LS2 Est worth?

[pw2006]

Hi All-
I have an LS2 (58x) that I was going to put into my 69 Camaro. Before firing the engine, we tried getting oil pressure by just turning it over with the starter in a few short bursts (4 tries at around 20 seconds each). But the gauge was reading 0. We ended up pulling the engine, checked the typical culprits, pulled the pan, pulled the new oil pump, the rear barbell, etc. We were still getting only about 10 psi with an external oil pump on a stand. Then we found the issue, I was using a non-DOD valley cover on a DOD engine. Swapped in the stock DOD valley cover and boom, 50 PSI of pressure when turning it over with the starter on an engine stand.

Then my shop smartly asked if I wanted to do a leak down test before reinstalling the engine. The engine was pulled from a 2008 Trailblazer SS with ~13,000 miles. The engine had been sitting at the body shop that worked on the Camaro for ~6 years (long story). I had a new Comp Cam installed with a goal of 475 HP, with new dual springs and titanium retainers. I asked the old shop to install the new Champ baffled oil pan and then the engine sat there until we got it out of body shop jail. Well, when we got the engine, the body shop had a blanket over the engine in the corner of the shop, but had left the oil pan off, exposing the bottom end to shop dust. WTF! It took a ton of cleanup to get that engine clean. Well apparently some of that shop dust got into the piston rings and despite our best clean up efforts, the leakdown test resulted in:
#1 cylinder at 28% and #8 at 34%. All other cylinders averaged ~10%.

The leakage was coming through the piston rings, not the heads. The heads are 799 castings.

I checked with a local machine shop on timing for a rebuild, but they were running about 3 months out. So rather than rebuild or stroke the LS2, I picked up a new GM LS3/495 from my local Chevy dealer. Now I have an LS2 that needs some love, whether its a ring job or a stroker kit, it could be a great LS2. I have a few different intakes: 1) Stock LS2 truck intake/injectors, 2) Corvette LS2 intake/injectors/throttle body and 3) Holley Mid rise single plane intake for fuel injection. Like I mentioned earlier I have a new comp cam kit installed in the LS2, a champ baffled oil pan and new oil pump. In addition, I have a corvette style front runner kit for it as well. I'm guessing with the Corvette intake, front runner kit, new comp cam kit and the champ oil pan, I could sell it for ~$2,500. Does that seem like a fair price?

[pw2006]

Please close this thread, thank you!