Need some advice on engine life left
Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 566
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From: Dallas
Need some advice on engine life left Background: ~4K miles of track time on a intake/exhaust LS6 in my Z06.
I've never really had oiling problems that I know of, but that's now false after the fact (I don't read my gauges when cornering and I don't have an alarm set for oil pressure)
There's a noticable amount of bearing material in my oil pan, but the bearings are still there.
I went with the following:
I was installing dry sump anyways, but I'm going to run a bit heavier oil, said don't worry about it yet; it's an excuse to go back and change engines. Run it till it blows up, so long as I don't screw up the pan thats all I care about.
From anyones experience, wisdom, etc; I'm curious
1) How long will it possibly last given a lot of abuse?
2) Will it *potentially* last long enough for 200 miles of hard abuse and like 300 miles of lackadaiscal street use?
I've never really had oiling problems that I know of, but that's now false after the fact (I don't read my gauges when cornering and I don't have an alarm set for oil pressure)
There's a noticable amount of bearing material in my oil pan, but the bearings are still there.
I went with the following:
I was installing dry sump anyways, but I'm going to run a bit heavier oil, said don't worry about it yet; it's an excuse to go back and change engines. Run it till it blows up, so long as I don't screw up the pan thats all I care about.
From anyones experience, wisdom, etc; I'm curious
1) How long will it possibly last given a lot of abuse?
2) Will it *potentially* last long enough for 200 miles of hard abuse and like 300 miles of lackadaiscal street use?
I'm a pretty good engine builder, but a lousy fortune teller.
That's an impossible question to ask and expect a reasonable answer to. No one will be able to tell you how long it will last. If you're finding bearing fragments in your pan, that's obviously not a good sign. At this point, catastrophic failure could occur at any time. Keep your foot out of it, and you might extract some more mileage, but I wouldn't be beating the **** out of it.
That's an impossible question to ask and expect a reasonable answer to. No one will be able to tell you how long it will last. If you're finding bearing fragments in your pan, that's obviously not a good sign. At this point, catastrophic failure could occur at any time. Keep your foot out of it, and you might extract some more mileage, but I wouldn't be beating the **** out of it.
vegas baby man you should post some pics and add a pole on this to see what all recomend to do 
if theres bearing material in the pan - fix it before it blows it could cost ALOT more later - got to read the writing an the wall 
if theres bearing material in the pan - fix it before it blows it could cost ALOT more later - got to read the writing an the wall Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 566
Likes: 0
From: Dallas
I knew the engine was going to explode, that's a given considering its lived this long, a nasty 454 will take its place. But I was wanting to get a swag number on maybe how long it will last so I can freakin drive the car at least a lil bit hahaha.
Rest assured, when I blow it skyhigh, its a testament to lifetime durability, and I will have pictures.
Hmmm. Well, time to start moving timelines around again.
Rest assured, when I blow it skyhigh, its a testament to lifetime durability, and I will have pictures.
Hmmm. Well, time to start moving timelines around again.
