GM Addresses C8 Corvette Z06 LT6 Ticking Noises, Oil Leaks

A handful of owners have had some problems with their C8 Corvette Z06 LT6 powerplants, but luckily, the fixes are nothing major.

While the C8 Corvette Z06 has received universal praise since its launch, like any brand new model with a brand new engine, there have been a small handful of owners that have experienced issues with their budget supercar. At the moment, those issues include both strange ticking noises that surfaced on a couple of cars roughly one month ago, as well as another handful leaking oil from the front of the engine itself. Now, GM has addressed both of those problems in different ways.

First up, we have the annoying ticking noise, which hasn’t been accompanied by any sort of check engine light, power loss, or drivability issue. The automaker previously released a Preliminary Information Bulletin revealing that it had opened an investigation into the matter, also noting that there were no durability concerns associated with it. Recently, MidEngineCorvette forum user MyZ06 updated their own particular situation with some communication they received from GM itself.

“My dealer called me this morning, and told me GM has a fix for the valve tick,” they wrote. “It involves new torque settings and possible replacement of the discs that sit on the valve retainers. I volunteered to get the first repair done, although they have repaired several engines not yet installed in cars yet.”

More recently, CorvetteForum member vette615 documented their own C8 Corvette Z06 problem in the forums as well – a leaky LT6, which is seemingly caused by the improper application of silicone on the engine’s gaskets. “Don’t know how many there on the forum have had bad seals on their Z06,” they wrote. “My Corvette is sitting on the engine stand at the dealer about to have 31 gaskets replaced. The best part is GM had already known about the problem (as they had already put out a bulletin to the dealers), and didn’t say word to the owners, hoping they would not have to fix too many engines.”

This C8 Corvette Z06 owner is referring to a technical service bulletin issued back in April “This condition may be caused by improper front cover bolt torque or inadequate sealer adhesion at one of the six T-joint locations,” the TSB reads. “To correct this condition, it will be necessary to install new front cover gaskets and follow the revised RTV sealing procedure,” a process that involves ensuring “all front cover bolts are torqued in proper sequence and to specification.”

Obviously, neither of these issues is ideal, but the good news is, it seems as if both are nothing terribly serious and each is relatively easy to fix. With any luck, that will prove to be the case, and C8 Z06 owners can keep their cars on the road rather than have to go through something more agonizing such as a total engine replacement.

Photos: Chevrolet

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