How's going fellas, I just picked up my first LS motor, a LS7 for a steal of 1500 bucks !!! ONLY questionable thing is the block, I believe it's cylinder #6 that has the crack. The seller told me that he believes it was some bad gas and detonation that caused the piston to take a dump resulting in one ugly cylinder and some combustion chamber damage. He stated that it happened at 3k RPM or lower in the bleach box. I've called a machine shop but I am patiently waiting for them to return my call. One of my questions is which would be more cost effective the Darton system or another block factory or aftermarket ?
A little more background on the motor, it is out a C6Z 09 I believe, PRC 265cc heads, Speed Inc Black Mamba cam, and stock bottom end, I got pretty much a long minus push rods and rockers. The motor will be swapped into my 96 Impala SS.

Dyno and Idle video of the Z(According to the video description the car laid down high 596whp 531WTQ



Attached is the dyno sheet, picture of the block, and the swap vehicle !!
(No worries nothing was touching the couch)

Thanks guys !!!

 

Contact ERL or Steve @ RED 760 630 0450
ERL is posted.

 

ERL ReSleeve Price

Definitely cheaper to resleeve the existing block (assuming no other block repair needed).

Better sleeves too.

New LS7 block is 2700 - 3100.

 

Thanks for the help guys !

@Lil John You said your friend has a 700rwhp 427, is that a LS ?

 

Is that a crack into the aluminum on the top left. The block might need more than just sleeves.......

 

Yes it is, I will get couple better pictures when I get home

 

That changes things. If it was just new sleeves it would be a no brainer. Definitely call ERL or Steve at RED.

 

look up (Moderator) John B Monte Carlo SS. Solid roller ported ls7 heads

 

Shouldn't matter, all that is milled out (not LS, but the principle is the same):

 

It looks like there are two cracks in it, but it doesn't matter. Even if some of the aluminum doesn't get cut out for the sleeve, Steve at RED can fix it. He posted one night that he has had to weld up several blocks that were cracked like that.

 

HERE ARE SOME BETTER PICTURES

@Lil John I've seen that car.....on youtube, that car is BAD AHS !!!

 

@LS1MCSS I've got a 1984 Monte Carlo SS also,shooting for a 6.0 and some boost...........maybe, and I'll give RED a call tomorrow

 

That block wall is cracked in several places plus the missing piece at the bottom where the rod hit.

I weld and fix these on a regular basis. Fixed one last week and got another to fix a few days ago.

The MID sleeves have o rings to seal the coolant and those o rings are where the missing piece is on that block. I have a ring machined to cut pieces out of to fix that. However, it would cost more than the price of a new LS7 block to repair and MID sleeve that block.

The least expensive fix would be to weld the cracks and that break in the bottom of 6 and dry sleeve the block. If money is a problem that one bank only can be sleeved.

I must say that a block cracked in several places in one hole is not always possible to successfully weld. The alloy,319, is not very ductile (that's why it is cracked in several places) and may crack again either during or after the welding process.

Steve

 

I'm happy you chimed in, I was and am going to give you a call tomorrow afternoon. With one hole not being too successful on a repair, would resleeving the entire block or the one side have a better chance on success ?

 

Talked to Steve @ RED and it's RIP to that block , this changes some things and I'll be searching around for a block, weather it be a LS2/3 sleeved or something else. I had a plan on what I wanted buuuuut since I need a block this kind of opens the doors for going bigger and such.

 

Get you an alum 5.3 block and sleeve it. I bought 2 on here for 300 a piece. They are strong and A few of the really fast turbo guys here use them. Ray Litz is one of them, 7.44@192 is how fast he went with it.

 

Wilson91,

What he said.

By the way, Steve sometimes has them in stock.

 

Thanks for that input guys, that's what I'll be looking into when I am ready for, I appreciate all of the help !!!!!

 

Soooooo uhhhh what's a LS7 oil, pick-up, windage tray, and oil pump sell for ? According to the seller the pump is either a Katech unit or just gone through by them ? So what's it worth ?