2009 Chevrolet Corvette

THE LS7 ENGINE IS KNOWN TO HAVE BAD 2 PIECE EXHAUST VALVES THAT COME APART AND FALL INTO THE CYLINDER RESULTING IN A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE THAT REQUIRES AN ENTIRE NEW ENGINE. THIS HAPPENED TO ME THIS PAST MARCH 2015. GM NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE, THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS ENGINE FAILURES AS A RESULT OF A DROPPED VALVE INTO A CYLINDER WHICH CAN CAUSE ACCIDENTS AND FIRES. GM IS VERY AWARE OF THIS ISSUE, BUT REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS HUGE SAFETY RISK TO DRIVERS, PASSENGERS, AND NEARBY VEHICLES IF THE ENGINE FAILS GOING DOWN THE ROAD.

AFTER FILLING MY CAR UP WITH GAS AND PARKED IT OVERNIGHT IN THE GARAGE, THE NEXT MORNING MY ENTIRE GARAGE SMELLED LIKE GAS. I DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING OF IT BUT THE SMELL WAS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF MY CAR AS I DROVE AND/OR PARKED IT ANYWHERE. I LEFT IT OUTSIDE OF MY GARAGE UNTIL I DIDNT NOTICE THE SMELL ANYMORE AT WHICH POINT I PARKED IT INSIDE THE GARAGE. I NOTICED THAT THE ISSUE ONLY STARTS WHEN THERE IS MORE THAN HALF A TANK OF GAS. ONCE THE FUEL GAUGE DROPS TO UNDER HALF A TANK, THE SMELL GOES AWAY. I TOOK IT TO TWO SEPARATE DEALERSHIPS THAT DID SMOKE TESTS AND VISUAL CHECKS AND THEY DO NOT SEE ANY ISSUES, EVEN THOUGH THE SMELL IS THERE WITH MORE THAN HALF A TANK (IN BOTH OCCASIONS THE TANKS WERE MORE THAN HALF AND THE DEALER NOTICED THE SMELL BUT DID NOT SEE ANY ISSUES AND ATTRIBUTED IT TO MY VEHICLE RUNNING RICH, EVEN AFTER I TOLD THEM THE SMELL WENT AWAY WHEN THE FUEL GAUGE WAS UNDER HALF A TANK). IT IS APPARENT TO ME THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE, A DANGEROUS ONE AT THAT SINCE GAS FUMES ARE HIGHLY FLAMMABLE AND THE HOT EXHAUST PIPES RUN IN BETWEEN THE TANKS THEMSELVES. AFTER FURTHER RESEARCH, IT APPEARS THAT THERE IS A PLASTIC PIECE ON THE TOP OF THE FUEL PUMP THAT SEEMS TO BE THE ISSUE AND ENDS UP HAVING SMALL CRACKS. THERE ARE MULTIPLE CORVETTE OWNERS THAT HAVE REPORTED THE SAME ISSUE AND HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE PART AT THEIR EXPENSE (AN EXPENSIVE PROPOSITION AT THAT). PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE AS SOON AS YOU CAN. I AM CONCERNED THERE MAY BE A MAJOR FAULT WHICH WILL/CAN CAUSE AN INJURY DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM (IE: GAS FUMES AND HOT EXHAUST PIPES).

I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT EXCESSIVE VALVE TRAIN NOISE AND AFTER READING SEVERAL CORVETTE FORUM THREADS ABOUT IMPROPERLY MACHINED HEADS BY GM'S SUPPLIER LINAMAR, AND THAT NUMEROUS VEHICLES HAVE HAD VALVES DROP AND RUIN THE ENGINES, I TOOK MY CAR WITH 7800 MILES ON IT TO A CORVETTE SPECIALTY SHOP ( KATECH) TO HAVE MY VALVE GUIDE CLEARANCE TESTED. I HAD (5) INTAKE VALVE GUIDES OUTSIDE OF SERVICE SPECIFICATIONS, (4) EXHAUST VALVE GUIDES OUTSIDE OF SERVICE SPECIFICATIONS, AND A COMBINATION OF (3) OTHER INTAKE AND EXHAUST VALVE GUIDES AT OR NEAR THE MAXIMUM OUTSIDE OF SERVICE SPECIFICATIONS. THE CAR IS BEING REPAIRED WITH PROPER RE-MACHINING OF THE HEADS TO MAKE THE VALVE GUIDES CONCENTRIC, NEW INTAKE AND EXHAUST VALVE GUIDES INSTALLED, AS WELL AS NEW SEALS, VALVES, SPRINGS, ETC. 88% OF THE CORVETTE FORUM MEMBERS WHO HAVE HAD THEIR CYLINDER HEADS TESTED FOR EXCESSIVE VALVE GUIDE WEAR, WERE OUT OF SERVICE SPECIFICATIONS. SOURCE: HTTP://WWW.CORVETTEFORUM.COM/FORUMS/...-REGISTRY.HTML GM NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE, THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS ENGINE FAILURES AS A RESULT OF A DROPPED VALVE INTO A CYLINDER WHICH CAN CAUSE ACCIDENTS AND FIRES. GM IS VERY AWARE OF THIS ISSUE, BUT REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS HUGE SAFETY RISK TO DRIVERS, PASSENGERS, AND NEARBY VEHICLES IF THE ENGINE FAILS GOING DOWN THE ROAD. HERE IS A LINK WITH THE GUIDE MEASUREMENTS IN IT. HTTP://WWW.CORVETTEFORUM.COM/FORUMS/C6-Z06-DISCUSSION/3608443-KATECH-STAGE-2-Z06-SN-74-A.HTML. *TR

ENGINE HAD EXCESSIVE NOISE. AFTER READING SEVERAL CORVETTE COMPLAINTS ABOUT IMPROPERLY MACHINED HEADS BY GENERAL MOTOR'S SUPPLIER LINAMAR, AND THAT NUMEROUS VEHICLES HAVE HAD VALVES DROP AND CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE, I HAD MY CAR WITH CHECKED AT A SPECIALTY SHOP. I HAD SEVERAL VALVE GUIDES OUTSIDE OF SERVICE SPECIFICATIONS. THE CAR IS BEING REPAIRED WITH PROPER RE-MACHINING OF THE HEADS TO MAKE THE VALVE GUIDES CONCENTRIC, NEW INTAKE AND EXHAUST VALVE GUIDES INSTALLED, AS WELL AS NEW SEALS, VALVES, SPRINGS, ETC. 88% OF THE CORVETTE FORUM MEMBERS WHO HAVE HAD THEIR CYLINDER HEADS TESTED FOR EXCESSIVE VALVE GUIDE WEAR, WERE OUT OF SERVICE SPECIFICATIONS. SOURCE: HTTP://WWW.CORVETTEFORUM.COM/FORUMS/...-REGISTRY.HTML GM NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS ENGINE FAILURES AS A RESULT OF A DROPPED VALVE INTO A CYLINDER. THIS STOPS THE ENGINE, POWER STEERING, AND POWER BRAKES WHICH CAN CAUSE ACCIDENTS AND FIRES. GM IS VERY AWARE OF THIS ISSUE, BUT REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS HUGE SAFETY RISK TO DRIVERS, PASSENGERS, AND NEARBY VEHICLES IF THE ENGINE FAILS GOING DOWN THE ROAD. REGARDS. *TR