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Northstar block-split

ZVOLV

ZVOLV

<Master Tech>
Joined
Nov 19, 2002
Location
California
Documenting a 4.6L Cadillac Northstar engine block-split/reseal.

(Testing photos)

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Clean parts getting torqued down.

Clear out the excess RTV from the oil pickup from the 2007 rebuild.



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I remember a guy at trade school with one of these. He just needed to make it through the semester and he was going to junk it. Problem was the starter was dying. He just left an extension through the manifold and on the starter. He'd give it a few taps before trying to start it. By the end of the semester it would take 10 minutes of hammering to get it to go. But it made it!
 
Wow, now I understand why that Caddy LMP1 that Wayne Taylor drove back in the early 2000's blew up all the fucking time, lol. What an interesting design, but it rarely pays to be really, really different in race engine design and construction. I thought that 3rd year Cadillac was and absolute stunner, but GM decided by that point that the Corvette C5R program was a better bet (and needed a LOT of money to be competitive after their first season!!!!), and they backed that. They were right, and we eventually got amazing "Cadillac" DPi/GTP cars anyway (the new cars are RAD!!!), but man, was I bummed to see GM axe that OG American Le Mans Caddy LMP1. What a cool car.

EDIT: I know the Northstar/Aurora went into the GTS-1 Olds, the IRL cars, and the early Riley and Scott MkIII's, but those were all NA, and the Caddy was turbocharged. Also, IRL was a spec series and I know a few mechanics who still referred to the engine as the "Oldsmobubble" because it liked to pop so much. Cool engine, just not really a terrific race car engine.
 
No way that car was worth the time it took to put together this thread, much less the labor do actually do the job
 
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