piratebaseball

Hey guys, I've found a used ls7 long block that has a bent rod. The picture of the rod is attached. The piston skirt looks fine and so does everything else. Just wanted to get your opinion before buying the motor. The guy bought it already like this and doesn't know how it happened or what cylinder it was from. The block has not been magnafluxed. This would be going into my 67 camaro and I'm just trying to make sure I'm not spending 2800 on a paper weight. Thanks

WKMCD

iTrader: (2)

I would definitely check at least the liner in that cylinder. The LS7 liners are a little thin.

COPO9560

Rods don't typically bend for no reason - make sure you take a good look at the block and heads to make sure nothing is cracked.

If the liner is cracked, it can always be sleeved - you would end up with a better product then anyway.

piratebaseball

Thanks guys, I really like the possibilities of the motor, just scared of buying something that has a problem that can't be seen. It is the LS7 block, rods, pistons, heads, and block for 2800 obo. Supposedly the pistons, heads, block, and all but one rod is in good condition and the none of the piston skirts have a scratch. I havn't driven to look at the motor yet, just spoke with the guy and looked at the pictures he sent me. I guess nitrous would be the cause of the bent connecting rod.

scatillac

iTrader: (12)

It could also be from a hydro-lock situation. The rod looks similar to one in an old L98 350 that I bought quite a few years back. The old boy overcooked a turn and went into a pond with the revs up.

piratebaseball

I hydrolocked a 5.3 liter about 6 years ago. Ended up blowing a hole out the side of the block about the size of a baseball. I guess I would just feel a little better about the motor if I knew why it bent the rod.

LS1MCSS

iTrader: (18)

Looks to me like it was hydrolocked. For that price, I would have to pass on it.

piratebaseball

Saw your 84 mc build. How much power are you making and have you ran it in the quarter yet? Thanks!

3rdCoastPowerSports

iTrader: (5)

I agree with you on the hydro lock but not on passing on the block because of hydrolock. From the rods that i have seen bent or broken from hydro lock the rod in the OP pic to me looks like it may have been hydrolocked when attempting to start the motor = block is still good. typically when you hyrolock with any real rpm's you blow **** up. your rod looks like it could have been hyrolocked form leaking injector and was bent with cranking the starter. MY 2 cents

hellbents10

iTrader: (10)

Looks like it hydrolocked to me too.

redbird555

iTrader: (14)

i would ****** it up as long as it looks good. you may end up with a good buget motor seeing as ls7 long blocks fetch 7500 all day long on vetteforum

piratebaseball

Hey guys,
Just saw the guy repost the ad on craigslist. I never made it down to look at everything with family coming from out of town. The first time I talked to him everything was fine. Block was great, crank was great, everything was good except for the bent rod. Hence the reason for my post. In the new pics, you can see the #7 cylinder cracked on the inner and outer liner. Things that make you go grrrrrrr....

LS1MCSS

iTrader: (18)

Anytime you bend a rod that bad and don't tear up other ****, it's time to play the lottery. That's why I said I would pass on it.

LS1MCSS

iTrader: (18)

I took it to our local track which only runs 1000ft. They don't have enough room to run the full 1/4. I only have 350 gears and had pump gas in the car, so I left a lot on the table. I went 9.73 @ 106. It was plenty quick enough to thrash my sons stock firehawk.

piratebaseball

I love the Monte Carlos. I grew up helping my dad build a 86 Monte Carlo SS. This was back in the day when putting efi on small blocks was just becoming popular and there was very little information or parts available.

G8-4-speed

iTrader: (1)

I had a set of the LS3 Powder Metal rods bend up. L76 6.0 with a Cogged 1900 and a cam that was road raced. After 100,000 miles 60,000+ with the blower, the lift cycle on the rods just hit their limit. Bent/compressed all the rods to some degree, nothing broke. If one was bent, I would be inspecting all of them plus the rest of the motor. On this motor, only one road was bent bad enough to cause a ring seal issue, #8. The rest of the road were not bent enough to un-seat the rings so initially it appeared as only one rod was bad. After inspection, they all were distorted to some degree with 3 that were visibly bad.

Basically, look at putting rods/pistons in at minimum if not a complete rotating assembly.