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That is a subject of discussion on the C8 forum. Has anyone ever had problems with valve springs with your C7? I do not remember that being a major discussion on this forum over the years.
I know valve drop was a common problem on LS7 (C6Z06) engines. Haven't heard of any other notable valvetrain issues on any other Corvette, much less the C7.
I had a brkn valve spring at 36,000 miles on my '16 Z51, replaced under warranty, Then at 61,000 miles dropped a valve. had to replace the engine.I will be replacing the valves on the new crate engine every 30,000 miles or 3 years
I'm not the only one!
I had a brkn valve spring at 36,000 miles on my '16 Z51, replaced under warranty, Then at 61,000 miles dropped a valve. had to replace the engine.I will be replacing the valves on the new crate engine every 30,000 miles or 3 years
I'm not the only one!
If I recall, they only replaced the failed valve in your case, right? It's amazing that they did not replace it all, considering it's a very cheap insurance, and they should've considered doing so.
I did gather all the pieces, and will be replacing them on my car. My car is a '19, is 2 years old, and is at ~9K miles. That said, I've done quite a bit of track miles, and that might increase the stress on valvetrain..
Presumably your crate motor is another LT1. Not to be critical but why would you put a motor in a vehicle that you believed required valve replacement every 30k miles or worse 3 years? I'm just curious, not trying to suggest anything.
I remember C5s had a problem with them (2002 maybe?). It may have just been on the Z06. Never heard of it on other generations.
You are correct. The 2002 and 2003 Z06 has a valve spring problem. It is recommended when buying one to change the springs if they have not previously been done.
For some reason GM has a problem with valves and springs, C5 Z06 springs prone to break, I just had mine changed 3 weeks ago, C6 Z06 valve guide problem, C7 valve spring problems and I have read C8 valve spring issues as well. What is up with GM not being able to solve this problem.
[QUOTE=X25;1602520895]If I recall, they only replaced the failed valve in your case, right? It's amazing that they did not replace it all, considering it's a very cheap insurance, and they should've considered doing so.
You are correct. Dealer had the car for 6 weeks trying to resolve random heavy misfires #2 and #8 cylinders. Replaced cracked valve spring in #2 and replaced lean fuel injector in #8 but the random misfires continued. They load tested circuits from injectors to ECM, coil circuits and all grounds and found nothing. Finally installed a new ECM under warranty and that resolved all the issues
I should have insisted on changing all the valve springs but i became far more concerned about electrical gremlins at the time and just lost focus on the valves.
I only do 2 or 3 track events each year, usually intermediate solo so never felt like i was seriously flogging the car.
Lesson learned
Presumably your crate motor is another LT1. Not to be critical but why would you put a motor in a vehicle that you believed required valve replacement every 30k miles or worse 3 years? I'm just curious, not trying to suggest anything.
A valid question.
Years ago on another performance car, I had to repair a bent valve guide and once i hit that slippery slope I wound up having the engine completely rebuilt to race specs with brand new improved heads (32 valve, DOHC), all forged internals, with custom pistons , ported supercharger and all the mods to support 600 whp.= almost $20,000. Eventually sold the car for less than the cost of the engine alone. So I already know what I am capable of doing and didn't want to go down that path again. To avoid the temptation, I was able to get GM to pay for 40% of the cost of the new LT1 crate engine even though i was (barely) out of warranty.
As others have mentioned, replacing the valves is cheap insurance in the long run. There's also the possibility that the aftermarket may offer a more permanent solution.
That's my story.
I had a valve spring let go the other night on the way home from the racetrack. I got stupid lucky and it didn't drop a valve thanks to the Corvette Gods. I bought my car with around 25k miles (stock) and now it has around 28K with 6 track days.
Mods include: JBA headers, green air filter, catless x-pipe, MSD spark plug wires, DSX flex fuel sensor, and a 91oct/e85 tune.
Im having the shop replace all the OE springs with BTR springs, brass trunnions, etc, so this hopefully doesn't happen again. Maybe something for you track guys to consider upgrading if you go hard like I do ha.
Last edited by rental_car; 11-17-2020 at 11:27 PM.
Dropped a valve in my 2015 LT1at 30,000 , was driving 70 MPH so you can guess what the ensuing carnage looked like , I will be keeping an eye on them ....
Are there any good dual spring choices to work well with otherwise bone stock engine, which would hopefully not brake the engine if they fail?
I know the dual springs my tuner choose were spec'd with that in mind and still usable with an aftermarket cam later down the line. He spoke with BTR today, I will get more info on the springs/trunnions, etc. PS: I think I have your old BC Racing wheels haha
Last edited by rental_car; 11-17-2020 at 11:57 PM.
11-16-2020, 05:58 PM
Valve Springs
