Hello to everyone, after years of research on this site I finally join the community. So I have a few a questions I have a 2002 Z28 Camaro I have had for about a year now. 90k on the clock...LS1 A4...now my engine has been locked for about a month now. The scenario is like this, the car was left sitting for 4 days and I went to turn it on one morning and the engine crank bubbled and died. So I check the oil and it's good...so I turn the engine again and same thing it sounded like rough bubbling metal and than all of a sudden a snap and the engine died. I try again and no response however there was smoke coming out of the positive battery terminal every time I turnt to the crank position. I'm knowledgeable about engines but not repairs and diagnosis. So I left it for sometime and came back, same result I went to get a jump and than the starter moved but made a Ruring sound. The same sound it made a month prior when It was time to replace the starter. Side note, that month prior the car started with the same mechanical bubbling but I stopped it and the starter made the ruring sound. I replaced the starter and than it would start normal. Fast forward a month later same thing only difference is the motor died. 🤷dum♂️ So I can't understand how a starter purchased less than a month ago will go bad so I roll the car into a mechanic shop. They lift it, put a breaker bar on the crank bolt and they tell me the engine is dead and won't budge. We all took turns trying to move it. Tried it with the plugs out and even removed the starter and the flywheel won't budge nor the engine. Now strangely enough there is good oil in the car with no sign of metal or shavings in the oil. Only thing I had recently did was change the oil and sea foam the car via gas tank and crank case. She ran perfect for the week proceeding. I haven't had the motor pulled but have already been looking for a new one which is still in 2017 expensive. Any suggestions on wtf could have possibly went wrong? What to do? Also if I do have a dead motor, I have found a LH8 5.3 short block in good condition; if purchased what is exactly interchangeable and compatible between the LH8 and LS1?

i know this a lot of information but I really need the help so I figured I be as detailed as possible. And before its asked the only strange thing that would happen to my 02 every now and than before she died is the oil pressure would drop to around 8- 10 especially idled at a relight. It would Never go to 0 though.

 

Sounds like something is broken inside the LS1
That said, the LH8 is a Gen 4 engine with a 58tooth reluctor, which uses a completely different computer. You could use it if you get the Lingenfleter conversion box which hooks up to the crank and cam sensors so your computer "thinks" the engine is a Gen 3.
Your heads will go on it along with all accessories. You will need to have the LS3 valley cover and knock sensor extensions, along with a few different harness extensions. There is a full thread on putting Gen 4 engines in Gen 3 engine cars.

 

Had it been raining before you tried to start it?

 

OK, sounds like hydrolock. And probably a burnt up starter and/or flywheel teeth from trying to start it. it wouldn't be the first time someone hydrolocked an engine via seafoam. Could also be if it sat in the rain and intake seals were leaking. Could also be from a cracked head or head gasket putting coolant into a cylinder. Regardless of the source, the motor is toast.

Pretty much everything will bolt up. there are a few exceptions, like the knock sensors, cam sensor are in different locations, and the reluctor is 58x vs 24x on the LS1. if you have the option to get the entire LH8, it might be simpler to rework the harness and swap the motor in vs trying to frankenstein it. Alternately, you could pull it apart, swap the crank reluctor over, bore it out to 3.9", put the right pistons on it, and you'd have your 5.7 back.

Personally, I'd look for an aluminum 5.7 short block for the weight savings and simplicity, but that's me. Everything will bolt up and just work with the ECU. Fewest complications, and complications have a way of adding cost to "cheap" parts. A $100 short block that requires harness mods, etc, vs a $1000 short block that just bolts up and runs. The $1000 LS1 block might be cheaper.

 

Hi NZ, REMOVE the Spark Plugs, try to crank again.

Report here ?

Lance

 

OP said they pulled plugs and couldn't turn it with a breaker bar.

 

Just how much seafoam did he use?

IMO you should never use it in the oil, as it will thin it out if you use too much, and your average person doesn't know how much is too much. Even if you put it in the intake it can wash down the cylinder walls and go past the rings and into the oil.

If he thinned it out to a low 20wt it could easily spin a bearing under hard usage, leading to eventually seizing if parts start bouncing around in the lower end.