There was great turnout yesterday at the St. Catharines, Ontario GM Engine Plant, that manufactures our LS6 and LS1 engines for the C5s. Looked like over a hundred Vettes of all years....even a mint 1955.
The plant turns out about 650 aluminum engines a day, for Corvette, Camaro, Firebird and Holden (goes to Australia).
Of interest...the 'rough/bare' cylinder case (block) comes in from Mexico.
All *manual* LS1 engines (and all LS6) are bench-tested for 4-5 minutes....yes they run them. Very interesting sight. Natural gas turns the crank, and the exhaust and water connections are simple 'clamp-on' mechanisms. This is done to meet clutch specs, so the automatics are excluded.
'Zippy' was there from Detroit, and appeared suitably impressed with our Canadian manufacturing quality levels, eh! We were tempted to make-off with one of the crated LS6 engines on display for demonstration, but the 450 pounds was just too hard to handle.
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Mac Cross - Toronto, Ontario
C5Registry W0218
'01 Torch Z06
'98 C5 Silver Targa...gone, but not forgotten
NCRS # 19306
NCM Shinoda Charter Membership # 3216
Thanks for the report, sounds like you guys had fun. Were any pic's allowed ????
[img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img] [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]
Wish I was there! Surely you could have dropped that crated LS6 into someone trunk! How bout that 55. Musta had a big trunk! [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
My "neighbour" Ron Fellows of C5-R fame (lives on the other side of Toronto), signed my injector cover alongside John Cafaro and Dave MacLellan. Ron just returned from another successful day piloting the C5-R, this time at Mosport, Ontario.
Nice, clean plant....the workers appear to manufacture our LS6 engines with a good deal of TLC and pride. Many, many QC checks.
'IMA'....like Bowling Green, no cameras allowed, unfortunately.
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Mac Cross - Toronto, Ontario
C5Registry W0218
'01 Torch Z06
'98 C5 Silver Targa...gone, but not forgotten
NCRS # 19306
NCM Shinoda Charter Membership # 3216
Location: Mt Juliet, TN Z06 FEST PARTICIPANT I II III IV V VI & VII
Posts: 19,071
Mac:
Really nice to meet you! Yes, we had a great time at the Vet show and plant tour!
The plant was very clean and surprising quiet quiet for all the activity going on inside. I talked to numerous people from the plant and thanked them for showing us a good time and asked them to do it again next year!
I will post banner pics from the show as soon as I can.
Almost forgot! I spoke to Ron Fellows and gave him one of Frank's Z06 cards with a hand written note asking him to "visit" our sight! We'll see. [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
C [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_cool.gif[/img] [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_cool.gif[/img] L!!
Quote:
On 2001-08-22 23:09, Zippy spewed forth this drivel:
Almost forgot! I spoke to Ron Fellows and gave him one of Frank's Z06 cards with a hand written note asking him to "visit" our sight! We'll see. [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
Cool info on the engine manufatureing. I always wondered how much 'run-in' they had, and it sounds like minumum. Guess I don't quite understand what they are checking out on the clutchs by running them -- balance?
Location: Mt Juliet, TN Z06 FEST PARTICIPANT I II III IV V VI & VII
Posts: 19,071
Zee oh six:
The balancing mentioned is done only on manual tranny engines. Yes, it is to determine the proper amount & placement of balancing weights on the flywheel end of the crank. Automatic equipped cars do not need this operation. We did not get a chance to see the actual dyno engine tests. [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_frown.gif[/img]
The operator of the balancing test fixture told us they use "magnetic" drain plugs in the pan before the engine is shipped to BG.
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