427-454 ci ls7's...
here is some fuel for the fire...LOL
https://ls1tech.com/forums/new-ls1-owners-newbie-tech/995384-2007-z06-cracked-cylinder-sleeve-help-please.html
Now I know there are extenuating circumstances here but it's still worthy of a read
https://ls1tech.com/forums/new-ls1-owners-newbie-tech/995384-2007-z06-cracked-cylinder-sleeve-help-please.html
Now I know there are extenuating circumstances here but it's still worthy of a read
I have a 2007 z06, and the car over heated, but less then 30 seconds, the hose blew off, and when i seen the gauge rising i shut the car off...
Now, the dealership, is saying there is no damage to the heads, or the gaskets, but the sleeve has a hair line crack. pistons are fine..
when i got he car it had been hit in the front, and repaired, the dealership ran the car with the intake manifold being broken, with peices inside.
what would cause the sleeve to crack, and nothing eles..
also, the tech said somthing about the coolent being mixed in the fuel..? wtf...
help please
Now, the dealership, is saying there is no damage to the heads, or the gaskets, but the sleeve has a hair line crack. pistons are fine..
when i got he car it had been hit in the front, and repaired, the dealership ran the car with the intake manifold being broken, with peices inside.
what would cause the sleeve to crack, and nothing eles..
also, the tech said somthing about the coolent being mixed in the fuel..? wtf...
help please
FormerVendor
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 3,065
Likes: 6
From: Houston, Tx.
Damn I just saw this! I do think the LS7 is great on regular applications for sure and many use it in even pretty highly stressed apps too like the shops mentioned. I would much more like to have the ductile iron liners though that Steve at RED installs from Darton in something you are going to really do anything truly crazy to by design though.
So basically say if it's a purpose built power adder application fropm the get go I would rather have a better sleeve like the Darton but any of the NA only or much milder power adders that you know will never be leaned on by any tuners you probably will be fine with the OEM LS7 block right from GM.
I know though that Steve and KCS are not exagerating whatsoever though as I have seen several of these with cracked liners too on big NOS deals especially and especially right on the ends where there's nothing backing up the top flange on the end cylinders of an LS7 block.
Steve at RED has never ever misled me on anything and is a great guy and of course he gets a lot of stuff to repair from different people and shops so he sees the havoc people can wreak on these blocks firsthand!
This also probably gives him a little worse opinion of the LS7s since he isn't seeing all the ones that run well and don't have issues but he does know and understand the mode of failures on the ones he is repairing for sure which is good info to have.
Hope that doesn't confuse everyone!
So basically say if it's a purpose built power adder application fropm the get go I would rather have a better sleeve like the Darton but any of the NA only or much milder power adders that you know will never be leaned on by any tuners you probably will be fine with the OEM LS7 block right from GM.
I know though that Steve and KCS are not exagerating whatsoever though as I have seen several of these with cracked liners too on big NOS deals especially and especially right on the ends where there's nothing backing up the top flange on the end cylinders of an LS7 block.
Steve at RED has never ever misled me on anything and is a great guy and of course he gets a lot of stuff to repair from different people and shops so he sees the havoc people can wreak on these blocks firsthand!
This also probably gives him a little worse opinion of the LS7s since he isn't seeing all the ones that run well and don't have issues but he does know and understand the mode of failures on the ones he is repairing for sure which is good info to have.
Hope that doesn't confuse everyone!
I might suggest looking at the post time as well. He posted at 2:16 am. This is one of the reasons for me selling his engines. I can be reached most any time.
Last edited by 99blancoSS; Oct 17, 2008 at 07:21 AM.
FormerVendor
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 3,065
Likes: 6
From: Houston, Tx.
What message did you leave? I get a whole lot. Did you email me too? I can't return all the messages and email I get anymore. Sometimes I get over 100 emails and calls a day right now so they will simply not all get answered no matter what.
I'll still post information here from time to time though. That's why it's still called LS1Tech. I had tons of unanswered calls on my phone and cell phone even 8 years ago and will have many many more in another 8 years I imagine.
Just can't answer all of them and get everything else done. There are many great vendors on this site that have people waiting by the phones all the time since they specialize in that type of sales and service and they do a great job.
If we sold a ton of parts I would hire someone like that to do it full time but we don't sell even a thousandth of what anyone else on here does that also have full time phone sales staff. So since we have been swamped since I opened we don't really need that or want it.
Damn I just saw this! I do think the LS7 is great on regular applications for sure and many use it in even pretty highly stressed apps too like the shops mentioned. I would much more like to have the ductile iron liners though that Steve at RED installs from Darton in something you are going to really do anything truly crazy to by design though.
So basically say if it's a purpose built power adder application fropm the get go I would rather have a better sleeve like the Darton but any of the NA only or much milder power adders that you know will never be leaned on by any tuners you probably will be fine with the OEM LS7 block right from GM.
I know though that Steve and KCS are not exagerating whatsoever though as I have seen several of these with cracked liners too on big NOS deals especially and especially right on the ends where there's nothing backing up the top flange on the end cylinders of an LS7 block.
Steve at RED has never ever misled me on anything and is a great guy and of course he gets a lot of stuff to repair from different people and shops so he sees the havoc people can wreak on these blocks firsthand!
This also probably gives him a little worse opinion of the LS7s since he isn't seeing all the ones that run well and don't have issues but he does know and understand the mode of failures on the ones he is repairing for sure which is good info to have.
Hope that doesn't confuse everyone!
So basically say if it's a purpose built power adder application fropm the get go I would rather have a better sleeve like the Darton but any of the NA only or much milder power adders that you know will never be leaned on by any tuners you probably will be fine with the OEM LS7 block right from GM.
I know though that Steve and KCS are not exagerating whatsoever though as I have seen several of these with cracked liners too on big NOS deals especially and especially right on the ends where there's nothing backing up the top flange on the end cylinders of an LS7 block.
Steve at RED has never ever misled me on anything and is a great guy and of course he gets a lot of stuff to repair from different people and shops so he sees the havoc people can wreak on these blocks firsthand!
This also probably gives him a little worse opinion of the LS7s since he isn't seeing all the ones that run well and don't have issues but he does know and understand the mode of failures on the ones he is repairing for sure which is good info to have.
Hope that doesn't confuse everyone!
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You really act like a typical "internet warrior" whenever this sleeve stuff comes up. It's understandable, I guess, considering you own one and are worried about your investment, but to basically spit in the face of the people who deal with this issue day in and day out is rather silly.
Erik is a friend of mine, and I value his advice and knowledge. What exactly you two discussed is probably different than what is probably being discussed here. No one is saying that the liners in the LS7 just fail instantaneously with too much power. There are very powerful LS7's out there to prove that, but YOU have no experience with how it got there. Find out what the deck height ended up being on those engines and you may get a little surprise. Then again, companies like Katech and LPE, who have deep rooted business ties with GM, probably get the creme of the crop in engine blocks. Probably not what most of us get.
I, like Steve, have seen a bunch of these LS7 blocks have problems with the liners. One engine detonated and cracked two liners, but it was so light that the pistons were still virtually re-useable. That same engine, like many others, actually dropped it's sleeves .003". I have machined LS7 blocks and had the sleeves drop just from the torque plate being bolted on. Standard procedure now is to deck the block, and then bolt on the torque plate. WHEN the sleeves drop, we deck it again, and repeat until the sleeves stay put. This process works pretty well, unless we use a domed piston.
It's just that the sleeves are WEAKER. Not only that but they are pressed in with the machining precision of a company that rips out 150 blocks a week for production. There is potential for problems. Fortunately, yours is fine and you are happy with it. I hope it stays that way, but I have seen these problems first hand and its hard to argue with whats sitting in front of you.
Erik is a friend of mine, and I value his advice and knowledge. What exactly you two discussed is probably different than what is probably being discussed here. No one is saying that the liners in the LS7 just fail instantaneously with too much power. There are very powerful LS7's out there to prove that, but YOU have no experience with how it got there. Find out what the deck height ended up being on those engines and you may get a little surprise. Then again, companies like Katech and LPE, who have deep rooted business ties with GM, probably get the creme of the crop in engine blocks. Probably not what most of us get.
I, like Steve, have seen a bunch of these LS7 blocks have problems with the liners. One engine detonated and cracked two liners, but it was so light that the pistons were still virtually re-useable. That same engine, like many others, actually dropped it's sleeves .003". I have machined LS7 blocks and had the sleeves drop just from the torque plate being bolted on. Standard procedure now is to deck the block, and then bolt on the torque plate. WHEN the sleeves drop, we deck it again, and repeat until the sleeves stay put. This process works pretty well, unless we use a domed piston.
It's just that the sleeves are WEAKER. Not only that but they are pressed in with the machining precision of a company that rips out 150 blocks a week for production. There is potential for problems. Fortunately, yours is fine and you are happy with it. I hope it stays that way, but I have seen these problems first hand and its hard to argue with whats sitting in front of you.
We buy GM parts through the dealer network like everybody else.
Seeing how they have "zero" problems, while we get the same blocks through the same dealer network, and they drop sleeves when you bolt on the torque plate on, makes me a bit skeptical.
i've got almost same exact setup as bandit1 for well over a year now and run the car fairly hard with no problems whatsoever.
problems are inevitable. sometimes "stuff happens". i've seen/heard a few blocks go bad, but those guys were doing some CRAZY power adders with there setups.
i'm VERY happy i did what i did.
problems are inevitable. sometimes "stuff happens". i've seen/heard a few blocks go bad, but those guys were doing some CRAZY power adders with there setups.
i'm VERY happy i did what i did.
