2010 Burb Misfire

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iamdub

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Thanks for the info. It really doesn't make sense that they can sell the same senor for $17 vs $50. I'm going to look real close at it when it shows up. AC Delco is supposed to be AC Delco though right? Could they possibly put inferior products in the box? And it's coming from the AC Delco Amazon store..

Amazon just sells what their vendors pay them to sell through them. AC Delco should be AC Delco just like NGK should be NGK, etc. Yet, there are documented instances here where a set of "AC Delco Iridium" spark plugs were worn and melted at something like 30K miles. 100% counterfeit. There are horror stories of the counterfeits coming apart in the combustion chamber and destroying the engine. Sure, a low-quality counterfeit oil pressure sensor isn't gonna kill your engine. But it's still a PITA to deal with just in the labor of replacing it. Spend $50 and change it once or $67 and do the work twice, ya know?

The counterfeiters have really legit-looking boxes and products. But, you can tell the differences when you compare them side-by-side with the legit products and their packaging. Back in 2020, I found a great deal on some NGK Iridiums on eBay. I had the seller send me some high quality pics of the boxes and plugs themselves before I bought them. They weren't from a store, just some new/unused ones a guy found he didn't need.

I don't thoroughly know how it all works, so I can't say if there's even a possibility of a counterfeiting company than named their Amazon store "AC Delco". Sometimes, just adding or deleting a space ("A C Delco", "ACDelco", etc.) is enough to slip by. They may very well be legit- possibly liquidating an overstock in a sensor that doesn't wear out so often.
 

iamdub

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Actually since I've been doing a lot of research about all the parts I need I'm getting very suspicious. Look at this lifter kit that someone is trying real hard to look like genuine GM performance lifters. Same part# and everything.

View attachment 402794


I wouldn't trust that at all. It'd be awesome if the supply caught back up to where these could be offered at such a price. But, when legit sources sell 'em at almost three times that price, there's no way. Saving that $300 can cost you $3,000. I'd possibly risk it on a "non-critical" sensor, but never on critical, precision internal engine components.
 

j91z28d1

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here's pics of mine, left was what I believe to be oem 140k ish miles. it pegged 80psi with the engine off. middle was the ac Delco from Amazon. bag looked like the older darker blue bags, but nothing made me think twice. put it in, within a month or 2 it developed a flicker to it on a long drive, but didn't do it for a while around town but then slowly got worse. right one is new from a local dealership. notice the only difference I find is the font of the lot number Lazer print.

it's crazy man. I remember when I could just got to a auto parts store and buy whatever was cheap, toss it on and go. now to gotta be some kinda detective.

PXL_20230211_143606152.jpg
 
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solli5pack

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Quick update. My timing cover is leaking pretty bad so I'm going to change the gasket and seal on that and while it's off I'm going to replace the oil pump with a GM oem replacement. I believe the oil pan needs to be dropped to do the pump and I replaced the gasket and o-ring 2 months ago so I was hoping I could reuse it. Anyone know if that possible? Ordered following parts. GM head gaskets, GM lifter trays, GM exh manifold gaskets, ARP head bolts, ARP exh manifold bolts, GM oil pump, Timing cover gasket kit, ARP Harmonic balancer bolt and the heads are at the shop. I'm going to finish cleaning the block tonight and if it's not to late pull some lifters and see how they look and get some eyes on the cam to see how that looks also. I'm still on the fence over doing the AFM delete but at this point it seems all I would need to do the full delete is the flat valley pan, non afm cam, lifters and an ECM re flash. Can anyone think of anything I'm missing? If I don't do the full delete I plan keeping the AFM turned off with the Range plug and doing the vlom gasket mod on the solenoids and installing the collar under the oil pressure sensor.
 
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solli5pack

solli5pack

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Also here's a helpful video about diagnosing difficult to find head gasket failures.

 

j91z28d1

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instead of the range extender, while you have it apart waiting in the heads, maybe a good time to send it off and get it programmed out of the ecm.

maybe sell the range to offset the price? I believe it was 50$ to have it turned off in the tune?

just a thought. seems like you're so close to the cam now that you're pulling the timing cover. ugh. I feel your pain.
 

iamdub

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Quick update. My timing cover is leaking pretty bad so I'm going to change the gasket and seal on that and while it's off I'm going to replace the oil pump with a GM oem replacement. I believe the oil pan needs to be dropped to do the pump and I replaced the gasket and o-ring 2 months ago so I was hoping I could reuse it. Anyone know if that possible? Ordered following parts. GM head gaskets, GM lifter trays, GM exh manifold gaskets, ARP head bolts, ARP exh manifold bolts, GM oil pump, Timing cover gasket kit, ARP Harmonic balancer bolt and the heads are at the shop. I'm going to finish cleaning the block tonight and if it's not to late pull some lifters and see how they look and get some eyes on the cam to see how that looks also. I'm still on the fence over doing the AFM delete but at this point it seems all I would need to do the full delete is the flat valley pan, non afm cam, lifters and an ECM re flash. Can anyone think of anything I'm missing? If I don't do the full delete I plan keeping the AFM turned off with the Range plug and doing the vlom gasket mod on the solenoids and installing the collar under the oil pressure sensor.


I'd be REALLY hard-pressed to have the oil pump off and not do the delete. Heads off is maybe halfway there. Front cover and oil pump off... You're only steps from the finish line.

PCM flash can be as cheap as ~$60 if you get a cam that's close enough to stock. If you do the delete, add the front cam retainer plate "gasket" to the list. I like the older one that uses regular bolts versus the newer one with countersunk Torx bolts. I kept my original timing tensioner because I like the constant tension style versus the damper. I rather to have replaced it, but didn't have one on hand and needed to get everything back together. Either get a new tensioner or get the damper style (the black plastic "bow tie" shaped block).
 
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solli5pack

solli5pack

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I'd be REALLY hard-pressed to have the oil pump off and not do the delete. Heads off is maybe halfway there. Front cover and oil pump off... You're only steps from the finish line.

PCM flash can be as cheap as ~$60 if you get a cam that's close enough to stock. If you do the delete, add the front cam retainer plate "gasket" to the list. I like the older one that uses regular bolts versus the newer one with countersunk Torx bolts. I kept my original timing tensioner because I like the constant tension style versus the damper. I rather to have replaced it, but didn't have one on hand and needed to get everything back together. Either get a new tensioner or get the damper style (the black plastic "bow tie" shaped block).
Ok. You talked me into it!! What's another couple hundred on the credit card!! Got any cam/lifter recommendations?
 

iamdub

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Ok. You talked me into it!! What's another couple hundred on the credit card!! Got any cam/lifter recommendations?

Considering the labor to remove the heads, crank pulley, front cover, oil pump, etc. all over again when you're ready to do the delete... Yeah. You'll be RIGHT THERE doing what you've listed already.

All I can say for lifters is OEM. I believe Delphi makes the lifters. The safest bet is to get 'em from a reputable source. They won't be $150 for all 16, I can assure you that. Honestly, I think you'd be fine with just replacing the eight on the AFM cylinders. Texas Speed seems to be a reputable source for legit lifters. With all the other GM OEM parts Summit sells in their store-branded packages, I'd be inclined to believe their lifters are the same. I just searched "LS7 lifters" at summitracing.com. See if this link works: https://www.summitracing.com/search?SortBy=BestKeywordMatch&SortOrder=Ascending&keyword=ls7 lifters
That Summit Racing branded lifter and guide ("tray") kit looks enticing.

For a cam, I'd have to tag in James @swathdiver for recommendations. I believe you wanted/needed to stay as close to stock as possible (no custom tuning), yeah?

Oh- I'd also recommend a cover alignment kit. The front and rear covers and oil pan need to be held to very specific tolerances when positioning them. This is especially critical for the front and rear covers as the seals need to be perfectly centered on the crankshaft. The covers are positioned and tightened into place first, then the oil pan goes on. If you're one of those that torques down the oil pan then uses it to align the front and/or rear cover(s), you'll have leaking crank seals very soon. You can get machined aluminum blocks to align the covers for around $30. Example: https://www.amazon.com/Front-Cover-...nt+cover+alignment+tool&qid=1687999173&sr=8-3

Note: I've never used those alignment tools. I've always had the engines out and I do it by other, more time-consuming methods involving lots of measuring and checking and repeating using a straightedge, precision metric ruler, and light taps until I hit the center of the factory clearance/reveal specs.
 
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TNBob

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I believe it's 8 afm lifters. 4cyl and 2 per cyl?

so this guy explains it in a way that made sense to me while researching this before buying the truck.

a lot of guys here have been in this much longer and they have seen more and know more than me. I just try to go with what makes sense at the time. I can always be wrong about everything lol.

but the idea. normal lifters get oil from the block to pump up the hydraulic part of the lifter that makes it a hydraulic lifter. these afm have a added oil hole that comes from the top. it releases pins that collapses the lifter inside so it "turns off" that cyl.

well that is the part that fails most of the time they stay down and don't pop back up. it starts tapping and eats itself alive trashing the whole motor. so short of replacing it all. the best you can do is have it not release those pins. to do that you need to block off the oil supply. that's what you did by turning it off in the tune. but those solenoids do fail and leak oil, which can release them even when electricity turned off. so to stop that there's a bushing you put under the oil pressure sensor. that's where the solenoids get they're oil from. that solves leaking solenoids.. the other way oil can get there is remember that bottom hole in the lifter that gets oil from the block. well as the internal lifter bores wear, oil can bypass from there and up thru the afm release hole. if the solenoid is closed, pressure can build up and release the pins. so if you see the towers under your vlom, that's the oil ports down to the lifter, and there's a gasket there. his trick is to cut a slot in that gasket, so any oil that bypasses internally of the lifter is harmlessly returned to the pan. that's also why you don't put a non afm vlom plate on a engine with the afm lifters still in it. you don't want that top part sealed off. once you put none afm lifters in, you do.

that's why I said while you have it apart, I'd pull the trays, take a look at the rollers to see any signs of damage, peek down at the cam lobe if you can. if all looks good, replace trays cause plastic and and old now. reuse your lifters, don't mix up what hole they came from and it would be cheap insurance short of a full delete.


he's got tear down videos of the lifters themselves and how to release stuck lifters if they do stick on you at some point.



the other side would be to replace the afm lifters, but yeah they seem overly expensive to me, and you should really do new vlom and solenoids at the same time. at that point youre at full delete money, but you did save pulling the cam and stuff. I'm not sure v4 helps your mph at all thou. on my hybrid one it actually is useful since it can stay in 4 mode a lot of the time with the help of electric motors but I decided to block it all off and clip the gaskets instead of pulling heads and doing the lifters and vlom replacement. I have hopes it will last a long time this way.
Great response, J91!

Do you know a source for the bushing to put under the oil pressure sensor?

Also, I'm not quite following you on which gasket(s) to slot. I assume you pull the VLOM. Is the gasket directly on the solenoid (under it as installed, over if you pull the VLOM and flip it solenoids-up).

Thanks,

B

Thanks
 

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