Gooddbye LT1
Gooddbye LT1 Just got word back from the new shop, compression test revealed the rings are bad and it needs a rebuild. Another shop rebuilt it 35k miles ago and I'm still paying it off. I paid a little more than the cost of a crate motor and in my area that is very expensive. I don't know what I'm going to do but I won't be able to pay for another rebuild. I put a lot of time and money into it and recently stripped and painted the entire car, so it's a real shame. It's also my only car. I hope to find a low mileage LS1 to replace it as my daily driver but I'll still be in a hole for a long time. Another one bites the dust.
If youre in san diego, look around in tj. Should be cheap and last until you can afford a better build if youre not comfortable with it. Just make sure a you dont leave your car with complete strangers.
i agree with zlow28.. im sure you can get a good price on a used engine or fix it. i was looking for an ls1 car there and i found some for good prices..that was a while ago but you can double check
that sucks man, sounds like you really don't have the money to buy a ls1 car and your car as a roller will not be worth anything. if you are still paying off the last rebuild, also sounds like you are cash strapped?
if you're cash strapped, the best option is to get a used motor until that situation improves. Getting a low mileage LS1 will be expensive and it's so old that you will not be able to get a reasonable interest rate on a loan.
if you're cash strapped, the best option is to get a used motor until that situation improves. Getting a low mileage LS1 will be expensive and it's so old that you will not be able to get a reasonable interest rate on a loan.
Sounds like a bad rebuild dude. Or you stomped it too hard during break in.
If your low on cash get a hold of some of that ring sealer gunk....and keep throwing that in it and limp by. Just dont expect performance from it....
I would definitely go back and talk to the rebuild shop.
Go to craigslist and try to score another LT1......these engine have been well documented to beat Ls1 engines all the time also.
If your low on cash get a hold of some of that ring sealer gunk....and keep throwing that in it and limp by. Just dont expect performance from it....
I would definitely go back and talk to the rebuild shop.
Go to craigslist and try to score another LT1......these engine have been well documented to beat Ls1 engines all the time also.
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Just got word back from the new shop, compression test revealed the rings are bad and it needs a rebuild. Another shop rebuilt it 35k miles ago and I'm still paying it off. I paid a little more than the cost of a crate motor and in my area that is very expensive. I don't know what I'm going to do but I won't be able to pay for another rebuild. I put a lot of time and money into it and recently stripped and painted the entire car, so it's a real shame. It's also my only car. I hope to find a low mileage LS1 to replace it as my daily driver but I'll still be in a hole for a long time. Another one bites the dust.
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Perfect engine in Los Angeles
On San Pedro and 28th street to be exact I see a lot of camaros come out of there with rebuilds. Or check out castillos and son. Majority of the camaro BOYS car club builds their engine with them
On San Pedro and 28th street to be exact I see a lot of camaros come out of there with rebuilds. Or check out castillos and son. Majority of the camaro BOYS car club builds their engine with them
Thanks for the words and suggestions/offers, guys. This car was nothing but trouble from the start. In fact, I've had extremely bad luck with cars since I started driving and I'm trying to change it by letting go. I don't think I can do it anymore with this car. Tranny is leaking bad and is likely original, who knows when it'll go out. Whole front suspension needs redone, some of it is really bad. It never ran right and was never anywhere as fast as it should be and now I know why. It gave me peeks of what it could be in terms of power, rarely, but mostly it was crushing disappointment all the time.
Kinda sucks I put all that time and money into exhaust, sfc's, paint, etc, but it seems more economical to me to put a down payment on an ls1 car and make payments rather than make another big purchase on any type of motor swap, rebuild, etc, which can have mounting costs and I'd have to pay all at once, unlike a car loan. Of course I'll have to wait awhile before that can even happen. And again, who knows what else will go wrong and I'm in the same spot again with no protection or warranty or anything. I'm still thinking of a way to make it work but I don't think I can stomach it. I'm just tired.
Kinda sucks I put all that time and money into exhaust, sfc's, paint, etc, but it seems more economical to me to put a down payment on an ls1 car and make payments rather than make another big purchase on any type of motor swap, rebuild, etc, which can have mounting costs and I'd have to pay all at once, unlike a car loan. Of course I'll have to wait awhile before that can even happen. And again, who knows what else will go wrong and I'm in the same spot again with no protection or warranty or anything. I'm still thinking of a way to make it work but I don't think I can stomach it. I'm just tired.
right there. 
I was there op i feel your pain, I ended up selling everything off and got out of the LT game. You could look into a 5.3 swap, my friend did 2 swaps in his cars while unemployed. A good longblock is under a grand
TECH Apprentice
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 323
Likes: 2
From: NW AR
The thing that pisses me off about most machine shops that screw up an LT1 rebuild is that when it comes down to it, as far as the machine shop should be concerned it is just a SBC. Any shop that calls themselves a machine shop better know how to do a SBC or they are frauds. It is a shame though how many POS shops there are.
Kinda sucks I put all that time and money into exhaust, sfc's, paint, etc, but it seems more economical to me to put a down payment on an ls1 car and make payments rather than make another big purchase on any type of motor swap, rebuild, etc, which can have mounting costs and I'd have to pay all at once, unlike a car loan. Of course I'll have to wait awhile before that can even happen. And again, who knows what else will go wrong and I'm in the same spot again with no protection or warranty or anything. I'm still thinking of a way to make it work but I don't think I can stomach it. I'm just tired.
You can score the trannys for these a dime a dozen.
Your compression problem could be incorrectly set rings....you wont really really know for sure until it all comes apart.
Is the shop responsible? for sure.
Will an LS1 car cure your ailments..? hate to break it to you but not necessarily....they have their own ailments as well.(check on piston slap and oil burning) So with a little luck you wont have problems...but with the gremlins chasing you..you could have more.
If your tired. Which these cars can be....I would cover the car up for a year+.
Buy yourself a Honda...and im not ragging on you here. By yourself a 90' and up honda with relatively low miles. And just beat on it...ride it...peacefully get to where u need to go. Then later uncover the beast with new ideas and patience.
She looks worth keeping to me. Now if you have frame damage...then sell it off for sure.
If they punched out the block...and the bores are still good. It's salvageable.
But like some of these guys have written...a good shop is hard to find.
Some of the better ones don't even like to check clearances if it's "just a street engine". So even the good ones can be scumby's as well unless your giving up large doe for their "race engines".
Last edited by License2Ill; Oct 27, 2011 at 10:22 AM.
you have a clean car there. don't give up, you are close and about 10-12 hours away from driving it again if you buy a used engine and swap it out. It's not that bad, you just have to start.
time consuming, but easy (conservative times):
1) drain fluids (20-30 Min)
2) disconnect harness inside car and pull it in the engine bay (20-30 Min)
3) disconnect hoses and steering column. (20-30 min)
4) disconnect brakes lines at ABS (if you have it) (10-15 min)
5) disconnect driveshaft and exhaust at cat (20-30 min)
6) support kmember/trans (mover's dollies work great)
7) disconnect sway bar from frame (20 min)
8) take out the 6 k-member bolts (20-30 min)
9) raise car and roll out engine/trans combo
so in about 4-5 hours you can ge the engine/trans out. Spend about 2-4 hours swapping parts over to the used engine and then get it back in, connect everything and fill up all fluids and start her up!
Ok it may take longer, but I feel like you've created a mountain out of a hill and it's just a hill.
your car is clean and looks good why not spend a weekend and get it running again, especially if you are cash strapped.
time consuming, but easy (conservative times):
1) drain fluids (20-30 Min)
2) disconnect harness inside car and pull it in the engine bay (20-30 Min)
3) disconnect hoses and steering column. (20-30 min)
4) disconnect brakes lines at ABS (if you have it) (10-15 min)
5) disconnect driveshaft and exhaust at cat (20-30 min)
6) support kmember/trans (mover's dollies work great)
7) disconnect sway bar from frame (20 min)
8) take out the 6 k-member bolts (20-30 min)
9) raise car and roll out engine/trans combo
so in about 4-5 hours you can ge the engine/trans out. Spend about 2-4 hours swapping parts over to the used engine and then get it back in, connect everything and fill up all fluids and start her up!
Ok it may take longer, but I feel like you've created a mountain out of a hill and it's just a hill.
your car is clean and looks good why not spend a weekend and get it running again, especially if you are cash strapped.
bad compression test? rings would need to be REALLY messed up. my vote is bent valves if all the cylinders are affected. what kinda cam is in it? did someone try to adjust the rockers and tighten them all the way down?