Need help.

[iamdub]

You have an '07, so unless someone's been inside it to upgrade it, you have the first/oldest/worst version of the AFM components. They improved the AFM lifters and VLOM in the later years ('10 and/or '11, I think) as well as created a couple of other parts to mitigate the oil consumption due to the PCV design that is exacerbated by the AFM. Yours is obviously consuming oil and may be experiencing the very first signs of lifter failure. At your low mileage, yours has plenty of life left if you act now.

The absolute best thing you can do for the AFM system is to keep clean, high-quality oil in it. The AFM components are sensitive to gunk buildup, especially the older lifters and VLOM. Your sudden loss of oil pressure (as reported by the gauge- probably not actual loss) could be the sensor orifice getting plugged by oil thickened by contaminants.

All of these checks and upgrades are easy, one-day jobs that play into each other:

Part of the reduction of oil consumption is to upgrade the driver side rocker cover. When you have the old one off, you can assess the cleanliness of the inside of your engine. If there's a mild buildup of gunk/varnish mostly isolated to the crevices in the heads, then you need to be running better oil and/or changing it more frequently. I, and many others here would strongly advise full synthetic only. I ran Pennzoil Platinum for almost 50K miles and when I tore mine open at 200K, it was super clean inside with nothing more than amber oil staining- not a speck of buildup anywhere. High-quality full synthetics have detergent packages that will slowly erode away minor varnish buildup.

If you need to replace the oil pressure sensor, removing the intake manifold makes it a much easier task. With the manifold off, you can check the VLOM bolts for tightness as they often work loose. Either replace the VLOM with the upgraded design (if you plan to keep AFM) or just tighten back to spec. I would replace that gasket, if it's even available, but only if you're keeping AFM. Don't forget to get new intake manifold gaskets and go with an ACDelco oil pressure sensor.


If it were mine and I wasn't ready to tear it apart for an AFM delete, I'd absolutely have it disabled in the programming. Not having it active would prolong the life of the AFM lifters. It would also remove another contributing factor to the oil consumption.

Lastly, get a catch can. It should not be used in place of the updated rocker cover, but as a supplement to it.

 

[wsteele]

Is it necessary to do all new lifters, cam, etc for AFM disable or will the Dongle suffice?

I think that is a matter of opinion and gets pretty complex to analyze when some of the other motivations for doing a mechanical delete are thrown into the equation.

I am certainly no expert on how the AFM system operates in detail, but from what I have gleaned from these very pages by people a lot more knowledgable than I on the subject, the dreaded AFM lifter failure generally happens when the engine is running in AFM mode, or perhaps when it is transitioning. Hence, if you turn off AFM in the SW, the AFM lifters are no more prone to failure than any normal lifter.

I had a Range device and decided to sell it and move to a SW delete using a Diablo Predator. The Range device appears to reset some of the emission system monitors when you pull it out (say when you are preparing to get an emissions test). It takes some driving to reset those monitors so you might pass your emissions tests. Mine took almost 400 miles and many cold starts to reset them such that I would pass. I had a fear that driving around in normal AFM mode resetting my emissions monitors could actually be worse than never plugging the Range device in, as the AFM system had sat idle for say 700+ heat cycles between emissions tests and thereby maybe making my AFM lifters even more prone to a lifter failure than had I never shut it off. The Diablo Predator approach has drawbacks as well, which are kind of subtle and probably TMI for this post.

I was talking to one of the regional managers of one of the large reman shops that offers an AFM Delete option for their remans of these engines. They recommend the AFM Delete version of their reman to their fleet customers.

 

[iamdub]

Is it necessary to do all new lifters, cam, etc for AFM disable or will the Dongle suffice?

A dongle or retuning just disables it from engaging. The new cam, lifters, etc. deletes it from the engine mechanically.

Disabling will keep the AFM lifters pumped up so they operate like regular lifters instead of constantly pumping up and collapsing. But, they are still more subject to failure than the simple, regular lifters. Deleting removes any chance of an AFM failure because it has been taken out of existence.

 

[wsteele]

You have an '07, so unless someone's been inside it to upgrade it, you have the first/oldest/worst version of the AFM components. They improved the AFM lifters and VLOM in the later years ('10 and/or '11, I think) as well as created a couple of other parts to mitigate the oil consumption due to the PCV design that is exacerbated by the AFM. Yours is obviously consuming oil and may be experiencing the very first signs of lifter failure. At your low mileage, yours has plenty of life left if you act now.

The absolute best thing you can do for the AFM system is to keep clean, high-quality oil in it. The AFM components are sensitive to gunk buildup, especially the older lifters and VLOM. Your sudden loss of oil pressure (as reported by the gauge- probably not actual loss) could be the sensor orifice getting plugged by oil thickened by contaminants.

All of these checks and upgrades are easy, one-day jobs that play into each other:

Part of the reduction of oil consumption is to upgrade the driver side rocker cover. When you have the old one off, you can assess the cleanliness of the inside of your engine. If there's a mild buildup of gunk/varnish mostly isolated to the crevices in the heads, then you need to be running better oil and/or changing it more frequently. I, and many others here would strongly advise full synthetic only. I ran Pennzoil Platinum for almost 50K miles and when I tore mine open at 200K, it was super clean inside with nothing more than amber oil staining- not a speck of buildup anywhere. High-quality full synthetics have detergent packages that will slowly erode away minor varnish buildup.

If you need to replace the oil pressure sensor, removing the intake manifold makes it a much easier task. With the manifold off, you can check the VLOM bolts for tightness as they often work loose. Either replace the VLOM with the upgraded design (if you plan to keep AFM) or just tighten back to spec. I would replace that gasket, if it's even available, but only if you're keeping AFM. Don't forget to get new intake manifold gaskets and go with an ACDelco oil pressure sensor.


If it were mine and I wasn't ready to tear it apart for an AFM delete, I'd absolutely have it disabled in the programming. Not having it active would prolong the life of the AFM lifters. It would also remove another contributing factor to the oil consumption.

Lastly, get a catch can. It should not be used in place of the updated rocker cover, but as a supplement to it.

This right there.

 

[Jason in DLH]

A dongle or retuning just disables it from engaging. The new cam, lifters, etc. deletes it from the engine mechanically.

Disabling will keep the AFM lifters pumped up so they operate like regular lifters instead of constantly pumping up and collapsing. But, they are still more subject to failure than the simple, regular lifters. Deleting removes any chance of an AFM failure because it has been taken out of existence.

Thanks for the explanation.

 

[ohio5pt3]

So started it up today and it got up to about 20 fell for a second then rebounded and maintained 25 at idle. Drove it a little pressure was about 30-40 while driving. Went ahead and bought the new sending unit and filter installing now. Also will be doing a oil change with my trusty royal purple and wix filter which it's had since I've owned it. I'll order a delete this week along with a tick performance stage 2 torque cam. I'll follow that up with headers tune a vararam cai and 4.30 gears

 

[ohio5pt3]

Well new sensor and filter are in ran it around the block all good but as soon as it heated up back to 0 she went. So do I redo the 5.3 (ly5) or swap in a 6.0 (ly6). Thoughts?

 

[wsteele]

I think I would put a mechanical gauge on it to verify what you are seeing electrically is actually what is going on down below.

 

[wjburken]

I think I would put a mechanical gauge on it to verify what you are seeing electrically is actually what is going on down below.

This!

A lot of recommendations have been given and not much feedback on the results of many of them.

 

[ohio5pt3]

I agree not much feedback but I have the wife bought in on it needs a rebuild or 6.0 swap so....... At the end of the day I am really thinking about building something to tow our tt. My truck did great but that was before 9 Inches of lifted and huge sema wheels haha. With that said I'd rather just attack everything now.