Bought A 94 LT5 With Known Problem

[billybaloneey]

I bought a 94 LT5 engine with a known problem...an internal coolant leak. The engine has 149K on it, and it came out of VIN #424. It was posted on a major Internet auction site earlier this week. I was fortunate enough to be with driving distance...35 miles...I asked the seller if I could come and take a look at it and he said OK. The auction description said water was observed coming out from around the throttle body, so he put a new one on...that did not fix the problem so he put a new plenum on...that did not fix the problem...he reported coolant/steam coming out of both exhausts. At that point he shut it down and pulled the engine and replaced it with a crate motor he found...he is a GM part employee...so I guess he had some contacts. I saw the car...it was red...and there was a brand new LT5 engine...or one very, very, very clean LT5 in it.

Anyway, in addition to the engine being offered on the auction site, he told me it was listed locally for sale. After two offers he accepted, and I got it for significantly less that the auction asking price.

I picked it up today and started investigating. There is coolant in the oil pan and in the oil filter, so it appears coolant is throughout the engine. I could turn the crank without to much effort so the engine is not seized.

Any suggestions from you engine experts out there? Are typical internal coolant leaks on the LT5 due to gasket failures, block cracks, head cracks, etc? If there is a crack are they typically easy to spot? Are cracks prone to certain areas? Any suggested plan of attacks to locate the cause of the coolant leak?

For the price I got it at, even if it's cost prohibitive to fix or turn it into a stroker, I have a great source of parts...as mentioned there is a new plenum and throttle body on it...he gave the the old ones also. As can be seen from the pictures the engine is virtually complete...including a bell housing, clutch and flywheel. The only thing I've found missing so far is the dipstick and tube. He even included the engine lifting mounts.