Chevy Trailblazer SS Forum banner

New TBSS owner, catastrophic engine failure on road trip home from purchase!

1222 Views 24 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  dfwwiz
9
Hey everyone, I just joined the TBSS club on Friday! I flew from Denver to Orlando and picked up a 1 owner 65k mile Blue 3SS! Was on day 3/3 of my 28 hour drive home to Denver, when out of nowhere I suffered catastrophic engine failure. The kind that only happens when you thrash your vehicle too hard all day at the drag strip (which of course I hadnt done, just highway cruising with a couple downshifts to get around a semi, nothing crazy, nothing over 90 mph or even close to redline).

So I was cruising at 80 MPH on the interstate and my engine suddenly lost power and the gauges all flashed. Out the rear view, I couldn't see anything (the glass was covered in oil) side mirrors revealed that I was blowing a white smoke cloud and spraying an oil slick as far as the eye could see, and then the motor cut off. I was hoping it was just a blown head gasket. But the leak was coming from the bottom of the block.

The shop here in town confirmed my suspicions this morning that its the motor.. It threw a rod through the block, and punched a hole all the way through. My SS is dead. RIP! So now I'm 2/3 of the way home broken down in Manhattan KS and trying to get the dealer I bought it from in Orlando to buy me a new crate LS2, AND pay for the labor, of course.

Thoughts on what I should do? I am not interested in accepting a rebuilt motor, it only had 65k original miles on the odometer! Should I try to source an LSX block? I see a lot of guys do an LSX swap as a mod... is that more reliable/more readily available in 2023?

I will say, until the motor blew, it was the most fun 1000 miles road trip I have ever driven. And I can't wait to get my baby back...

Nice to meet everyone!
Car Automotive parking light Land vehicle Vehicle Tire

Automotive parking light Wheel Tire Car Automotive side marker light
Car Automotive parking light Tire Vehicle Land vehicle
Cloud Sky Tire Wheel Car
Cloud Sky Automotive tail & brake light Automotive lighting Car
Wheel Tire Car Land vehicle Vehicle
Tire Land vehicle Wheel Vehicle Plant
Plant Road surface Land lot Asphalt Grass
Wheel Tire Car Land vehicle Vehicle
Car Automotive parking light Land vehicle Vehicle Tire
Automotive parking light Wheel Tire Car Automotive side marker light
Car Automotive parking light Tire Vehicle Land vehicle
Cloud Sky Tire Wheel Car
Cloud Sky Automotive tail & brake light Automotive lighting Car
Wheel Tire Car Land vehicle Vehicle
Tire Land vehicle Wheel Vehicle Plant
Plant Road surface Land lot Asphalt Grass
Wheel Tire Car Land vehicle Vehicle
See less See more
  • Sad
Reactions: 1
1 - 2 of 25 Posts
I had a similar story. Wasn’t low miles, but clean 1 owner with EVERY SINGLE SERVICE done at the dealer. Flew in, drove 9 hours home. 6 months later, spun a rod bearing (the common TBSS killer). No wild driving, just cruising.

Found a “Hot Cam LS3” long block from a dealer. Installed the PCMofNC oil pickup relocation and a square port Escalade intake manifold, and everything else worked just fine! Spent $5,500 on parts, and sold the LS2 for $800 to someone who used it to rebuild. The warranty on the new engine gave me the piece of mind versus anything used or even built at a shop.

Good luck!
  • Like
Reactions: 1
That’s exactly why I went that route. It was a brand new GM long block…not rebuilt or anything…brand new. The only thing you need is a rectangle port Escalade intake manifold, then everything else will fit as factory…including the engine cover! No, holes in engine block can’t be repaired. Built engine “could” be better…but you get what you pay for.
  • Like
Reactions: 2
1 - 2 of 25 Posts
Top