GoldRust

iTrader: (2)

You have a bent rod plain and simple. We see this all the time. We actually have one in the shop right now that the insurance is taking care of. Bring it over and we can get the ball rolling on getting your insurance to come look at it and get a new engine on the way.

JasonWW

iTrader: (2)

Is there a relationship between the rod and the very high idle speed?

2000TurboVert

iTrader: (17)

Will insurance cover running through a puddle of water?????

Or does it have to be a flood?

JasonWW

iTrader: (2)

Hell if I know. We had a huge downpour over just a few hours and it flooded real bad. Lot's of flood damaged cars. Some under water, a few people died.

Dealer finally got to look at it and said it threw a rod and would need to be rebuilt or replaced and for me to contact my insurance about it. I'm guessing throwing a rod and bending a rod = pretty much the same thing. They wrote it up as flood damage as if it's a special thing. I don't know the details, this is the first time I had to deal with this.

JMBLOWNWS6

iTrader: (17)

Its exactly what I told you in my first post. Once you claim this on your insurance you will have a flood title on your car. Man I would have taken it to LMR and let them install some goodies that cost less than OEM equipment!

JasonWW

iTrader: (2)

What is a Flood title? Is it a bad thing?

Maybe I will take it to LMR. The dealership I work at hasn't done anything except look at it and say the engine is bad. Is there something I can say to the Insurance company to have them just estimate the cost of repair and cut me a check so I can have a place of my choosing do the repair work?

JMBLOWNWS6

iTrader: (17)

This is what you do. Take the car to LMR and have worm boy or goldrust go over the car. They will access the situation with the engine and work up a quote using stock parts rebuild etc Then you or LMR call your insurance and the adjuster comes out to verify the claim. They cut you a check and you do your things. Cam comes to my mind But once the insurance cuts that check IF they do it, It is considered a flooded title. Flooded title Hope everything works out for you. Ive done this a couple of times and OEM parts are more expensive than aftermarket parts in some cases.

JasonWW

iTrader: (2)

So a flood title only effects the resale of the car? No biggie to me as I don't plan on ever selling it. Would it make my insurance go up and would I still be able to have full coverage?

Anyway, how could I go from the dealership to LMR and explain it to the insurance company? Maybe I can say LMR has better prices than the dealer? I don't know. I was going to call the insurance this morning so I need to get this done fast. Maybe I can say that a un-named mechanic at the dealership recommended I take it to LMR because they would do better work? That sounds good. Would the dealer be pissed at me for moving to another shop?

JasonWW

iTrader: (2)

Is it these guys?
http://www.latemodelracecraft.com/

JMBLOWNWS6

iTrader: (17)

If you havent reported it yet, Let LMR take care of you. Just drop it off and call your insurance and tell them where the car is. I dont know if your insurance will go up. Depends on your claim record. If you work at the dealer take it and let someone who knows what they are doing, And can hook you up. You never know what stock items you can replace

JasonWW

iTrader: (2)

Yeah, I work at a dealer, not as a mechanic, but the guys in the shop know me and hook me up when they can. I just don't know what the insurance might recommend. They may want to use a used engine or maybe a crate long block, short block or just rebuild the engine in it.

Do you think I should just talk to some of the mechanics about what can be done using cheaper non-factory parts, like a cam for instance? I'd love to get a 6.0 LS2 like in the GTO's, but I'll take what I can get.

raven_450

iTrader: (3)

I dont know about down by you guys but up here in jersey you cannot legally resell a flood title car unless its not for road use (stupid law that nobody abides by anyway) but you said you dont plan on selling it so no big deal anyway.

JasonWW

iTrader: (2)

Hey JM, what usually breaks in these instances or maybe it would be easier to just say the cheapest way to fix it?

If the Ins. Co. cuts me a check (unknown amount) what kind of options would I have? I've never had to really learn about new engines as I only planned on doing basic add-ons with mine. I'm wondering if I could pick up a assembled shortblock with a stroker kit, say a 383 and have my stock heads rebuilt? Basically put all cash in the shortblock (good foundation) and not have the best flowing heads. I can enjoy the extra torque from the larger engine, LT headers and a healthier cam. At a later point in time I can get some better flowing heads to help the top end.

Does that sound like a good plan?

Should I consider saving some money by getting a IRON block? I think it adds about 100lbs, plus I don't like the idea, but maybe it is a good choice as well?

PS, I'm not into racing, using high revs, nitrous, turbo's, etc... this is just my daily driver, but it can definetely use more power. A stroker shortblock seems to be the best bet.

JasonWW

iTrader: (2)

I just found out the insurance person wants the dealer to pull the pan and see if just the bent rods can be changed or if the whole motor needs to be redone. What kind of crap is that?

blkbird

iTrader: (28)

Well then have your buddies hook you up with them saying it needs to be replaced.....

JasonWW

iTrader: (2)

Yeah, I just can't believe how cheap the Ins Co is being. Would replacing just the bent rods even be feasible? What if the crank is slightly bent? Just enough that the bearing tolorences are now off and one of the main bearings wears out within the next month? That would suck.

JasonWW

iTrader: (2)

I think the Ins Co is going to want to use a "like quality" engine which means a used LS1 and they typically run 4500. Soooo, I'm going to try and get them to cut me a check for the 4500 + 1500 for install labor minus my 500 deductible. So $5500. I'm going to have to wait until Monday to find out. I think that's pretty fair all around.

JasonWW

iTrader: (2)

The motor got pulled Tue (dealerships are busy plus a bit slow ) Anyway it was a bent rod (just like you guys said) on the number 7 which is the cylinder I suspected. I was told the noise was the piston rocking. The counterweight was rubbing the piston slightly as well. The Ins Co is letting unqualified people make the determination instead of the main mechanic at the shop who works on these all the time. They want to replace the #7 piston and rod only so I'm going to have to raise hell with them and force them to let a real mechanic say how it can be fixed.

I may let them change the rod and piston, but they will have to check all the main and rod tolerances, pull both heads and inspect bores, clean carbon out, new oil pump and timing chain, a new cam and inspect the lifters plus a few more things. Maybe then I will agree to not replacing the engine. It's a bit of a compromise on both our parts, but there's no way they are just going to patch this up cheaply. It's either this or replace the engine with a "like kind and quality" LS1. What do you guys think of that? Will it last or should I just force the replacement engine on them?

Here are the pics:





See how the small rod end is pressed against the side of the piston instead of the middle? It appears the piston is no longer floating like it's supposed to.

BlackSVT03

iTrader: (1)

Hey man, I just did a stroker and for some reason kept my old pistons and connecting rods and crank. If you do need something for dirt cheap (say beer money and the price of shipping) let me know.

JasonWW

iTrader: (2)

Thanks