5.3 freshly rebuilt???

[4Scott4]

I just bought a 2013 Silverado with a 5.3 .. The truck has 95k miles and the dealer (Chevy dealership) just rebuilt the engine before they placed it on the lot. The report said it had a stuck lifter on the #4 cylinder.. The deeper the got into it the more they ended up doing and it ended up being completely rebuilt..

Basically I don't want a repeat.. What would you guys recommend for oil and filter?? Syn?? Syn blend?? I usually follow the olm on these trucks.. Should I change it more regularly?? I do not like long change intervals.. Also I usually by my oil at Walmart.

 

[tomcat27]

there's a piece of that puzzle missing. I suspect that the oil was not changed regularly. just use whatever oil/filter/OCI worked for you in the past.

 

[TmanP]

I hope, and would like to think that this was an anomaly. So I guess I wouldn't be to worried, if I was you, about what oil to use. Maybe just a dexos blend and I like either AC Delco Classic or Wix filters. Personally I might use Pennzoil gold blend and an ACDelco Classic. Don't worry too much.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Wonder why it died with only 95k?

 

[CT8]

I doubt it had anything to with the oil if it had the proper specs,

 

[4Scott4]

No idea what caused it. The truck is clean as a pin and seems we kept..maybe the previous owner cleaned the truck better than he maintained it lol

 

[Michael_P]

Those 5.3's are built like a brick outhouse. Maybe they used one of those fancy cold air kits.

 

[gabriel9766]

The 5.3's r known for lifter and cam problems ive seen on the FB auto tech pages, someone is always doing one.

 

[clinebarger]

AFM Lifter Failures are quite common, It is not a oil related failure, They fail just the same on spotless well maintained engines & Varnished abused engines. Cylinders #1/#4/#6/#7 have the AFM lifters, It is ALWAYS one of those cylinders with issues!

My shop does several AFM/DOD deletes a year on 5.3L/6.0L/6.2L Gen IV engines, Trucks/SUV's are TOO EASY! A good Tech can do it in 8 hours, To bad GM dealers have no interest in fixing these engines.

 

[abycat]

I'm thinking the metal strength is the issue.

 

[WiskyBadger]

This is why I got a programmer. These engines are bullet proof without AFM!

 

[901Memphis]

Use a high quality synthetic and follow the oil life monitor. Do the first change early with whatever meets the specs to flush out any contamination from the engine surgery.

I'd recommend Mobil 1, Pennzoil Ultra or Platinum as well as Quaker State synthetic

 

[UncleDave]

Guys on the boating forums that tow are losing the 5.3's at about the same time.

As clinebarger says - guys are rebuilding the top ends and blocking off AFM.

You can get a good bit more oomph out of one if you lean on it a bit.

there is an extremely fine mesh screen under the pressure sender under the manifold you can pull out with dental tools - it fills up with gunk and starves the lifters. There is a tsb on it.

Extended OCI's are the main culprit of this screen getting plugged up, all that bitog mouth music about wearing out the car before the engine doest apply here.

Every trick you can bring to bear, from super high quality filters - to filter mags and magnetic drain plugs will help keep that screen free of debris is helpful to an AFM chevy engine.

 

[OneEyeJack]

If the engine failed so soon I wonder what other components in the running gear are suffering.

 

[MuzzleFlash40]

Over on the GM forums these engines are having major consumption issues even on lower mileage ones in that generation. When I bought my truck in April last year, it was unclear if the current generation 5.3 had the same issues.

 

[UncleDave]

Part # 452

When this screen plugs up it starves the lifters.
Guys ignore the clacking and the situation escalates.

This is where a microgreen or a bypass filter that scrubs even more out of the oil will payback over time.

Keeping the screen free of debris is paramount.

 

[BrocLuno]

Order a couple of bottles of Kreen from Kano Labs. Add 8 oz now and at each oil change. It will keep things as cleen as possible.

Use a good syn-blend oil and change at 5 or 6 K, regardless of OLM. Use oversized premium filter like Wix/Napa Gold or Baldwin, etc. Napa Parts Store can look up a crossover to a larger filter.

Or, pull the screen and still do the above.

GM had some "soft" lifters and we are pretty confident that the dealer used OEM supply chain for parts... Lifters have been a GM bug-a-boo for a while now. They have three contract suppliers (Delphi, Johnson, and I can't remember #3). Johnson seem to be the best of the lot. But we don't know which you got, so do your best to keep them wet ...

 

[4Scott4]

This is great information! Thanks for all the input

 

[racin4ds]

Sounds like Gov't motors boys got a little ahead of themselves in the technology dept with the AFM [censored]... guess they should've stuck to simple pushrod V8's and nothing else

Its an easy fix though, just buy a ford Coyote motor and slip it in! No AFM, much better engine, more HP and won't need rebuilt at 95k miles!

 

[Jandry]

Originally Posted By: racin4ds
Sounds like Gov't motors boys got a little ahead of themselves in the technology dept with the AFM [censored]... guess they should've stuck to simple pushrod V8's and nothing else

Its an easy fix though, just buy a ford Coyote motor and slip it in! No AFM, much better engine, more HP and won't need rebuilt at 95k miles!

Was at a local trail that starts at a YMCA. Just got back from a 4 mile walk. G/F and I are sitting in the Ranger b/s'ing before driving off when I hear what seems to be a V8 thats making a bad ticking sound. Not a knock.. more like a tick or a clack. I look up to see a late model F150.

Since many people are clueless about their cars and since I know when I hear a problem (not a master by any means but ive been working on them 20 years now), I decide to walk up and talk to the guy. I walk up and the guy has a "[censored] do you want" look on his face as he rolls the window down. I tell him of the tick im hearing and that it sounds wrong. His face changes and he says its a timing chain issue; he says his warranty is expired and he doesnt know how hes going to afford fixing it. 2011 with the coyote 5.0, 77k miles. I didnt get into a huge discussion with the guy- I just wanted him to know in case he didnt. He thanks me for letting him know.

I drive a Ford, and I wouldnt trust a Ford modular V8 for s***. 96-2010 4.6l and especially 5.4l v8s blow spark plugs like crazy. 2004-2010 5.4l v8s had cam phaser issues that wrecked motors, though admittedly very frequent OCI spared some from problems. Then a Coyote with a timing chain issue that I heard and saw with my own eyes? Admittedly, ive heard good things about the Coyotes and maybe that was an isolated problem- but thats awwwwwful close to the cam phaser issues Ford has had plenty of...

Ill take the 5.3l and its AFM [censored]. At least with the GM I can proactively protect the engine by doing an AFM delete.

Im not trying to hate on you or anything- again I drive a Ford as a DD and have always been a Ford/Chevy guy- but Ford hasnt had the best record and certainly hasnt had the legendary performers like the up-to 03 5.7l or 6.0l cockroach v8s.