04 5.3 Vortec low idle oil pressure

[txab]

4 hours ago, Jsdirt said:

That's exactly what I would do. 

 

I've been running 10w-30 in mine for the past 30k miles, when my oil analysis was showing signs of the notorious #2 cam bearing failure, plus high levels of piston ring and piston material in a prior analysis. I'm going to run this one until the block ventilates itself, or the camshaft snaps in 2.

 

Just turned 100k miles last week. Won't be long now ...

 

 

 

Have you posted this analysis before? If not, you might post it

[Jsdirt]

3 hours ago, Doug_Scott said:

The oil analysis can narrow it down to a specific cam bearing?  Does each bearing have a unique composition?  I doubt the small block chev engine was always as dependable as it finished out its life.  Add in that the first 20 years were in vehicles that were not driven like they are now.  It was common practice to never drive a cold engine, not any more. You cannot take one item from an era and compare it head to head to something from a different era.  Much like you can't say that dead basketball player(sorry, don't follow the sport) was the best ever.  He did not have to take a bus from game to game, he had the best of everything, etc...

 

On vehicles with an oil light, they would come on at approx 7psi.  Problem with those systems was the light would also come on at 1psi.  If the truck is producing sufficient oil pressure to silence any noises, let it be until it no longer idles quietly.  

I must've got different vehicles than the rest of the world back in the day, because I drove like an IDIOT when I was younger - 5,500 RPM, foot to the floor at every light, 120 MPH on the highway,  towing stuff that no light duty vehicle should ever attempt, and only once did I spin a bearing in one engine. It was a 305, so that doesn't count, LOL. All my other engines lasted forever - hundreds of thousands of miles without ever getting inside. I've never changed a timing chain on a 350 in my life! Guess I ran the correct oil and changed it at the right time. Who knows?

 

It doesn't tell you a specific bearing. High levels of brass and iron, combined with the engine's known failure points pretty much tell you what is happening. It's usually the #2 cam bearing that walks out of its bore, but others have been known to as well. 9 times out of 10, it will be #2, historically.

[Jsdirt]

2 hours ago, txab said:

 

 

Have you posted this analysis before? If not, you might post it

I have a few times, but they're either buried in 200 pages, or got yanked when Photobucket tried its extortion scheme.

 

Here's the 2 I found - there's one missing (the one at 85,103 miles - on that one, they noted that they were amazed at the decrease in wear metals just by changing to 10w-30. There was ALOT of highway miles in that period, though - 2 trips to FL and back hauling cars).  Amsoil Signature Series for both different weights:

 

 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

[Jeffery Porter]

300k is not uncommon for this motor. In 2000 to 2006 they were great. When GM went with AFM in mid 06, problems started with oil flow and presure.  Lots of old post on this topic, I have read them all, no real fix, new engine was fix.

[Jsdirt]

Prior to 2007 it was very common. After that, however, you will NOT see more than 130k miles on these engines without major work, be it the crappy AFM lifters, cam bearings, VLOM problems, issues with a leaking o-ring at the oil pump pickup screen, broken beehive valve springs, timing chain wear, or knock sensor problems.

[Jeffery Porter]

Agreed, that's why I bought the 04 silverado, no AFM crap..