considering engine rebuild
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
From: San Diego
considering engine rebuild so i have a 2001 WS6 with 160*** miles on it, the car is my d/d i wanna keep it but with the high miles i don't know. so i was wondering how much it would be to rebuild the engine the different options available etc. I'm gonna have to have someone do it cus im in the military and don't have enough free time to do it myself
My opinion is likely against the grain on this but having owned almost exclusively GM vehicles considered extremely high miles by the time I sold them since I started driving over 30 years ago I would not replace it if its still running fine.
My M6 full bolt on car has 234,000 miles , my bolt on 3800 supercharged regal has 220,000 with hundreds of track passes on it , about a year ago I sold a tahoe with just over 250,000 - none of these 3 vehicles has ever had a valve cover off to my knowledge , I had a 1500 pickup with 345k , had a burnt valve but the guy I sold it to drove around that way for years after i sold it to him.
In a nutshell if its a GM engine and no one has ever seen the inside of it since it was buttoned up at the factory it may surprise you how long it will run well - if its been apart its only as good as the knowledge and care taken by the person doing the work and the quality of the components used.
Now what you may want to do is either keep your eye open for a spare engine or maybe build one up to have ready in the event you need it.If your looking to make more power which you didnt indicate you were then once you get something built up you could sell off your current engine or save it for if you ever want to return it to stock , where you have a 2001 it should have the ls6 intake upgrade so consider its value if you ever sell or part out your current engine.
My M6 full bolt on car has 234,000 miles , my bolt on 3800 supercharged regal has 220,000 with hundreds of track passes on it , about a year ago I sold a tahoe with just over 250,000 - none of these 3 vehicles has ever had a valve cover off to my knowledge , I had a 1500 pickup with 345k , had a burnt valve but the guy I sold it to drove around that way for years after i sold it to him.
In a nutshell if its a GM engine and no one has ever seen the inside of it since it was buttoned up at the factory it may surprise you how long it will run well - if its been apart its only as good as the knowledge and care taken by the person doing the work and the quality of the components used.
Now what you may want to do is either keep your eye open for a spare engine or maybe build one up to have ready in the event you need it.If your looking to make more power which you didnt indicate you were then once you get something built up you could sell off your current engine or save it for if you ever want to return it to stock , where you have a 2001 it should have the ls6 intake upgrade so consider its value if you ever sell or part out your current engine.
Honestly, when miles get that high, your kinda playing Russian roulette.
I'm kinda in the same boat with my cavalier. Yea, it's not a race car and doesn't get beat on but it's sitting on 197k miles. I've owned it since 95k miles and it's never given me a lick of trouble other than small things. (Fuel pump, battery and idler pulley.)
I've contemplated rebuilding the engine before it pops, but then again I've contemplated running it until it blows. I have a hard time ruining a perfectly good engine, but I also have a hard time rebuilding a perfectly good engine...
If I were in your particular shoes with a more expensive decision on my hands, since it is a dd and it's still rocking. I'd keep my eye out for a good lower mileage 6.0 that you can sit in the corner of the garage. Since you're not in a hurry, you can be picky. Try to find one still in the truck that you can hear run, check oil pressure...etc. then you know it's good. If/when your ls1 scatters, you're a weekend away from getting it running again.
Also, if you have decent faith in your current engine and you have the budget and time, you can rebuild a good 6.0 to be a better than stock engine. Maybe throw a small cam at it and a decent set of heads. Totally go thru the engine and make sure it's perfect.
Depending on what scenario comes first, you can swap the finished 6.0 in for the ls1 and put it on the stand and do the same thing. Or sell it.
That is my 2 cents.
I'm kinda in the same boat with my cavalier. Yea, it's not a race car and doesn't get beat on but it's sitting on 197k miles. I've owned it since 95k miles and it's never given me a lick of trouble other than small things. (Fuel pump, battery and idler pulley.)
I've contemplated rebuilding the engine before it pops, but then again I've contemplated running it until it blows. I have a hard time ruining a perfectly good engine, but I also have a hard time rebuilding a perfectly good engine...
If I were in your particular shoes with a more expensive decision on my hands, since it is a dd and it's still rocking. I'd keep my eye out for a good lower mileage 6.0 that you can sit in the corner of the garage. Since you're not in a hurry, you can be picky. Try to find one still in the truck that you can hear run, check oil pressure...etc. then you know it's good. If/when your ls1 scatters, you're a weekend away from getting it running again.
Also, if you have decent faith in your current engine and you have the budget and time, you can rebuild a good 6.0 to be a better than stock engine. Maybe throw a small cam at it and a decent set of heads. Totally go thru the engine and make sure it's perfect.
Depending on what scenario comes first, you can swap the finished 6.0 in for the ls1 and put it on the stand and do the same thing. Or sell it.
That is my 2 cents.
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
From: San Diego
i like the get a stand by engine i dont wanna deviet from the LS's though....also i dont really have the skill level to completely build an engine. i mean i'm a electrician/mechanic for the navy but i've never done any internal engine work except on turbines. but im sure i could find a book or something. thanks
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I would agree, look for another block and get it rebuilt. The 383 stroker with a 243 or 5.3 head would work well.
200,000 miles on modern engines that have been looked after is common.
200,000 miles on modern engines that have been looked after is common.
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,074
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i like the get a stand by engine i dont wanna deviet from the LS's though....also i dont really have the skill level to completely build an engine. i mean i'm a electrician/mechanic for the navy but i've never done any internal engine work except on turbines. but im sure i could find a book or something. thanks
