Jump to content

L33 Casting #'s, help!

kennjame62

Recommended Posts

kennjame62 Enthusiast

kennjame62

Posted
Posted

Hey All,

I'm hoping you all can help me here. I know this topic has been beat half to death, but I still can't seem to find this answer!

I have an 06 Sierra SLT Z71 Extended Cab, 122k. 5.3, L33, Aluminum HO Engine. Bought it about two months ago. 4:10 gears, but still averages 15 mpg surprisingly...

 

About a month ago, I suddenly noticed the coolant reservoir was completely empty. That took a whole gallon of coolant to fill to full. The truck has had a slight "knocking" noise that I assumed to just be piston slap. Then I read all about those Castech heads last night, and that's where I'll get into detail.

 

The dealer I bought the truck from was very shady. I have several issues I have to fix. Luckily the extended powertrain warranty will cover any heads/cylinder/valves, etc.

When I got the truck the oil was changed. The oil still looks like new, but I can see what looks like an outline of "brown" on the underneath of the oil cap where somebody wiped it off? After filling the coolant, it is now (after a month), down gradually, maybe 1/4 of a gallon. So I just got around to pulling off the valve covers, and what I found is interesting...

 

The driver side I pulled completely off. It looked very clean. Underneath of valve cover was very clean, EXCEPT for the front corner, which looked like sludge. The bolt (a common entry point) in the valve looked like it may be leaking behind this corner of the valve, but that was all I could see. And I couldn't find any Castech identification symbols! I didn't even see a 799 or 243. I saw what looked like "A1" and 308. I also noticed a symbol, which looks like there is a ring around it. No battery symbol. The BOLT, however, did have a symbol that looked like a castech symbol. Is it possible they used a different cover with Castech parts (mixed and matched)? Is 308 a Casting number and is it known for this issue? By the way, the oil was a quart low (it's been three months since a change, though).

 

Now, I haven't gotten the passenger off, but I did get the oil fill tube off. The same bolt on this side has the same logo and also looks to be leaking (looks to be a slight ring below it). Then I also noticed a battery symbol on the side new to one of the valves. This was NOT on the driver side valve. I am certain that the passenger side is Castech. So,

 

Is it possible to have one Castech and one non-Castech head? Is it possible for the parts to be interchanged? Is it possible to have a 308 Casting?

Is "A1" another symbol for another Casting Company? What would the driver side be?

Do you think, with the light knock, gradual loss of coolant, and brown residue (on the ring of the oil cap) could be a good indicator? I don't know where else the coolant would be going? Maybe this was already fixed before?

 

It only has 122k, I am bringing it to my mechanic to see what he thinks in a few days. I'm not so sure though. It is an L33. Does piston slap occur all the time? at least I have an extended powertrain warranty!

 

Thanks for all the help everyone.

James

Chris Senior Enthusiast

Chris

Posted
Posted

L33 had either 243 or 799 head castings. Those are not the bad Castech heads, they are the LS2 heads

06pirate Enthusiast

06pirate

Posted
Posted

So.....does the "L33" on my RPO code sticker mean I have the L33 engine, no worry about the bad Castech heads? Truck is 2006 Sierra SLT X-cab short box. 5.3 aluminum, 4x4.

 

Sticker pic below:

post-54380-0-48037400-1432446786_thumb.jpg

post-54380-0-48037400-1432446786_thumb.jpg

post-54380-0-48037400-1432446786_thumb.jpg

post-54380-0-48037400-1432446786_thumb.jpg

Chris Senior Enthusiast

Chris

Posted
Posted

If an 06 and the 5.3 is aluminum, then it is an L33. That was the only aluminum 5.3 in that generation. Also those never got the Castech heads

06pirate Enthusiast

06pirate

Posted
Posted

If an 06 and the 5.3 is aluminum, then it is an L33. That was the only aluminum 5.3 in that generation. Also those never got the Castech heads

Excellent. Thanks for the info.

  • 7 months later...
kennjame62 Enthusiast

kennjame62

Posted
  • Author
Posted

So.....does the "L33" on my RPO code sticker mean I have the L33 engine, no worry about the bad Castech heads? Truck is 2006 Sierra SLT X-cab short box. 5.3 aluminum, 4x4.

 

Sticker pic below:

Sorry it took so long to get back to you. Yes- atleast from what I've read. Is it a Z71 extended cab?

kennjame62 Enthusiast

kennjame62

Posted
  • Author
Posted

If an 06 and the 5.3 is aluminum, then it is an L33. That was the only aluminum 5.3 in that generation. Also those never got the Castech heads

Hmmmm.... I read that they did have Castech heads, but the batch they came from did not have the problem. I took apart on of the valve covers the other day- and I do have a Castech stamping.

Chris Senior Enthusiast

Chris

Posted
Posted

Hmmmm.... I read that they did have Castech heads, but the batch they came from did not have the problem. I took apart on of the valve covers the other day- and I do have a Castech stamping.

In here when it is refered as a Castech head it is used as a problematic one. The bad batch. Castech made a lot of heads for GM but only a few castings had issues
kennjame62 Enthusiast

kennjame62

Posted
  • Author
Posted

So.....does the "L33" on my RPO code sticker mean I have the L33 engine, no worry about the bad Castech heads? Truck is 2006 Sierra SLT X-cab short box. 5.3 aluminum, 4x4.

 

Sticker pic below:

BTW the GT4 means you have a 3.73 rear axle if you were wondering.

Badass69 Senior Enthusiast

Badass69

Posted
Posted

Dual electric fans are a giveaway of the L33. But looks like you have it. I also have the 3.73

Gears with my 06 Sierra 4x4 extended cab.

A 4.3 V6 from 2005 and up will have dual electric fans... so will a 4.8... and any variation of 5.3 or 6 liter in a regular half ton truck. The e fans mean absolutely nothing other than the truck is 2005 or newer. ... or has been swapped lol. Vin code "B" and the L33 rpo code in the glove box give it away... other than looking and seeing if the block is cast iron or aluminum.

 

Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk

Buddy67Lincoln Enthusiast

Buddy67Lincoln

Posted
Posted

i stand corrected! Thought my buddies steel 5.3 had a fan off the block.

 

A 4.3 V6 from 2005 and up will have dual electric fans... so will a 4.8... and any variation of 5.3 or 6 liter in a regular half ton truck. The e fans mean absolutely nothing other than the truck is 2005 or newer. ... or has been swapped lol. Vin code "B" and the L33 rpo code in the glove box give it away... other than looking and seeing if the block is cast iron or aluminum.

Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk

Badass69 Senior Enthusiast

Badass69

Posted
Posted

i stand corrected! Thought my buddies steel 5.3 had a fan off the block.

 

2004 and older it sure would have as they all did lol. The only trucks with mechanical fans from 2005 onward are the HD's.

 

Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Forum Statistics

    250.6k
    Total Topics
    2.7m
    Total Posts

  • Member Statistics

    343,007
    Total Members
    8,960
    Most Online
    Brendan C
    Newest Member
    Brendan C
    Joined

  • Who's Online   3 Members, 0 Anonymous, 914 Guests (See full list)

  • Latest Articles

  • Posts

    • Grumpy Bear
      Joke Thread

      By Grumpy Bear · Posted

    • Grumpy Bear
      The Peckish Synapse

      By Grumpy Bear · Posted

      You're better read than that Atlas. 😏   British science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke formulated three adages that are known as Clarke's three laws, of which the third law – that "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" – is the best known and most widely cited.   Stribeck and the pivotable Hersey Number isn't voodoo nor snake oil. That part is physics. It's what marketing and bean counters do with it that is snake oil and voodoo.    Stribeck is the relationship between Hersey and the Coefficient of Friction. Within the Hersey Equation if viscosity and viscosity is 'Dependent' on.......heat.......and.......viscosity index or the temperature to viscosity slope.    Specifically Hersey is the viscosity AT THE TEMPERATURE IN THAT LOCATION FOR THAT SLOPE.   Hydrodynamic lubrication exist when the film thickness in the location is 3X the Ra roughness of the surface. This is irrespective of the hardness of the substrate. To obtain that thickness X viscosity is required for Y velocity at Z load. That's a lot of moving parts. It is also impossible to maintain in an ICE but nearly possible with a turbine under constant load.    What does that mean? Error heavy and operate light. Wear is inevitable but the rate of wear and the milage obtainable are a function of prevailing conditions and HABITS. The only penalty is viscous drag and at fractions so low as to be well worth the effort. Double the life, half the manufacturing carbon foot print. Greed is the only impediment.    The materials generated by SwRI are the RESULT not an estimation or a hypothesis.    Don't delude yourself sir, EV's have as many pitfalls as ICE's. We just don't know what they are yet and it will take longer to sort as MARKETING and GREEDY CEO's have had more time to polish the turd they are selling. 
    • Grumpy Bear
      The Peckish Synapse

      By Grumpy Bear · Posted

      You can always count on greed to prey on ignorance and stupidity.    Friend bought a 2019 Ford Flex and asked me about using Valvoline R&P 5W30 in it. Told him give the miles on it and the fact it wasn't yet using oil that it was a good plan. He uses a Valvoline quick change shop for his oil service.   First they tell him that isn't the oil the OEM recommends. He told them he didn't care what the OEM thought. Then they floated the, "But it will void your warranty"    His reply was it's a 2019, there is no warranty and informed them their knowledge of the law was lacking.    Then they tell him 'But it will ruin your motor"!.    Mine to ruin he says. Finally they give in and charge him 150% the semi-syn price    Point it the brainwash is so embedded that even the service industry is drunk on their swill. The public is right behind them. Echoing the same lies on every forum and media platform. If the end goal is indeed EV then I'd say that ship is about built. 
    • CamGTP
      Gas Prices

      By CamGTP · Posted

      Diesel hit $6.00 here today at the truck stop.   Payed $2.79 for E85 today too.
    • richard wysong
      Electrical Problem - solved

      By richard wysong · Posted

      Thanks for posting, I'm sure it will help someone

  • GM-Trucks.com Clubs

  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...