C6Z Heads, my experience

I have not booked into their shop but they are willing to use AI as per my request down side to AI is no cores in stock so you have to send your heads and they are busy with 5-6 week lead time and looks like also prioritizing their good clients like RPM and others before mine. RRG did not present me with their way assuming they are doing the heads themselves with local machine shop?
 
These cars already have a pretty agressive cam, with high lift and with the high ratio rocker arms, I’m not convinced that this does not exacerbate potential failures or longevity. Unless you want to pull the heads again as part of your maintenance regiment to keep checking. Still way cheaper to do than maintenance on an Italian exotic 😉
 
Maybe I am too addicted to RPM's YouTube channel and all the extra WHP they get with heads cam and headers. I see typically another 100 at least added to thew car, honestly its not really needed its more about dyno numbers bragging rights to others which is admittedly pretty silly but hey isn't that what makes america great again, spend spends spend needlessly?
 
tommyc6zo6 said:
These cars already have a pretty agressive cam, with high lift and with the high ratio rocker arms, I’m not convinced that this does not exacerbate potential failures or longevity. Unless you want to pull the heads again as part of your maintenance regiment to keep checking. Still way cheaper to do than maintenance on an Italian exotic 😉
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More HP is definitely more repairs and maintenance cost 100 percent!
 
A baby cam to accompany a set of lingenfelter head replacements (fix head geometry issue), air intake, and a tune by Champion motors is an easy choice.
Doing that myself in April.


Integrity and stellar qualifications that are on the top shelf is a no brainer realization there..... for many years I have dealt with them.

Unless you have the stomach for issues staying mild is key to your sanity.
I know better than most..... some of you may remember me.

Presently have my 06 Z here in Arizona that I bought in the fall....drove it down here in the fall....incredible place to drive a cool car.
Happy to own a vette again.
Look 👀 to meeting some of you one day at a cruise 🚢 or something.
 
My 2011 z06 has 62000 km. Any particular symptoms I should be aware of? A local speed shop mechanic says valves will be noisy during cold start up. I'm in Quebec, Laurentians and Montreal
 
Sustain26 said:
My 2011 z06 has 62000 km. Any particular symptoms I should be aware of? A local speed shop mechanic says valves will be noisy during cold start up. I'm in Quebec, Laurentians and Montreal
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from GM


LS7 Valve guide issue summary:
• Affects a small, number of '08, 09 ’10 and ’11 Z06’s
• GM discovered the condition through our cylinder head warranty data involving a very small percentage of our vehicles.
• Through inspection of returned heads, it was determined that a machining error in the valve guide had occurred at our head supplier.
• The quality issue has been contained as of Feb 2011 with 100% inspection of all heads.
• The most common customer complaint has been excessive valve train noise.
However if the condition is not addressed, it could result in engine failure. To date, where this condition has been observed, it has occurred early in the vehicle life.
What customers need to know: They should drive and enjoy their vehicles without fear. If their car demonstrates this condition, they are likely to hear unusual valvetrain noise first. If you have a concern regarding this issue on your personal vehicle feel free to contact me through private message on this forum and we will work to assist in resolving your concern. Feel free to contact me through [email protected] please put attention Evan in the subject. As always, vehicles that have modifications to the powertrain or the calibrations, are no longer covered by GM's warranty.

Sincerely,
Evan, Chevrolet Customer Service
 
You can spend an endless amount of time researching this issue and not come to a definitive conclusion as to when or why these valves fail. Lots of theories, but the bottom line is some do fail.
Most owners just do them for safety, rather than based on symptoms.
The result of failure is kinda spendy.
imho
 
tommyc6zo6 said:
Exactly what I did a year ago...except labour cost was about $1200 in my case, here in Montreal (at my local Porsche shop). I have much greater ease of mind
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Also in Montreal. Looking at an LS7 Corvette. Reading up on head replacements Previously owned a Porsche 911. Which Porsche shop did you use? If this valve thing can be fixed locally ok to buy an LS7 Corvette. If not, probably take it off the list🤦‍♀️
 
Hi, I bought a AHP pkg 4 head package and had Ron at Auto Benny do the installation, as I knew no one in the Corvette or LS world at the time...and had confidence in him since he'd done work for me in the past.
Then, I returned the cores for credit. His work was exemplary.
I do track the car as well, and so far its perfect...I had Blackstone oil analysis done twice and all 100%.
It has about 25000 km on the heads now it and I will have the valve springs and retainers changed out at 50,000km just as routine maintenance. Also, I use oil with a bit more zinc than spec for added lubricity.

Having said all that, today, I'd probably choose Performance Redline (Valleyfield) for such work as they are the renowned LS specialist in the area and have done some tuning for me afterwards.

One additional thought, leave the cam alone for longevity. Head issues are undeniably exacerbated by more radical cam profiles and the associate heavier and stiffer valve train components required.

Good luck

PS despite what GM says 'officially'...ALL LS7s may be affected
 
My son who is a mechanic just bought a 2006 Z06 a month ago and is tearing it down in our garage. He's sending the heads out to California I think to have them ported and polished and upgraded. He's also doing a stage 3 BTR cam, Speed engineering headers with catless x pipe, ported intake manifold, tune among other things. Apparently he said there was no shop in Canada he could find to do the heads.

Should be quite fast when he's done. I believe 600+ RWHP? Way faster than the old mans stock C8. :thumbs:
 
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