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Hello Guys and Gals....well, we are all dealing with time on our hands and trying to find those chores that have gone undone before. I decided i'd get my pride and joy cleaned up and ready for the good weather so I ordered a set of Wilwood Brakes and dove into prepping my C6!! Here's what I did.....
Installed my new Wilwood Brakes (6 Piston front and back!!)
Changed the oil and filter
Changed the plugs with new NGK's
Put on new wires
Changed the Rear End Fluid
Changed the Trans Fluid
Topped off all other fluids,Engine Coolant, Super Charger Coolant, Brake Fluid, Power Steering Fluid
Cleaned the Air Filter
Changed the compartment air filter
THEN....washed and Waxed and cleaned interior....Lottsa Fun!!!
Noticed the car was pulling Lean Mixture codes so I got out my oil can and guess what....O-Rings on Intake were leaking!! Decided to take it to my mechanic (Best Corvette guy in town) and get the intake fixed, along with inspection and a fresh setup on the Dyno!! I get a call a couple days later and am told my pride and joy popped a piston !!!!!!(Cracked off at compression ring groove) while on the Dyno!!!!! My mechanic said he needed a day to get the nerve up to call me!!!
I thought about it and figured that could have happened while messing around on the road!! At least I avoided having to get a tow!!!
After thinking about what I could get for my car 'as is' it came to this.... Considering the modifications which are....
Edelbrock Supercharger
High Capacity Fuel system with electronic Boost
High Capacity Injectors
Custom Harmonic Balancer
Lingenfelter Dual Disk Clutch
American 2" Racing Headers
3' X-pipe (With gutted Convertors)
Corsa Sports Exhaust
Kenwood Nav system
Front Parking sensor
Rear Camera
MGW Short Shifter
Complete Sound Proofing Doors and Body
ZO6 Custom Chrome Wheels
Line Lock
Oil Catch System
HID High and Low Beams
100% LED with synchro turn signals
Perfect Body with Custom 'Magnetic Red' Paint
I am figuring between $15-$25,000, which still may be hopeful thinking. Since, in any case, I have to get another car. I'm sure I'm looking at over $30,000. Soooooo I'm going to do the replacement!!
I have an LS2 which obviously couldn't handle the boost so I'm looking at an LSX Boosted LongBlock...purpose built engine. Reason I am posting this is to get any suggestions on who is best out there now-a-days. I haven't purchased an engine in 40 years so I'm a babe in the woods!!
A short-block would run a couple thousand less but then I wouldn't be able to get valves ported and relieved. I see them running from cheap $4000 OEM's to $8000 for hardened parts. I am leaning toward a long-block to have all new parts. Also I don't know how badly the head was beat-up when the piston went. Probably looking at $1000 or more to fix that damage. I'd don't want to be stuck with old valves and seats either.
Heres what I am looking at....
Engine Type: LSX-Series Gen IV Small-Block V-8 Displacement (cu in): 376 cu in (6.2L) Bore x Stroke (in): 4.065 x 3.622 (103.25 x 92 mm) Block: LSX cast-iron with 6-bolt, cross-bolted main caps Crankshaft: Forged steel Connecting Rods : Forged powdered metal Pistons: Forged aluminum Camshaft Type : Hydraulic roller Valve Lift (in): 0.560 intake / 0.555 exhaust Camshaft Duration (@0.050 in): 210° intake / 230° exhaust Cylinder Heads : LSX-LS3 rectangular port; with “as cast” 68cc chambers and 6-bolt attachment Valve Size (in): 2.160 intake / 1.550 exhaust Compression ratio: 9.0:1 Rocker Arms : Investment-cast, roll trunnion Rocker Arms : Investment-cast, roll trunnion Rocker Arm Ratio: 1.7:1 Recommended Fuel: Regular pump Maximum Recommended rpm: 6,600 Reluctor Wheel: 58x Balanced:Internal
I NEED ADVICE
Some of the specs of new engines are beyond my knowledge. Price tag iis $9100. This list is all I know anything about so any criticism is welcomed !!
If you were in my shoes what would you do.....and who would you do it with!!!!
My wonderful wife is on board with this so I consider myself a very lucky man !!!
I towed my ls7 for a bad knocking noise a few weeks ago so I feel your pain. At least you have a diagnosis, I’m still waiting on them to even pull the valve covers
I wouldn't go as low as 9:1 compression ratio. That would kill power and fuel eco with static compression that low. I'd keep it close to where it is now. Higher compression didn't kill your motor. More than likely, not enough fuel, not enough octane, or too much spark advance is the culprit.
I'd get TxSpeed or Thompson to build you a motor. You may have someone near you that can do a good job also. Forged pistons and rods would be a good upgrade. Stock cast crank is good. Maybe take this "opportunity" to upgrade the camshaft too. I know Tx Speed uses all new chit when they put their long blocks together. Lots of ways to skin this cat.
Personally, I would sleeve the block with Darton sleeves instead of going iron. 100 lbs on the nose of a vette sucks. Bore to 4.065 to match LS3/LSA. Use Piston selection to get you to 10.1 static, and then rock the boost however you prefer. Blower, centri, or turbo. You'll lift the heads before you have to worry about those darton sleeves. Will cost you about $2300 for the sleeve job and bore. Block comes back to you decked, rough bored, etc, and only needs the finish hone to complete. Molnar crank and rods are excellent product and reasonable price. King PMax bearings. Verify which computer you have so you know what reluctor wheel you need. (24x vs 58x). I think that will give you a better foundation vs the iron block with stock-ish sleeves
The reason that the piston popped the top off it, was the ring gap was not set correctly for the super charger heat.
The factory ring gap is .006~.008" for NA motors, but when the super charger goes under boost, it pushing hot air. Worst yet, you over spool the TVS, and now it really pushing even hotter air. The increase in cylinder temp causes the .006/,008" ring gap to go to a heat induced zero gap/piston ring bind to the cylinder wall, and snaps the top of the piston off on the down stroke.
So on a boosted motor, ring gap is set to the .018" range, while allows the rings to heat grow and not go to a zero gap/cylinder wedge bind instead.
Note, if you are not going to use a meth kit to help reduce the cylinder heat, then increase the ring gap sizes
Hell, on a High NOS motors, will set the ring gaps in the .028" range, since these motor piston and rings are going to get even hotter instead.
So it s not that the LS2, can't take boost, it just that you have to set the motor up for boost to begin with (including ring gap).
No need to go iron block or sleeve anything. Have your engine pulled and rebuilt with forged rods and pistons then it will handle more than your eforce will ever make. Send heads out for porting while they're off if you'd like, they'll come back like new.
personally i would be more interested in understanding why the last engine popped. I think Dano523 is probably right. Either way, i'd ask your mechanic what he thinks happened since you trust him.
If he was recording data at the time (since he was on the dyno) ask him to go through the data with you.
You mentioned you had Lean codes, this could definitely have something to do with it, maybe it wasn't fixed before it went on the dyno. (ran lean, combustion was too hot, expanded the piston rings, popped the ring land)
About fixing it: really depends what your goals are, how much power do you want? To me it kind of seems like that boost-ready LSX might be overkill. The low compression of the LSX would be undesirable unless you go for a bigger blower and make a lot more power (like someone else said above). Figure out if your current engine is salvageable, maybe just forged pistons, rods, and reworked head is all you need to keep current engine (might be quite a bit cheaper).
Depending on how much power you want to make, new heads, new pistons, (new rods if you want), might be an easier / cheaper way to go.
on second look that LSX has rectangular port heads (like the LS3), that means that your blower won't work because the LS2 has cathedral port heads (at the very least you'll need adapters, then how will the new height effect the blower / belt? hood clearance, etc.
I'm not sure if the LS2 is 24 tooth (at least some LS2s were 24 tooth) , and that LSX is 58x tooth reluctor wheel , so i'm not sure if you can use the ECM you have.
point being, it might not be as easy of a swap as you'd like.
Well.....I like going to a local area for street races. Police pretty much tolerate it until someone crashes. Then we have a few months until they let us alone again. Went to local drag strip just once to get an official time and speed. It cost me a bundle to get a fire suit (required with a blower)and helmet.I HATE helmets!!!!! I feel like I can't see enough in them. Anywhooo...I turned a 10.02 in the quarter 140 mph. I'm basically an old buzzrd that is reliving some old dreams!!
You are right. My mechanic said the package was good EXCEPT the compression ratio. He revised it and it is now 10.5 :1. He said I'd have to spin the blower too hard to make up the loss in power. I manage around 12 lbs boost so 10.5 should be pretty good.
I agree totally with your diagnosis. The discription I posted has change immensly since then. The engine I have settled with will bre posted as soon as it's finished. Went to aluminum sleeved block with purpose built pistions, crank, bearings, connecting rods, push rods, and of course FULL BALANCE front and back!! Hang in I'll get more detailed in about a week or so.
As in my other replys....I am going with another purpose built aluminum mill with ported/polished/ relieved heads etc. etc. etc. Will detail in a week or so after final design is done
Ya looked at that....reluctor wheel was 52 tooth...... like the LS3......Only early LS2's were still 24 tooth wheels.
I did look at rework and after everything that needed done I went with new Long Block with mods. I figure if I'm investing $15-20,000 in to this car I want a mill that will last AND give me 800-850 rockin horses.!! Only thing I'll need to change later is coil-overs to get the damn Michelin's to hook!!!!!!
Personally I value my corvette for its lightweight and simplicity just as much as its raw output. 500+ CID should be able to make at least 800 HP NA. Just a thought.
Looks like a great build. My initial reply was goingto be that you don't need all iron LSX but you already seemed to have figured that out.
Only other advice I'd throw is stick with a roller cam and mechanical lifters.
Gwatney performance in Jacksonville Arkansas.it is a part of Gwatney Chevrolet. Did my LS7 with a jesel shaft system so I don't have to worry about ever dropping a valve.
Oh boy thank God is the best mechanic in town
I admire how you (OP) trust him as for me (nobody better not touch my ride) just running the intake bolts in one turn for everyone that was loose would’ve done the trick.
Sad thing though is it happened to me too and that’s how I ended up doing everything myself is a lot more fun than paying and suspicion.
I rather be a hands on than waiting on someone who wouldn’t even let me get close to my own car and never gets enough of my money and time.
Sorry it happened and hopefully all works together for good.
It’s first time ever we get to save the planet by staying home watching tv and doing no-thing (let’s no screw this up)
04-05-2020, 07:10 PM
I am dealing with the disaster we all dread!!!
