I have been down this road before, never ending frustration but this time the straw has broken me. Times are tough, and arent getting any better.
1993 C4 Ruby Coupe Auto 140000 miles of love
I just rebuilt the 396 LT1, and after it was all said and done 2 bolts stripped. Of course both belong to the passenger side cylinder head. One for manifold and #8 rear header bolts. If I was putting any torque on them I could understand, but I was doing first round on manifold, 20#'s torque, and it stripped with heloicoil already installed. The header bolt was intial snugging down, and it stripped with Time cert already in.
DONE!
Now I need to offload or use as a spare car, parts bitch what ever.
Its easier to say what it does need, as opposed to what it has.
It needs carpet and seats recovered, and need to start saving for paint as the 1999 Callaway paint is chipped and needing a re-do.
Engine 396 LT1 just rebuilt with new rings, etc etc. Originally built by More Performance of NC. I snapped the crank hub bolt and the crank needed to be taken out to repair, so I just redid what I could to freshen her up.
Transmission less than a 1000 miles on rebuild and Vigilante 2800 stall. PCMforLess tune
Newly rebuilt, while ugly, suspension. 1990 ZO7 springs, new Moog Ball joints, VB&P bushings and lowered. Rearend is a D44 with 3.75 gears, and the only non urethane bushings are the Dog Bones.
C5 brakes, braided Russell lines.
17x9.5 fronts and 17x11 rears A Molds with BFG KDs
Aftermarket stereo
S/T Frame / RD Camber Bar RD Roof Brace
Fresh rebuild on steering column with new pins, housing/support etc.
DRM 1 3/4 SS coated headers- Flowmaster (old) cat back.
BeCool radiator and extra tranny cooler.
DELTEQ Igntion
And various little stuff.
This is not a trailer queen, so it isnt super pretty.
Now, since it isnt back together as I have had it, whats it worth, or what would you do. I am old and tired of it.

My first suggestion is to put a car cover over it and let both of you rest. Take a few breaths till your breathing clean air. Then you will know exactly what to do.

Awww man Steve.....

(I'm a pro lurkur....know/read you for a while now ~other forum too~ but rarely ever post)

Your Angst moved me to post.



I got my '95 383 sittin w/ a broken valve spring, bent PR and a (total shit-crap 200 mile MSD) crapped out opti and I'm just plain TIRED of 4 fricken years of pouring time and money into it.....

....so much so that I bought a FORD! (See? THAT'S what depression does to you!)

It's just sitting there in the garage mocking me...but I KNOW.

Eventually....eventually, you'll dig (back) into your vette just like I will. And we'll both be really glad we did!

I feel your pain, brother... I really do.

I am resting. If I can get to the rear, #8 header bolt, I need to figure out how to repair a time sert.
The intake is a helicoil repair, but manifold needs to be off to ensure no metal gets into engine. I DONT WANT TO TAKE HEAD OFF!

Just be patient and treat it like a project (when you desire a project)

When I bought my vette it was a 'relaxation project'. Over the years whenever it becomes a chore, I let it get cobwebs until i'm good and ready to attack it again (as a fun project)

I keep telling myself "next weekend".

'course, I've missed this entire summer of enjoying it....but I'm so busy anyways it doesn't matter. I'm expecting to have more time in the fall/winter....so perhaps next summer?

YOU, however, have 'summer' all year!

Had one of those projectts haunting me for years..Put a cover on it and forget about it yil you get the itch again, it wil be there when you want it . If all was well withthe car would you still want it or ig you got somehting else would you not be satisfied until it had everything going for it yours does? Youve done a lot with it. Take a step away from it and clear your head. This is the "hate" part of Corvette ownership. Once you mod it never ends. Love, hate....Love, hate...sell, start all over again. LOL!

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THAT'S what I was trying to say!

I disagree. Taking a breather is one thing.

But if I let the car collect cobwebs in a half disassembled state, I'm more prone to sell it. And god knows that's about the worst time to sell, because who's going to pay anything for a shitbox that's in pieces?

They call them shitboxes because when you buy the car you have to load all the boxes of shit in the trunk that come along with it.

You could convert the vette into a planter, or maybe a dog house.

I just took the header out as I was trying to see what was wrong as I couldnt even start a bolt in the header. Well the time cert (sert?) had backed its way out of the head, bring the oversized threads out. Now I have to figure out if the time cert hole that was drilled is even usable again. If the heads are going to come off, AFR's are going on. I spent money on these heads to be less of a head ache, and they have been nothing but, from broken springs as CNC put wrongs ones in for cam I had (Comp Cams 941, just look them up) and then I put time certs in TO PREVENT shit like this, being pro Active and heli coils in the manifold side of the head. I had a very reputable machine shop do it, now I am screwed as I cant drill in there. I will talk to my machinist tommorow, see what we can do.
I really dont want to let it sit, as the engine needs to be fired up.

Take the heads off, have them welded and then re-tapped.

Update: I couldnt leave well enough alone. The manifold side of the head is done, as I just put in a super wammy dammy pink colored heli coil.
The exhaust side is a little different. The time cert is out, and the threads in the heads are for the time sert to screw into to. But at the very beginning of the hole the threads are mangled. I need a tap to cut in, but it needs to start in a little ways to be guided properly as the one I have is a bottom tap thread cutter. So tommorow I will get the proper tool.

So if I go to Autozone and ask for a "super wammy dammy pink heli coil" they will know just what I want?

Is the "super wammy dammy red heli coil" a different size?

The super wammy dammy pink colored one is special secret stuff. It looks cool though, and my machinist says it is a Very good one, use in level 1, SS, and SOC programs.

Installed time sert. It was not perfectly straight though. Weird. I put the bolts that go into #8 cylinders to hold the header in and you have to stare for a while to realize the one I did was at an angle different to the factory angle, minor though. I am sure the header will tighten fine. I will just have to check the bolt every once in a while, and I will use a lock washer and loctite too.

There you go.

The forum served one of it's purposes...venting.

Glad it came to a happy ending.

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I like happy endings.

Well, Knock on Wood, she is back on the road. So far no leaks or issues. I have about 30 miles on her. Now I need to get her aligned after having the suspension done before this engine tear down occurred.
[IMG]http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d80/Steve40th/DSCF0007-1.jpg[/IMG]

Great to hear she's running again!

N~I~C~E!!!

Glad to hear it.

Good to hear!