2017 Tahoe engine swap, advice appreciated

[Doubeleive]

I called the GM technician. They said when you do a delete the changes in the computer that are needed will be detected by California smog stations at time of smog and be an instant fail.
Great.
Last Chevy I buy that’s newer than a 73. These companies are so big they can put out a new design with no real world testing or they do test and know that they will have a %30 failure rate and we can’t do anything about it. Then they charge us to fix it. Companies like this don’t get my approval and definitely not my praise.

that's not true, you can get a canned tuner that is c.a.r.b legal for california and turn it off, I have mine turned off (not deleted) and no problem with smog because the tune is carb legal.

 

[Geotrash]

No way in hell that thing needs a whole new engine. New lifters and pushrods and she'll be good to go. Cam damage is unlikely but possible. If it were mine, I'd tear it down and have a look. You can use factory parts, switch off AFM with a CARB-certified tune, and run it another 250K, easy. If you're on a tight budget and get the parts from RockAuto, I'll bet you can get it humming like new again for $500 in parts and a weekend. You can borrow all of the specialty tools you'll need like the harmonic balancer puller and PS pump pulley puller for free from your local Autozone.

 

[SpyShops212]

No way in hell that thing needs a whole new engine. New lifters and pushrods and she'll be good to go. Cam damage is unlikely but possible. If it were mine, I'd tear it down and have a look. You can use factory parts, switch off AFM with a CARB-certified tune, and run it another 250K, easy. If you're on a tight budget and get the parts from RockAuto, I'll bet you can get it humming like new again for $500 in parts and a weekend. You can borrow all of the specialty tools you'll need like the harmonic balancer puller and PS pump pulley puller for free from your local Autozone.

You have to inspect the camshaft with a camera or specific tool to see if there was damage. If you got the check engine light then most likely your camshaft is damaged. I didn’t get the check engine light or store codes, just the tick so my camshaft did not get damage. You may have caught it before the camshaft got damaged. You don’t want to drive it after the camshaft got damaged because broken pieces from the camshaft may be in your engine. You could send the oil sample out to get checked as well.

 

[Ivanhoe]

My 2012 tahoe lifter failed and I changed lifters and cam. It can be done quite cheaply (compared to new motor) over a weekend, I had an old mechanic supervising and I had a rough idea what to do from youtube videos and excellent support from this forum and others.
I got a texas speed kit with new non afm lifters, new non afm cam ( but still works with vvt) new gaskets, new timing chain and new oil pump. Other companies do these kits as.well and much cheaper than any option I had here in Canada. I had a local shop tune the afm off prior to starting as I could run the engine straight away after.
It cost me about C$1500 with all the extra maintenance bits I added for long term piece of mind.
30000kms later and it's running strong.

 

[ivin74]

I called the GM technician. They said when you do a delete the changes in the computer that are needed will be detected by California smog stations at time of smog and be an instant fail.
Great.
Last Chevy I buy that’s newer than a 73. These companies are so big they can put out a new design with no real world testing or they do test and know that they will have a %30 failure rate and we can’t do anything about it. Then they charge us to fix it. Companies like this don’t get my approval and definitely not my praise.

Don't do the delete then, just change the lifters and the lifter trays. Inspect the cam and if you see any scaring or damage replace aswell. Please buy oem parts, DONOT buy aftermarket parts.

If you don't do the delete you will save money, run synthetic oil you will be fine for another 150k miles.

 

[THarber]

Thats an easy weekend job to pull heads and repalce lifters and pushrods. Don't buy into the new engine BS. If it were mine, I'd pull heads and see what you really have before even considering a new engine. If could be as simple as a loose rocker arm.

 

[Seanslane]

that's not true, you can get a canned tuner that is c.a.r.b legal for california and turn it off, I have mine turned off (not deleted) and no problem with smog because the tune is carb legal.

Thank you. I appreciate your advice

 

[Seanslane]

No way in hell that thing needs a whole new engine. New lifters and pushrods and she'll be good to go. Cam damage is unlikely but possible. If it were mine, I'd tear it down and have a look. You can use factory parts, switch off AFM with a CARB-certified tune, and run it another 250K, easy. If you're on a tight budget and get the parts from RockAuto, I'll bet you can get it humming like new again for $500 in parts and a weekend. You can borrow all of the specialty tools you'll need like the harmonic balancer puller and PS pump pulley puller for free from your local Autozone.

Thank you. I am going to dive into it soon. Hopefully it hasn’t gotten worse. I need to source all the parts now. I am still trying to figure out what engine I have.

 

[stevedonato]

Our engine is going out in our 2017 5.3 Tahoe. It’s at the dealer now since they just put in a new transmission for $5700. Then they diagnose the engine .Chevy said it’s a lift arm and needs the whole top taken off to replace it all. Best to just change engine. They quoted me $11,000 for a new engine swap with warranty and all. I live in California and barely making it by month to month. Trying to get this done and move back to Pennsylvania. Anyways. I can do it myself. I have everything to do it with help. My biggest hurdle at this time of a sourcing a reliable engine. I would like to do this only once if luck will have it.

I’m accepting any advice necessary even if it’s constructive criticism. I want to weigh all my options and ego is set aside so I can overcome this hurdle. Life is already tough enough as a middle class worker.

A good friend is an ex John deer mechanic and has everything I need to do this and will help and I have swapped engines before in a 2003 ford 7.3.

Advice on where to get an engine?
Best to buy used or reman?
Any other advice or concerns welcome and greatly appreciate.

Thank you

Get yourself a Toyota Sequoia never needs a new engine.

 

[Seanslane]

No way in hell that thing needs a whole new engine. New lifters and pushrods and she'll be good to go. Cam damage is unlikely but possible. If it were mine, I'd tear it down and have a look. You can use factory parts, switch off AFM with a CARB-certified tune, and run it another 250K, easy. If you're on a tight budget and get the parts from RockAuto, I'll bet you can get it humming like new again for $500 in parts and a weekend. You can borrow all of the specialty tools you'll need like the harmonic balancer puller and PS pump pulley puller for free from your local Autozone.

I like this. I want to go with all original parts. Mostly because I don’t want to do all the research for aftermarket part numbers. I also don’t want to have to worry about smog. But I’m still worried about it running for another 250 K with the CARB certified tune. I thought I had read that even if you keep it on all eight cylinders, the lifters are still junk and can go out?