First problem after one year on 2018 Yukon XL Denali

[_Barry_]

the price given seems excessive, doing the one side seems more reasonable since it already has 150k on it. My personal issue with it is for a smidge more you could get a reman put in with a warranty, or you could go with a basic repair for now and save up the money for a another engine whenever it decides to go, if it ever does.
doing the one side seems like the best option (middle ground)

I'm still trying to decide what to do. I can afford it fortunately, so it's not a save up the money issue. It's more that I'm a rather frugal person
Checking around and figuring the hours to change them all, the quoted price is not out of line. OTOH, if I'm going to spend that much I'd like to get something more than the engine running just the same as the hour before the lifter bit the dust...

So, I'm thinking of either a new/reman engine, or possibly a used engine swap and I take the current engine and rebuild it at my leisure to an "enhanced" state. And I'm leaning towards the latter. When complete I then have the used engine and I might just decide to give the 2006 Avalanche a wake up treatment. I've just started building a new 2400 sq ft shop and when complete I have room for this that I just don't have now.

$7500 needs to get something more than just a lifter replacement for me to be happy.

 

[L8T BURB]

I'm still trying to decide what to do. I can afford it fortunately, so it's not a save up the money issue. It's more that I'm a rather frugal person
Checking around and figuring the hours to change them all, the quoted price is not out of line. OTOH, if I'm going to spend that much I'd like to get something more than the engine running just the same as the hour before the lifter bit the dust...

So, I'm thinking of either a new/reman engine, or possibly a used engine swap and I take the current engine and rebuild it at my leisure to an "enhanced" state. And I'm leaning towards the latter. When complete I then have the used engine and I might just decide to give the 2006 Avalanche a wake up treatment. I've just started building a new 2400 sq ft shop and when complete I have room for this that I just don't have now.

$7500 needs to get something more than just a lifter replacement for me to be happy.

It may seem like a far fetched idea, but do some research on the GM 6.6 liter "L8T" engine. It debuted in the 2020 heavy duty GM trucks. It's basically a stroked 6.2 but is built without the cylinder deactivation junk.

I bought a 3 mile fully dressed L8T AND a 6L90 transmission for $7400. This engine came with all accessories, even all 3 catalytic converters. For what you'd spend on a reman or even low mileage 6.2, you could (in my opinion -upgrade) to the 6.6. It builds so much torque down low, and for me, being an engine without the cylinder deactivation, it does give me some piece of mind. The L8T is a direct bolt in on any 2015+ 5.3 or 6.2 application. It's just a matter of swapping your front drive accessories over. You even maintain your stock ECM and harness. The L8T can bolt to the 6, 8, or 10 speed GM transmissions.

I have a build thread for my 2015 Suburban. Check it out if you want more info.

 

[Doubeleive]

I'm still trying to decide what to do. I can afford it fortunately, so it's not a save up the money issue. It's more that I'm a rather frugal person
Checking around and figuring the hours to change them all, the quoted price is not out of line. OTOH, if I'm going to spend that much I'd like to get something more than the engine running just the same as the hour before the lifter bit the dust...

So, I'm thinking of either a new/reman engine, or possibly a used engine swap and I take the current engine and rebuild it at my leisure to an "enhanced" state. And I'm leaning towards the latter. When complete I then have the used engine and I might just decide to give the 2006 Avalanche a wake up treatment. I've just started building a new 2400 sq ft shop and when complete I have room for this that I just don't have now.

$7500 needs to get something more than just a lifter replacement for me to be happy.

Gotcha, I am frugal as well, I really hate spending money on anything that isn't absolutely necessary sometimes
good luck on whatever you decide, I would probably just do the one side and call it good.

 

[_Barry_]

Gotcha, I am frugal as well, I really hate spending money on anything that isn't absolutely necessary sometimes
good luck on whatever you decide, I would probably just do the one side and call it good.

I may just do that. I change my mind every 15 minutes or so...
Today I'm leaning towards a new/reman engine. At least I get a zero mile engine out of the deal, but of course the cost goes up. I need to shop around.

Jasper has an AFM delete engine option as does a couple others. With install that price is just north of 12K however. Of course a new Denali is near 100K

We'll see. I'll decide one way or another in the next few days.

Appreciate all the thoughts!

 

[RobH]

OK, a few days pass by, no luck so I took it to the shop I use when I don't wish to work on a car myself. Bad lifter.

So, options.
#1 - The shop will do the entire job, replace all lifters, valve guides, valve job, head bolts, gaskets, tuneup, etc for $7400...

With the mileage and a bad lifter perhaps damaging that lobe on the cam, you're possibly in line for a new cam, Variable Lifter Oil Manifold (VLOM), and some other things that you didn't mention in your first post.

If you haven't already done so, reading this thread may give you information to help you choose a course of action.

2017 Tahoe engine swap, advice appreciated

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...

www.tahoeyukonforum.com

I've heard that the head(s) have to come off to remove the lifters. I don't know why. I've also heard that the cam can be turned over by hand by turning the crankshaft to turn the cam to push the lifters up in their bores. After pulling the failed lifter, the cam lobe can be inspected while continuing to rotate the engine.

With all the stuff in the valley between the heads, pulling at least the one head to remove the lifter(s) on that side may be necessary.

Getting a service manual might be a good investment in information to help you make your decision.

Personally, I believe that GM should be liquidated if they sell any more of these engines with the current DFM version of cylinder deactivation. Unless they sell the vehicle with a 200K transferrable unlimited time warranty covering a reman engine if the cylinder deactivation system messes up. GM is asking an owner to play roulette on whether the system will go bad while the owner owns the vehicle. And, as you know, with the labor, the cost is pretty darn high unless a person contributes their own time and working space.

A big part of the labor is disassembling the top end and front end of the engine and then reassembling it. A person has to have the time, knowledge, tools, and a place to do the work over a period of time to be able to do it themselves. And then you have an engine with a top overhaul that is 160,000 miles old. The probability is that the short block will last if not abused. But, one never knows.

Unfortunately, with the way our friends in Washington are spending money they don't have like there is no tomorrow, the invisible tax of inflation is making our dollars worth less every day. My retirement savings will buy 15-20% less than they would three and a half years ago. So, when you consider that you bought cars for $6,000 a few years ago, the question is how much car would $6000 dollars buy today?

I wish you good fortune as you work through this situation.

 

[_Barry_]

An update, sorry for the long delay. I've just been busy and really dislike spending this much money...
I decided to just have the engine rebuilt. The quotes I've gotten in this area to change the lifters are all in the same $7k + range, and that doesn't include a new cam if it has any damage. So, for a bit more I'll get it to a zero miles engine with the AFM deleted. I just don't have the time to do it myself nor do I really enjoy pulling an engine in modern vehicles

Thanks for the advice. I'll update with how she turns out when it's complete.

 

[_Barry_]

Well...
We finally have success!
It has been something of a battle. I got the car back and it just didn't seem to run quite right. It had power, but there seemed to be a lag in the development of the power as you pushed the accelerator pedal. Then after about 200 miles I got a check engine light for a misfire. Reset and got it again. Back to the shop.
The engine has Johnson Tie bar lifters and a stage 2 cam (AFM delete). New bottom end, new pistons and rings, valve job, and rebalanced. I had them send the injectors out to be cleaned. They did all the normal rebuild stuff. It has taken a while. The last thing we did was to remove the injectors and send them off again to be tested. The shop that does that said they were dirty??? This after they had been cleaned and tested by them. It's a good shop that does thousands... Something went wrong.

Injectors re-installed and she runs fine now. Noticeable power increase in an engine that is powerful to start with.

It's nice to have her home again and back in my "stable"

 

[MadMax_MFP]

Well...
We finally have success!
It has been something of a battle. I got the car back and it just didn't seem to run quite right. It had power, but there seemed to be a lag in the development of the power as you pushed the accelerator pedal. Then after about 200 miles I got a check engine light for a misfire. Reset and got it again. Back to the shop.
The engine has Johnson Tie bar lifters and a stage 2 cam (AFM delete). New bottom end, new pistons and rings, valve job, and rebalanced. I had them send the injectors out to be cleaned. They did all the normal rebuild stuff. It has taken a while. The last thing we did was to remove the injectors and send them off again to be tested. The shop that does that said they were dirty??? This after they had been cleaned and tested by them. It's a good shop that does thousands... Something went wrong.

Injectors re-installed and she runs fine now. Noticeable power increase in an engine that is powerful to start with.

It's nice to have her home again and back in my "stable"

So are you saying that the misfire code came back with the new engine and the injectors were the problem?! I’m glad you got the new engine but it makes me think that the injectors were the problem the entire time. JMO

 

[B-train]

OK, a few days pass by, no luck so I took it to the shop I use when I don't wish to work on a car myself. Bad lifter.

So, options.
#1 - The shop will do the entire job, replace all lifters, valve guides, valve job, head bolts, gaskets, tuneup, etc for $7400.

The last three cars I bought were $6000 each

#2 - Maybe I just do this myself. I can do without the car, I've built many engines over they years, so nothing I can't do.

#3 - find a used engine, replace then I can rebuild the one in it for later

So, not having done much research, what is the consensus on the do it yourself approach? Stock, using stock parts? Replace with mods to eliminate the automatic cylinder deactivation (whatever that is called). Others?

I can do the work, just a question of if I wish to do it. I don't have time right now so it will be at least a month. I have multiple cars I can drive so no issue.

Thanks for any pointers

I'd go for a new 6.6 L8T as has been documented twice on this forum now. Best bang for your buck

 

[_Barry_]

MadMax, no, not at all. the original problem was the lifter. I had the shop send the injectors to be cleaned and checked. We don't know exactly what went wrong there, but with the stage 2 cam and retuning, something didn't go right with the injectors. They were pulled and sent back and the people said they were dirty and needed cleaning. SO either they didn't do it the first time, the shop got them mixed up, or? All I know is they pulled cleaned and grouped them and it runs like a top, and continues to do so.
Were I doing it again I'd put in a cam with the original GM profile as troubleshooting is easier...