Another completed LDK swap
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: 03-11-2009
Posts: 327
From: WI
Another completed LDK swap
The Breakdown:
Last fall I ran to the grocery store one evening for some ice cream. The car kind of stumbled just as I was turning the key off. No codes. When I came back out, no start. I only tripped a code on the attempted start, the cam sensor code. Googled some in the parking lot, and we had it towed home. I swapped the sensor the next morning, but no change. Had it towed to the dealer fearing the chain.
The Diagnosis:
Diagnosis was timing chain skipped. Dealer wanted $8k to install a remanufactured engine with a 6 month warranty. (gmpartsdirect gives a better warranty) The dealer replaced the turbo the summer before. In my posts, you will see GM serviced this car's turbo many, many times under warranty (one as recent as under 1K miles), and the turbo and engine are connected when you consider oil and cooling.
<rant> So I was pushing on premature failure due to the failing turbos and what that might have stressed on the chain/oil/cooling/engine during its life. But GM customer service gave us the finger on all that, even though last year we paid for the turbo. Why? We like the car, so we stayed true even though GM didn't. Since GM and dealer again failed to assist, we towed it home. We have made sure to tell many our story so we feel the damage is done there. The dealer won't get our business in the future, nor from our friends and relatives who buy vettes and full sized loaded trucks every few years, so another dealer will benefit in the future from their lack of customer service.</rant>
Locals wanted $6K (installed) for an engine with 80K miles.
The Resolution:
We waited a bit, I found a supporting vendor, Performance Autowerks, Inc., on the solstice, kappa, cobalt, etc forums. Noticed they were even helping non-customers in the forums. Reached out to them, and they were willing to install and stand behind the ZZP engine. At half of what GM was going to do, and we were getting the LDK. It's a toss up on which one you are going to get with the dealer (reman/LDK/LNF). I had AAA tow it to them, as I am in WI and they are in Ill. Great to work with, good communication and excellent installation. I like the 6.3 QT capacity on these LDK engines....I think that will really help with longevity of the turbo and engine.
The Happy Ending:
I am 750 miles in and everything has been great. Such a relief to be back in the little beast. It allows me to enjoy my 80 mile round trip each day again.
If I didn't have 3 kids under 5 and had access to a lift, I might have made it a project, but I have the vette that has been waiting a year now for me to install all the new flared panels and to get it back on the road. I need to buy time somehow!
Last fall I ran to the grocery store one evening for some ice cream. The car kind of stumbled just as I was turning the key off. No codes. When I came back out, no start. I only tripped a code on the attempted start, the cam sensor code. Googled some in the parking lot, and we had it towed home. I swapped the sensor the next morning, but no change. Had it towed to the dealer fearing the chain.
The Diagnosis:
Diagnosis was timing chain skipped. Dealer wanted $8k to install a remanufactured engine with a 6 month warranty. (gmpartsdirect gives a better warranty) The dealer replaced the turbo the summer before. In my posts, you will see GM serviced this car's turbo many, many times under warranty (one as recent as under 1K miles), and the turbo and engine are connected when you consider oil and cooling.
<rant> So I was pushing on premature failure due to the failing turbos and what that might have stressed on the chain/oil/cooling/engine during its life. But GM customer service gave us the finger on all that, even though last year we paid for the turbo. Why? We like the car, so we stayed true even though GM didn't. Since GM and dealer again failed to assist, we towed it home. We have made sure to tell many our story so we feel the damage is done there. The dealer won't get our business in the future, nor from our friends and relatives who buy vettes and full sized loaded trucks every few years, so another dealer will benefit in the future from their lack of customer service.</rant>
Locals wanted $6K (installed) for an engine with 80K miles.
The Resolution:
We waited a bit, I found a supporting vendor, Performance Autowerks, Inc., on the solstice, kappa, cobalt, etc forums. Noticed they were even helping non-customers in the forums. Reached out to them, and they were willing to install and stand behind the ZZP engine. At half of what GM was going to do, and we were getting the LDK. It's a toss up on which one you are going to get with the dealer (reman/LDK/LNF). I had AAA tow it to them, as I am in WI and they are in Ill. Great to work with, good communication and excellent installation. I like the 6.3 QT capacity on these LDK engines....I think that will really help with longevity of the turbo and engine.
The Happy Ending:
I am 750 miles in and everything has been great. Such a relief to be back in the little beast. It allows me to enjoy my 80 mile round trip each day again.
If I didn't have 3 kids under 5 and had access to a lift, I might have made it a project, but I have the vette that has been waiting a year now for me to install all the new flared panels and to get it back on the road. I need to buy time somehow!
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: 03-11-2009
Posts: 327
From: WI
Member
Joined: 04-02-2016
Posts: 56
From: Gilbert, AZ
Yeah 150k isn't terrible, but you have to keep in mind the length of the chains and the amount of stretch when comparing the two.
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