When a C6 LS2 Engine goes Boom !
- Thread starter teamzr1
- Start date
Fishy Dave
CCCUK Member
Yes, poor old engine. I'd replaced and refreshed all of the common LS weak areas along the way (chain tensioner, lifters, Harmonic Balancer, rocker bearings etc.), but rod bolts are a very rare failure point. Whilst there are plenty of LS's that have covered more road miles, mine is probably one of the few that is tracked.
Fortunately, whilst the damage is great, the sentimental value of this engine is important to me, so the block will be welded, crank journal lightly skimmed, polished and checked. I can then soldier on with the same block, heads and 7 of the 8 original pistons. I will likely keep all of the original main and rod bearings, given they have all bedded in together. i will hone the cylinders, put in new rings and see how long it can keep going before the next failure.
Fortunately, whilst the damage is great, the sentimental value of this engine is important to me, so the block will be welded, crank journal lightly skimmed, polished and checked. I can then soldier on with the same block, heads and 7 of the 8 original pistons. I will likely keep all of the original main and rod bearings, given they have all bedded in together. i will hone the cylinders, put in new rings and see how long it can keep going before the next failure.
Dorsetsteve
Well-known user
Do you think this was simply a case of wear and tear, which would be fair? Were you running stock levels of power?
Fishy Dave
CCCUK Member
Yes, I've had a bit of an expert in the field look at the parts affected and he confirms it's wear and tear/fatigue. I have given it plenty of thought since, on whether I should have changed the rod bolts as part of good maintenance, but it's hard to know where to draw the line. At this stage almost everything in the car I've not yet replaced has gone through millions of cycles and budget doesn't allow for replacing the lot.
The block is now with the specialist welder and the crank is having just the one journal machined. I'm going to try to strike a balance between replacing a few parts whilst I'm in there, but also trying to keep as much of the originality as possible, even though that comes with a higher risk of future issues. How long will it keep going and what might break next? It's a tough old thing.
