03 Silverado 1500HD 6.0 V8

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I purchased an used 03 Silverado 1500HD 6.0L V8 with about 40,000 miles.

What sort of oil should I use?

I looked at the filter and it seemed really small compared to the size of the engine.
 
Any SN/GF-5 conventional in 5/10W30 and follow the OLM that combo and the engine will give you many trouble free miles and years of service.
 
hahaha, I said the same thing when we started getting the new 4.8/5.3/6.0 delivered into our fleet.

This is an engine that can easily outlast the truck. We have one with 400k miles of HARD use, no smoke, no consumption, no drips, truly an amazing one for sure.

use any 30w synthetic on sale, a quality filter, and follow the OLM. This engine is really easy on oil. Sometimes as they get a lot of miles they may need to go up a grade.
 
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
hahaha, I said the same thing when we started getting the new 4.8/5.3/6.0 delivered into our fleet.

This is an engine that can easily outlast the truck. We have one with 400k miles of HARD use, no smoke, no consumption, no drips, truly an amazing one for sure.

use any 30w synthetic on sale, a quality filter, and follow the OLM. This engine is really easy on oil. Sometimes as they get a lot of miles they may need to go up a grade.


ever heard cast tech crack head on those 5.3 ? 5.3L is a good dam engine, just not big fan of cast tech head crack thing deal. Lucky my 2000 5.3L got new style head. I love those LS type engine.
 
I'm not sure I understand you, but I can tell you we have a lot of 6.0's running in 9000+ pound vans every day with no problems.

We have found the engines to be nearly permanent!
 
Is the castech issue a 2001 to 2006 issue limited to those years? I have both a "T" vin on a 1999 Silverado and an "M" vin on a 2006 Saab 9-7x. Both are 5.3 and both codes are in the service bulletin.

99 Chevy is slowly falling apart around the drivetrain. Engine runs great. Does the castech issue extend back to 1999? I ask because I'm really considering dumping some ching into the Silverado and get all the little things fixed.

Saab had it's engine replaced sometime around 2009-2010 in the 75000 mile range. Coolant into the oil was the cause, but I cannot say w/ 100% certainty that it was the heads (but that's another story). It's the wife's car so I never drove it much. I've gotta believe given the date on the service bulletin that I didn't get casech heads on the new engine. Fingers crossed. Not all the 5.3s are bullet proof.
 
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Originally Posted By: tstep
Is the castech issue a 2001 to 2006 issue limited to those years? I have both a "T" vin on a 1999 Silverado and an "M" vin on a 2006 Saab 9-7x. Both are 5.3 and both codes are in the service bulletin.

99 Chevy is slowly falling apart around the drivetrain. Engine runs great. Does the castech issue extend back to 1999? I ask because I'm really considering dumping some ching into the Silverado and get all the little things fixed.

Saab had it's engine replaced sometime around 2009-2010 in the 75000 mile range. Coolant into the oil was the cause, but I cannot say w/ 100% certainty that it was the heads (but that's another story). It's the wife's car so I never drove it much. I've gotta believe given the date on the service bulletin that I didn't get casech heads on the new engine. Fingers crossed. Not all the 5.3s are bullet proof.


I know it effect 2000 + model, but I do see 99 model effect too. Dealer should make this as a recall, but since it hard to detect, no smoke, oil is not turn milky on dipstick, and no visible coolent leak outside, most peoples run it until it over heat and blame on head gasket, then when they take it apart, the head crack, they blame on the head gasket make the head crack.

$1100 for new set of head from texas performing. Dealer charge 3000 for new head. 5.3 is proof, but with the castech head, its not.
 
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That sucks. I'll have to keep a better eye on things. I did add a bit of coolant a year or two ago on the Chevy. I just chalked it up to normal maintenance and didn't think too much more about it when I couldn't find a leak. Thanks for the good info.
 
Originally Posted By: tstep
That sucks. I'll have to keep a better eye on things. I did add a bit of coolant a year or two ago on the Chevy. I just chalked it up to normal maintenance and didn't think too much more about it when I couldn't find a leak. Thanks for the good info.


I think your is nothing to worried, if it crack you will know, U will add coolant weekly and note your oil level raise. It happent to my fiance tahoe, and dealer fix it for free, but she end up trade it in for 2010.
 
No, I definitely do not have consumption rates that are that fast. It's great info though if you are buying a used truck.
 
Going back to the OP's question...

the GM 6.0L is a durable and proven engine thats in a ton of commercial vans/work trucks and they're driven extremely hard into the 400k-500k range.

Regarding your question on which oil to use...take your pick, lol, that's a motor that can run any 5w30 and it'll be a long lasting reliable motor. Use any SN/GF5...my owners manual says run 10w30 in above 0 degrees and 5w30 is recommended for all temperatures...since you're in DC, I'd go with 5w30.

Yes, the oil filter looks small...don't worry about it.
 
I had the exact same truck. Bought it new back in 03. It liked
M1 5w30, but it was very noisy with Castrol Syntec GC 0w30.
 
Originally Posted By: MetalSlug
off topic, how that 6.0 serve you ?


I only have had it for a few months and it drives really smooth. It also has blinking side mirrors.

It takes a lot of gas but I like it. Its a crew cab but it seems to have a normal plenty of bed size so its all good.

I changed out with mobil synthetic 5w30
 
I went with the High Mileage version of Mobil-1 5W-30 and both my 4.8L and 6.0L trucks seem to like it. No oil consumption, quiet valvetrain...unlike regular M-1 5W-30 which led the 4.8L to develop a slight lifter tick at hot idle.

We run these at 2x OLM (Change Oil light sets, I reset it, then run to next Change Oil light...then it's oil change time) and both trucks are past 140K miles presently. Zero oil consumption, no smoke at startup, amazing engines.
 
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