'06 Quicksilver Z06

Since your heads weren't on and your install was in progress, and not complete and the car not running at this point in time, I didn't want anyone giving me any crap about padding the numbers.

But I will definitely put you on it.

You gotta know though that there are going to be people in here who are not going to find enthusiasm in the fact that so many cars in here, (I count about 85 so far and still counting) have these aftermarket valves, yet I have seen no reports of any of these valves breaking, snapping off, nor any real complaints about any other valve train issues.

Random84

I won't try digging for the post - but I remember seeing someone comment on a failure with aftermarket solid valves following a rebuild (perhaps it was a spun main bearing?). I just remember that this popped up in one of the other threads.

I'm sure they're out there, but since the Corvette Forum only has a fraction of all Z owners posting, they may not create a membership just to post, yadda yadda yadda.

'06 Quicksilver Z06

I've already done the digging.

It was IrishC6. Spun main bearing in a car he had bought used from a forum member and there was indication that the car may have been cammed and taken back to stock unbeknownst to him before he bought it.

It's just odd that we have seen few complications in those cars, but we just recently had 2 members in here lose stock 2009s.

One of whom did not post up right away, as I told you in another post, if you recall sometimes happens.

The other who did.

Griffee

I thought we just recently saw one Quick? I don't know where it is though, and in what thread.

I went looking at Mustangs today. What a shame... Either I buy a crappy 500 or rip apart a motor I that I have absolutely no desire to do so. I'm not buying the do the heads and your fixed theory yet. By the time alot of those 80 something cars have 20K plus miles on them for feedback...... mine will be long it looks like.

No way will I ever buy another GM product if having to fix their problems is what I have to look forward too.

'06 Quicksilver Z06

You can't throw out the baby with the bathwater.

But believe you me, I am looking hard, and I mean real hard for ANY examples of a broken off valve head in a car which has had solid stainless valves put in place of the hollow stemmed sodium filled valves.

Also, that said, guess what I DID find.

At least one example of a car which had the heads done with bronze valve guides, but the owner stuck with the hollow stemmed stock valves, and , you guessed it, one of those hollow stemmed valves broke and trashed his motor.

I have heard of but one instance of a solid stainless failure on this board, that coming from a customer of LG motorsports, in a car from Alabama I believe, which was a race car.

But I do have to agree with anyone out there who says that these instances of stock hollow stemmed valve breakage, makes you less comfortable each time you hear about one. These last two 2009s we just had go, both stock and to be replaced under warranty, are particularly unnerving.

Now I know that "mileage" is perhaps going to be regarded by many as the most important metric in determining the efficacy of the valve "fix".

But I'd point out that many of the cars which have had the solid stainless exhaust valve "fix" are a lot more prone to get beaten on.

The people doing the valve "fix" typically have other modifications, some of them modifications done by god only knows who, tunes from who knows where, and mods known to have killed otherwise stock exhaust valved LS7 in the past, and who also may, or outright do, track their cars.

Lets face it, they beat on them........which was part of the whole point in having the valve "fix" done in the first place.......so that they could beat on them at will and without having to worry about the hollow stemmed valves failing.

My point is, that if anyone was going to have trouble, then it would be them.

But it is amongst that population group, those who have gone to the trouble to get the valve "fix" done, so that they could beat the $#!* out of their cars without having to worry about a hollow stemmed valve failure, that I have been unable to find anything resembling complaints about the valve "fix" not being able to stand up to their abuse.

The largest population to pop, is going to be the modded guys. That pretty much goes without saying. And if you look at the modded guys who popped in here, I have been able to find none of them to have popped due to breaking or losing a solid stainless steel valve. Every modded guy who popped in here, that I have been able to find, popped for some other reason than a broken or dropped solid stainless steel valve, ......even when he was running solid stainless steel valves, if he popped, then something else, a spun bearing, detonation, killed his motor, but it wasn't a dropped solid stainless valve.

azZ06Mike

Quick i will get with Fnbadz06 on here as one of the guys we ran with last night his car is currently down. He had his heads redone and went with bronze guides and stock valves and had one snap off. It happen 6 months ago and he is still down.

BLWN427

Ferra SS exhaust stock intake here. 5miles so far lol. All the stock guides were in spec. Only issue my stock heads had at 48000 miles was a cracked seal.

'06 Quicksilver Z06

I found this one as well. It comes from 2009.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-z...ust-valve.html

Scuba Steve had Lingenfelter heads using the stock exhaust valves and broke one.

Read the whole thread, lots of information there.

Also take a look at the post #31 by Kentz06 and notice how his carnage looks remarkably similar with that in this '09 belonging to CGZ06, that just failed a few days ago where both the exhaust valve head is snapped off and the intake valve was taken out too.

**********************************

These two failures are about 3 calender years apart, one in an '07 car the other in an '09.

gatti-man

Exactly. If you dont want to risk doing heads right now buy a car with 2-3 years left on the warranty and watch quick and co road test the fix. I think they have done the right move and with the way they drive their cars (the right way) we should know in short order if the fix is THE fix or not. Even factoring in the fix cost these cars are still the best performance bargain on the road used.

azZ06Mike

Quick the more i see and talk to engine builders i believe the valves we have are junk. I have talked to guys that build 6 second track motors and not one of them would even think of using these. They all said that the QC on them is impossible to control and with the valves being mass produced what care does that manufacturer have.

I believe we have fixed our heads the proper way and will be good. I will track my car and drive it like it was meant to be now!

HyperX

OEM here with 10,000 miles and 50 hours on track. No plans on changing. If engine blows, I will just get something else.

Rock36

EDIT: Noticed you added me already, but I confirm my presence in this list.

I will add that my exhaust valves are REV exhaust valves and work done by WCCH. They were installed in August 2011 when my warranty expired, and I've put about 5000 miles on the car since.

I also drag race, so my engine sees redline.

chadyellowz06

all engine builders will tell you the same...same goes for most head porters....it's the exhaust valves

Z06_505

That has been my ascertion since researching how the valves are made

Griffee

Well, after doing a little research to dump the ZO6 and go to the Mustang...they have the same valves. Sodium. So they are the problem or aren't the problem? Who Knows? Since the Ford isn't dropping them all over the place maybe it's more a design flaw with Chevy. GT500 and Boss use sodium valves...pics HERE

'06 Quicksilver Z06

Question:

Who makes the sodium filled valves for Ford, (and the Viper for that matter) and who made them for the Z06?

torqjunkie

Well in fairness the Fords are Overhead Cam cars with entirely different valve train dynamics. I would imagine that there are different suppliers for this problem. I would bet a dollar that GM did NOT use the same supplier for the valves for the last 7 years. I am pretty certain that Eaton is one of the suppliers. This really stinks anyway you cook it. I am still a HUGE fan of the 427 and always will be. Its simply one of the nastiest factory stock cars I have ever driven and it does so much so well. This is a really killer thread and has great info. I am not sure if it has been done yet but I would be really curious the modified cars with failures to the non modified.

oicw

If I'm not mistaken, doesn't the LS3 use sodium fill exhaust valves as well?

So it seems that the valve may not be the cause... Katech seems to support the theory, which is the excessive guide wear being the problem, not so much the valves.

2k Cobra

^
that makes me feel better.

When the valve breaks and the engine is in pieces, it was worn guides.

Bottom line, you buy a new engine.

I guess we pull the heads and check the guides every oil change.

'06 Quicksilver Z06

I thought the exhaust valves in the LS3 were solid.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...s3-valves.html

http://www.katechengines.com/perform...gine-packages/

http://www.chevyhardcore.com/news/ne...ormance-parts/