2017 Silverado 1500 LTZ 5.3L 82k Miles Metal Shavings in Trans Case

[Andrew Rico]

Yet another fun post about a 14-19 Silverado with trans issues, who would've guessed!? I now rely on your help wizards of the internet to potentially enlighten/suggest to me my options.

Specs;

2017 Chevy Silverado 1500 LTZ - Crew Cab Short Bed

5.3L engine with unfortunate AFM (lifters currently on their way out but lets save that for a future deal shall we? *cough* AFM/DOD Delete Kit recommendations welcome)

Hydramatic 6l80 Transmission 

4 - wheel drive

82,****** miles

 

   Up until (3) days ago the truck drove relatively normal, slightly rough idle and super occasional noticeable misfires. Also at speeds of 65-70ish I get some good shaking of the whole truck which I have not confirmed but attributed to needing alignment done,(tires were rotated about a thousand miles ago and that's when the vibrations occurred, had tires balanced but no such fix.) Anyways, no hard shifts, no overheating (trans temp 190 and under) nothing, until this last Friday I get a whirring noise suddenly I notice while driving. I drive approx. 100 miles total on Friday and the noise is accompanied with what feels like the most minor drop in acceleration but almost indistinguishable from a light misfire. Saturday morning I turn the truck on and the whirring noise occurs while truck is in park warming up. I go to put it in drive, get about 6 feet, and then the truck slips out of gear while in drive. I stop, turn the truck off, wait about 5 minutes, turn back on, put in reverse and successfully back up my driveway that previously traveled 6 feet. Again whirring noise occurs from underneath truck right at transmission bell housing while in park, so I shut off the truck get a buddy over and pull off the transmission pan.  

 

    Magnet is covered in metal shavings, quite a good amount in the transmission filter, nice chocolatey transmission fluid with just the slightest tint of (I used to be red.) Can post a picture tomorrow perhaps.

 

  After much research I have learned it is the torque converters that goes out on these trucks and sends the shrapnel into the transmission gifting it the gift of early retirement. My warranty ended last month in November and a mechanic who seemed wise told me to get rid of this truck ASAP, and that when the transmission goes it is like a light switch, how right he was.

 

 My question to you, wizards of the internet, is that what are the odds my transmission is completely toast right now as it stands? I am sure that metal shavings of this magnitude must mean some sort of damage at minimum, but considering other than that I have had no other direct transmission issue what are the odds the transmission has a few thousand more miles left in it?

 

 If there is any chance I could even get another thousand miles out of it I would feel its worth getting a new torque converter and installing it in these hopes. Of course that comes with the fun of new exhaust gaskets as well plus like 2 trans flushes to clear out potential shavings etc but I am in quite the predicament as usual.

 

 Also I understand that this is probably a very difficult thing to even answer as you dont know what the transmission gears look like etc, if there is any pics I can take or other info I can provide that might possibly help guide an answer that would be much appreciated. I thank you for the read and any and all answers that may be supplied. 

[rlcole321]

Well, you got a mess, to start, unless you do all the work yourself, it will be very costly to pay for R&R trans, flush, and then new converter, to "see" if it will run right. Once the metal gets into the valve body then it is pretty much over, short of a rebuild. If you can do it yourself then all your out is a LOT of labor and some parts (not sure what you a saying about the exhaust gasket, manifolds don't have to come off)

I did the DOD delete for my 2018 "Rado (but 2WD), BTR Stage II cam and Long tube headers. But you have to "Retune", so best learn how to use a HPTuner.

[KARNUT]

Engine is going bad and so is the transmission. I would tally up the cost of professional repairs against the cost of getting another one. I had the same thought process when I retired 10 years ago. The new truck went down the road. I kept my old one and replaced it the avalanche. 

[Andrew Rico]

On 1/2/2024 at 9:27 AM, rlcole321 said:

Well, you got a mess, to start, unless you do all the work yourself, it will be very costly to pay for R&R trans, flush, and then new converter, to "see" if it will run right. Once the metal gets into the valve body then it is pretty much over, short of a rebuild. If you can do it yourself then all your out is a LOT of labor and some parts (not sure what you a saying about the exhaust gasket, manifolds don't have to come off)

I did the DOD delete for my 2018 "Rado (but 2WD), BTR Stage II cam and Long tube headers. But you have to "Retune", so best learn how to use a HPTuner.

 I appreciate the info. I am wondering is there any tests that can be done that might help find out if these fine metal shavings made it to the valve body? From my understanding that's up in the transmission a bit so perhaps it didn't reach there yet? Or is that how the fluid got to the pan in the first case? 

 

  I only ask because I have done about 25 hours of research, reading etc and have read a few similar stories where folks replaced their torque converter, flushed fluids etc and were able to get tens of thousands of miles out of their transmission still.

 

 Also, good to know, I had read somewhere that exhaust gaskets needed to be replaced but perhaps I mixed that in from the DoD delete info I was reading up on simultaneously. Appreciate the info on the DoD delete you did as well!

[Andrew Rico]

On 1/2/2024 at 10:15 AM, KARNUT said:

Engine is going bad and so is the transmission. I would tally up the cost of professional repairs against the cost of getting another one. I had the same thought process when I retired 10 years ago. The new truck went down the road. I kept my old one and replaced it the avalanche. 

I appreciate the advice, that's kind of where I am at, but unfortunately I am a general contractor and I have no backup truck so this is 100% how I make my income. In terms of choices I am trying to think ahead since I will be needing a truck that can pull 10 or 11K lbs inconsistently for work. Best case scenario I spend about $800 on a flush or two and a new TQ that gets me perhaps even a few thousand more miles, enough to save a small amount of money etc. 

 

  If not then its a new transmission I will have to install myself as I can't afford the labor for sure, plus from what I have read I will have to have a dealer relearn/tune the transmission when installed which I haven't found any prices for. But at that point, shell out a few thousand on a DoD delete kit and the two weakest points of the truck are fixed I suppose.

 

  All tough choices, so bummed I had the illusion purchasing an almost new truck with a 3 year warranty would save me from these dilemmas!

[Grumpy Bear]

The problem with all this sort of thing is that people line up to do it twice and sometimes three times. 

 

A guy buys a truck with a history of killing the transmission due to a converter issue known to GM and decides to accept the results to maintain a warranty that has lapsed and now bears the cost all on his own. Then he accepts the same crap parts to maintain that warranty.

 

That's a pretty expensive warranty that leads you full circle into another failure. Rinse and repeat. 

 

 

[KARNUT]

10 hours ago, Andrew Rico said:

I appreciate the advice, that's kind of where I am at, but unfortunately I am a general contractor and I have no backup truck so this is 100% how I make my income. In terms of choices I am trying to think ahead since I will be needing a truck that can pull 10 or 11K lbs inconsistently for work. Best case scenario I spend about $800 on a flush or two and a new TQ that gets me perhaps even a few thousand more miles, enough to save a small amount of money etc. 

 

  If not then its a new transmission I will have to install myself as I can't afford the labor for sure, plus from what I have read I will have to have a dealer relearn/tune the transmission when installed which I haven't found any prices for. But at that point, shell out a few thousand on a DoD delete kit and the two weakest points of the truck are fixed I suppose.

 

  All tough choices, so bummed I had the illusion purchasing an almost new truck with a 3 year warranty would save me from these dilemmas!

I was in a site prep related business all my working life and depended on my truck. I needed to carry work specific tools and equipment. I only used a half ton truck when I switched to doing sales and training. You have the wrong tool for the job. You need a 3/4 ton truck. I always had a backup truck available. I would buy a basic work truck. A leftover or CPO if possible. I would use it only for work. I’d buy a beater truck as backup. I work on paying off the truck. Once that’s payed off I rotate that to backup. Rinse and repeat. Buying a fancy 1/2 ton truck used when you probably could have bought a newer or new 3/4 ton work truck isn’t a good business decision. Once your business thrives if you’re any good the nice stuff follows. I know because I live it. Rebuilding trucks and equipment during rain outs to have maximum productivity when working. Not trying to be preaching. But seeing 1/2 ton, LTZ pulling 11-12k doesn’t read like a good business decision. You can read anywhere those years models were problematic. 

[Andrew Rico]

On 1/6/2024 at 6:59 PM, Grumpy Bear said:

The problem with all this sort of thing is that people line up to do it twice and sometimes three times. 

 

A guy buys a truck with a history of killing the transmission due to a converter issue known to GM and decides to accept the results to maintain a warranty that has lapsed and now bears the cost all on his own. Then he accepts the same crap parts to maintain that warranty.

 

That's a pretty expensive warranty that leads you full circle into another failure. Rinse and repeat. 

 

 

Oh don't get me wrong I'm chiming in on the class action lawsuit, I believe the 8l90 already has one started? I will get my $52.75 cents in 5 years from now rest assured lmfao.

[Andrew Rico]

On 1/7/2024 at 4:45 AM, KARNUT said:

I was in a site prep related business all my working life and depended on my truck. I needed to carry work specific tools and equipment. I only used a half ton truck when I switched to doing sales and training. You have the wrong tool for the job. You need a 3/4 ton truck. I always had a backup truck available. I would buy a basic work truck. A leftover or CPO if possible. I would use it only for work. I’d buy a beater truck as backup. I work on paying off the truck. Once that’s payed off I rotate that to backup. Rinse and repeat. Buying a fancy 1/2 ton truck used when you probably could have bought a newer or new 3/4 ton work truck isn’t a good business decision. Once your business thrives if you’re any good the nice stuff follows. I know because I live it. Rebuilding trucks and equipment during rain outs to have maximum productivity when working. Not trying to be preaching. But seeing 1/2 ton, LTZ pulling 11-12k doesn’t read like a good business decision. You can read anywhere those years models were problematic. 

I totally agree and appreciate the honesty. What you are looking at is a purchase of a 22 year old kid with no family or friends to give advice on a first truck. I had saved up a bit of money and the pandemic hit, my credit was really good at the time but was only going to be for about 3 months so it was an absolute pressure purchase. I had done a lot of research at the time and I had decided either get a new/almost new vehicle with a warranty and payments, or get two used trucks like you said.  Problem was I only had experience with the used cars, and my first 3 vehicles before that I bought cash outright and worked on them constantly leaving me unreliable for work etc etc, costing me thousands extra as well. 

   That's why im looking at a duramax diesel with an allison transmission as I have learned in the last 4 years that indeed you don't want to be at your max tow rating, even if the engine could have managed it the brakes, suspension etc just arent meant for that. Again it's not like it is regular, I am talking towing a 10k bobcat maybe once a month, 9K dump trailer loaded once or twice a month, not towing consistently, but enough to matter.

 

  Anyways again I appreciate the honesty and advice brother. Now like I had originally said I am just looking to get by until I can get rid of this thing. If you got any info on replacing a torque converter at this point and any usage out of the transmission after that let me know!

[TriZZZl3]

If you're worried about valve body being ruined, why not go ahead and just replace that too?  It's a pretty straight forward install and about an $800 part, but I've read that the valve body's and internal solenoid harness getting replaced solves a lot of the transmission shifting problems.  You will have to have it programed by GM software after valve body swap. 

 

I'm in a similar situation, where I had metal shavings in my pan and was getting erratic and hard shifts.  I've decided to install a new torque converter, filter, fluids, valve body and harness.  Hoping for about 40k more miles.  Expect valve body to arrive this week and will find out the outcome next week.

[Colin Wayland]

What ended up being the issue? I’m in the same boat!!

[Colin_w15]

What are the results you guys have had? Or did it end up taking a new transmission?