keliente

iTrader: (22)

In Sept. I picked up a project C5 with a bottom end noise. It was a nice car and the price was right, so I brought it home. The guy told me he ran it low on oil, it started knocking, and then he just let it sit for a year. I didn't have time to work on it then so I just washed it & put it away for 4 months - finally got around to playing with it this weekend.

It turned out that it was a spun bearing on cylinder 6. I took a quick video of it for future reference.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRSrUQudaP0

Also, if anyone needs some tips for pulling the engine out of the bottom of a C5, I did not find any how-tos - so I wrote my own. It is here - http://keliente.com/c5engine.htm

Here are my pics. I haven't decided what to do with this engine yet; I have a low mileage LS1 longblock to put back in my car. I'm trying to decide if it is more cost effective for me to sell it as parts (block, pistons, rods) or have a machine shop turn the crank/freshen it up and sell it as a complete shortblock. Thoughts?

CarsandWomen

iTrader: (19)

what year is it? this matters because they made a few changes to the casting as the motor saw production. also other than the cam im not sure theres any differance between the short block of the ls1 and ls6 but the heads are different, thats where the extra power came from.

keliente

iTrader: (22)

NC98Z

iTrader: (1)

Yep ! That sound is enough to ruin anybodys day. Its right at the top of the list of things you hate to hear. Its right behind alarm clocks. Might as well build you a stroker while you at it.

bjamick

iTrader: (31)

Yupe When I stacked 2 and spun 1 it made the most horendous noise you ever heard .. I hated that sound!

Speed Density

iTrader: (38)

Cool write up kelly, hope you get it back together soon!

1sick'98WS6

iTrader: (19)

Maybe he didn't even read the post? Maybe he didnt get the memo? haha

Nice looking vette by the way, good to see someone ambitious enough to do write ups w/ good pics. Keep it up

DONAIMIAN

iTrader: (18)

Listening to the video made me sick.

When mine when it was a combination of a retainer that had pulled through and a cam bearing that had walked.

dug

iTrader: (10)

thanx for the info.

keliente

iTrader: (22)

Yikes!! Luckily for me I bought the car like this, so I didn't feel sick when I heard it, just curious as to what it was. Heck, it was borderline excitement. Once the engine was out on the dolly I was like a kid on Christmas morning tearing it apart to see what was wrong with it

Sigforty

There are differences from the Ls1 to Ls6 block. The Ls6 block has breather passages between the cylinders to let pressure move as the rotating assemble goes around.

ZMonte85

Me personally, I am salivating over the thought of a forged 347 with a Polluter cam and maybe some ported 243s and a shot of nitrous. It's what I would love to do to my TA, but time and money remain the deciding factors. Of which I have little of either right now. There's something about making big power on stuck cubes that really interests me.

riceburnerZ28

iTrader: (20)

That knocking brings back painful memories !

DONAIMIAN

iTrader: (18)

Dont worry I was so mad at the time I still hot lapped the car at the autocross the next day. (the bearing started to walk and cause low oil pressure, then the retainer split about 2 weeks later)

1BADAIR

iTrader: (1)

nobody believes me when I tell them spun bearings squeak

ZMonte85

I've had some of my M3 customers (early E46 M3s) bring their cars in complaining of a squeak from the engine. Then look at the vehicle history and see the old rod bearing recall is still open.

keliente

iTrader: (22)

I'm unsure if my squeak was the rod bearing - or the hellaciously rusted idler pulleys and cracked serp belts

Beaflag VonRathburg

iTrader: (176)

How much did you buy the car for?

Superman09

iTrader: (65)

I followed your f-body engine write-up and it went very well! Appreciate the time you take to do the write-ups, they are very beneficial! Quick question.... going out the bottom, would you say one is easier than the other.... c5 vs f-body?

keliente

iTrader: (22)

$10k. It has 63k on it.

Thank you! Yes the f-body is easier; mainly because the engine & trans are attached to each other. So basically you just drop the driveshaft in the fbody, you don't have to worry about clearing the input shaft like you do with the C5. The input shaft goes pretty deep into the bellhousing/engine - so not only are you trying to take the engine down, but it also has to go about 6" forward...it is a little tricky!! Like I said if I did it all over again (and had to pull the whole drivetrain) I would definitely take the trans/diff out, and then the engine.