You guys will probably want to kill me for having this 'problem', but I am having the hardest time deciding what I should do. One of my camaros is a 2000 Z28 convert. I have had it since new and it only has 30k on it. For anyone that has one of these, it has the dreaded piston slap and burns about 1 - 1.5 qts per 3000 miles. After getting nowhere for years, I moved and got to know the service manager at the dealership near me pretty well. Long story short - since I had it into dealers while it was still under the factory warranty, he is willing to replace the engine. I almost feel bad for debating this as most people get nothing for this issue. My concern is that the car someday increases in value and no longer has the original engine. I didn't buy the car thinking it would be worth a bunch of $$$ someday, but neither did my father and he is sitting on a 69 SS 396/375 with 26k on it. I don't think GM still stamps vins, etc on the engine, but the casting date would obviously be way off. I have only put about 5k on the car in the last 3 years, so I don't use it that much. Should I keep the original engine, or go ahead and get the new one? I did ask about buying the original one, but that can't happen.
Thanks,
Dan

 

You are changing an engine because of 2 'common' things that happen on LS1s?

LS1's have a noisy valve train to begin with, but piston slap is only heard on cold start up, and goes away when the engine warms. GM says it is ok and not detremental to the engines life.

LS1's also have a shady PCV system that causes oil to blow by and burn. You could change the PCV, and not have as much / any oil consumption problems.

Just somethings to consider.

 

I hear what you are saying. It is just that the car has had a babied life and the 4 problems have been progressively getting worse since about 7,000 miles. The pcv has been replaced as that was the first thing the dealer looked at years ago. It burns more oil each oil change - and it is not from high rpm use. The piston slap gets worse and is starting to sound more like a diesel than an internal combustion engine. It has some sort of lifter tick at idle that gets louder every year. It also detonates or pings from 1500-2500 rpms under normal acceleration. If it was just one thing, I'd definitly just ignore it. I just get the impression that this engine is slowly on it's way out. I had just accepted that I would have to live with it until I needed to rebuild it someday. But the service manager really liked the car and came over to talk to me one day when I was getting the oil changed. I mentioned it in passing and he offered to take a look at it - and this is the outcome. If it would be costing me anything, I wouldn't consider it. But a new free engine has made me give it some thought.

 

Well in that case, I see no reason not to go for it.

The way I look at is you are banking on something that isnt garunteed (Car being worth alot of money). Some stupid driver could pull infront of you and game over. And if your engine is 'on the way out' what are you going to do when it goes out. Leave it in the garage becuase it has the original engine that doesnt run? Just food for though I guess, but in the end its obviously your call.

 

I guess I should have been more specific in my original post. A better way to put the question is this: Are there people with a bunch of miles on their ls1's that had these same issues (and progressively worse with time). If so, I'll just leave it as is. If not, I'll probably have it replaced. I just don't want to replace the engine if it really isn't necessary, but at the same time I don't want to be 3-5 years out from now with a 40,000 mile car that needs a rebuild when I could have had it replaced for free 10k miles earlier.
I am not banking on the car being worth a lot of money - in fact I'm banking it's not that is why I am considering the new engine. If I thought there was much likelyhood of that, I wouldn't even consider it. I bought the car simply as a weekend toy, not an investment. Keeping it original is just something I want to consider if people don't think I should worry about the issues.
It boils down to this - as you said these are all common problems to LS1's. If the car lasts to 100k or something like that and needs to be rebuilt, I am completely fine with that and will rebuild it.
My concern is that up until about 7k -10k the car exhibited none of the characteristics I mentioned. That is when the piston slap started and the oil consumption started. At that time, the oil consumption was just under 1 qt per change and GM said it had to burn over 1 qt per 1,000 miles to be considered out of spec. I know GM says that piston slap is normal and not detremental to the engine. I personally don't buy that - I think GM wasn't interested in fixing/replacing a bunch of LS1's sitting in cars that they knew were on a dead platform. If my car would have done it from the first day I got it, I wouldn't think much of it. But it started about 10k and has gotten worse. The tick at idle started about 5k ago and is getting worse. The knock/ping (I am not sure what it is) also started at the same time, but has remained constant.

 

I would take a new engine for free.

 

how often are you starting it up and letting it idle since you are not putting alot of miles on it. Seals will break down if you let the harden up.

I would say take a new motor for free. If you have a warranty and you believe that something is wrong get it fixed before you will have to pay for it.

That is my 2 cents.

 

Put the new motor in it. If your that worried about the original then store it. If you ever want to sell and the buyer says its worth more with the original engine you have it. If storing it isnt an option then dont worry about it. An fbody with never be regarded in the same way a 69 SS is.

 

its a free engine! it will die 30k more miles later than the engine you have now even if nothing was wrong with it