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Just pulled this LS6 with 862 heads for my c10 project truck yesterday. The coloration in the passenger side head concerns me....
Does the brown look normal for years of sitting? Or does this look like a probable blown head gasket/over heating issue?
Oil doesn’t look milky, coolant was brown but looks more like rust from sitting coolant than oil mix. PCM had the same color coating on it before I dusted it off. It almost looks like rust dust.
It’s a truck motor. It’s a L59 which is the iron block “truck” version of the LS6.
And no 862’s are alumni heads. But this is on a iron truck block. But I’ve still never seen alumi heads rust like this. I really want to get it started this week. I’ve got a 30 day warranty if it’s a bust motor.
Even other truck iron blocks the heads are never this color.
What threw me off was calling it an LS6, which came only in Corvettes and CTS-V's
There is no truck version of the LS6, as that is a 5.7 engine and this is a 5.3. 5.3's ONLY came in trucks with the only exception of the LS4, a Gen IV 5.3 that came in FWD cars and won't go into anything else.
What part of the country is the motor from? It looks like just some baked on dust to me? Coolant would corrode the aluminum and leave white stains with a little crystalization.
This is the US, it could be mud. Possibly went off roading but it was just a 2wd Tahoe. So who knows.
This was the only spot I see this tho. This color is mainly in the front and fades as it goes to the back of the head. The rest of the block is covered in oil like most 150k+ motors. Ok you guys have me hope. Hopefully tonight I’m going to turn the engine by hand. Then try and get it started this weekend. See how it goes.
I’ll snag more 360 pics today to see if that helps anything.
I say it is/was a coolant leak with dirty coolant. Soak it with Purple Power and wash it and I bet it will shine like a diamond in a goats ***!
Chad
Actually that’s a great point! The rad hoses had increadably rusty residue caked inside them. I think you nailed it with that guess.
That makes the most sense and matches the color on the header exactly. That’s also the side the coolant hoses bypass across the block to the rad! Also looks to have a DIY aftermarket rad hose repair right in that area as well.
Going to give it a solution bath and light power wash and see how she comes off.
Mud and dirt or it had a really rusted cooling system from not keeping up with coolant changes and someone let the rusty coolant fly all over the motor. Which popping off hoses would get it on that side of the engine.
OP, you really should read up on LS6's so that you know that there is nothing out there that is a "LS6" version of something. The LS6 is unique in several ways that no other gen 3 engine is like. ESPECIALLY a truck motor. Not trying to beat a dead horse over it, it's just cool to know what an LS6 is and what makes it special amongst all gen 3's
You said it looks very rusty in the radiator. I would have to think someone may have put that red (rusty looking) stop leak in the radiator to try to fix a blown head gasket. Seen it quite a few times and it looked just like that.
To all the new and “late replies”, just more assurance.
ive gotten it fired up. But removed all the plugs, got VATS deleted and now I can’t get the bish to run. I’m thinking I might have a leak in my fuel set up.
it cranks but doesn’t want to turn over. Sometimes it almost gets going but never makes it. Seeing white/grey smoke out of the headers when it’s cranking.
Engines still on the stand as of right now. I just want to get it to run on it’s own for a minute before I throw it in my c10.
Hit it through the throttle plate with some starting fluid / ether / "Explosion In a Can". I'm never one to recommend starting fluid as a crutch to get an engine running because its tough on the cylinder wall oil film. But it is a very good diagnostic tool. This should be able to get it running long enough to see oil pressure build up nicely (or not) on an aftermarket oil pressure gauge.
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Bad motor? 
