174k mile LS1 with a bad lifter....
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Jun 2012
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From: Huntersville NC
174k mile LS1 with a bad lifter.... Hey guys, I'm buying a 2000 Z28 that's been well taken care of and has been a daily driver for the past 17 years. It's also been to a lot of track days (HPDE).
The car will be shipped to me next week and I'm trying to come up with a plan. The car has 174k miles. I know it's a lot of miles, but at the same time I know they can go many more miles. According to the owner, it's not burning any oil and it runs great. It just has a lifer tick. I'll know more when I get the car.
So, I know it's easy for your guys to spend my money and tell me to swap in an LS7, but that's not going to happen.
So, my options, tell me what you think.
Pull the heads and replace lifters with LS7 lifters. I've read that bad lifters can take out the cam, so I may as well throw in an LS6 cam and springs.
Or
Pull the engine and sell it for whatever I can get for it. Go to HawksThirdGen and pick up a 75k mile engine and install it for $3k, minus whatever I get for the old engine.
I'm guessing option 1 will be about $500. Option 2 will be whatever the difference is between the new engine and the old one. $1500? But then I'd have a low mileage engine.
What are your thoughts? Goals for the car would be LT's and an LS6 cam. 370 rwhp or so.
Thanks guys,
Steve
The car will be shipped to me next week and I'm trying to come up with a plan. The car has 174k miles. I know it's a lot of miles, but at the same time I know they can go many more miles. According to the owner, it's not burning any oil and it runs great. It just has a lifer tick. I'll know more when I get the car.
So, I know it's easy for your guys to spend my money and tell me to swap in an LS7, but that's not going to happen.
So, my options, tell me what you think.
Pull the heads and replace lifters with LS7 lifters. I've read that bad lifters can take out the cam, so I may as well throw in an LS6 cam and springs.
Or
Pull the engine and sell it for whatever I can get for it. Go to HawksThirdGen and pick up a 75k mile engine and install it for $3k, minus whatever I get for the old engine.
I'm guessing option 1 will be about $500. Option 2 will be whatever the difference is between the new engine and the old one. $1500? But then I'd have a low mileage engine.
What are your thoughts? Goals for the car would be LT's and an LS6 cam. 370 rwhp or so.
Thanks guys,
Steve
Think I might try to loosen the lifter first just to make sure its not gunked up. However, these motors really need to have the stock spring freshened once in a while so if he was using it for HPDE there is a likelihood he floated the valve train and that may be the source of the tick. I think I would go with option 1 since the cost should be reasonable if you do the work yourself and it will provide a chance to wring out the rest of the car.
does it have an aftermarket cam in it? I would pull valve covers and check rockers, springs and push rods first. wouldn't hurt to change oil and see how it looks as well.
if he overreved it there is a good chance it bent a pushrod. u could also try some lucas to fix a sticky lifter. just a thought
if he overreved it there is a good chance it bent a pushrod. u could also try some lucas to fix a sticky lifter. just a thought
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 244
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From: Huntersville NC
Actually it turns out he didn't do any HPDE's, just a couple of autox's and a few passes down the drag strip. He said he was always conservative with his shifting and never over revved. I believe him.
He changed rockers and pushrods in hopes to cure the tick, but that wasn't it. It has a stock cam. Springs were changed roughly 5 years ago to something a little stiffer. It's all in the paperwork that I'm getting with the car.
He's pretty sure it's a lifter.
What happens when a lifter fails? Just gets stuck collapsed? I read that when a lifter fails, it cam take out the cam. Any truith to that? I guess if I end up changing the lifters, there'd be no reason not to throw in new springs, mild cam and an LS2 timing chain.
He changed rockers and pushrods in hopes to cure the tick, but that wasn't it. It has a stock cam. Springs were changed roughly 5 years ago to something a little stiffer. It's all in the paperwork that I'm getting with the car.
He's pretty sure it's a lifter.
What happens when a lifter fails? Just gets stuck collapsed? I read that when a lifter fails, it cam take out the cam. Any truith to that? I guess if I end up changing the lifters, there'd be no reason not to throw in new springs, mild cam and an LS2 timing chain.
I have seen stock setups where the cam/roller interface gets hammered and it will result in a tick. Depending on which lifter, you might be able to see the cam lobe and roller through the valley cover. That would help determine a mechanical issue like a worn lobe. It would have to be one of the lifters where the openings are in the block casting though.
Not sure how many miles when he changed the springs, but it may have been too late and damage to a lifter roller/cam lobe may have already been in progress at that point.
Not sure how many miles when he changed the springs, but it may have been too late and damage to a lifter roller/cam lobe may have already been in progress at that point.
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 244
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From: Huntersville NC
Thanks for the help. Anybody have any idea how much this engine is worth as is? I'm thinking that if I can get enough for this engine, it may make sense to just get a low mileage 01-02 LS1 to swap in.
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If you're going to pull it, why not strip it down to the block and let someone who knows LS1's refresh the short block? Then you would have a known commodity. I have gotten burned and others have as well on used motors.
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Launching!
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 244
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From: Huntersville NC
There's a couple of reasons I'm leaning towards a used engine. Hawksthirdgen, literally has hundreds of used LS1's in their shop and they are an hour and a half away. There are always horror stories about used engines but there are also just as many about engine builders. Hawks will give me a small warranty to make sure the engine is healthy. Of course I'm sure an engine builder will also.
That's why I'm here, trying to get opinions on how to tackle this. Lately I've been thinking about fixing the original engine that I'm getting. I know the engine has been taken care of. So I may pull the engine since I'd like to add a Moroso road race oil pan. Then it'd be much easier to pull the heads and add an LS6 cam.
Just throwing ideas out there. The car shows up tomorrow. I'll upload pics and videos as soon as it's off the truck.
I appreciate the help.
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 244
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From: Huntersville NC
I just started it up cold and it sounded exactly like it did in that video when it was warm.
Can still have good oil pressure even with the knock. Seems like this is alittle out of your scope. You should prob just take it to some one. But dropping the pan would be needed to figure it out.
A lot gets lost in a video tho so maybe th knock isn't as loud in person but that isn't a lifter lol.
A lot gets lost in a video tho so maybe th knock isn't as loud in person but that isn't a lifter lol.
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 244
Likes: 0
From: Huntersville NC