old engine pics

[SteveSRT8]

http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g391/sjordan1429/IMG_20120128_053853.jpg

The pic is from a recently removed engine we are going to rebuild/refresh.

This engine has over 250k miles on it! Spanking clean inside and out.

Note that the oil is changed by OLM only and the coolant was never touched, no dex sludge either.

We do this ourselves and in many trucks we simply re-ring and do the heads and put the thing right back in. But I generally spend a LOT of time on disassembly and measuring first.

 

[Turk]

GM, baby!

The question begs: Which oil & filters?

Thanks!

 

[SteveSRT8]

That's a tricky question. This vehicle is part of a fleet and we used to only use Amsoil. So the answer would be Amsoil 0W-30 for the first 100k miles or so.

Then I met BITOG and began buying whatever synth was on sale! M1, PP, whatever, with a Pure One or a Bosch DP filter preferred. I have also used some K&N filters and Amsoil filters we had in stock.

 

[zyxelenator]

Truck had mostly hwy miles? Look like new. Did the rings wore out or they still ok?

 

[SteveSRT8]

No highway except short hops to adjacent towns. The truck weighs 9200 pounds every morning and is primarily city driven in heavy traffic.

I have not yet scheduled the time to do my teardown and re-inspection. But this engine did not smoke, knock, or use much oil.

I will post pics in a few weeks as work progresses.

 

[Donald]

So why is it being rebuilt?

 

[Bluestream]

Originally Posted By: tpitcher
GM, baby!

The question begs: Which oil & filters?

Thanks!



I have seen many engines with same or more miles that are just as clean using conventioal oil and Fram filters and following Mfgr's OCI

 

[The motor guy]

why not wait until it starts burning oil to do a re-ring?

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Under the VC better be clean on everything. Show me the pistons. Dont most truck engine use a "cold" thermostadt like 180 or under?

 

[daman]

An engine that clean and you guy's think it needs rings? 250k is that all? run em into the ground by then the body's will be shot and not worth a rebuild.

my '99 5.7 Z71 has 240 now runs like a top no piston slap i would never think about pulling it for rings lol.

 

[daman]

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Under the VC better be clean on everything. Show me the pistons. Dont most truck engine use a "cold" thermostadt like 180 or under?

I agree...and no most GM's anyway use 195's

 

[SteveSRT8]

Donald: since we have a great 3rd generation machinist in the family we tend to be pro active on the service vans. I've had a fleet for over 3 decades and when they start using oil after years of ZERO consumption we know they are worn enough. Plus the cam, crank and etc. will be in excellent shape.

Bluestream: Sure, so have I. But not in this kind of service. All city miles, EXTREME load every day all the time, and hours and hours of stationary operation. A unique duty cycle that few are familiar with.

Motor oil madman: see my reply to Donald above.

Arco: You'll see the pistons when biz slows down! Too busy right now to do anything but swap motors. They will be clean everywhere except the tops and the top ring gap. And we actually run a HOTTER than factory stat!

Daman: Since they began galvanizing the entire body (only the roof is not) we can keep the trucks as long as we want. No offense, but we own a few of these and run them strictly for the dollar, so our methods may not seem familiar to others who do not understand our biz or our UNIQUE duty cycle.

Speaking of thermostats, these rigs use a heat exchanger on the coolant that completely changes the system, over 3 times the volume of a stock van. Different thermostat location, type, and many more differences from a stock motor.

 

[ls1mike]

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Under the VC better be clean on everything. Show me the pistons. Dont most truck engine use a "cold" thermostadt like 180 or under?

No, not GM stuff. 195 is about where they run.

Is this a 5.3, 6.0 or some other flavor?

 

[daman]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8

Daman: Since they began galvanizing the entire body (only the roof is not) we can keep the trucks as long as we want. No offense, but we own a few of these and run them strictly for the dollar, so our methods may not seem familiar to others who do not understand our biz or our UNIQUE duty cycle.

Believe me living in MI that galvanizing coating(very thin) is a joke they rot away just as fast,anyway to each is own i don't care what you guy's do just commenting is all,your the first person I've ever heard of doing something like that,by the time a engine hits 250-300k it's time to upgrade anyway...take that time and money and newer truck time.

what about the trans,steering components,ball joints,drive train? you guy's rebuild all that too,thats all high dollar wear items too.

 

[Bluestream]

Steve, you can do what you want, its your car. But seriously 250K miles is nothing. Cop cars idle for 7000 hours, then are sold to cab companies and they rack up 4-500K without any issues.

My 91 Explorer that I bought new started to burn 1 quart of oil per 2500 miles after it hit 90,000. It stayed at that rated for the remaining 8 years that I owned it. It doesn't mean that they go down hill and burn more.

A little oil consumption is normal on a high mileage vehicle. When it get to 1 quart per 200 miles its time to act.

Look forward to the pics, nothing better than some engine internals to gawk at..

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: ls1mike

Is this a 5.3, 6.0 or some other flavor?


6.0

 

[ls1mike]

Good to know. My 02 only has 27,000 miles on it.

 

[daman]

Originally Posted By: ls1mike
Good to know. My 02 only has 27,000 miles on it.

Our farm 6.0's all have over 150-200K no signs of slowing down and they get used!

 

[ltslimjim]

Of course, they could go longer, but good practice now for when one starts to bite the dust unexpectedly. Not a bad way to gain experience, just don't be wasting too much time kids.

 

[GMBoy]

I love the 6.0L. I have the HO version in my 2006 Sierra Denali crewcab. 345hp and loads of torque - good to know it will go 250k miles atleast..I got 70k now