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5.3 more metal in motor than anyone has ever seen before still running


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Gotta give it to the boys at GM my 04 Z-71Tahoe 5.3L is running strong still I had the low oil pressure issue 10psi @idle 10-15psi @ 1000-1500 rpm 15-20psi @1500-2000 rpm sometimes I might get up to 24 psi but never more usually maxed out at 20psi I ignored it for a little bit till due to wife spending money she was not supposed to that's another issue but the first time it sounded the low oil pressure alarm sitting at a red light I parked it got my parts drove it to my shop started pulling the front differential got it out the way drained the oil when I pulled the plug there was more metal shavings on the plug then I cared to ever see pulled the pan the pick up tube screen covered in big metal shavings went to clean the pan I have never seen that much or that big of metal shavings in any motor still running cleaned everything up in solvent tank put new o ring on pick up tube put it all back together and I have an increase in oil pressure but not much get 30psi on the highway it doesn't drop below 10psi at idle or red lights anymore the low oil pressure alarm sounds at 6 psi I think and it not doing that and running fine but it was running strong before as well I've never had a loss of power my check engine light has stayed off and it comes on randomly due to intake gasket replacement needs but turns off when it warms up I only run royal purple oil and and Lucas oil stabilizer in it 5 RP 1 LOS and an AC Delco oil filter every oil change I only run premium gas in it I care for this truck like I care for my children so now I have to decide motor rebuild or motor swap I was gonna pull the rod caps but I was so fed up with the **** bullshit of the whole situation (and that's not a racist comment) and I'm sure it's the main barrings so I didn't well that's where I'm at any input is very much welcomed although I doubt anyone will comment for sure no GM technicians will even though the forum is called Ask a GM technician cause I've been posting all kinds of questions about this project before I started and I've gotten nothing but crickets chirping on those questions so comments are welcome as a reminder to those who have this same issue I'm not ASE certified but I am certified to take anything apart and put it back together in better working shape than it was been wrenching on cars since I was 5years old been around the world 3 times met a man with a wooden cock drove every kind of truck there is 2wheel 4 wheel 6wheel 8wheel even those big mother truckers that go pssh pssh when you step on the brakes I'm a huntin fishin hot lady ****in rootn tootn shootin double cap crimpin motor building red neck from iKS that's going back for more every time and if you made it this far DO NOT!!!!! IGNORE THE LOW OIL PRESSURE FOR EVEN A FEW DAYS I GNORED MINE FOR 8 DAYS AND HERE I AM my last oil change was in late February no metal on drain plug then started getting low oil pressure for 8 days no low oil alarm till the 8 the day didn't drive it day 9 and on day 10 drove it to my shop and tore it down and blah metal blah metal **** me running so don't ignore low oil pressure

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Ya I tested with mechanical gauge and its same as gauge in truck I've got the front of the motor off right now and I've got the oil pump almost out everything but the back housing I tried removing without dropping the pan but not happening without lowering the pan a little I don't care what anyone says you ain't getting the pickup tube out of the pump housing without lowering the pan a qtr inch that said ........here's the 411

 

Pulled the timing cover after I discovered there are 10 bolts not 8 holding it in and the back side of the timing cover the oil looked milky as **** but NO OTHER OIL ANYWHERE IN THE MOTOR looks milky NOWHERE it looks black and sludgy in some places brown and sludgy in others and looks fine in others found some metal shavings nothing at all like when removing the pan the gear on the crank that he oil pump goes on looks a little shinny in one spot but I still have to get it off to examine worked on it for 2 days and was ready for nap I swear gm did everything worldly possible to make working on this truck a nightmare ontop of a trip to the proctologist

 

Also I noticed quite a bit of play in the timing chain I believe more than 5/8 play needs replaced how do I measure that it probably needs replaced its looser than any bicycle I've ever owned I am completely exhausted with this motor right now I used to enjoy this shit and I turned one to many wrenches for other people on others vehicles and can't stand the thought of putting this thing back together without having everything work perfectly when I'm done thought comments advice please

 

Chances are the back face of the timing cover does not get hot enough to boil the water out of the oil. This may be completely normal in your particular area. Trips that do not get the oil hot enough, long enough, to boil off any condensation in the engine or oil, will accumulate water in the bottom of the oil pan. It becomes a gray to whitish foamy crap and sticks to everything, except where it is needed for its oil content. If you have had proper levels of antifreeze at all times in the last year or so, you may be able to detect antifreeze in the white slime by odor, or if you have to, taste. If there is antifreeze in the white slime it will have a sweet taste just by touching your tongue to it.

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Oooff, yeah that'll do it - at -30 oil is like cold molasses! Like trying to pump roofing tar, lol.

 

I've had pretty good luck with oil pumps. Never had one fail. Used to run 20w-50 all the time because all my cars were major leakers, usually out the rear main seal and oil pan. That stuff gets REAL thick below 30°F !

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Did I just see the oil pump IN the front timing cover, like on 4-cylinder econoboxes? That's how they do it now? Oh boy ...

 

Noticed the chain is super-sloppy now too. Wow ...

 

Yep, here's mine when I put a new pump in my newer motor. I actually like this style better. The drive system is a lot more reliable.

 

f2e2933c8dce2e85a754f0e96380019c.jpg

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31B457A3-F3DD-4AC9-8D2E-38C766CAC575_zps

 

Put the lower gear so that the tooth with the mark on it is at 12:00. That will likely put the upper gear mark at 6:00. I think you will find that lining up the marks this way will have cylinder number 6 will be at TDC power stroke, and number 1 cylinder will be just starting its exhaust stroke. This is not really an issue anymore due to not having distributors, but, the effect is the same. You will not be able to get air being pushed out the plug hole on cylinder 1 if you try to line up TDC on compression with the timing mark on the cam gear at the 6 o'clock position. It can really confuse someone if they are not 100% confident in their knowledge.

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I run the premium cause 87 octane turns my check engine light on halfway through tank of 87 check engine light comes on fill it back with 91 check engine light shuts off qtr way through tank keep 91 in it no check engine light run 87 again check engine light I get codes for intake gasket 0171 0174 when it gets cold out but go away when it warms up too today I got code for oil pressure switch low voltAge

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I never heard of that happening with the 350. Always hidden gremlins in anything modern. I'm still learning these LS engines. First one I ever saw was in '07 in my Silverado - had owned nothing but 350 V8s prior.

 

Gotta love GM. They design a bulletproof lower end, then install crap cam bearings, crap lifters, faulty oil pumps and finish the assembly off with hit-or-miss piston/cylinder clearances. :nonod:

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There has to be marks on the gears - those need to be aligned properly. If you can't tell where TDC Compression is via the harmonic balancer / pulley, you can hook up a leak down tester and stop turning the crank when you feel resistance, and hear the major air leaks begin to stop - then remove the air to the tester, and verify the piston is indeed at TDC with a screwdriver, or dowel, or what have you.

 

If you don't have a leak down tester, just yank the left (driver's) valve cover, watch the valves as you rotate the engine, and get #1 to TDCC (both IN & EX rockers on #1 should have some slop in them), THEN remove the old gears/chain, and install the new ones in the same way regarding the timing marks.

 

This is based on my prior work with the old 350 - I would imagine the 5.3 is the same way, but verify all of this beforehand, just to be safe. Don't want to create an expensive problem where one didn't exist before ...

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Touché dougy boy touché so I'm looking at replacing cam bearings I don't know why I would imagine that they will be in just as good working condition as all the other parts I changed out lol I'm a flipping idiot I could have bought a 6.0L for the money I've got in this no oil pressure having pain in my ass live learn and buy a 6 liter next time

 

 

 

how do you properly flush an engine

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