Cmr0z28

My friend bought a '97 Z28 with a blown headgasket. The car ran really smooth and quiet, just blew coolant out the exhaust. Anyways, we tore it down last night and got the driver side head off. This is what the #5 cylinder looks like...



When the car idled, I didn't feel any suction from the oil filler neck and like I said, it was very quiet and smooth, and oil pressure was fine.

Those bumps can not be felt, but one of the marks above it can be felt slightly. Would this cause any problems with the rings or anything?

Basically we need to know if he's going to need a new shortblock or if we can get the heads milled and slap it back together.

Thanks in advance.

ulakovic22

I don't know the answer to your question......but if you have the money to rebuild it and add a cam or whatever your plans may be, do it. If you don't or are not sure what you want to do at this point I would clean it up as best you could, slap it back together and run it until you figure it out or save up the money to do what you want. I would use it as a learning experience.

1racerdude

I would clean it up real good,CHECK the heads and chance it.
If it don't work out then ya are no worse off than ya are now. Ya could hoist it do a ball hone on all the cyl and rebuild it also. If it were high mileage and due for a rebuild shortly I would run it.

SSCamaro

what bumps? You need to wipe and clean the cylinder real good first befor taking pic, then, photo shop it with some arrows pointing to the problem areas (and not covering it up) and explain each problem in a little better detail. Are we talking bumps, ridges, scrathces, gouges etc...

Javier97Z28

I just wanted to chime in b/c my lovely LT1 demolition skills were called in for disassembly of this car in question last night.

The car was run with milkshake in the oil pan. It was NASTY. There's milkshake coating the intake, pushrods, anywhere you can find it. As far as the nick in the cylinder goes, I'd describe it as a slight gouge about 1/2" way down the bore.

It's an 88k mile car.

IMO, he has two options. Like LR just said, clean it up and run it and see where it goes... or rebuild it. If it blows up, he's gonna have to rebuild it anyways, and if it doesn't, then he gets lucky for a bit and can hold off before a rebuild. If it blows he's out gaskets, fluids, and time.

I personally wouldn't run it, the work to put it back together and chance it isn't worth it to me. I'd let it sit, collect some $, and rebuild it... even if it's a budget build.. clean/hone/re-ring/bearings.

cause4panic

My vote would be to clean it and run it.

SSCamaro

If your talking that itty bitty teeny scratch, then put it back together and run it, just flush and drain 2-3 time once its warmed up good in the drive way, then after a good 50 mile drive and you should be fine.

This is as long as you do it ASAP, DONT leave that gooey mess in there fro long!!

ulakovic22

With this being said I wouldn't even be worrying about the cylinder bore and a tiny nick in it and more about the bearings and if they would last for long after it was put back together.

Javier97Z28

Anthony, that's my thought as well.

SSCamaro

looks like he caught it in time, minus maybe an extra 5k off the bottom end from lack of full lube. If you dont hear anything unusual in the next 1k after fixing it, I think yur good to go for a while, another 40k(?) if your easy on it.

DaddyLover

hopefully im thinking put it back together and save for a motor.

speed_demon24

Put it back together, and spray with a 300 shot since its going to spin a bearing either way, might as well go out in style. In all seriousness, milkshake oil= bye bye bearings.

Z28SORR

Not necsessarily, water can also be a lubricant.

I'd put a gasket on it and throw it back together. And pray it holds together while I'm saving for a rebuild.

SSCamaro

it will hold, sheeeeeeesh, lol.

AmericanMuscle33

I wonder how long they ran it with the bearings drinched in milkshake...