Engine advice

[Streetlegal42]

Hi all

here's the skinny.
I bought 2007 Tahoe, VIN option 0 8th digit, as "mechanical" from auction. 142000 miles. It's LT model with all blows and whistles for the year.
I paid $4100 plus fees for it.
Entire purchase was based on me having a mechanic, that I knew since his age 11, fix it for me.
And he flopped. Truck spent 2 months in his shop without being worked on. Who knows.
Anyhow. Now it sits in my property and I have a problem.
Starts and runs, you can drive it. Has misfire cylinders 5 and 6, low compression same cylinders. When gas added, only cylinder 6 keeps misfiring. My guy told me, it's stuck AFM lifters, that need to be replaced.
Maybe.
I found two more mechanics, they both say - it's faster and cheaper to replace engine, than to fuss with rebuilding this one.
I tried an online site to order engine, they turned out to be scam, canceled order. We do NOT have reasonably low mileage engines anywhere in the area. I am, now, fearing ordering anything else online.
Engines run anywhere between $2500 to $3500 low miles online with warranty.
Crate engines run about same.
They want $2000 to swap out engine.
With everything to be spent on it, I am closing on $10K-11K.
Silly may it sound, what would you do?
1. register truck, sell as mechanic special to, at least, recover most of my money? It's clean title, I can get title in a week.
2. buy remanufactured engine? I have no idea, if remanned engines are more to replace or same price, labor charge wise. Who then has quality and reasonably priced remanned engines? JAGs and such are out of question.
3. still, take a chance with another used engine from say, LKQ? Or, anyone knows a solid source for used engines? I am in Pacific NW.
I am looking for advice, not beating, I beat myself up just fine for this.
Thank you in advance. I am too old and don't have enough time available, to DIY. Maybe 10-20 years ago, not now.

I’m going through the same thing, my Tahoe has set a year, dropped a #1 lifter so I pulled the head and spent 500$ putting new lifters on the drivers side buttoned it back up still misfiring but now saying multiple random misfires, so I started to junk it because engines are so hard to find close by, then I got on eBay and found a low mileage engine and lord’s will they say it will be here Wednesday, so you can find them on eBay for decent money just do your research before you buy it’s a gamble but hey give warranty’s.

 

[Joeltz]

Hi all

here's the skinny.
I bought 2007 Tahoe, VIN option 0 8th digit, as "mechanical" from auction. 142000 miles. It's LT model with all blows and whistles for the year.
I paid $4100 plus fees for it.
Entire purchase was based on me having a mechanic, that I knew since his age 11, fix it for me.
And he flopped. Truck spent 2 months in his shop without being worked on. Who knows.
Anyhow. Now it sits in my property and I have a problem.
Starts and runs, you can drive it. Has misfire cylinders 5 and 6, low compression same cylinders. When gas added, only cylinder 6 keeps misfiring. My guy told me, it's stuck AFM lifters, that need to be replaced.
Maybe.
I found two more mechanics, they both say - it's faster and cheaper to replace engine, than to fuss with rebuilding this one.
I tried an online site to order engine, they turned out to be scam, canceled order. We do NOT have reasonably low mileage engines anywhere in the area. I am, now, fearing ordering anything else online.
Engines run anywhere between $2500 to $3500 low miles online with warranty.
Crate engines run about same.
They want $2000 to swap out engine.
With everything to be spent on it, I am closing on $10K-11K.
Silly may it sound, what would you do?
1. register truck, sell as mechanic special to, at least, recover most of my money? It's clean title, I can get title in a week.
2. buy remanufactured engine? I have no idea, if remanned engines are more to replace or same price, labor charge wise. Who then has quality and reasonably priced remanned engines? JAGs and such are out of question.
3. still, take a chance with another used engine from say, LKQ? Or, anyone knows a solid source for used engines? I am in Pacific NW.
I am looking for advice, not beating, I beat myself up just fine for this.
Thank you in advance. I am too old and don't have enough time available, to DIY. Maybe 10-20 years ago, not now.

You have to pull the heads Then decide once you see whats wrong

 

[BG1988]

Yep, I have car-part bookmarked but, after I burnt myself with another website, promising low mileage with warranty (caught it on time and canceled) I am rather hesitant to trust online sellers. So you saying, car-part is decent?

https://www.car-part.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi?userSearch=int&userPID=1000&userLocation=Pacific&userIMS=&userInterchange=>B>B@N&userSide=&userDate=2007&userDate2=2007&dbModel=15.27.1.1&userModel=Chevy Tahoe&dbPart=300.1&userPart=Engine&sessionID=13000000176787526&sURL=www.car-part.com&userPreference=zip&userZip=98092&userLat=47.2837000&userLong=-122.1091000&userIntSelect=2423650&userUID=0&userBroker=&userPage=1&iKey=

Also, no one ever mentioned to me that 6.0 can be swapped. Is that so? Will ECM take it? Or, it requires all the engine management related along? Presuming, everything else mounts fine?

4.8L too is a good swap no AFM



this is why i bought a AFM disabler my 6.0 has it..(been running it in teh free disable mode since 103k it's at 104700)

..or do a 4.8L swap with a 6 Speed Transmission when the time comes
which can do 18-20mpg which is equal to what i currently get

 

[Matthew Jeschke]

If you buy a pulled engine from a yard make sure it comes with the PCM. Might even be able to get the transmission with it too...

There are a couple different computers, keep an eye out for that. I think the cabless throttle body signals a bit different computer / harness

Otherwise if you customize you need a custom tune.

Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

 

[iamdub]

Wow! maybe I just got lucky, I have a 2003 with a L50 Iron block and heads with 321k and I would jump in it and drive to Canada. Which I will do for the third time in June. I had always read that LS engines are "bullet proof".

If your '03 has iron heads, someone swapped them from an older engine.

LS engines are tough as nails and the Gen3 (which you have) is the most reliable factory variant of the SBC. While GM upgraded some design and parts in the Gen4, they added AFM. This was the first iteration of it and so it came with "first year" problems, hurting the acclaimed reliability. I "bullet proofed" my Gen4 about a year ago.

 

[Geotrash]

I "bullet proofed" my Gen4 about a year ago.

Same. And it runs strong and sure now, and I have complete confidence in using it to haul the family and our camper anywhere we want to go. Loving that stage 2 cam and the power that came with it, too. I appreciated your posts and guidance along the way, so thank you!

 

[Ben Prokop]

Hi all

here's the skinny.
I bought 2007 Tahoe, VIN option 0 8th digit, as "mechanical" from auction. 142000 miles. It's LT model with all blows and whistles for the year.
I paid $4100 plus fees for it.
Entire purchase was based on me having a mechanic, that I knew since his age 11, fix it for me.
And he flopped. Truck spent 2 months in his shop without being worked on. Who knows.
Anyhow. Now it sits in my property and I have a problem.
Starts and runs, you can drive it. Has misfire cylinders 5 and 6, low compression same cylinders. When gas added, only cylinder 6 keeps misfiring. My guy told me, it's stuck AFM lifters, that need to be replaced.
Maybe.
I found two more mechanics, they both say - it's faster and cheaper to replace engine, than to fuss with rebuilding this one.
I tried an online site to order engine, they turned out to be scam, canceled order. We do NOT have reasonably low mileage engines anywhere in the area. I am, now, fearing ordering anything else online.
Engines run anywhere between $2500 to $3500 low miles online with warranty.
Crate engines run about same.
They want $2000 to swap out engine.
With everything to be spent on it, I am closing on $10K-11K.
Silly may it sound, what would you do?
1. register truck, sell as mechanic special to, at least, recover most of my money? It's clean title, I can get title in a week.
2. buy remanufactured engine? I have no idea, if remanned engines are more to replace or same price, labor charge wise. Who then has quality and reasonably priced remanned engines? JAGs and such are out of question.
3. still, take a chance with another used engine from say, LKQ? Or, anyone knows a solid source for used engines? I am in Pacific NW.
I am looking for advice, not beating, I beat myself up just fine for this.
Thank you in advance. I am too old and don't have enough time available, to DIY. Maybe 10-20 years ago, not now.

Did you try pumping in Marvel mystery oil straight into the head with an aquarium pump? I can give more details but there are videos online you can surely refer to for help on how exactly. I’ve brought back nearly/seized motors this way and got lifters smooth and steady also! Worth a shot for the $20 pump and $60 in mystery oil $3 bucket and a day of waiting after ... obviously new plugs and coils have already been considered I’m sure so it’s worth a shot

 

[RET423]

Sell it as is and cut your losses, I am certain that engine has many great miles left in it but you will never get your money back by paying someone else to fix it unless you drive it.

An AFM delete with hard parts is cheap for a diy'er and possibly one head repaired (worse case scenario) and you have an engine ready to deliver 200,000 more miles of great service, someone who can get their hands dirty will want it for sure as these are awesome rigs.

 

[iamdub]

Same. And it runs strong and sure now, and I have complete confidence in using it to haul the family and our camper anywhere we want to go. Loving that stage 2 cam and the power that came with it, too. I appreciated your posts and guidance along the way, so thank you!

Happy to be of relevance!

 

[BHF Automotive]

Personally, I'm a big fan of swapping in the 6.0L. Super easy swap, if you pay attention to a few details. I have swapped a 6.0L into my 01 Tahoe out of an 05 Express Van and just finished swapping one into my 99 Silverado out of an 05 Denali. No need to swap the ECM. Just swap over your old intake/injection/emissions from your existing rig onto the transplant motor. You can have the ECM reprogrammed if you like and there are potential performance gains to be had there, but it will function just fine without.

BTW. You mention you are in the Pacific NW. Mind providing a little closer location? Might have an interest in purchasing from you, if you decide to sell and, of course, if I can get my wife to play along. She has been saying she wants to upgrade the 01 Tahoe to something newer, but whether she will still want to make a change once I find a good option is anyone's guess. LOL.