Quick Check-in

[Iroc2Vette]

Now over 90K miles. So far, the engine is holding up well. Uses zero oil between changes. I stopped doing oil sample reports because the engine is showing no signs of internal measurable wear, according to the reports. So far, in my ownership, I've had to do these items:

ROAD DAMAGE:
Right front rim-pot hole damage
A/C Condenser-stone damage

NORMAL WEAR:
1 Battery
2 sets of tires
1 set front brakes
Hood struts

FACTORY FAILURE REPAIRS:
Radiator-Leakage-might've been aggravated by the pothole hit
Power steering hoses- HP leaking-replaced both including cooler
CAGS leakage-Solenoid replaced

POSSIBLE FUTURE REPAIRS:
HVAC actuators starting to fail. Vent flow has failed, Driver side blend is acting arthritic. If I have these done, with this car's age and mileage, I'd have the evaporator and heater cores replaced as well as the blower motor. Seems they are only accessible when the dashboard is completely removed.

Would I buy this car again? Yeah...Absolutely! All things considered, it's been an amazing ride and continues to be so. These cars are surprisingly robust. And unbelievably enjoyable to drive. Always a bummer when I have to pull back into the garage...

 

[TooFast]

Have not been on here in a long time, just saw your post. Good for you great feedback on your Z, I did not catch the year? In regard to the Blackstone reports I use them myself, however with only 3,000 miles on my 2011 Z07 (which I bought new), with previous good Blackstone reports, my valve guides were determined to be out of spec, intake and exhaust, on a completely stock car. I think Blackstone is a great data point, but only one. Based on my experience "normal" Blackstone reports are important but not a panacea to no issues.

 

[Iroc2Vette]

Hi...I've actually stopped sending in samples. So far, so good. I just did a 2,000 mile round trip stay to Virginia and am closing in on 95,000 miles on the odo. There was a statement in Hib's article that GM asked Linimar(?) machining to start doing 100% inspections in Feb. 2011, if memory serves me correctly. Mine is a 2013. So I assume the issue was fixed. The article said that mostly cars of 2008-2010 had valve guides that the diameters were too large. Again, if memory serves me correctly. My car has also spent about 5 hours on the track going through NASA HPDE courses. All I did before the trip was change the belts as a precaution. Other than that, the Z performed flawlessly. I have to say, after nearly 9 years and almost 100Kmi of ownership, I'm still luvin' this car.

 

[TooFast]

That is great, glad you are enjoying it so much, I also enjoy mine! The problem was Linimar not boring the seats concentrically in the heads, this is what created the premature wear problem. If you are not seeing any oil use or blue smoke upon start up, then there is a good chance you may have got a good set of heads on your car. From what I have seen over the past five years, there have been no heads that did not have some kind of wear upon being checked. Of course at 95K miles, what more could one ask for out of a performance car engine; I think you got good service at that mileage. In regard to 2013 not being an issue, the Camaro Z28's have LS7's in them much later than 2013 and the problem is still cropping up.

 

[Iroc2Vette]

That's what it was... The concentricity...Interesting the Z28 427s exhibited the same issue. Perhaps I got lucky? I've not used any oil for the last 3-4 oil changes. Blackstone wrote I can do 10Kmi changes due to the lack of measurable wearable metals in the samples. So I do 8500-10K. With no oil additions. I'm always amazed at how the engine seems to use no oil at all. Again, perhaps I lucked out. I did factory order it. But, I doubt that'd make any difference. As the heads were probably in an inventory already. I'm looking into the up and coming C8Z. But, the dual clutch setup as well as the quad OHC and 9K rpm do make me nervous. GM has had a lot of issues with their overhead cam engines....Namely with the timing chains, from what I've read and heard...