F-Body Europe

I know Paul is busy over there, but can't you get him to atleast pull the pan or maybe do a compression check?

They didn't offer to do anything else. I don't know if it's worth having them do anything else, since they won't actually fix it.

I wasn't planning on any internal mods, but maybe I'll use this time to swap in a more aggressive cam or forged parts. Its frustrating how this happened at the beginning of summer, hopefully I'll get more drive time before October!

That really sucks. I hope this can be fixed relatively quickly!

If I have to replace a rod, then I'm thinking about upgrading the whole rotating assembly. Maybe 402 or 427 I'm torn though, because I really like getting 27mpg with a V8. I may not drive it as much later as the project progresses, so maybe I should just get the 427...

Nooooo! Don't go 427!

PS-Mine LS3 427 should be shipping any day now

HAve you found anything out or just anticipating?

Just thinking out loud. For some reason I thought you already had the 427, maybe I'll beat you to the punch!

I am leaning toward the 427, if I go the upgrade route. It's something I thought about doing years from now, because I wasn't expecting engine problems anytime soon. If I swap things out, might as well do it now.

The car gets moved to Dany's Garage tomorrow.

Good luck there, hopefully it's something minor ...

Johnny,

I think you have the 6.0 liter LS2....right? I don't think you can build it with a stroke long enough for a 427. Without going into an LS3/L92, LSX or LS7 block, I think you are limited to about 418 ci. Obviously, no slouch still.

If you have to rebuild, are you looking to have one shipped over or having it built here?

I think you're right. I thought I saw one when I looked last week, but now I don't see it; 418 is the biggest. I'm waiting to see the damage first, but the plan is to rebuild it here.

I learned on Friday the engine is toast. Two broken rods and pistons 7 & 8 came apart; the block, cam and crank are damaged as well. I'm shopping for a new engine in the states and I'll make a decision this week. Out of curiosity, anyone know what a bare LS2 block sells for in Germany?

That hurts man. I definitely know how it feels.

Do you know why it came apart? Was it entirely stock internals?

Is the block damaged? Mine is completly thrashed. Supposedly there is an aluminum recycle center somewhere near us that I plan on taking mine. Hopefully I can get a few Euros out of it.

Yes, stock internals, except for a mild cam. The block is damaged too, so let me know if you find that place!

It could have been damage from an over-rev 10K miles ago, but it may have been bad from the start. There always was a vibration, but I thought it was drivetrain. I balanced the driveshaft, the wheels and changed the pinion angle and each time it got a little better. Because the engine was practially new, I never thought it was the problem.

Anyone know if the standard VAT form is enough to avoid any taxes when it gets here?

You have to go to customs on Einsidlerhof before going to pick it up. They will give you the paperwork.

Johnny, if you are wanting a new block and not a used one, I'd recommend contacting Bill Markovich at partszoneonline.com. He is great to work with and the cheapest I've found on new factory parts. He will ship over here, probably around 300$ shipping. If you want forged internals, you might check Scoggin-Dickey and get a short block. Just food for thought.

Jerry

Thanks for the info Brian.

Jerry, I am looking for a new forged short block. I saw engines from Scoggin-Dickey, but I never heard anything about them. LPE has a decent price on a 402, but they need 2 weeks to build. TX Speed has a sale on their 402s and I may get an additional discount, plus they're ready to ship. Both of these are balanced an blueprinted too. I'll decide in a day or two.

sorry to hear about your bad luck.

don't throw away the old broken engineblock, it could come in handy for fitting purposes (in a non gm body)

Are you saying you want an engine block for trial fitment?

Maybe I'll make a coffee table out of it, with a glass top... hmm....

Your engine hasn't shipped yet, right? I just got an amazing quote from UPS for air freight: $398 with pick-up at Frankfurt airport and $571 shipped to Rodersheim. I did this through their online contact form and requested a quote. This was based on 325lb weight with 40x24x24 inch dimensions. Check it out!

Considering the weight and size, I'd say that's a pretty decent price ...

That is great, since 2-3 others told me around $700 by boat!