In reply to Pete Gossett (Forum Supporter) :
I need the encouragement, so THANK YOU SIR!!!
In reply to Pete Gossett (Forum Supporter) :
I need the encouragement, so THANK YOU SIR!!!
It's been a little while since she has been in this state. It appears that the quick disconnect front clip works pretty well. Not as fast as I would have liked, but I didn't have a second set of hands with me. It took about 30 minutes. Much of that was spent remembering exactly how I did this! 
The word from the experts...not to be repaired.
Ugh.
Anything I can do to help or keep my eyes open for
I am tossing around some thoughts in my head....stand by for a download.
OK, these are not fully baked thoughts, but here goes:
OPTION 1: I have a massaged LS1 in my '02 Corvette. The bottom end was built when new and made to take high HP. It has Lingenfelter heads, a mild cam and Z06 bits and pieces. It was built by an ex-Corvette challenge team. We overheated a few years ago at VIR and it has a lifter issue now. It has been sitting dormant, waiting patiently in line.
So..I could pull that engine, check the bearings/etc in the bottom and bolt on the top. This would not make my wife happy as she will see this as another slippery slope of turning everything into a race car. She is suspicious and has good cause.
If I went this way, I could POSSIBLY make the late June SP event.
OPTION 2: Find a decent LS1 block and transfer the bits over and inspect as I go. This would take more time and more energy and I am a little short on both of these categories. I would probably have to farm out the work ($$) and probably get back out late summer due to wait times. OR...do it all myself and go back out in the fall or even next year.
OPTION 3: By a turnkey LS3 from a local firm parting out late model muscle. Nice guy, near my place of business and I've sent an email to see how bad this would hurt financially. My guess is an appropriate rig would be about $8K for a long block and maybe half for a short block and I transfer my top end stuff.
I like all of these for different reasons...and part of me is saying "don't rush right now"..."don't try too hard to get back out in June"...but it is not in my nature really to listen to such reason. Thoughts and opinions appreciated.
For your use case, ls3 in entirety.
Good enough power for now, gm built for reliability and durability, and quick route to back on track.
Try this on for size:
Fact: I have a C5 in the driveway with a built bottom end and a few top end issues.
Fact: I have an ls1 race engine with a good top end and a cracked engine block.
Plan:
phase1: buy turnkey ls3 from a c6 grand sport and pop it in the race car. I'm back on track.
Phase2: meld my corvette bottom with Asa top end
phase 3: move ls3 over to corvette. Pop race motor over to race car.
this gets the race car back on track quickly and takes care of a maintenance issue on my list by getting the corvette back in action.
What am I missing?
I'd probably do it without the switcheroo and just combine the LS1 bits immediately, but that's just a time vs. money question I think.
In reply to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ :
Makes sense. The switcharoo gets me out for sure in late June. It also makes my corvette seem much less like an abandoned project which helps psychologically. But I hear you.
Seems like a solid plan, Jack. A lot of extra work but it keeps you racing and gets the C5 on the road again.
Are you going to have any configuration issues changing from the LS1 to LS3 in the Camaro? Wiring? Control module? Accessories? Hose routing?
I know nothing so these might be stupid questions.
You might want to see if you can just get your current block repaired. You'll probably have to pull the rotating assembly out but that's about 1/2 and hour if you've already got it out and the heads off and maybe an hour to put it back together.
When I was building pulling tractor engines we had some Brodix blocks and heads that were largely filling rod. If you stay on the throttle with one of those when they wheel hop they'll free rev till parts come out. We'd weld them back together, replace the stuff that escaped and put them back together. Once we found a welder that knew what he was doing the welded parts were as durable as new.
In reply to APEowner :
On further inspection, this block is too far gone, especially as a race car. Too much bad could happen too easily I think.
jimgood said:Seems like a solid plan, Jack. A lot of extra work but it keeps you racing and gets the C5 on the road again.
Are you going to have any configuration issues changing from the LS1 to LS3 in the Camaro? Wiring? Control module? Accessories? Hose routing?
I know nothing so these might be stupid questions.
If I drop the complete ls3 in the race car, it has a harness, ecu etc so I should be pretty good. I'd have to make sure fuel and stuff is good
But that may be more complicated than I think.
I could just do as suggested....pull the c5 engine, meld it to the Camaro and race car is done.
then buy a good full ls1 motor from my local guy and just plug in the Vette. I really don't need any more hp than a stock c5. I enjoyed the built engine for a while but I don't need it.
Do you mean the fuel lines might be complicated or the wiring for the fuel pump?
If you have a harness with the ls3, what does it need from the Camaro?
In reply to jh36 :
LS1 is Gen 3, LS3 is Gen 4, and there's a ton of wiring and fueling differences. 12V vs 5V cam and crank sensors, 24x vs 58x reluctor wheels on the crank, the LS3 will have a 4x cam reluctor, and the injectors are wildly different (EV1 vs EV6), the LS3's are like an inch shorter. Granted this is all stock stuff and I don't know how much is stock in your car. If I remember correctly, stock LS1 was return style and LS3's are returnless and there were issues with getting them working correctly on factory ecm's with a return. The LS3 is also a semi-dry sump with a secondary external oil pump.
Basically it's a lot easier to put the Corvette's built bottom end in the race car and plop a stock LS1 in the Corvette than trying to figure out any LS3 stuff.
Even though I have an ls1, Asa designed a returnless system.
that said, I am 99.9% sure that I am going all LS1 in both cars. I'm just not ready to complicate things.
"I could just do as suggested....pull the c5 engine, meld it to the Camaro and race car is done.
then buy a good full ls1 motor from my local guy and just plug in the Vette. I really don't need any more hp than a stock c5. I enjoyed the built engine for a while but I don't need it. "
In reply to Javelin :
I think you're right and I think that's the plan. Plus I have a few friends who want to toss the motors about. Party! I will update as we proceed. Back in the USA May 31!
I'm back...slightly groggy and catching up on a crazy amount of yard work (it's tough traveling during prime grass/weed growing season).
Unless somebody surprises me with a (valid and reasonable) new idea, I am going with Javelin's approach :
A
Pull the engine from my C5.
Strip the engine to the block.
check bottom end over.
B
Pull the engine from the tubeframe.
Strip to the block.
Check the top end over.
Take part A and add part B.
Find a solid LS and drop into c5. Save go fast parts currently on top end of c5 for a future need.
I am hoping to get started in the evenings this week then schedule a build day for one of the next two weekends. Summit Point is at the end of the month. With available time, that's an agressive plan, but it's worth a shot.
In reply to jh36 :
It seems like it's either this plan, or throwing money for a new engine. Choosing time vs. money is sometimes a difficult choice, but it sounds like you have enough time to make the swap work while saving $$.
The forlorn donor.
In reply to Pete Gossett (Forum Supporter) :
Yep. I think this is the ticket.
I wish I could make the build day. I think I'm going to have my hands full with my own To Do list battling 20 acres of nature. Everything is growing faster than I can beat it back or dying and falling on fences faster than I can clean it up.
In reply to jimgood :
I only have 5, and am feeling your pain.
I too can't make the build day. That's my birthday and my sister has tasked me with being at the party she's throwing in my honor.
In reply to HalfFast :
No worries...have a great time. 40 only comes around once so enjoy it!
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