPO maintenance repair service. Is there any chance that they will reliably fix this issue under their warranty to an extent that I can push the valve drop issue to the back of my mind, or is the stage 2 the clear way to go? The documentation says they cover valves and guides, but that doesn't mean they will cover a true fix. My next step is to take it back to the dealer and see what they will offer to do, but I'm not optimistic.
2) I want to make sure the car remains comfortable to drive on city streets, and I'm not looking to drag it. Is there a cam you would recommend? Any other smaller ticket items I should address while it is in?
3) Is there a good source of information for bolt-on LS7 superchargers? Not sure I will have the funds to go down that route.