Yes. Yes. and No.
If your looking for "matching numbers" as on the older Corvettes you won't find any. However you can tell if you have an LS-6 engine by looking at some different things.
1. Decoding the VIN #:
Simply, as I understand it, the 17 position VIN # can be decoded as follows:
- Position 1,2,3 = Manufacturers ID
- Position 4,5,6,7,8 = Vehicle Descriptive System or Vehicle Attributes Ie. Platform and Body Style
- Position 9 = Check Digit
- Position 10 = Model Year
- Position 11 = Plant Code
- Position 12 thru 17 = Vehicle ID, Sequential per year nmanufactured
For Example:
For VIN # 1G1YY12S51510001
Position 1. "1" = Built in US
Position 2. "G" = GM as manufacturer
Position 3. "1" = Chevrolet
Position 4. "Y" = Corvette
Position 5. "Y" = Z06 (a "Z" = ZR-1)
Position 6. "1" = FRC Body Style ("2" = Coupe, "3" = Convertible)
Position 7. "2" = Restraint Code ("2" =Active, manual, w/ driver and passenger inflatable retraints)
Position 8. "S" = LS6 Engine Code ("G" = LS1, "Y"= LS2, "E" = LS7)
Position 9. "5" = Check Digit
Position 10. "1" = Model Year (1 = '01, 2 = '02, 3 = '03, 4 = '04, etc.)
Position 11. "5" = Plant Location Code ("5" = Bowling Green, Ky)
Position 12 thru 17. "10001" - 10573 = Production Sequence Number, starting with each new production model year ("10001" would be the 1st "production" car for that model year. Does NOT include Beta cars)
So.......
Step #1 is to look at Position 8. of the VIN #. A letter "S" would indicate that the car SHOULD have an LS6 as it came from the factory. This is the ONLY correlation between car VIN# and the engine...IE there are NO longer any "matching numbers" to look for; and as you can see the last 3 digits in the VIN are only part of the production sequence.
Step #2 is to look at the rear of the block, on the drivers side, just below the head mating surface. Here you will find the Block Casting #. You can research that #. It should read 12561168 or 12559378. This is an LS6 originally used in a Corvette "Y" or other "F" body, respectively. The number bears no relationship to the VIN# other than it IS an LS6 = "S".
Step #3 Look for a Chevrolet Part # on the Service Order.
Part #'s:
- 12561150
- 12562181
- 12562190
are Chevrolet LS6 Corvette Complete Engine Assemblies, Factory NEW, $ 7.698.00. No discount, NO core charge.
Part #
- 12561166
is a Chevrolet LS6 bare block
There are NO partial "short block" or "long block" assemblies available.
Step #4. Lastly I found 1 reference to your Part # 89017349
It is a GM Goodwrench Part # for a GM Factory Replacement Engine
Description: 5.7L., LS6-"S" for 2002-2004 Corvette
List: $ 7,987.54, Discount: $ 4,828.95 + $500.00 core charge.
So the GOOD NEWS is: YES it is an LS6 engine AND your 2001 LS6 was upgraded from the '01 385/385 to a '02-'04 405/400 (+ Napier rings, revised cam and valve train).
The NOT so good News is:
- If the Service Order does NOT have the Chevy Part #'s listed as in STEP#3, then it is NOT a Factory NEW Engine.
- It is either a Factory Rebuilt or Factory Remanufactured engine, which is what GM Goodwrench sells. The 89017349 Part # would tend to indicate this to be the case.
- Most likely it was an '01 LS6 exchange core block, that had a ring failure and was part of the recall and was replaced under warranty, and sent back to the factory. Rebuilt or remanufactured (hopefully Remanufactured). Then sent to GM Goodwrench and used to replace the engine in your car for some reason.
- It would be impossible to tell (without tearing it down) whether the block was just rehoned, Bored +.010 or Bored +.030.
There is also technically NO way to tell if it was rebuilt or remanufactured. There IS a difference.
- Rebuilt = Tear down (full or partial), throw away damaged parts and replace, measure and throw away anything that is NOT factory spec and replace, clean, recheck all tolerences, reassemble using any new and undamaged used parts.
- Remanufactured = Tear down, clean, replace ALL moving parts but using old block and heads, possibly old crank if undamaged and within spec., check all surface alignments and remachine if necessary, reassemble and run in.
My hunch is that Chevy was remanufacturing these engines for GM Goodwrench as it was easier and less time consuming. So you should be OK.
Note that the Goodwrench engine come with a 3 year, 36,000 mile Limited Warranty to the original owner, which is trasferrable IF the paper work is done when the car is sold.
The "last 3 numbers" reference you were alluding to is probably the last 3 numbers of the HEAD casting number. These last 3 numbers of the 8 digit head casting number are found on the exhaust manifold side of the head, on a boss to the extreme right of each head, just below the valve cover mating surface.
A "243" indicates an LS6 HEAD, but doesn't necessarily guarantee and LS6 block, UNLESS it came from the Factory or GM Goodwrench.
Ie. you can easily install an LS6 head on an LS1.
Again there is NO relationship to the VIN # except that it indicates the possibility that an LS6 block sits under the LS6 head and correlates with an "S" in position 8.
