@@yanwo2359 A great video like this doesn't need music. I think the music is just to gloss over videos that are no good. Usually have to mute the annoying music (shouldn't even call it music) just to watch those videos, or better just don't watch them and have to close them quickly.
FWIW, here's my take on what happened: Since I didn't see any anti-freeze color in the milk shake, I'm going to assume the owner was running straight water in it for whatever reason. Winter came, it sat outside and got below freezing, and the water froze. When the water in the water jacket froze, it cracked the block and the sleeve. When it does this, it usually pushes in on the bore making it more oval shaped instead of round. Water ran in through the crack and filled the cylinder. Owner started car and hydro-locked that cylinder which caused the bent rod and the locked up condition.
Why would someone run straight water though I could see this in some old clapped out Honda but not a Corvette most of those people are anal about everything including the leather Vette coats all of them wear lol but anything possible I guess
Old guy must have owned it, “water” is usually the only thing they say when it comes to “coolant” issues lol they never use the word coolant for some reason
This is so much better than a lot of the crap out there on YT. No excessive/unnecessary cuts, no long, self-aggrandizing intro, no music over the top of everything. Great job- very enjoyable to watch.
Some of my best hands on education from senior mechanics in life was tearing down something considered not repairable. Usually the shop boss would put it on a workbench near the end of shift and the apprentices would tear it down a little at a time each day. The shop boss & journeyman would unlock the beer keg cooler and drink a beer together discussing days events when we disassembled something. Like the cracked block in the video, sometimes shop boss would buy parts for a trial repair if we had a use for it. Great video, no music , liked the fast forward through repetition.
Really enjoyed your vid. No fluff, no awful music, good camera, lighting, and audio work. Getting to spend some virtual time in the shop. Cool. Subbed.
Agreed. Been a long, long time since I did any engine deconstruction. Back before I realized that having the right tools makes all the difference. Thanks for the tour.
Let's go back where it all started. No surprise the first engine teardown of the channel has now 1,9M views, every single video is epic, very instructional and fun. I'm very happy for the support you receive, Eric, you totally deserve that and more.
I get to see all these engines and disassembly procedures that I would never get to on my own. From one motorhead to another, I love it all and thank you brother man!
Your commentary has gotten much more ‘interesting’ in the last 2 years…‘adjustable rods’, ‘malice in the combustion palace’….’piston McNuggets’…great videos.
I've never torn down an engine, never been that far inside one, never even seen how a non-overhead cam engine is arranged! But I was impressed I spotted all the problems along the way just as you did.
@@king0cans So you're saying Richard and Trent have been influenced, in a negative way, by gaining a sponsorship? I've been watching their content for over 2 1/2 years now. A few Milwaukee cordless tools has not impacted their integrity. RUclips is a business. I wish PT's channel had MORE sponsors.... or in your terms, more companies "buying them out". 😐
I have a Corvette Z06 with this engine. I loved watching this video and I know these are hand built and those markings are from the factory. Beautiful engine.
The greatest Chevrolet V-8 ever made and they do this to it. All LS7 engines deserve to be restored and end up in something cool. They are museum pieces regardless of condition. Hell, I'd take one with a hole in the block and turn it into a coffee table.
@@jesterokjones4954 I believe that price is with the ecu and harness. Correct me if I'm wrong. Really isn't a bad price when you consider what you are getting and if you had to build it yourself.
@@jesterokjones4954 yep, try to build and tune it for the same money, not gonna happen. Then consider that the LS7 is epa friendly, if that matters to you
@@aw11man26 not here it doesn't matter, these stupid fuckers will have ICE's outlawed in a decade or so anyhow, so build'em to run rich and nasty! Big white spark while dumping as much fuel and air as you can with most advanced timing at the highest compression with forced induction and LET'ER EAT because it'll all be gone soon, another relic ...the very thought makes me want to puke and cry all at once....
Looks like cylinder 7 hydrolocked the piston bending the rod. The crack in the block was likely from an overheat, due to a steam bubble that forms when the coolant is low, which I assume that would be the first thing topped off when the driver sees the temp gauge. If a hot car sits off with the crack in the block enough water will leak into the cylinder so that when the driver goes to start it back up for the next run, cylinder 7 gets the adjustable rod mod. The head may have survived only because the gasket tends to fail first(Ask Cleetus McFarland) which may also explain why the head gaskets were not put back on the previous teardown.
That is a nice block being a LS7. Could you save it by TIG welding the crack shut then redress the block bore to accept a new sleeve? That block is too valuable to call junk.
:) back in the day, I pulled my 455 to fix the rear main seal leak. Rope seals. I pulled the sheetmetal off the front end, cleaned and painted everything, pulled the engine, turned it upside down on the stand yanked the pan...and saw two broken pistons. The damn thing was running like a champ too, I was just sick of the oil stains. You never know what you might find lol.
@@juliennacer8871 Buick. '74 block with the enlarged oil passages. The cylinders were scratched from the pistons so I had it bored .030 over, and then I put on TA Stage 1 heads, aluminum intake, split duration version of a Stage 1 cam, 10:1 forged pistons, roller rockers, adjusable oil pump with thrust plate, 7/8" primary tube headers to a 3" collector and 2 inch pipes.
I must admit I said spun bearing at the start of your video, but after your autopsy of the bottom end, bent con rod caused by hydro lock seems more fitting to what happened to this poor engine. Great video!
This is oddly satisfying. Kind of reminds me of troubleshooting mechanical issues on my RC cars. You never know what might cause the strange noise you are hearing until you tear that thing apart and find all kind of surprises...
As soon as I started watching I said it’s the number 7 piston. They’re famous for that. Especially if there’s been a power adder bolted on. Did it have have a blower installed on it?
@@cantdestroyher7245 it’s not special Per se. but they were known for the rod in cylinder 7 grenading especially when guys started putting blowers in them with too much boost. Need forged internals when approaching 700 horsepower.
@@remnard1 sad thing is it has titanium rods from the factory. I think people see that and think they can boost it like crazy. only thing is those titanium rods I think were because it revs so high, for a stock 7 liter production engine. I don't think they were selected for ultimate strength. I remember seeing a new, at the time, C6 Z06 throw a rod on the dyno because of a 250 shot of spray.
About 15 years ago I paid $500 for a nice blue 1985 F350 crew cab dually with a bad 6.9 Diesel engine. I dismantled the 6.9 and I found the reason for its failure. In one cylinder I looked in seeing no piston but it still had the connecting rod in the cylinder partly bent plus the walls of that cylinder were punched outward on two sides. The aluminum piston was in the oil pan in several dozen pieces. If I recall correctly Napa back then wanted $3,700 for a rebuilt 6.9. I sold parts from the engine, and sold the bed, most of the tires and transmission. I should have said yes when a guy offered me $800 for the rear axle. I moved it to another storage and eventually sold the rolling truck minus bed for $400.
Exactly my thoughts. They blew a head gasket, kept driving it until that cylinder filled up with more water than it could compress then boom. Cracked cylinder and bent rod. Question is how long did it continue to turn over with a bent rod in order to scorch those rod caps like that?? I'd say that block could be re-jugged and fixed.
@@adamcrux6829 it could NOT compress any of the water, liquids don’t compress. Air or any other “gas” is compressible. 😉 Therefore the liquid had nowhere to expand, so it bent the rod and broke the weakest link, in this case the cylinder.
Breaks my heart to see an LS down for the count. I love those engines. Running an LS1 in my Trans Am, making lots of power. 23 years old and strong as the day it was built. I take major good care of it. Big Al.
The blocks totally repairable! For racing your going to replace the sleeves anyway as well as milling the block. So a good tig weld, new sleeves and some machine work and your better than new! Then cut for fire rings and BAM! Racing engine!
@@nyplantingsgardendesigners5645 nope. as u can see the oil is a milkshake witch means blow head gasket. water come into cylinder and hydrolock bent rod and crack the block.
Same here it was a recommendation since I do a lot of motorcycle and automotive repairs love the absence of background 🎶 just straight chat and knowledge 👍
When I started working in a machine shop, I started in engine tear down and parts washing. You would be amazed by how many 1/4-5/16” fuel line clamps that I’d find embedded into the top of the piston. Fords always had the most reusable parts vs Chevy!
Great video, don’t worry if it was bad or not... great work and plenty of knowledge through your showcase.. keep posting and we all know you’re a great mechanic
I have a piece of con rod out of an ‘81 vette. It was stuck too, and when we opened it up it was nearly impossible to figure out what caused it to fail. Our best bet was the poor build quality of the engine, with more of an imbalance in the rotating assembly than I ever remember seeing before, or after. This motor turned into gravel from the pistons down, with some debris making its way to the valve train. Ouch!
Great video! I speculate something caused the cylinder wall to crack allowing coolant to leak into cylinder after engine shutoff. The next start up created hydraulic lock bending that rod☹️.
Throw a new sleeve in it, tack weld/JBweld the crack, and call it "rebuilt"! Pass the savings onto your customers!!! ...all sarcasm by the way, this is why you dont trust any random person selling a rebuilt engine
Excellent common sense tear down of that LS7 wondering if anyone would fix the block weld it then re sleeve it. I didn’t look to see if those are Siamese liners. Great video thanks for sharing.
Pretty common stuff. Ls7s are notorious for cracked sleeves specifically number 7. It wasn't a bad head gasket that led to the hydrolock. Sleeved cracked first then filled the cylinder with water then bent the rod which in turn lead to the rods rubbing together. Even that is fairly common where the rods will touch and slowly start to eat away at each other. The ls7 I ran in my z06 had a cracked number 7 sleeve. Had it re sleeved, new bearings and rings. And off I went. Probably wouldn't have used a pry bar on the trigger wheel though 😅
I dont know anything about Engines. I get into my Car every morning to go to work- How it works is a mystery- this video was very interesting. I dare say that this video is more entertaining than anything sandler has ever done on his best day(except punch drunk).
Although I really enjoy watching the destruction I would like to see this guy score a win once in a while. Seems like a lot of bad ones coming through.
What I think happened is the head gasket let go,.. allowing water inside the piston cyl and when the Intake valve closed and the piston came up... it was game over .the first clue I saw was the missing head gaskets.
@Eugene Foster I'd trust it enough over spending $15k for a new one but then again it depends how much a repair job would cost. If it's not that far off a new crate engine then I'd just go new.
At 07:00 you were seriously contemplating if it's worth it anymore...but you pulled through and found some more. I would love to just video tearing engines apart like you. 👍 you are indeed on of the most experienced mechanics for sure
Such a nice video, to the point and it wasn’t my engine. My engine was one which I did not change the oil…..ever….. and eventually the bearings failed and the engine died. When I tore it down (my first tear down) I discovered the problem and displayed the destroyed bearings on my work bench to ALWAYS remind me to change my oil. “Pay me now OR pay me later”….. the Fram commercial.
Used to do tear downs for a living. Looks like someone drove into water at high speed and sucked water. Saw this on jet boats frequently. I like your vids brother. No music.... bs... just to the point. Please keep it up
Stock bottom end LS7, factory LS7 cam, cracked sleeve & block, bent rod…. My guess is that it had a bolt on supercharger. GM has plainly stated that the LS7 block is designed for no more than 550HP. I’d never risk a $12k motor with a slap on supercharger without totally building the bottom end to handle it. New Darton sleeves and all.
Cool teardown! Glad this video is doing so well for your channel. Must be really exciting. :D That engine is SO clean inside and out I'm guessing someone already did a stock rebuild. My thought is maybe they missed the crack thinking it was a head gasket issue instead? Put it back together, ran it, ingested coolant, locked right up. Just a theory maybe way off.
Great video. Everyone who understands what in engines knows that the LS7 is a bad block. Much too thin-walled. The best block is the 6.2L from Corvette
Grab a 4.8,5.3, 6.0 iron block. Also bad Ring Gap, overboost can cause detonation next to hydrolock. If he knows the art of shot peening this engine can be restored.
Question.A seller goes to great lengths to disassemble,clean,and reassemble(with a bent rod)a engine.He or she then sells that engine to you for core value noting only that it is"locked up".A)Do you feel fleeced by that person and shy away from any future dealings with him or her?B)Does the "core value" buying price allow enough room to at least break even selling any serviceable parts from said engine?As always,great video providing great information.Thank you.
As an engine guy myself this was right up my ally. Greatly enjoyed the video. When it was still locked up after removing the heads I was expecting spun bearings. Great video.
Funny thing about antifreeze or water not being able to compress. We had a lady in a Volvo about 40 yrs ago. Said she went through a "little puddle "" and the car just stopped. Connecting rod was about the same. Shame about the block. Hope you can recoup something on the heads at least. Great video.
Me too,for all the "issues" you hear about,this isn't one I've heard of although you can get a cracked block on any engine.My ECU went out last year but being G.M. it was $140 (not including programming) for a brand new genuine item,imagine that on a Ferrari or a Porsche!!
@@grahamsmith2022 There is a story about Lamborghini Countachs needing two computers. Which are no longer made. Its a custom order to get a replacement - takes months.
@@confuse3671 I can well believe that,at terrific expense as well,no doubt,some of the modern vehicles,particularly diesel H.G.V.'s have multiple computers,mainly to control the exhaust emissions.
It’s January 2024 and I just started watching. (Duh) I love your description and fast forwarding through the boring stuff. The engine autopsies are great.
Dude, Just stumbled on this vid. A+. why? No annoying music, No shilling crap, this is a simple to the point video, the way it should be done.
HUGE ditto for the absence of "music." Why is it so hard for creators to understand that the music you like may not be the music I like?
@@yanwo2359 A great video like this doesn't need music. I think the music is just to gloss over videos that are no good. Usually have to mute the annoying music (shouldn't even call it music) just to watch those videos, or better just don't watch them and have to close them quickly.
@@yanwo2359 im the one when I hear music on a video, or shilling some scam game or vpn is it an automatic dislike from me.
@@Dratchev241 it helps those people make money. You understand what a sponsor is, I hope.
@@Creesic If they need to shill scams for money maybe they need to just get a real job.
FWIW, here's my take on what happened:
Since I didn't see any anti-freeze color in the milk shake, I'm going to assume the owner was running straight water in it for whatever reason. Winter came, it sat outside and got below freezing, and the water froze. When the water in the water jacket froze, it cracked the block and the sleeve. When it does this, it usually pushes in on the bore making it more oval shaped instead of round. Water ran in through the crack and filled the cylinder. Owner started car and hydro-locked that cylinder which caused the bent rod and the locked up condition.
Why would someone run straight water though I could see this in some old clapped out Honda but not a Corvette most of those people are anal about everything including the leather Vette coats all of them wear lol but anything possible I guess
Classic Hydro-lock
Old guy must have owned it, “water” is usually the only thing they say when it comes to “coolant” issues lol they never use the word coolant for some reason
...possibly-(!)
Who's running water in a Z06 for coolant? Hard one to buy/sell, but some people don't deserve shiny things! Mine runs quality glycol!!!!
This is so much better than a lot of the crap out there on YT. No excessive/unnecessary cuts, no long, self-aggrandizing intro, no music over the top of everything. Great job- very enjoyable to watch.
I don't know why but watching you tear down a motor to discover the cause of someone else's misfortune is highly relaxing for some reason 🤔
It's relaxing because somebody else is doing the work and you don't have to get it sorted for Monday morning to get to work
ommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm I agree
Its because it ain't our money that just went down the tubes.
I agree I love watching these
It's good because it's not your motor LOL
Some of my best hands on education from senior mechanics in life was tearing down something considered not repairable.
Usually the shop boss would put it on a workbench near the end of shift and the apprentices would tear it down a little at a time each day. The shop boss & journeyman would unlock the beer keg cooler and drink a beer together discussing days events when we disassembled something.
Like the cracked block in the video, sometimes shop boss would buy parts for a trial repair if we had a use for it.
Great video, no music , liked the fast forward through repetition.
You can't help but admire someone who knows what they heck they are doing. Very enjoyable to watch.
A breakdown video...that actually ...dare i say..BREAKS DOWN...the BREAK DOWN...no corny music..well done algorithm..well done
Yes man!
Dude for real!
Boomer moment
⁶⅚
Yeah his videos are legit
Biggest surprise of them all was when his 10mm was exactly where he expected it to be.
Amen, the video was believable up until that point
Exactly, Mine would have been in another parallel universe.
All 10 mm wrenches turn up near the battery terminals in random customer's cars.
Isn't that why mechanics buy them by the box? :-D
Always the 10mm
Really enjoyed your vid. No fluff, no awful music, good camera, lighting, and audio work. Getting to spend some virtual time in the shop. Cool. Subbed.
Thanks, that's quite a genuine compliment. I'm not one for all the unnecessary stuff.
Agreed. Been a long, long time since I did any engine deconstruction. Back before I realized that having the right tools makes all the difference. Thanks for the tour.
Neil Reid: Ditto! Subbed also!
Let's go back where it all started.
No surprise the first engine teardown of the channel has now 1,9M views, every single video is epic, very instructional and fun.
I'm very happy for the support you receive, Eric, you totally deserve that and more.
Been 50 years since I took an engine apart and this brought me back to my teenage years. Nicely done!
Back in the day did a 375 HP 396, couple 350's, a Lycoming io-360...and a bunch of Harley's. Would love to tinker with an LS lol
Great Channel for all of us old guys to watch a young guy work and playing with engines....
I get to see all these engines and disassembly procedures that I would never get to on my own. From one motorhead to another, I love it all and thank you brother man!
Your commentary has gotten much more ‘interesting’ in the last 2 years…‘adjustable rods’, ‘malice in the combustion palace’….’piston McNuggets’…great videos.
That milkshake brought all the blocks to the (junk) yard!
Damnit i was going to post this
There car is better than yours...there vette is better than yours
He can teach you, but he'll have to charge.
What causes that milkshake????
@@markbraid4433 coolant and oil mixing
I've never torn down an engine, never been that far inside one, never even seen how a non-overhead cam engine is arranged! But I was impressed I spotted all the problems along the way just as you did.
That block would make a bad ass coffee table base.
Don't know anything about engines but watching the teardown and diagnosis was really interesting
You're attacking that LS7 the way Richard at Precision Transmission attacks a 4L80E trans!!
No... This guy isn't bought by Milwaukee.
@@king0cans he is using a Milwaukee driver, and Rich only just recently started using Milwaukee tools.
@@king0cans Wait what's your point?
@Diego Adame The owner used cheap oil and filters. Probably didn't ever change it either.
@@king0cans So you're saying Richard and Trent have been influenced, in a negative way, by gaining a sponsorship? I've been watching their content for over 2 1/2 years now. A few Milwaukee cordless tools has not impacted their integrity. RUclips is a business. I wish PT's channel had MORE sponsors.... or in your terms, more companies "buying them out". 😐
I have a Corvette Z06 with this engine. I loved watching this video and I know these are hand built and those markings are from the factory. Beautiful engine.
What a beautiful engine, all that clean aluminum! I drove a Z06 fro three years; what a fine machine. A shame this one was ruined.
User name check out.
The greatest Chevrolet V-8 ever made and they do this to it. All LS7 engines deserve to be restored and end up in something cool. They are museum pieces regardless of condition. Hell, I'd take one with a hole in the block and turn it into a coffee table.
The ls7s are hand assembled by one person at the GM Assembly factory those marks are from the factory
@_Schwalbe_262_ insane, like 25k crate... They're bad ass though!
@@jesterokjones4954 I believe that price is with the ecu and harness. Correct me if I'm wrong. Really isn't a bad price when you consider what you are getting and if you had to build it yourself.
@@scottgas1299 yeah, an aluminum 427 block by itself is nearing 10k...
@@jesterokjones4954 yep, try to build and tune it for the same money, not gonna happen. Then consider that the LS7 is epa friendly, if that matters to you
@@aw11man26 not here it doesn't matter, these stupid fuckers will have ICE's outlawed in a decade or so anyhow, so build'em to run rich and nasty! Big white spark while dumping as much fuel and air as you can with most advanced timing at the highest compression with forced induction and LET'ER EAT because it'll all be gone soon, another relic ...the very thought makes me want to puke and cry all at once....
Looks like cylinder 7 hydrolocked the piston bending the rod. The crack in the block was likely from an overheat, due to a steam bubble that forms when the coolant is low, which I assume that would be the first thing topped off when the driver sees the temp gauge. If a hot car sits off with the crack in the block enough water will leak into the cylinder so that when the driver goes to start it back up for the next run, cylinder 7 gets the adjustable rod mod. The head may have survived only because the gasket tends to fail first(Ask Cleetus McFarland) which may also explain why the head gaskets were not put back on the previous teardown.
"Something very seriously un-right here"
My new fav quote
Have been subbed for about a year and this popped up in suggestions. Nice to see how you have grown your presentation and shtick since this video.
as an owner of a c6 ZO6 I was impressed the the LS7 engine is a beast and in the ZO6 slamming gears is fun. nice that you get right to the point.
Change oil more often
Great video, No *Rap Crap Music* No *Clickbait* , Good Camera and good Lighting .this is how all RUclips videos be,straight to the point!
No stupid jokes or singing eithet
That is a nice block being a LS7. Could you save it by TIG welding the crack shut then redress the block bore to accept a new sleeve? That block is too valuable to call junk.
sleeves would be the answer and a few new parts.
I love this guy. He's like the Quincy of engines. These tears ol autopsies are great
Great video. Appreciate the LACK of music. Thank you for sharing
This kind of videos deserves more attention. No annoying music, just the point of the video, tearing appart an engine and find why failed.
:) back in the day, I pulled my 455 to fix the rear main seal leak. Rope seals. I pulled the sheetmetal off the front end, cleaned and painted everything, pulled the engine, turned it upside down on the stand yanked the pan...and saw two broken pistons. The damn thing was running like a champ too, I was just sick of the oil stains. You never know what you might find lol.
Pontiacs have all the durability of a potato chip. 😀
@@drippinglass lol how would you know? You can't even guess whose engine it was so what means you know jack about shit?
@@bbb462cid well which 455 was it?
@@juliennacer8871 Buick. '74 block with the enlarged oil passages. The cylinders were scratched from the pistons so I had it bored .030 over, and then I put on TA Stage 1 heads, aluminum intake, split duration version of a Stage 1 cam, 10:1 forged pistons, roller rockers, adjusable oil pump with thrust plate, 7/8" primary tube headers to a 3" collector and 2 inch pipes.
@@bbb462cid sounds badass. which intake did you opt for?
Great work with your videos ,they really help us understand the problems we my come face to face with in our daily projects.
Casey Jones sez: "The block's got a crack in it the size of the San Andreas."
Is that the same Casey Jones that said "Just one more bump before a take my shift at the train yard"?
I must admit I said spun bearing at the start of your video, but after your autopsy of the bottom end, bent con rod caused by hydro lock seems more fitting to what happened to this poor engine. Great video!
Well, that’s the usual death of an LS motor.
It's fun to imagine the last guy who put this back together watching
What do you do with all the cores? Recondition? Part out? Cool business!
I do believe you single handedly created an amazing and new video genre with doing this. I love it so much!
Excellent. You are not an arrogant person like so many other people are.
This is oddly satisfying. Kind of reminds me of troubleshooting mechanical issues on my RC cars. You never know what might cause the strange noise you are hearing until you tear that thing apart and find all kind of surprises...
Can’t believe how clean the inside of that engine was.
Great video, no junk, nothing to waste my time, just a fun tear down of a seized up motor, I'd definately watch more of these.
Kudos repeating previous posts. I don’t watch a lot of auto mechanic video, but you brought me back. Stick with this format. Liked and subscribed.
Absolutely the best engine strip down in trying to diagnose a fault. .
Haven't torn down a small block (do we consider a 7 L 'small'?) For 15 yrs or so but holy cow they sure have progressed.
As soon as I started watching I said it’s the number 7 piston. They’re famous for that. Especially if there’s been a power adder bolted on. Did it have have a blower installed on it?
Now that you mention it I always had trouble finding out that the #7 lobe on the cam was flat. Talking with others found out it was not so rare.
So what makes number 7 so special?
@@cantdestroyher7245 it’s not special Per se. but they were known for the rod in cylinder 7 grenading especially when guys started putting blowers in them with too much boost. Need forged internals when approaching 700 horsepower.
@@remnard1 sad thing is it has titanium rods from the factory. I think people see that and think they can boost it like crazy. only thing is those titanium rods I think were because it revs so high, for a stock 7 liter production engine. I don't think they were selected for ultimate strength. I remember seeing a new, at the time, C6 Z06 throw a rod on the dyno because of a 250 shot of spray.
@@scottgas1299 true but I don’t believe it’s a forged crank either.
Man! Those motors are straight up and to the point.
No wonder they're so popular.
Great video man.
I’m building a destroked 6.0 right now. An easy 1400hp and 1000ft/lbs.
No overhead cams, hence the pushrods
About 15 years ago I paid $500 for a nice blue 1985 F350 crew cab dually with a bad 6.9 Diesel engine. I dismantled the 6.9 and I found the reason for its failure. In one cylinder I looked in seeing no piston but it still had the connecting rod in the cylinder partly bent plus the walls of that cylinder were punched outward on two sides. The aluminum piston was in the oil pan in several dozen pieces. If I recall correctly Napa back then wanted $3,700 for a rebuilt 6.9. I sold parts from the engine, and sold the bed, most of the tires and transmission. I should have said yes when a guy offered me $800 for the rear axle. I moved it to another storage and eventually sold the rolling truck minus bed for $400.
After seeing the teardown, looks like hydro-locked. Was that the cylinder that cracked with bent rod?
i believe so
Yes. At 6:57 he shows the crack in #7 cylinder wall, and at 17:58 he shows piston and rod #7 as the bent one. Good eye!
Exactly my thoughts. They blew a head gasket, kept driving it until that cylinder filled up with more water than it could compress then boom. Cracked cylinder and bent rod. Question is how long did it continue to turn over with a bent rod in order to scorch those rod caps like that?? I'd say that block could be re-jugged and fixed.
@@adamcrux6829 it could NOT compress any of the water, liquids don’t compress. Air or any other “gas” is compressible. 😉 Therefore the liquid had nowhere to expand, so it bent the rod and broke the weakest link, in this case the cylinder.
@@adamcrux6829 just to be clear, “gas” or “gases” NOT gasoline 😁
Blew a head gasket and hydrolicaly locked do to cylinder full of water explaining the cracked cylinder and water jacket in the block .
Breaks my heart to see an LS down for the count. I love those engines. Running an LS1 in my Trans Am, making lots of power. 23 years old and strong as the day it was built. I take major good care of it. Big Al.
youve been driving that ls1 for 23 years? 🤣
@@thephantomzoneboxing yes sir, makes 800 h.p. For the last 20 years.
@@allenbeaulieu7077 how many miles on it? how many rebuilds?
@@thephantomzoneboxing 29000, 0 rebuilds
@@allenbeaulieu7077 290,000 thousand you mean?..29,000 in 23 years what you just drive it around the block and back 🤣
The blocks totally repairable! For racing your going to replace the sleeves anyway as well as milling the block. So a good tig weld, new sleeves and some machine work and your better than new! Then cut for fire rings and BAM! Racing engine!
It hydro locked when the block cracked.
You mean the block cracked when it hydolocked
@@redline9579 Beat me to it!
@@redline9579 well if the crack let in coolant then....
@@nyplantingsgardendesigners5645 nope. as u can see the oil is a milkshake witch means blow head gasket. water come into cylinder and hydrolock bent rod and crack the block.
Head gasket failed. Coolant leaked into cylinder causing hydrolock. Bang, crunch and another one bites the dust.
This was the most Zen video I've ever watched. So relaxing just watching you pull that motor apart. Awesome.
You're right, especially when someone else helped loosen the bolts. It wouldn't be so Zen if I busted my knuckles which I'm very inclined to do.
2 minutes in and I subscribed. All meat and potatoes, no julienned squash with slivered almonds..
I like that way of putting it
I’m stealing that phrase
Same here it was a recommendation since I do a lot of motorcycle and automotive repairs love the absence of background 🎶 just straight chat and knowledge 👍
When I started working in a machine shop, I started in engine tear down and parts washing. You would be amazed by how many 1/4-5/16” fuel line clamps that I’d find embedded into the top of the piston. Fords always had the most reusable parts vs Chevy!
Great video, don’t worry if it was bad or not... great work and plenty of knowledge through your showcase.. keep posting and we all know you’re a great mechanic
I have a piece of con rod out of an ‘81 vette. It was stuck too, and when we opened it up it was nearly impossible to figure out what caused it to fail. Our best bet was the poor build quality of the engine, with more of an imbalance in the rotating assembly than I ever remember seeing before, or after. This motor turned into gravel from the pistons down, with some debris making its way to the valve train. Ouch!
Saw that rod slop/drop when you pulled the cap. Knew something serious was on the way.
Great video! I speculate something caused the cylinder wall to crack allowing coolant to leak into cylinder after engine shutoff. The next start up created hydraulic lock bending that rod☹️.
How does this man only have 21k subscribers? Dude's awesome!
Not many engine guys say disgusting over and over
He's got 270k now but still a little on the low side given some of the crazy subscription numbers out there.
Most of the time those LS7 drop valves … interesting to see it cracked the block maybe blew a gasket and hydro locked ? Awesome video !
Cracked block.
"It's dead, Jim".
A dab of epoxy cement and six cans of rad-weld will fix 'er right up! Trust me! ;-)
Throw a new sleeve in it, tack weld/JBweld the crack, and call it "rebuilt"!
Pass the savings onto your customers!!!
...all sarcasm by the way, this is why you dont trust any random person selling a rebuilt engine
Mike Harris Aaah, I see you know how to do a Craigslist rebuild too.Haha.
I know little to nothing at all about engines but I have spent a few hours at this point watching your videos.
I’m ready to see that viper engine come apart.
Excellent common sense tear down of that LS7 wondering if anyone would fix the block weld it then re sleeve it. I didn’t look to see if those are Siamese liners. Great video thanks for sharing.
I have welded ls7 Block and new darton sleeve in it
Definitely a hydra lock , block is repairable and well worth it .
Not worth it to fix a block that has a crack in it. Maybe if it was just the sleeve but it cracked the water jacket too
Yes and no. Hydro lock but too risky to repair. 7L have thin walls to begin with.
@@kyleyoung5754 clean that crack up and fill it with jb weld and run it.
Correct. Wet sleeve it and send it.
Is the block a wet sleeve design?
Pretty common stuff. Ls7s are notorious for cracked sleeves specifically number 7. It wasn't a bad head gasket that led to the hydrolock. Sleeved cracked first then filled the cylinder with water then bent the rod which in turn lead to the rods rubbing together. Even that is fairly common where the rods will touch and slowly start to eat away at each other. The ls7 I ran in my z06 had a cracked number 7 sleeve. Had it re sleeved, new bearings and rings. And off I went. Probably wouldn't have used a pry bar on the trigger wheel though 😅
Didn't know Adam Sandler worked on cars.
Almost,lol.
8 Crazy Cylinders?
Exactly what I thought.
I dont know anything about Engines. I get into my Car every morning to go to work- How it works is a mystery- this video was very interesting.
I dare say that this video is more entertaining than anything sandler has ever done on his best day(except punch drunk).
@@pgtmr2713 Nice one.
This has got to be one of your earliest engine tear-downs, the genesis is there for what it will become by 2023. Great start to a fab channel!
"Did you pull out?"
"Yes."
18:14
So clean , and all those markings, was it an enthusiastic amateur's teardown - rebuild - blow-up ?
Although I really enjoy watching the destruction I would like to see this guy score a win once in a while. Seems like a lot of bad ones coming through.
Well I expect people to sell their junk, who sells a good motor?
This _was_ a win. He got two good heads, a good crank and seven rods and pistons, probably the cam was all right too.
What I think happened is the head gasket let go,.. allowing water inside the piston cyl and when the Intake valve closed and the piston came up... it was game over .the first clue I saw was the missing head gaskets.
That block, if that’s the only crack, is repairable. Can be welded and a new sleeve installed
Yep, lots of guys would buy/repair and run it.
@Eugene Foster I'd trust it enough over spending $15k for a new one but then again it depends how much a repair job would cost. If it's not that far off a new crate engine then I'd just go new.
@Eugene Foster I e had it done an ls1 years back and it lasted 100k and far as I know still being driven by the guy who bought it.
@@ashcosmo3854 that repair would be $500-$600 at an honest machine shop, max... I got mine done for like $300 and drove it for years....
@@teamgmotorsports Fuck must be nice living in America. V8 block repairs in Australia would cost thousands.
1.6 million views!!
I remember watching this when you first uploaded!
Outstanding job!
Love see more teardowns like. Thanks for doing this.
At 07:00 you were seriously contemplating if it's worth it anymore...but you pulled through and found some more. I would love to just video tearing engines apart like you. 👍 you are indeed on of the most experienced mechanics for sure
I wouldn't part it. Well worth the machine work
this guy is like a demolition worker. He tears em all down. He not machining or building it seems.
Such a nice video, to the point and it wasn’t my engine. My engine was one which I did not change the oil…..ever….. and eventually the bearings failed and the engine died. When I tore it down (my first tear down) I discovered the problem and displayed the destroyed bearings on my work bench to ALWAYS remind me to change my oil. “Pay me now OR pay me later”….. the Fram commercial.
Have no idea why I watched the whole vid. Sort of like a good mystery story. Too bad about the block.
I know nothing of cars/engines, but love these videos. Very informative, well done..
As a self admitted mechanical novice, I've always found it much easier to take things apart than it is to put them back together. 🤨
Used to do tear downs for a living. Looks like someone drove into water at high speed and sucked water. Saw this on jet boats frequently. I like your vids brother. No music.... bs... just to the point. Please keep it up
Love the titanium rods they used on these. Fancy
But they rub each other...
@@corvetteZ3r the wrong way.
Stock bottom end LS7, factory LS7 cam, cracked sleeve & block, bent rod…. My guess is that it had a bolt on supercharger. GM has plainly stated that the LS7 block is designed for no more than 550HP. I’d never risk a $12k motor with a slap on supercharger without totally building the bottom end to handle it. New Darton sleeves and all.
To go faster I must add Nitrous, and more Nitrous, what could go wrong?
Nice work. Good presentation with no hystrionics just calm delivery of relevant info.
👍🏿🇭🇲👍🏿
Cool teardown! Glad this video is doing so well for your channel. Must be really exciting. :D
That engine is SO clean inside and out I'm guessing someone already did a stock rebuild.
My thought is maybe they missed the crack thinking it was a head gasket issue instead?
Put it back together, ran it, ingested coolant, locked right up. Just a theory maybe way off.
That block Is beautiful there is nothing like a small block with big block displacement!!!
Great video.
Everyone who understands what in engines knows that the LS7 is a bad block. Much too thin-walled.
The best block is the 6.2L from Corvette
Grab a 4.8,5.3, 6.0 iron block.
Also bad Ring Gap, overboost can cause detonation next to hydrolock.
If he knows the art of shot peening this engine can be restored.
Ls3 rules
Came here to post this. There is a reason gm didnt use the ls7 on the zr1. Ls7 is the only one of the ls engines i never want to own.
@@smokinC5 And to think there’s people out there that supercharge a stock LS7!
Question.A seller goes to great lengths to disassemble,clean,and reassemble(with a bent rod)a engine.He or she then sells that engine to you for core value noting only that it is"locked up".A)Do you feel fleeced by that person and shy away from any future dealings with him or her?B)Does the "core value" buying price allow enough room to at least break even selling any serviceable parts from said engine?As always,great video providing great information.Thank you.
It's cool seeing people that you knew growing up having a good interesting channel.
When I saw that con rod flex down half an inch after you took the bolts out I knew something was pretty wrong. The bend on it though!
As an engine guy myself this was right up my ally. Greatly enjoyed the video. When it was still locked up after removing the heads I was expecting spun bearings. Great video.
Funny thing about antifreeze or water not being able to compress.
We had a lady in a Volvo about 40 yrs ago. Said she went through a "little puddle "" and the car just stopped.
Connecting rod was about the same.
Shame about the block.
Hope you can recoup something on the heads at least.
Great video.
As an owner of an LS7, hoping this was a externally caused hydrolock (deep puddle drive through, etc.)
Me too,for all the "issues" you hear about,this isn't one I've heard of although you can get a cracked block on any engine.My ECU went out last year but being G.M. it was $140 (not including programming) for a brand new genuine item,imagine that on a Ferrari or a Porsche!!
@@grahamsmith2022 There is a story about Lamborghini Countachs needing two computers. Which are no longer made. Its a custom order to get a replacement - takes months.
@@confuse3671 I can well believe that,at terrific expense as well,no doubt,some of the modern vehicles,particularly diesel H.G.V.'s have multiple computers,mainly to control the exhaust emissions.
It’s January 2024 and I just started watching. (Duh) I love your description and fast forwarding through the boring stuff. The engine autopsies are great.
It'll make a good coffee table
Or engine. Really easy to fix.
I was shopping for a Corvette 427 with the LS7 engine and this video was recommended to me. Thank you very much!