fire damage LQ4
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TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2009
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fire damage LQ4 I was concidering swaping a LSx into my 70 Camaro and see alot of LQ4 & LQ9 that were in a fire. The junk yards say the intake melted but rest of it sould be good. Sometimes ... they suggest the valve covers need replacing too,
Do you think if I just replace the valve seals and a LS2 intake, it would be ok or should I avoid these fire damaged engines? Looking to save some money, but I don't want to gable and be out $$$ iffin it doesn't work and needs a rebuild.
Any thoughts or advice would be great. TY
Jim
Do you think if I just replace the valve seals and a LS2 intake, it would be ok or should I avoid these fire damaged engines? Looking to save some money, but I don't want to gable and be out $$$ iffin it doesn't work and needs a rebuild.
Any thoughts or advice would be great. TY
Jim
Yeah, I've seen a few of those as well, & it's gotten my curiosity up too. I'd think that a lot depends on the scope of the fire, (obviously) but I'd like to hear what others have to say on the subject.
Smoke from fire is very corrosive, especially automotive fires. My dad's garage caught on fire and luckily a neighbor was home, and the fire dept was able to arrive and extinguish quickly. But the smoke and intense heat caused all his tools, bicycles, pretty much anything metal to rust within a week. There's a chance that crap could have got into the motor and coated a cylinder wall or 2, maybee more. If it does, it will form rust quickly. Also gotta think about how they put the fire out, if they doused the motor in retardant foam and high pressure water, it could easily get into the motor though the Throtle body or other opening. If the motors been sitting in a yard for a while, thats plenty of time for the rust to set in and start doing damage. If it as fresh out of the fire, id pop it apart, clean it up, and not worry about it. but if its been sitting, you may have a problem
I agree with LQ9CHEVELLE, when they put the fire out, the water goes straight into the cylinders since the intake melts away. I have an LS6 that came out of a burned car, I pulled the heads off and the cylinders are somewhat pitted, not to mention there's melted plastic everywhere. It does make a good mock up block though.
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You'd probably want to look it over pretty well before handing over the cash - I mean, you wouldn't want to get burned on the deal... 
(Sorry - I've had a weakness for puns/bad jokes my whole life... I'll stop now...)
(Sorry - I've had a weakness for puns/bad jokes my whole life... I'll stop now...)
One time i got burned on a used motor, i was FLAMING PISSED!
I bought a LS1 out of a '00 camaro, it looked spotless. oil looked clean, plugs looked perfect, under valve covers looked great, no burned oil, no deposits, nothing. Got it home, spun it over with all the plugs out, and it pissed like a gallon of water out of all the plug holes! The idiot detailed the **** out of the motor, and got a ton of water in the cylinders. I still to this day have no idea how in the hell somebody could do something like that, it seemed like the numb nuts put the garden hose straight down the throttle body! but i guess thats why not everybody's a mechanic, eh?
I bought a LS1 out of a '00 camaro, it looked spotless. oil looked clean, plugs looked perfect, under valve covers looked great, no burned oil, no deposits, nothing. Got it home, spun it over with all the plugs out, and it pissed like a gallon of water out of all the plug holes! The idiot detailed the **** out of the motor, and got a ton of water in the cylinders. I still to this day have no idea how in the hell somebody could do something like that, it seemed like the numb nuts put the garden hose straight down the throttle body! but i guess thats why not everybody's a mechanic, eh?
