Thoughts/Input on GM engines appreciated

[SpineDocWTX]

Howdy,
I'm in the initial stages of a search for a new to me truck. Hopefully I'll be making the purchase sometime early next year? I have the luxury of time and I love my rides and I'll have this truck for many years if all goes well so I will be picky about buying one that is clean well maintained etc.
My question is regarding engine options for GM trucks. I'm looking at 2007 and newer and I'm seeing 3 different V8 options? Any thoughts on one over the other? I would imagine the 5.3 is the most common? Really my concern is with longevity as I'll be buying used and keeping long. Anything to watch out for? Any signs that would tell me to run away?
No big stuff to pull no plans for heavy campers or anything like that. I want something that's comfortable on long a** roadtrips. Offroad stuff will be mild maybe a small lift or leveling kit, good tires and a camper shell.
Thanks in advance for the input.
-Will

 

[Dock Rocker]

The LS series of motors are rock solid. People put them in everything from mustangs to rock buggies for a reason. They are pushrod motors that just work. They make good horsepower and are easy to tune and hop up.

Also if you have a problem a new 5.3 from the junkyard is only 800 bucks.


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[jonathon]

Early AFM trucks(2007-2011ish 1500) are prone to cam and lifter failures. I owned a 2008 Vortec Max with the 6.0l L76. Lifter failed and wiped out a lobe on the cam at 66k miles. Have to pull the heads to replace the cam and lifters.

The 2500 and 3500 gas trucks have the bomb proof 6.0 LY6 or L96 depending on the year.

 

[rayra]

Our 5.3s have been working fine for us, even with high mileage. And our 5.7 before that. The newer Vortecs really have it down, IMAO. They are easy to work on and inexpensive to keep in repair. Their engineering layout is great in that if you need to work on a specific subsystem you don't have to remove much to get it done. A belt, two hoses and 4 bolts and your water pump / thermostat comes out. A few wire clips and 4 bolts and an entire bank of ignition coils comes off. Two more and your valve cover comes off. Takes less than an hour to change your intake manifold gaskets.
See the link in my sig for a bunch of posts detailing the ins and outs of 5.3 / vortec maintenance.

That said, their performance has been more than adequate for our light- to medium-duty towing needs or just driving around with 4-6 people in our Tahoe or Suburban. They'll drive the 4000' passes bracketing Los Angeles without any trouble. And that's in their stock config. Lot of drivetime spent spent in the Sierras and Rockies without any trouble, either.


eta The 2007-8 AFM engines also had some serious cylinder bore / ring wear issues, avoid them.

 

[vintageracer]

My daughter's ORIGINAL ENGINE 6.0 LS equipped Chevrolet 1500HD truck rolled 360K miles last month with 1 4L80 transmission rebuild during those miles.

Yes the LS is a very long lived engine with proper care and by far the best engine swap option out there for so many different vehicles.

 

[Explorerinil]

GM does one thing 100% right allways... their drive trains. They got the v8 perfected. GM seams to run the same engines and transmissions for years and the have worked the bugs out of them. Unlike other companies that change things so often and keep increasing power levels, GM sticks with what works. You can still order a 4.3 v6 in their express van, that engine has been around since the early 90’s and is bomb proof.

Look for a 6.0 2500 that would be a good solid truck

 

[Buliwyf]

I can go along with the 6.0, and 8.1, but I never liked any of my GM transmissions. Mostly the way they were programmed to shift. And the trans cooler lines failed often.

 

[Littlehouse]

2008 5.3 with almost 140k miles on it now. ZERO issues other than it needs to be topped off with oil every couple thousand miles.

 

[Dock Rocker]

I personally have taken two 5.3’s past 225k miles. Both needed transmission rebuilds (4l60’s) at 175k-ish.


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[SpineDocWTX]

Thanks for the input! I have never owned a GM anything personally but I had an '05 1500 work truck that I was impressed with. It was a feedlot truck and we beat the hell out of it but it ran fine and stayed comfortable on the highway.

 

[jonathon]

Thanks for the input! I have never owned a GM anything personally but I had an '05 1500 work truck that I was impressed with. It was a feedlot truck and we beat the hell out of it but it ran fine and stayed comfortable on the highway.

They are good trucks. I wish I would have kept mine after doing the cam and lifters but at the time it made me sick to look at. I still personally wouldn’t buy a bailout era AFM truck, the cam and lifter issue is very common. Once fixed you’re good to go.

 

[Martinjmpr]

For a half-ton truck the transmission is the weak link. If you have the money I'd consider an '09+ since they got the 6 speed transmission. There have been many times while towing and climbing a steep pass that I've wished for a couple of extra gears (between 1 and 2 and between 2 and 3.)

 

[Dock Rocker]

For a half-ton truck the transmission is the weak link. If you have the money I'd consider an '09+ since they got the 6 speed transmission. There have been many times while towing and climbing a steep pass that I've wished for a couple of extra gears (between 1 and 2 and between 2 and 3.)

Just a tune to bring the line pressure up and increase sift firmness and decrease shift time will go a long way to keep a 60e alive.

Another huge help is to add the biggest cooler you can hang on it.


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[Mighty Dodge Ram]

2010 Suburban, 1500 4x4 Z71, 5.3l, 140,000 miles. Occasionally tow a horse trailer. Plenty of power and tow/haul helps out. We do trans service more frequently than called for and that helps. This has been a great vehicle for us and no plans to trade.

 

[02TahoeMD]

Currently have a 2002 Tahoe with 110K on the odometer, and a 2011 Tahoe at work that just hit 70K. Both have a 5.3L V8, but there are vast differences in the electronics. Knock on wood, my 2002 has been fine and have been very happy with it.

2 weeks ago my work truck had the check engine light come on, blinking fast, and the display flash "Service Stabillitrack", all this in conjunction with the engine running very rough. I limped it into the shop. Bam, failed lifters and, in turn, a destroyed camshaft. Our mechanic said that the fault lies with the GM Active Fuel Management system, which you can't turn off ( I guess not without a custom tune that our shop would never do) causes the a lifter to fail and ensuing damage to the cam. I told the mechanic I had a 2002 Tahoe and he told me to NOT get rid of it, as it was a much more reliably built engine than the newer ones. He said my truck is not the first in the fleet to have the problem, and I do know that a 2007 Tahoe just had to have an entirely new engine installed at 126K miles this past summer. I was without my work truck for a week, and am profoundly glad I did not have to pay for the chaos I saw under the hood.



I will keep my 2002 until it literally rusts apart, thank you very much.