Crate engine or rebuild

[Camaromatt2ss925]

So I’ve definitely got some internal engine noise and have been having it for a while about 3 weeks. You can hear noise coming from the bottom as well as in the valve train up top with a stethoscope. Found a person who had exact same sounds symptoms and everything but was just a zo6 and need a full rebuild basically because he needed the blocked flushed. At this point I’m preparing for the worst but want to know what would be the best bang for buck.

1) tear down stock motor and see if it’s salvageable then fully rebuild it and cam the car.

2) buy a gm performance or blueprint ls3 crate engine. Gm makes 495hp and blueprint makes 530. Only thing is I’m not sure I need to buy a new ecu and controller with these new motors or if I can use my existing ecu.

Would love some input to see what people would do in my case.

Either way I’m very excited believe it or not I know it’s a lot of money but this is the type of shit I love spending money on lol

[ariZona28]

A few factors to consider. How big is your budget? What is the cars purpose? What is your time frame? How confident are you in your abilities? My first instinct is to go crate motor. 500 or so LS horsepower, warranty, bolt in and go. Not sure about ECU but maybe others can chime in with advice on that small obstacle. And if you want you could always dink around with the old engine on a stand at your leisure.

[Athletics101]

I’d look into your block first. If your top end is good, I’d get a 416 short block and port your heads and do all the basics to them. That’s can be done cheaper than getting a summit blue printed LS3 block. I just did a quick search through TSP. I’m not 100% sure on your current ECU working on, or having the ability to be flashed for a new motor. I think that they are vin locked and to get a new ECU a GM dealer has to order it, and send back the old in. Im no expert maybe a tuner can flash it all over for a new block if you go that route.

[HDRDTD]

One thing to consider. As you know, building your current motor negates your warranty.
Buying a crate engine on the other hand should come with it's own warranty.

Then again if you're not concerned about the warranty, building your own engine would give to the ability to pick and choose various components with YOUR driving intentions in mind. Build it for torque, or for horsepower, and choose what rpm range you anticipate using it in.

[acutron42]

Is it manual or automatic? Daily driver, strip or road track car? Like HDRDTD stated, consider how you will be driving it.

[1COR.1:18]

Originally Posted by HDRDTD

One thing to consider. As you know, building your current motor negates your warranty.
Buying a crate engine on the other hand should come with it's own warranty.

Then again if you're not concerned about the warranty, building your own engine would give to the ability to pick and choose various components with YOUR driving intentions in mind. Build it for torque, or for horsepower, and choose what rpm range you anticipate using it in.

Tim I'm pretty sure his 2010 is out of Warranty.

[Greenhornet2]

Bottom end issues I'd also look at a short block and reuse your heads intake ect. You really don't even need porting or anything just make sure the heads are good valve seats are good and valve guides. If the heads are no good then I'd look at a crate engine but you could still buy a shortblock and used ls3 heads for cheaper or even buying a longblock is cheaper than a crate. If you don't do your own work tho it might be about the same in the long run to have someone drop in a crate engine as you wont have to pay the labor to have them swapping all the parts and inspecting stuff over.

[HDRDTD]

Originally Posted by 1COR.1:18

Tim I'm pretty sure his 2010 is out of Warranty.

Good point there Jim, but my point was that a rebuilt original motor won't come with any kind of warranty unless a shop does the complete rebuild and gives him a warranty on their work/parts whereas a crate motor will come with it's own warranty.

[Camaromatt2ss925]

The cars running perfectly fine right now obviously not driving it much anymore but anytime I do the car drives normal ides fine, no codes or anything I’m just hearing this consent squeaking noise coming from the engine. I’ve done everything at this point but tear the motor down and pulling the heads off to see the damage it would obviously make more sense to just rebuild the one I currently have but don’t won’t to have my engine builder tear the motor down just to find it’s no good then that’s just money out the window.

The only thing holding me back from grabbing the crate motor would be the 1,500 plus you also have to spend on top of that for the new ecm, etc.... if I could just bolt it up and then reflash or tune current ecm I’d be fine with that but I don’t think you can cause I think the ecms are vin specific

[acutron42]

Here is a recent thread worth reading if it is an M6. No updates on this yet but noises in a car can be like a cricket. You swear it's one spot but you could find out it's not even close.

https://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=574741

[Vegas Bound]

You don't need a new ecu. I put a LSX crate motor in my car at 651 miles on the odometer. Just required a tune for all the mods done at that time.

[Camaromatt2ss925]

Ahaha that’s my post I posted that a couple weeks ago having the sounds I’m having. Took off the front timing cover and everything checked out fine! Cracked open the valve covers everything looked good nothing loose or out the ordinary. My thoughts are that a lifter or lifters have seized up and is skipping across the cam scoring it making the chirping/squeaking noise. Wish it was just a balancer or something small but at this point I think it’s a lifter cam issue. I’m just concerned cause when you put a stethoscope on the oil pan it makes the same noise there as it does by the timing cover and on the valve covers so it’s like I’m having the same noise in three different areas. Either the noise in traveling or it’s making noise I’m multiple areas of the motor

[Camaromatt2ss925]

Thanks Vegas bound I just happened to get off the phone with blueprint and they said the same thing. Now just need to decide gm performance ls3 or blueprint ls3 hmmm��

[Vegas Bound]

Originally Posted by Camaromatt2ss925

Thanks Vegas bound I just happened to get off the phone with blueprint and they said the same thing. Now just need to decide gm performance ls3 or blueprint ls3 hmmm��

I love my LSX376 iron block with forged internals. 7 years of 17 lbs pd boost and hundreds of passes. Change the oil every 1000 miles or so and no issues yet.