I remember ads in the 90s for a product called “Motor Up”. They’d show a running engine with oil pan removed, with a water hose directed onto the crankshaft!
It’s not just wear on the buckets that necessitates a valve adjustment…it’s the valve faces and seats too.
To answer the OP question, yes it’s necessary and yes an independent shop can do this.
Correct valve clearance is critically important.
Proper engine operating temperature is important. If you’re remotely handy, the t-stat replacement is an easy DIY job and could be done for 1/4 of the cost you were quoted.
After reading lots of good reviews I bought Mevotech TTX control arms for my 2014 Sierra. Haven’t installed them yet but they seem well built and have grease fittings.
It wasn’t a whole lot more to buy the whole control arm vs just ball joints
As an oil-focused forum, we tend to blame (and credit) oil for many different things when there are usually several other factors in play.
It wouldn’t be uncommon for a delivery vehicle to see extended idle times for example, which could cause such piston deposits. A cold running engine due to...
You are correct about this. Caterpillar and Navistar collaborated to design the HEUI fuel system. I’ve worked for a Cat dealer for years, and we’ve always recommended 10w-30 for the HEUI engines even back when we used 15w-40 on everything else. You want that high pressure oil pump (which is an...
Which is exactly my point. Some of us, me included, go against manufacturers specs thinking that 20wt is “too thin” to properly protect an engine. This is evidence (if ANECDOTAL) that this is not the case.