SilverBullet Here - I'm a Kinda Newbie to this "Forum Stuff" ...

SilverBullet

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I have a Silver 2002 LS Sport owned since 2004. First I'll miss Joegr as I've read many of his tips over the years. This is just my first time posting. So I hope I'm doing it correctly. If this is correct, I'll post more about myself another time. Obviously I have loved my car over the years, probably for it's "above average road manners" more than anything I favor but of course as time moves on she's getting a bit "long in tooth" as the saying goes. She has about 95,000 on her so far. I haven't done too much - mostly normal LS issues addressed. Sunroof motor, fuel pump, A/C problems, some door electrics replaced, several window regulators replaced, oil changes every 3-5,000 miles consistently, changed to Powerstop drilled and slotted rotors and pads when the originals gave up the ghost. Also epoxied the calipers (red) at the same time. That was a good move - maintenance wise, they have been bullet proof ever since.
I have all the normal cooling system issues, expansion tank, thermostat, heat exchanger, etc,etc. Also had a few Radio hiccups, replaced the clock spring (that fixed a lot of little things!), had intermittent engine missing (spark plug tubes had oil in them from o-rings leaking) so I changed the cam cover gaskets and o-rings.
That actually brings me to "My Question". I used to race and I do all my own work and I used the FelPro VS50724R kit which was 30 or 40K miles ago but it she's missing again - I think it's the same problem. OEM gasket kit's are NLA. Options are the same FelPro I used before or Mahle VS50397, Victor Reinz 15-10711-01 or an Apex AVC 1141S kit. Any thoughts on which of these gasket sets is the best replacement?
There may already be some earlier answers here in the form that I haven't found yet too! I'll keep looking and I miss you Joegr!
Thanks for any input folks!
 
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Why "assume" it's the vcg's again??? Why not just pull the coils and plug boots... and verify that that is the issue??? If the vcg's are leaking again... you will find oil in the plug wells.

If done properly... any of the VCG kits you mention above should hold up for 100k... possibly more. My original factory set went 180k.

Do you still have the original coils on the car? Are the plug boots original?

The plug boots, (and the spring inside the boot that acts as a connerction between coil and plug), ARE "wear items".

There are several other components... that may cause the car to "run rough" ... or act like a misfire. Air and fuel delivery systems that wear out... can cause what seems like a "misfire".
 
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Why "assume" it's the vcg's again??? Why not just pull the coils and plug boots... and verify that that is the issue??? If the vcg's are leaking again... you will find oil in the plug wells.

If done properly... any of the VCG kits you mention above should hold up for 100k... possibly more. My original factory set went 180k.

Do you still have the original coils on the car? Are the plug boots original?

The plug boots, (and the spring inside the boot that acts as a connerction between coil and plug), ARE "wear items".

There are several other components... that may cause the car to "run rough" ... or act like a misfire. Air and fuel delivery systems that wear out... can cause what seems like a "misfire".


Thanks so much for getting back to me! 04_Sport_LS, !! I truly appreciate you taking the time~!!! :)
Yup - pulling the coils and boots was the first thing i did last time to check for oil so that's the first step again.
My original "factory set" had oil in the wells at about 50-60K - I think it was 3 out of 4 on the passenger side and 1 or 2 on the driver side if I remember correctly. I don't remember exactly which cylinder numbers though right now. At that time, I put in the full gasket and O-ring kit. That was a while ago but I replaced either 2 or 3 coils and boots at that time. I've cleaned the mass air flow system several times, always keep a fresh air filter in it etc. But -
That's a good tip to chase air and fuel system delivery further. Thank you very much!
My "code" currently shows a "Cyl 8 Misfire" .... so when I can get to it, I'll probably start there. If the gasket kits are all the same quality, I'll just jump on one and when I get it, I'll start tearing her down again!
FWIW - IMHO - The LS is a 20+ year old design that STILL is a better overall vehicle than most of what's being produced today. Electronics are dated of course. So what! For me it is all about the "overall driving experience". Some of you must feel the same way or this site wouldn't exist! Thanks folks! Have a great day!
 

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