C/K Man

Could also be the relief valve in the oil pump is sticking. Thing is with that many miles a new engine wouldn't be bad idea.

I hope we get a good look at the 2020 HD's soon. I hear they will look quite a bit different than the new 1500's. Rumor: 9 speed Allison.

http://www.autonews.com/article/20180903/RETAIL01/180909984/chevy-silverado-medium-duty

I am surprised after the second problem the dealer just didn't replace the whole engine. The should be the next move.

Big gas engine, hopefully mated to an Allison transmission. Things I like about the Ram HD's are the heavy duty commercial seat option and all the available paint colors.

Looks like GM is still using the Nox-Rust wax frame coating. Kind of a surprise since the Colorado/Canyon frames are now painted.

I have seen the 4500/5500/6500 order guides. Looks really good, and the trucks are priced right. Should be out very soon. As far as I can see, GM only needs to make 2 additions. First, a gas engine. Gas engines are becoming a lot more popular in medium duty trucks. Right now, Ford has that market to themselves. Second, at least the 6500 series needs a 22.5" wheel option. Reason is with 22.5's the bed of the truck would be 'dock height'. That's important to a lot of users of vans and flatbeds that load and unload at docks. Most class 4/5 trucks are about a foot to low.

The more I hear about Ford's 7X, the more it sounds like a Gen V. LS with slightly wider bore spacing and a taller deck block! Wow, if Ford really does dump OHC and returns to pushrods they will never hear the end of it.

The latest I am hearing is that the L96 will indeed continue, but there will be another larger gas engine option. Very true about Fuso now using the L96, along with Freightliner and Isuzu who have been offering it for years. From what I understand, need for a larger gas engine is being driven by the new Silverado 4500/5500/6500. Where the L96 would probably be fine for the 4500, it is limited to around 20,000#'s GVW. I believe GM wants to match Ford in offering a gas option in trucks over that GVW. Keep in mind the Ford 7X will not replace the current 6.2L. By the way, the company I work for has been flogging L96 6.0L's for years. We own 100's of them, vans, HD pickups, and 3500 HD dually cab and chassis. Very rarely do we have any issues with them, and about the most common problem is the occasional broken exhaust manifold bolt. My experiences with the L96 at work is why there is one in my garage.

Funny rumor, Ford's upcoming 7X engine is said to 'borrow' many LS features, particularly cylinder head and combustion chamber design.

You are typical of many medium duty box van users. Good chance GM will have a gasoline engine in the new Silverado 4500/5500/6500 in 2020 or 2021. Not everyone wants a diesel anymore.

Not sure about that. Work an Ecoboost and the fuel economy is worse than a GM 6.2L. There would also likely be durability issues. Fleets like simple and cheap. Not to say forced induction gasoline engines may eventually show up in larger commercial trucks, but the current trend seems to be back to large displacement naturally aspirated. Ford's 7X, GM's 6.0L replacement, and I am now hearing that FCA may be looking at a larger Hemi for the Ram HD's.

Driver's side actuator is on the bottom of the HVAC assembly, above the transmission hump accessible from under the dash. The passenger side actuator is on top of the HVAC assembly. It is accessible by removing the radio. Not too tough, you will see it in there a little to the right.

That depends. If you have the problem described in the TSB, (areas of the wax not sticking to the chassis) GM recommends prepping the surface first. I just apply the coating directly to the frame (after cleaning) for repairing small areas where the coating has rubbed off, ect..

This is the factory coating: https://www.daubertchemical.com/store/product-list/corrosion-prevention/nox-rust-x-121b It actually works very well if you touch it up occasionally.