2014 Yukon XL - LC9 5.3L blew up @ 94,*** Miles! - New Motor!

[EnigmaMan]

Hey guys, I have not been on here in a while and need some advice.
A few weeks prior i was getting random check engine lights that would go on / off and would say #1 cylinder misfire. I did the standard troubleshooting steps prior to that such as fuel injector, all new plugs / wires etc

Just recently my 5.3L LC9 engine decided to grenade itself (I think) due to the AAM - Active Fuel Management going crazy and causing #1 cylinder to grind down, and tweak out the lifter and what not. I had 0 oil pressure and the thing was knocking like crazy!

Luckily the guys at GM decided it wasnt worth it to try and fix the motor so they gave me a brand new crate motor (I know there will be some doubters so I attached the service order)



Since I have reset the clock on this motor and basically have a brand new vehicle (minus the transmission / rear end). Ive been looking at doing some upgrades right out of the gate since my warranty is almost up and probably wont get another motor!

1. On3 Performance Turbo Upgrade - ~$2300
http://www.on3performance.com/shop/...do-sierra-15002500-truck-single-turbo-system/

Been researching these guys, and I called them up and spoke with them, they said its a direct bolt on and can use stock fuel injectors, pump and comes with the parts to do the upgrade your self over the weekend. If you want to use E85, you have to upgrade the pump / injectors to handle it but it does give 200 RWHP which would be nice with this beast.

2. Cam swap / N/A upgrade ~ $$$ Sky is the limit
After doing some research here, I can get a stock GM performance Camshaft and swap it out with out pulling the heads and seems pretty straight forward, but summit racing is suggesting a AFM DELETE kit thats $414 and you have to pull the heads, comes with the correct hydraulic roller lifter set, a valve lifter guide set, new head bolts, and an engine valley cover. (I would prob use studs instead) etc etc.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/cmb-09-0026


TL;DL Version
1. Any experience with on3performance and their turbo package?
2. Is a AFM Disable programmer good enough to disable it and do a cam swap?


Thanks!

 

[kbuskill]

Hey guys, I have not been on here in a while and need some advice.
A few weeks prior i was getting random check engine lights that would go on / off and would say #1 cylinder misfire. I did the standard troubleshooting steps prior to that such as fuel injector, all new plugs / wires etc

Just recently my 5.3L LC9 engine decided to grenade itself (I think) due to the AAM - Active Fuel Management going crazy and causing #1 cylinder to grind down, and tweak out the lifter and what not. I had 0 oil pressure and the thing was knocking like crazy!

Luckily the guys at GM decided it wasnt worth it to try and fix the motor so they gave me a brand new crate motor (I know there will be some doubters so I attached the service order)

View attachment 197200

Since I have reset the clock on this motor and basically have a brand new vehicle (minus the transmission / rear end). Ive been looking at doing some upgrades right out of the gate since my warranty is almost up and probably wont get another motor!

1. On3 Performance Turbo Upgrade - ~$2300
http://www.on3performance.com/shop/...do-sierra-15002500-truck-single-turbo-system/

Been researching these guys, and I called them up and spoke with them, they said its a direct bolt on and can use stock fuel injectors, pump and comes with the parts to do the upgrade your self over the weekend. If you want to use E85, you have to upgrade the pump / injectors to handle it but it does give 200 RWHP which would be nice with this beast.

2. Cam swap / N/A upgrade ~ $$$ Sky is the limit
After doing some research here, I can get a stock GM performance Camshaft and swap it out with out pulling the heads and seems pretty straight forward, but summit racing is suggesting a AFM DELETE kit thats $414 and you have to pull the heads, comes with the correct hydraulic roller lifter set, a valve lifter guide set, new head bolts, and an engine valley cover. (I would prob use studs instead) etc etc.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/cmb-09-0026


TL;DL Version
1. Any experience with on3performance and their turbo package?
2. Is a AFM Disable programmer good enough to disable it and do a cam swap?


Thanks!

Don't know anything about on3performance so I am no help there.

You can disable the AFM but the hardware is still in the engine, obviously.

The AFM lifters are different so when you do a cam swap, if you are using a non AFM cam, you will need to swap lifters... which will require pulling the heads.

Check out Brian Tooley Racing for the DOD delete kit... lots of options.

https://www.briantooleyracing.com/btr-gen-iv-07-13-truck-dod-delete-kit.html

If you are going to the trouble of swapping cams then I am certain you will be going bigger and it is probably going to be recommended or required to upgrade the valve springs and you may as well upgrade the rocker truniuon while your there.

Also to get the most out of your cam you will probably want headers which may or may not interfere with the turbo setup, but my guess is it will.

And then on top of all this you will need to get a custom tune.

Hope this info helps and good luck with your project... it sounds fun.

 

[EnigmaMan]

Well with that kit it actually uses the stock headers which is interesting along with a custom downpipe, the hot and cold side is included with the entire kit which is awesome!

The camshaft upgrade sounds like its going to be more of a pain than what its worth with pulling the heads, DOD delete kit new valves rocker arms etc and does not sound like a fun weekend project!

 

[kbuskill]

Well with that kit it actually uses the stock headers which is interesting along with a custom downpipe, the hot and cold side is included with the entire kit which is awesome!

The camshaft upgrade sounds like its going to be more of a pain than what its worth with pulling the heads, DOD delete kit new valves rocker arms etc and does not sound like a fun weekend project!

Depends on how long your weekend is... lol

If this isn't your primary vehicle then it's no big deal.

Personally I would go for the DOD delete and cam upgrade before I would the Turbo.

It gives you a good solid foundation to start from without worrying about another lifter failure taking out your whole engine.

 

[sfc_jones]

Depends on how long your weekend is... lol

If this isn't your primary vehicle then it's no big deal.

Personally I would go for the DOD delete and cam upgrade before I would the Turbo.

It gives you a good solid foundation to start from without worrying about another lifter failure taking out your whole engine.

This is the advice I would be giving as well. My Son deals alot with On3 Performance and it is a cheap way to increase HP, However You really need to do a AFM Delete using new lifters and a new cam. I would go with a stage 1 cam get it tuned in before I would do any turbo work. On3 Performance has some bad reviews so be careful before you decide on this route. Find a knowledgeable tuner in your area who can either dyno your setup or use data logging. Personally I would either do a whipple or a procharger with long tube headers. I know the cost is higher but the reliability is also much higher.

 

[EnigmaMan]

Awesome, thanks for the solid feedback!
I guess i'll be doing the AFM Delete next on the list and do the new cam / lifters.

Now, I have heard from doing a bunch of research that there are some GM Cam's that are awesome to really wake up this motor for pretty cheap cause of the millions of $$ that are spent in designing the thing.

But which GM cam would be reccomended (I know I would need new springs, rockers and potentially hardened push rods / roller rockers)

 

[sfc_jones]

Awesome, thanks for the solid feedback!
I guess i'll be doing the AFM Delete next on the list and do the new cam / lifters.

Now, I have heard from doing a bunch of research that there are some GM Cam's that are awesome to really wake up this motor for pretty cheap cause of the millions of $$ that are spent in designing the thing.

But which GM cam would be reccomended (I know I would need new springs, rockers and potentially hardened push rods / roller rockers)

Be Careful on how big of a Cam you go with. If you go too big you will need to get a decent stall converter for your transmission so you are now spending more money. Stage 1 cam with LS7 lifters and bigger springs and a tune. I am not sure if Black Bear can do a straight too without any data so it is something you will need to contact them about or like I said earlier, find a local tuner in your area.
Texas Speed sells a AFM delete kit. You can either call them or go to the website but you will have to pick out the Pickup Truck model and just verify the info with them. Thats what I did. Since my LS 5.3 motor is the same as all of the other LS 5.3 I didn't have any problems with my build. I only wished I went with a stage 1 cam instead of a low lift cam. Everything else is just gravy at this point. Don't get into a hurry and think things through. Make alot of phone calls and don't rely on just one source of information. Remember that everyone is trying to sell their products and it is up to you to make the best choice. Last thing....Cheap parts = failure. Beware of chinese stuff out there. A turbo that grenades can do alot of harm to your motor but they are much cheaper than a procharger or super charger

 

[EnigmaMan]

OK did some research it looks like the following will work for my ride.

DOD / AFM Delete Kit for 5.3/6.0/6.2 Engines - $343


2014 GMC Sierra 1500 Texas Speed & Performance 5.3L L83TR-3 Camshaft - $422
#25-TSPL83TR-3


This cam adds ~ 73hp / 20tq to the stock LC9 LS 5.3 Motor
Looks like with parts and shippping im at ~$800 ish and then prob another $800 to install it??

One thing I dont see is new lifters, hardened pushrods, springs and rockers? I doubt I could run the stock hardware for this cam. This might add another $400ish for these parts as well.

Once this is done I think the motor will be pretty much bullet proof for this power addition. Anything else im missing?

 

[swathdiver]

The L83 camshaft is for a Gen V motor, you have a Gen IV motor which can use Gen IV and Gen III camshafts.

For this displacement in a truck this size and weight it is my opinion that most of the camshafts offered are too big. It is better to go smaller than choose one with big numbers.

My own choice is for a camshaft (for a 5.3) whose duration is around 200 and lift around .500 on an LSA between 113-116 depending on the design. More important than just these numbers is the design of the lobe which every maker has their own profiles which affect how the motor performs in various situations.

Crane's Powermax and some of Cam Motions truck cams follow this line of thought and offer 40-50 horsepower and as much torque over stock (engine dyno) without stressing the valve train or raising your power band (rpms).

Remember, a lot of these "truck" cams are designed for regular cab pick up trucks, not 6,000 pound Suburbans. Similarly, the GM performance cams, even the one marketed for use in the LC9 crate motor, were made for cars, not trucks too.

Another thing, 2014 was the introduction of the new K2 platform on the pickups, but it was the last year for the GMT900, NNBS, SUVs. They moved to the K2 platform in 2015.

 

[EnigmaMan]

After doing some digging and looking around. In the past I have used Lunati Voodoo camshafts on a Olds 455 and had really great results.
Ive looked at crane cams, summit racing and others and I have not found cams or kits that will fit this application (some dont even exist!!)


It looks like this one is in the range you were discussing and looks like it doesn't push the RPM range up too high (1800-6400).

http://www.lunatipower.com/Product.aspx?id=4947&gid=353


Voodoo Hydraulic Roller Cam & Lifter Kit - GM LS GEN IV 267/273

Product Description
Lunati's Voodoo series of camshafts deliver more area under the curve than any other series of camshafts. This means more throttle response, quicker acceleration, more vacuum and better efficiency. These factors, combined with maximum horsepower and torque, make Voodoo camshafts the perfect choice for a wide range of high performance applications.Hydraulic Roller Cam. Good high performance cam with lots of mid range torque and upper end HP. Fair Idle.

• Advertised Duration (Int/Exh): 267/273
• Duration @ .050 (Int/Exh): 217/228
• Gross Valve Lift (Int/Exh): .549/.566
• LSA/ICL: 112/108
• Valve Lash (Int/Exh): Hyd/Hyd
• RPM Range: 1800-6400
• Includes: Cam & Lifters (#72332-16)

Part Number: 21460701LK
Previous Part Number: 65601LK

Jobber Price: $733.21


Thoughts?