az sheriff

Love it!!! Great Comment. With every new vette will be free healthcare!!!!

brian98vette

Thank you Rick Dadd for building my engine

Just a note for folks trying to find the plate - it's as described on the RH intake side, but the badge is facing forward towards the front of the car - I spent about 20m looking all over the side.

Excellent thread and always great to hear about how our cars are crafted - thank you OP for all of the information - love to get the inside details.

ATC399

and stupid post to clutter up the OPs thread...mine included

eaglei

Rick,

Unfortunately we are also shut down. Our layoff starts today. We return to work on Nov. 30. Hopefully we will have a steady work schedule after this layoff.

Don

SoonerEngineer

Wanted to say thanks for posting on the board and sharing the information about the engines you build. I ordered a Grand Sport with a manual transmission last week!

fun12bet

Sorry to hear that Don. Hopefully when you go back to work you'll be building my engine.

Rick

eaglei

If you are interested in seeing how engines are built at Wixom PBC check out this link. It covers an LS9 build with a writer from Jalopnik.com. Article is very recent. Process for LS3 is very similar.

http://jalopnik.com/5371569//gallery/?selectedImage=55

Thanks for your interest! And thanks for your orders!!

Don

fun12bet

Don:
Thanks for the link to the engine build. Looks like it has a lot of great process controls in place to assure a quality engine.
Does the Grand Sport LS3 engine go through the same test and quality checks as the LS9?

Rick

eaglei

Yes - Absolutely - our LS3 builds are held to the same high standards and quality checks!

There are some unique specs for each engine type. when it comes to cold test, based on the 'personality' of each engine type. For example LS7, LS3 and LS9 all have slightly different noise and vibration 'signatures'.

We have dedicated management that determines and monitors cold test data. If something is unusual (fairly rare) it is quickly investigated.

Looking forward to filling your order. Hope you post pictures when you get your Grand Sport!

eaglei

Congats Brian - looks like you have the first "Who Built your LS3
Dry-sump" post! Do you mind if I copy you to a new thread?

You're in good hands with "Dr. Dadd's" engine. He has pretty much spent his entire working career at GM building engines. He worked a few years building Olds rocket V8's, then did special engine work in Engineering., before coming to Wixom. He is very much a professional builder!

Hope your Vette keeps you grinning!

brian98vette

No problem - copy and paste

PnC KING

Don:

Thank you for informing me that my 2010 GS engine was built by a very careful builder, Mike Priest.

I am also proud to say that I have taken my car and his motor up past the 190mph marker which many (mostly Z06 owners) don’t believe.

I have a friend that has also been building some of the strongest LS motors since he was 18 and he was very impressed with the power and performance the engine had. He owns a 09' Base M6 Corvette and when we raced I was quite impressed how much I pulled on him. This is truly funny especially with all the Z owners saying that my car and the base LS3 are identical in power, I think not LOL!

Keep building them strong!

Regards,
Tim S.
proud owner of a 2010 Jetstream Blue Grand Sport M6 Corvette

JoesC5

I really doubt if your engine makes more power then any other LS3. I suspect that the reason you "pulled" on your buddy's base C6 is because of the lower gearing in the GS's transmission.

calmtgguy

Bingo.

PnC KING

Thanks for the response. I was unaware that the GS has a different gear ratio then the base C6, but that would make total sense.

DaveMcC

I've spent some time in a high volume engine plant and the process controls seem very similar. All bolts are machine torqued and computer recorded, with a go/no go function at every station. If any bolt at any stage fails it's torque spec, it is automatically sent to a repair bay where it is fixed, again with a computer recorded torque figure. Heads are installed by a machine fixture and torqued by the same type of multi-torque fixture.

Some parts, like main bearings, are vision detected to ensure that the correct size bearing is installed to keep the specs very tight. Even the tiniest parts, like C-clips on wrist pins, are laser and vision detected for proper fit and alignment. Every short block is rotated for vibration analysis before it moves on to head installation. Every engine gets an air test for ring/valve seal. Every final assembly gets a cold test. There is virtually no room for individual variation, never mind such things as missing/misaligned parts.

I have every bit of confidence in the mass produced engines in a modern engine plant. In fact, the only engine I've ever had replaced under warranty was a hand built SVT Cobra engine.

toomuchcar

Bruce Blomfield built my LS3 engine in my serial number 733 CRM GS Coupe.

GrandSportGirly

I will have to go look at mine and see who built mine...

Lead Foot 66

Don,

Many thanks for your detailed response as to how the PBC builds these great engines.

And for all you who are getting the PBC engines, DO take the PBC tour. It is better than the Factory tour, IMHO. I took the PBC tour on April 8, 2008, two days before picking up our then new Z06 at the NCM. My engine builder was Bruce Elam. We took pictures of me with Bruce and the "tour staff" were the plant management. All in all, everyone was very gracious and answered all of our questions.

So let's keep the PBC folks busy building these great engines.

not08crmanymore

Very cool info!Thanks man.Makes me want to buy one!!!