Making the Best of a $20000 Mistake 

Here's the LS7 build I mentioned in the video: www.motortrend.com/how-to/1811-build-de-stroked-ls7-for-high-rpm-road-racing/ What do you think the cost would be for an LS7 that can safely rev to 8K RPM?

It's actually really nice watching a down to earth individual turning a wrench rather than a pro shop turning out seemingly perfect step by step results. Stay humble and keep grinding. You'll get there.

Josh, build/rebuild an engine at home. You are more than capable and for any help you need, the folks here will guide you. Have some confidence in your work - you do better quality work than many 'techs' out there anyway.

Josh, I agree that option 4 is your best bet. You can get a new aluminum LS7 short block from Shafiroff Racing for $7,895 plus $250 for dry sump extended crankshaft snout option. Then, add aftermarket heads of your choice and get that car back on the track.

Although I love my LS7, I would stay away from a new or used LS7 and try to find the most reliable option for track use. If mine ever becomes a paper weight that's the route I'll be going. I sent my heads to Katech and since then the car has seen thousands of track miles. I plan to check the valve guide clearance over the winter just to be safe.

Detroit Speed also built an de-stroked LS7 that put out 700hp and revved to 8500rpm

A destroked LS7 is definitely a dream build and I'd love to see you pursue it hopefully the stars align to make it happen 😊

Great video - you really show the human side of following a dream. I haven’t read the article of the D stroked LS7 but given its reliability for tracking I’d give it a serious thought of moving forward. You don’t want to find yourself in the same position a second time. Good Luck!

Texas speed has been putting out some good stuff the last few years. A quick look and you could get your 427, great internals such as Lunati rods, Callies crank, ARP bolts and a nasty set of heads that would give you your high rpm you desire. about 16 thousand from pricing online. You could go this route but I would suggest calling them so they can make sure the cam profile, compression ratio and over all build meets your needs for the road course and drivability.

Do a cost benefit sheet for each option. I would call a couple of shops and talk with some more experienced people about your options and costs. Katech, American Heritage Performance, RPM and Texas Speed are a few great shops. AHP has a build your own 427/442cu-in that has peaked my interest. I have a Katech serialized car myself with cam and fixed heads. I personally would buy an aftermarket shortblock and some off the shelf Frankenstein ls7 heads. It is a great thing to have a lot of options though.

Man I love your mindset and your ability to communicate the inner dialog I think we all have when working on our cars. Keep it up!

I wanted a ZO6, but I was afraid of the motor😮I settled for a grandsport 😊 You have a family, so budgeting is important 👍I would only spend so much on my car. Get the best most reliable motor you can for 10k. You have a Bmw & a Porsche and it looks like a beautiful home👍 trust me you winning at life😊

I am really interested in the de-stroked LS7. Thank you for posting the link. I really hope you are able to do it. What a great series of videos that build would be, your viewers would also be able to see you put that motor to work on the track. Thank you for educating me, I enjoy watching your channel as my son and I have been thinking of building a track car. Your a great inspiration, stay positive and Thank you.

I would find a used LS7 then have a pro shop run through it and freshen it up. With a mild cam, (see camotion), ferrea light weight exh valves, psi springs, titanium retainers, hardened pushrods, johnson link bar lifters, and shaft mount roller rocker setup (which is the key), you can safely run up to 7500. Most believe that solid exh valves w/ new guides or aftermarket heads fix the ls7 issue but that's only a band-aid. The side loading from the non-roller rocker arms will wear the valves and guides even with a stock cam. Been through this a bunch and going through it now. One of my Zs is apart in my garage for an update at 12k miles as I write this.The guides were well worn.

Good work on getting to this point in your tear down. A couple of suggestions that you did not mention that are also good sources for LS7 options, Lingenfelter and TPIS. I have Lingenfelter heads on my otherwise stock LS7. For my previous dedicated track C4 Corvette I had an engine built by TPIS, a 414 small block. I had a good experience with them. The thing I learned from my dedicated track car build is that I do not have the time and resources to fully sort a modified car so that it is always reliable at the track. The more it was modified the more maintenance was required and the more additional modifications needed to meet the new loads form a previous modification. And then the much less reliable the car was. As good as many of the aftermarket suppliers are, they cannot do the level of durability testing the OEM does for what they produce, and I did not have the time or want to spend the money to fully sort highly modified car. The modified car was faster and more fun, but the cost was more maintenance and less reliability. So, when I started to track my C6 Z06 I have done minimal modifications. I have a set of wheels with my track tires that I mount for the track, and I have separate brake rotors and pad compounds that I install for the track. Not saying you will have the same experience. I look forward to seeing where you go with your project.

Option 3 sounds the most exciting but I think option 4 is the most realistic, especially with wait times at machine shops. Can't wait to see which way you go! Best of luck!

It's so fun to watch this because I was in your exact shoes about 18 months ago haha. I contemplated all these same options and actually still have my original LS7 block in hopes of rebuilding it and putting it in another project someday. The difference was, at the time that I built the motor, I didn't know that I would be tracking the car a few months after it was completed haha. So I picked a setup built for boost, only to remove the procharger to make it driveable on the track. So you're already ahead there haha. But if I had to do it again, I wouldn't change much. I did a brand new Texas Speed block sleeved and forged everything, dropped that in and kept my old one. Only thing I would change is my compression ratio. I stepped down to 10.3:1 for boost, but would have gone 12:1 or higher if I did it again. Anyway, love the series man. Keep it up!

It’s a vicarious thrill to watch you work on this complicated beast. Not at all like the Honda RS125 GP bike I used to race. The whole thing weighed 155 pounds. One brake (I never used the rear), one carb, one piston and reeds, but no mechanical valves. The pistons only lasted for about 300 miles, but could be replaced in 15 minutes (less for someone with mechanical competence). A set of slicks cost under $400 and could last for three race weekends. The fairing and fuel tank were held in with five dzus fasteners so the bike could be stripped in seconds. Such a joy to work on!

I would love to have one of these cars. Wisest thing to do for anyone buying one of these would be to address the valve issue right away.

Not the lemonade stand it's the banana split. When you got the banana wagon. Love the videos, keep it coming.

Everybody and their mother is a youtube car guru these day

I went down the exact same path when my LS7 started chewing the rods. It felt like the car kept breaking one thing after another. Ended up spending stupid money rebuilding my engine (fully forged rotating assembly, Darton-sleeved block, fixed heads with the best components for valve, springs, roller rockers and a lot more). Then went ahead and upgraded all the suspension components, interior, and everything else I could think about. It goes fast and as it’s happening over a long period of time, it’s easy to lose track of cost because you get excited about the vision for the « final product ». Eventually lost the car altogether in a stupid low-speed, not-in-my control accident. Being not at fault, insurance paid for most of it and without penalty but all this time & some of the money spent is gone. With that experience, I have one advice: don’t get overexcited, don’t go after exotic stuff. Identify a reputable engine builder (Katech is one, but there are many others), go with what the shop recommends you based on what you’re trying to do, and be patient until it’s done. 20k should get you a very strong, reliable & exciting engine. It’s all worth it :)

The idea of rewelding a cracked block just doesn't sit right with me, especially when considering the abuse that it would take on track. I feel like there's way too much that could go wrong. As far as I see the best options are: 1.I know you mentioned that you aren't comfortable buying used parts anymore, which I understand, but if you're gonna build a motor then I could see it being smart to pick up something used and then going through it with a fine tooth comb and doing some upgrades along the way like a cam and getting the heads done. That would probably be the most cost effective option while making me personally a little more comfortable than fixing a cracked block. 2. Just getting a crate motor and fixing the heads. Sure you're in it probably around 25k by the time that all is said and done but the motor is then quite literally ready for anything you can throw at it and I'm sure that it could be a big selling point when the time comes to get rid of the car. 3. (and probably the best) New short block and then aftermarket heads. This one speaks for itself I think and is probably the goldilocks option between the top two. Potential for big power and essentially a new motor.

Your content is so soothing it almost makes working on cars look fun.

Destroked LS7 is defs where your heart is and imo you should 100% do it regardless of what others say.

If you ever want to talk to someone that's been there TWICE... When you add power beyond the stock LS7, this causes more issues downstream. (unsurprisingly) Also, there are a lot of crate options I would go for before the Katech. For $25K, you can get a MAST 685 Black complete with ported MSD Atomic rated for 685 HP. Texas Speed can probably get something similar down to $20K. The original LS7 GM crate motors were only $7K when available from GM. By 20K-25K you can have reliable fire breathing motor. My billet crank 8.2L and billet intake (800+hp) is only a $40K build, so spending that on 7 liter is pretty crazy. I've had my motor out enough times that I go from drivable to engine on a stand in one evening after work. You can make 600 hp very easily with a fully stroked LS7. It will put more power under the curve where you want it. I can spin my 8.2L to 7400RPM. In general, the power made with displacement is easier to use than power made with RPM.

I like your work, it’s real! When you actually do stuff , you encounter all kinds of “challenges “

Man, for me, this is some of the best content on RU-vid. You do a great job. And I love how clean and organized you are.

Love the Clown Shoe! You’re doing a great job with the vids 🤙

oh man, when you mentioned the possibility of the LS3 I was like 'NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Glad you decided not to go that way! And good on you for pulling out the motor yourself. I would definitely pay Jamison Custom Corvette to pull mine out.

Just found your channel…that was a wild few episodes…will be very interested in the build on this Z06.

Well, I have no mechanical advise but just wanted to encourage you on this build. You got dealt a hand many of us have had to fold. Props for recording it and taking us with you. Im glad you are doing it yourself. I’m new to the channel and hoping to see you on AMP/road Atlanta soon man!

Great video! Love the LS7. Just scared of exactly what your going through.

Depending on how the car is geared and the tracks you run, more rpm might not be what you need to be competitive. I was recently working working with someone on a C5 Z06, and he wants to make more use of 4th gear, but he needs more torque. I came up with a cam spec that will do that, at the expense of power above 6200 rpm. But, the car is faster on that track. I have always felt crate engines represent a poor value for the money. I realize the position you are in. I think you should be very honest with yourself about your goals for the car. If need be, write them out. Make a plan to address those goals. Don't hesitate to reach out to others in making that plan. I have redone my share of LS7 heads. There are a few ways to do it that are quite effective. I wouldn't hesitate to sleeve that block and use the engine competitively.

Great video, to watch. Obviously not that great to make. I appreciate your honesty and emotion during the tear down - I’ve felt that way many times before when working on vehicles. I like wrenching if I’m upgrading or modding the vehicle, not so much if I “have” to fix something. Subbed.

Invest in a pulley ceiling hanger made for removable hard tops. Don't risk your hood. Hangers are cheap.

New sub. Always loved the C6 Z06. The blown engine possibility made me pause my search. Look forward to watching your progress and which direction you take.

You could definitely tackle an engine build (as you drop push rods everywhere and head gaskets go flying) 😂 Thanks for sharing this experience with us. Oh and I think you should either go with the de-stroker or option 4. Both will end up being reliable and fun

love the story , it keep me on the hook

At the end when you feel good about things. Those are the signs that it's going to work out. Excited to see what's next !!!!!

Texas speed has what you’re looking for.

Love the content. So thoughtful it’s mesmerizing. I’m not anywhere close to owning a Corvette but I can’t look away. The E36 BMW content is more in my wheelhouse. But love it all including your track adventures. 👍🏼

LS’s are simple and you’re methodical. You’ll be fine building your own engine. Get the short lock with aftermarket heads, and skip all of the titanium parts.

I find option 3 very interesting. Living vicariously, I hope you do that.

Hey I liked the video I would keep yours and build it the way you want.

You’re doing a good job so far. I’m a professional so I can usually tell in pretty short order if someone is capable of say, doing an engine build. I think you can do it. As a matter of fact, I think you should. It’s an awesome experience driving something you built! I daily drive a 408 LS my son and I built. I love telling people we built it when they ask.

Man, I’m sitting here in the same situation as you were before this happened. To one up that I’ve already had the same problem you did but worse (windows in both sides of the block) from the LS7 I put in my 69 Camaro. Yet I’ve been saying the same as you, if I shift it at 6500 I think it will make it through this season. I’ve got some deciding to do I think. I’ll keep following along on yours, keep the videos coming.

I enjoy your videos a lot. It’s always a bummer when someone is going through the issue of a blown engine, but the pain will make it all the more worth it and satisfying once you get it back on the road. You could blow up a Miata engine and probably have it back in action “by next weekend” without much fuss, and you’d be thinking “that wasn’t bad at all”. I do like the idea (and the sound) of a big V8 revving to 8k rpm. Also, you’re doing great with your work. Having worked on cars for 15 years, it is a good idea to take your time and try to understand what you are doing as best as possible (like you seem to be doing), instead of just removing bolts and things without a care and then wondering how it all goes back together.

Do the short block (TKM or Smedding) and if the heads are salvageable, send them to Advanced Induction in Charlotte NC. Just had mine done and dude does amazing work. If your short block is salvageable, rebuild it. Take your time, do plenty of research. The hardest part about a short block is bearing clearance and ring gap. You’re skilled enough to do it yourself. If you’re tracking the car as often as you do, it’s not a bad idea to have it “on the shelf”. Sorry to hear about your misfortune, but keep the content coming! Good channel!

I say jump on that bicycle and go for a long ride… I do my best thinking while riding and it could help you sort through all the options without the emotions as you’ll be too exhausted to have them.. Also- as stated kudos for tackling such a big job, on your own without a 4 post lift.. crawling around on the floor and staying organized in such a beautiful garage (which poses other considerations as everything’s so nice and not wanting to damage/dirty the place) is a factor to this as well.

Great video again. Gotta give you a ton of credit. I’m afraid to do an oil change on my Z06, let alone an engine rebuild. Best of luck, still suggesting an LSX engine swap if within your budget. Haven’t done the research to price them out.

Nice work area .

Option 4 best bet. Lot of options out there. Can always look at the rpm Delaware packages. Lot of great builds there.

When I watch your videos I’m like…it’s the multiverse effect…I’m doing the same stuff, suffering the same pains but with different cars and place. Lol. Your patience is commendable. I would have to edit out the parts where I threw tools…lol. First…find an awesome machine shop. Second, agree and commit to your budget…which controls the conversation you have at the machine shop. You have an end goal jn mind and you can achieve it. But you have to control the outside influences, meaning the folks like me…because two things: opinions are like rectums…everybody has one, and secondly, money is no object, when it’s yours and not mine. I’d fix the block and shop for the parts that fit your goals. The machine shop will make sure it’s put together correctly.

While it is easy to spend another man's money, I believe building the over-square track motor is the route that gives you everything you want for the dollars spent. In the end you get: 1. A 7.0 427 (well sorta) 2. A high revving motor to stir the soul 3. A content boon for the channel 4. Relatively budget friendly 5. Gives you the most wrenching experience and will provide the most pride when done. Now, the question that really needs to be asked, what's the wifey think and how many projects are you "back burnering" because of this? That's prolly where this whole things shudda started.

Revving to 8k sounds amazing but you also have to consider how will your transmission like shifting at 8k . Good luck on build

I built my LS 7 with a Whipple 2.9 supercharger. It makes 710 to the rear wheels. Its supposed to be very safe. It drives great on the road great mileage but want hook up. I have 355/30/19 on the back and still spins with just a tap on the peddle. I had 10 grand in labor and another 18 grand in parts counting the shifter and double clutches. I built it to have 1000 Hp, at the wheels but the stock crank and pistons would not hold. I am running 10 lbs. of boost. I love it its fun. I take it to car shows and church every now and then. I have kooks long tube headers straight piped to the back. Nick Williams 103 throttle body after market fuel system, head studs, about everything other than the crank and pistons. 280 cc ported polished heads ,new balancer ,and a lot of other stuff. A lot to say at quitting time. In hind site I should have bought a big block and saved my LS7. or sold it and had good down payment for new motor. Good luck.

Keep grinding Josh! You're doing awesome, would be helpful if you had a wrenching buddy for some comic relief and moral support.

I bought a c5z last year with only 500 miles!! Even so I wondered if I should have just got a c6z with a little more miles to get the obvious benefits of all the upgrades. But the potential reliability told me to go the safer route get the light c5z that’s brand new and have fun build it up over the years. After seeing yours I am really glad I went that route. So thank you for that. Danny popp beating up fully built c6’s with his built to the moon c5 gave me the confidence that the c5 chassis is a force to be reckon with and not too mention pop up head lights:) my goal is tons of suspension and chasssis work and cooling upgrades and then sprinkling power in. I think your build will be just fine in the end. You seem like you have a good income and head on your shoulders. Don’t be afraid of a brand new 6.2 with a power adder that is not a down grade at all!!!!! I wouldn’t be afraid of an LT1 or LT4 swap either. If I could put any engine in mine and money wasn’t an option I’d do LT4

I spun a rod bearing. I had my heads re machined and ported and then went with a forged rotating assembly from Texas speed. 441ci.

My ball breaking comments aside, the best route for you considering the channel and the wallet (whereas I would only consider wallet) is probably to build something and make a bunch of videos. Thinking about what would be interesting for me to watch. Would it be a quick plug and play swap, then more track related content (working on setup, getting some sort of datalogging setup, chasing times)? Or would it be a more intensive engine build? Ultimately when you get to your goal you'll have to find a new direction for content so maybe the longer route is best. I will tell you one thing, the vids have been enjoyable to watch :)

Option 4 hands down. Plenty of sub options within option 4, to go from mild to wild setup. For example, a Darton sleeved LS7 short block with forged internals, Mast as cast (or ported heads if you can stretch budget further), ported MSD manifold, NW 102/103, Haltech or Vararam cold air, 2” long tube headers, Stage 4 NA LS7 cam, 650cc injectors and flex fuel and you have a 600+WHP NA setup, with plenty of torque too, and a powerband that goes up to 7300RPM. Tried and true combinations.

Hey! I came across your Channel with last week's Video and have been binge-watching since... :D I really like the content and can't wait to so where it goes. Here is a bit of my input on what you should do. First of all, I would list my options (as you did in the Video) 1. Buy a new head, have both heads and the block fixed (probably the cheapest) 2. Buy a used LS7 with (maybe?) already fixed heads 3. Buy a crate engine 4. Rebuild and de-stroke 5. Something bizarre, maybe expensive, but definitely fun! Option Number 1 is probably the most cost-effective together with option 2. You'd have everything back to normal and could continue as planned and if something breaks in the future you can use some of the shelf parts without having to empty all your savings. Option Number 2 is more or less a Plug and play fix and you'd have some spare parts from the broken engine for the future. Who knows if you need it one day... Option Number 3 sounds really fun. A crate engine is cool, and probably reliable for your use, but expensive. I'm sure some communities know all about it and could help you along the way. Looking at the price and spare parts prices (for the Katech one) I'd put this option to the end of the List. Option 4 is really cool IMO. You would get close to the car you are trying to beat! If you were to go down to 4 - 4.4L you would have something similar to the Porsche GT engine and could almost rev as high. The Motortrend article you mentioned says it all. Option 5 is an Idea I came up with while watching. Why not look into a used Ferrari 458 V8 engine together wit ha good transmission? They rev high, have a good power output, and are pretty reliable. It would probably set you back the same amount as the Katech engine. Most important though they are cheaper than e.g. the Katech one. You would probably need a new ECU, Transmission, and other stuff as they are obviously not compatible which makes this the most cost-intensive idea. It'd be a bit of a "poor mans ferrari"... but in a expensive way lol! You also mentioned the Garage56 Nascar, so what about a used Nascar engine? They are High-revving, reliable V8. Le Mans also has the LMP2 class and they use engines made by Gibson or Judd. It would be fun to see something like that, but they are expensive and need a lot of maintenance/rebuilds. (look into Ryan Tuercks V10 Supra, it has a Judd V10) All in all I would go for Option 4 or 5. Number 4 is the cheaper one and still really cool. Number 5 would be crazy and especially cool to see for the Channel.I would love to see something high revving. At the end of the Day it's a project car. It's not only about the Laptime or being the First in an Autocross. It's about having a fun car, a great journey and most importantly a great Story! So choose something that brings you joy and make you look forward to building/driving the car again. Make it something special and something that makes you proud at the end of the day. Keep up the great work and greetings from Germany! PS: Secretly I'm rooting for the Ferrari engine. Crazy and cool.

Option 4 100%. You’d essentially have a brand new motor and with aftermarket heads and valve train it would be bulletproof while making excellent power. Also, the more I work on my Corvette and watch others work on theirs, the less I miss my BMW’s lol. The frustration felt during this would be 1000x worse with a German platform. Don’t get me wrong I still love them, and to me Porsche 911 is the goat, but Corvette simplicity is truly a thing of beauty.

Hey Josh - one other thing to think about is cooling. Once you go heads/cam/intake/headers it will get real hot under the hood and oil/coolant temps get spicy. As you’re deciding what to do about the motor also think about what you might want to upgrade in the cooling system. It’s expensive but I recommend the GSpeed track cooling package. It works incredibly well and frees up a bunch of room at the front of the engine. Also pairs nicely with a TrackSpec hood vent. My car is making 560 whp and it’s really really really fun on the road and on the track. I also came from a 911, 991.1 GTS and the Corvette is way more fun to drive.

I dont think that subject can be covered in the comments however, i will try my best. The main problem in ls7 is the aluminum block material, so if you bought another block, it will be broken again and again. And that is waste of cash. paying more form the beginning will save your money later. LSR block is quite good and reliable better that RHS, because RHS has heat problems as we test it. about the power, your aim should be building a reliable engine as much as you can, after that you can increase the power with your differential final drive, for example if you use 4.11 final drive your torque will increase 20%, and this is really enough for the track. this is my advice if you have any more question, I already texted you in the Instagram. happy to share knowledge, since im building my engine right now

Even with all their down falls, I like the LS7

You may not think so but I see more than enough potential in you, rebuild that engine. If you buy new, the old engine will be a toe kicker in your garage. don't settle for less, do it. After that build you will be so happy with yourself. Study and learn from other peoples mistakes through RU-vid, you will be fine. These LS engine are the best for an under dog to learn with. Valve train is the key, spend the money on the valve train, remember the valve train is what broke that engine. Dig in and dig deep, take your time, you can do it. This engine ran great and will again with some help from you. That engine is without a doubt, rebuildable.

If i were in your shoes I'd contact Steve at Race Engine Devolopment R.E.D, he's a Darton sleeves Engineer and been doing this type of a block repair for a long time, have it Resleeved and get yourself a Frankenstein/AFR/Brodix/PRC Heads and call it a day Imo this is the cheapest most reliable route. Seen many cracked LS7 sleeves due to a harsh Tune / knocking that resulted in high combustion pressures, very thin/brittle cylinder liners simply do not take it, Darton sleeves should mitigate that, thanks to their advanced Nodular iron metallurgy and thinker walls

Fun fact about the goat in a stal with the horse. City people dont have these type of interactions

LS7 Texas speed short block with Frankenstein or MAST heads

Yup just keep the old block and take ur time building it exactly how u want and in the mean time get a quality shortblock with great heads that you can use on the new build when the time comes.

Going through this myself at the moment but mine is a lingenfelter LS7. Considered all your options including an LS3 but changing the identity of the car didn’t feel right. They’re rebuilding it as we speak with the 630 package + upgrading the bottom end for track reliability. $20k + the block. I like option 4 for the reasons you mentioned. It’s OEM+, you’ll trust it and you’ll be done sooner. Lingenfelter has had my engine since March, still waiting.

have a shop darton sleeve an 5.3/6.2/6.0 alloy block for 4.125 bore, as far as destroking the motor. the 427s have the punch out of the corner without winding the motor hard, a properly spec cammed for the application i think would be your best bet, and IMO johnson short travel lifters.... if your really considering de stroking the motor. look into the l8t crank which is a 3.850 stroke, forged, fully counterweighted for strength *8 counter weights*. will now need to go aftermarket piston/rods to make the right ratio. but i would be looking into oil cooling mods for sure if you plan to rev it to 8k. your valve springs should be pulled at the end of each season to check for wear/tear. 8k shifts really strain the springs.

Since money is a factor you should go with option 4. Get the short block and aftermarket heads. I wish you the best of luck.

You should talk to the guys over American Heritage Performance. I bought my heads from them for my 2015 Z/28. I highly recommend them.

Reach out to LEECEE PARTS. Get a full ls7 pullout from a reputable company, know the miles, cylinder compression, everything you'll need. You'll have spare parts between both and even adding the cost of heads, cam and intake manifold you'll probably be saving some $ compared to other options. As well as if needed sell extra components.

The LS3 used in the C6 Grand Sport with a manual transmission used a dry sump like the Z06. So it shouldn’t be difficult to convert the crate engine.

I imagine the LS3 would be the more reliable option vs a LS7. And the less expensive one. It really wouldn't take that many mods to get it over 500hp and it would still be cheaper and more reliable. I never have any problems with my LS3 in my Vette.

The delicate ls7 strikes again. So glad I traded my z06 and have the ls9 zr1 now

I feel your pain, disassembling the engine bay with no plan of how you’re gonna fix it. It’s especially worse when you feel like the car has been one big PITA the entire time owning it. I had this same journey with an RX-8 I used to have. You’re almost on the upside though, once you have whatever engine parts ordered you decide to go with, things will finally start coming together [: good luck [:

That’s awfully nice of you to comfort that Jack stand under the car.

Texas speed Sir

I Do Cars has plenty of teardowns to enjoy. AFR, Trickflow, Brodix heads on a short block should do the trick.

Destroked ls7 for the win 🥇👌🏾🥇

Thanks for sharing this journey. Really love this build series and level of detail on the struggles. I don't think its worth just wanting a 7.0/427 motor to then want to de-stroke it. After all it won't really be a full 7.0 liters of displacement anymore.Kind of competing values there. Plus I believe bore spacing cylinder wall thickness is still an issue with using a stock LS7 block. Sure the drag race & roll race N/A C6Zs seem to survive fine post head fix and cam at the 600whp power level. However, I feel that the demands of road coursing & the way you push your car is way more of slippery slope than short drag or roll races without the cooling sloshing or starvation constraints. I think option 4 makes the most sense cost wise & for the main objective of your GT3 killer goal. Only thing is. Are you you looking to go for a built short block with aftermarket block or one that is based on a factory aluminum block? Because ones utilizing a factory block will probably be LS3 based. Have you driven any nasty cammed/head well speced LS3 combos to see how they compare to your stock LS7???

See about reaching out to Paragon Engines in Cookeville, TN. When i picked up my C5 and decided to completely refresh ever single thing, his shop came up, but came up too late for me. Everything is done there, machining wise, assembly wise, offering rebuilds as well as complete short or long blocks depending on what you are looking for. If anything, he'll be able to tell you if it's possible to save your block/heads and make recommendations on the best route to achieve your goals. Looking forward to the build! Also, get ready to drop the drivetrain, cause ya ain't going to get that sucker out without it, lol. Ask me how i know. It's not as bad as it sounds and will allow you to go through all the other things too, such as clutch, guibos for the torque tube, and more. It really is the perfect time. Texas Drivetrain Performance has been great to deal with for those parts. Also i HIGHLY recommend going with the TMod Customs shift linkage upgrade to take out any slop. Fantastic product that made shifting infinitely better on track.

Mast Motorsports black label engine if money isn't an option but honestly you might be able to save your block and throw in some new pistons and aftermarket heads. That would probably be the less expensive route but unfortunately the longest one.

Hey Josh, I think you should save and repair the original engine to go with the car in the future. Find another engine of your liking for tracking and as time and resources allow fix the original LS7 if possible. One day you will likely sell the Z06 and that motor may be worth more in the future than you would expect. the day you move to your next track car, you can pull that race bullet and install the original engine and sell for more money and sell that race bullet as well. These cars have already bottomed out on price so its a good bet.

Keep in mind more revs means more wear on everything. Valvetrain is the key to high revs, but then you also need a water pump that doesn’t cavitate at those engine speeds, same for the oil pump. It’s also more wear on the gearbox shifting at high rpm. There’s a reason everyone outside of actual racing uses displacement to make the power - it’s easier and cheaper.

High RPM is in the cam and the valvtrain, destroking will just kill low end torque so you HAVE to rev it all the time. We all want a high rpm screamer but the reality is bigger cubes + lower rpm = more power and more reliability and faster lap times

The goal has not changed. Goldie is destined to beat a GT3. Torque wins races not HP. I put a A&A Procharger in my 6.2L C7 and she's putting out 635ftlbs of torque at the rear wheels (same RWHP).

If it where me and I went the 6.2l route I would super charge it and turn it into a poor man's zr1 in the zo6 trim. If sticking with the 7l I would go all out one time and be done with it and buy the built 7l that's all aftermarket. I learned long ago when trying to do a budget build you'll pay for it in the long run. Nothing worse than taking the engine out twice, whether it be failure or just not happy with the results. With so many options, it's so hard to choose. Just remember what your goals are for the car and leave yourself room for growth in the future.

I remember pulling apart my slk 55 amg & took my heads off & snapped the head bolts in the block… took me a week to get the courage to extract it & come back. But best feelin ever after u hear i start again made me tear up thats a bad ass car worth every single minute worth of work!

Ls7 shortblock and heads cam package from rpm. I'm going with heads and cam from them as they have that action down

You can detect micro cracks and fractures using magnetic NDI tests. If you plan to go all the way, might want to invest in CNC billet blocks. Cast blocks are meant for limited power use. Production has inherent risk of stress areas.

Don’t spare expense, buy the best.

Think about a lingenfelter motor. Not quite as much as the other. Probably in the 25k range depending on which one

Watching this makes me happy I can lift my Camaro's body off the engine(with the headers still attached) and cradle.

Could do a Texas Speed Resleeved 427, destroke is not necessary for 8500rpm. Piston speed gets a little high at 4" stroke but its not terrible. Valvetrain is where you need to spend the money and just make sure the pistons are rated for that type of piston speed. Another benefit to a darton sleeved stock block from TSP is the sleeves are longer, even lonfer than the LS7 which offers more piston support which is nice at higher RPMs.