proactive instead of reactive - another AFM delete

[cplurbz]

with 144k on the clock of my '07 Tahoe, i feel the sun setting on the family truckster to stay in its original state. so like the many threads i have read before posting this one, i am humbly asking for a check of my homework before i start clicking buy buttons, and for some further clarification in the damn oil pump situation, not that it hasnt been cleared up, its due to my cultural heritage that my reading comprehension is sub par. so here goes-

-Comin from the TSP kit

• 16 Delphi LS7-Style Lifters (28-25341990)
• GM MLS 5.3L/5.7L (Pair) (28-12498544)
• L92 Valley Cover w/o PCV Provision for Truck/G8 Applications (28-12598832)
• GM Crank Bolt (28-12557840)
• GM 3-Bolt 4x Cam Gear & ARP Cam Bolts for Stock Replacement or Aftermarket 3-Bolt Cam (28-12586481 & 46-134-1003)
• TSP OE Style Oil Pan Gasket (25-TSPOPG2350)
• ARP LS Header Bolts; .984" Length; Black Oxide Finish; 12 pt. Head (46-134-1201)
• 4) LS2 Lifter Trays
• LS2 Chain Dampener
• Timing Cover Gasket
• Front Crankshaft Seal
• Water Pump Gaskets

-Comin from Summit

Fel Pro valve cover gaskets VS50504R1
Head Bolts #17800568
Mahle Cam thrust plate B31822
ARP Cam plate bolts 134-1002
Mahle intake gaskets MS16340
Chevy performance exhaust gaskets 12617944
AC delco water pump 19253263
pan relief valve plug PO-M14-KIT

-Coming from other places

L33 Cam #12583623 - wholesalegmpartsonline.com, the only legit place ive been able to find one. iiiiii dont trust some ebay.
AFM tower blocking plugs A.K.A a MasterPro #A37 - Oreillys

aight, now heres where i need more clarification on.

"stock oil pump is fine" ok...pluging '07 tahoe into summit i get 10295 "standard" and 10296 "high volume" both recommended for the vehicle. and the points for and against the high volume kinda fade as some say standard is standard and others say HV is the standard.

head springs and seals- is there a preference for this or are yall just yeeting them to your local head shop and letting them do whatever? i am to understand the stock rockers are fine as long as they check out along with the rods. but havent seen much discussed on the former.

do any of you have a strong recommendation for spark plug wires that are not weak. i have thick AC Delco red bastards on right now but theres several plugs i can walk up to and with one finger ive been able to just pop them clean off the plug. these MF'ers has cause me heart problems as i had first thought the motor had an odd ass tick, turns out one of them just were not seated, and refused to seat until i crunched the damn thing with some plyers. so if any of you have a set that actually grip onto your plugs, id appreciate the shout out.

and finally-
Improved driver's side rocker cover. GM PN#: 12642655? - improved...how, exactly? ive read less oil consumption but, is there something else i need to do for this, as in, an extra item or step or just slap this hoe on and send it?

...Alright, i think thats everything i had prepared. precaite you looking and for any help you can give.

 

[mattbta]

Regarding the valve cover, here’s a comparison.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

I cannot personally help you with your question; however, other members on this Forum that are much more knowledgeable than me will chime in.

 

[cplurbz]

Regarding the valve cover, here’s a comparison.
View attachment 385551

so a port relocation. aight then.

 

[iamdub]

with 144k on the clock of my '07 Tahoe, i feel the sun setting on the family truckster to stay in its original state. so like the many threads i have read before posting this one, i am humbly asking for a check of my homework before i start clicking buy buttons, and for some further clarification in the damn oil pump situation, not that it hasnt been cleared up, its due to my cultural heritage that my reading comprehension is sub par. so here goes-

LOL at "cultural heritage that my reading comprehension is sub par"

Good job at being proactive instead of reactive at this mileage.



-Comin from the TSP kit

• 16 Delphi LS7-Style Lifters (28-25341990)
• GM MLS 5.3L/5.7L (Pair) (28-12498544)
• L92 Valley Cover w/o PCV Provision for Truck/G8 Applications (28-12598832)
• GM Crank Bolt (28-12557840)
• GM 3-Bolt 4x Cam Gear & ARP Cam Bolts for Stock Replacement or Aftermarket 3-Bolt Cam (28-12586481 & 46-134-1003)
• TSP OE Style Oil Pan Gasket (25-TSPOPG2350)
• ARP LS Header Bolts; .984" Length; Black Oxide Finish; 12 pt. Head (46-134-1201)
• 4) LS2 Lifter Trays
• LS2 Chain Dampener
• Timing Cover Gasket
• Front Crankshaft Seal
• Water Pump Gaskets

Good choice of kit.


-Comin from Summit

Fel Pro valve cover gaskets VS50504R1
Head Bolts #17800568
Mahle Cam thrust plate B31822
ARP Cam plate bolts 134-1002
Mahle intake gaskets MS16340
Chevy performance exhaust gaskets 12617944
AC delco water pump 19253263
pan relief valve plug PO-M14-KIT

All good. But, might I suggest you save a few bucks and get this for the head bolts? It's the exact same for half the price. I believe I have some pics and a description in my build thread of an easy way to pop in those rocker cover bolt grommets. They can be a bear.
You should also get a new thermostat and maybe a housing.


-Coming from other places

L33 Cam #12583623 - wholesalegmpartsonline.com, the only legit place ive been able to find one. iiiiii dont trust some ebay.
AFM tower blocking plugs A.K.A a MasterPro #A37 - Oreillys

Good cam choice. No special tuning will be required for that cam. How are you disabling AFM in the PCM? I'm a fan of this resource if all you want is to disable AFM in the tune and not make any other changes.

I'm also a fan of the "MasterPro A37 Plug Kit". Had I known about it when I did mine, I would've done it. I had my engine out to fully re-seal it so I tapped my ports and installed set screws with Loctite.


aight, now heres where i need more clarification on.

"stock oil pump is fine" ok...pluging '07 tahoe into summit i get 10295 "standard" and 10296 "high volume" both recommended for the vehicle. and the points for and against the high volume kinda fade as some say standard is standard and others say HV is the standard.

My thoughts are that the LMG originally had a high-volume pump to support the AFM system. When you delete AFM and plug off everything, you're essentially making it a Gen3 engine as far as the oil system is concerned. So, you should be fine with a standard volume pump if your oil pressures are good. If you want to bump 'em up a few PSI, the high-volume pump will be fine. Worst it can do is cause 70+ lbs. and cost you a few HP that you'll never feel but it'll only be near maximum RPM.


head springs and seals- is there a preference for this or are yall just yeeting them to your local head shop and letting them do whatever? i am to understand the stock rockers are fine as long as they check out along with the rods. but havent seen much discussed on the former.

I think new springs are cheap insurance. In a stock engine, they rarely ever fail. But they're still weaker than they were 100K+ ago. I'd definitely replace the valve seals. Since the springs will be removed for this, why not change 'em? I recently changed mine (had one break and drop a valve) for the Summit SUM-174002. Like the head bolts, Summit doesn't manufacture these parts. I'm convinced they're all OEM parts re-boxed in Summit's packaging and sold at a discounted price. I'd have a machine shop do at least a clean-up pass on the head's surface, clean the heads and install the new seals and springs. If you wanna minimize costs, you can get a $40 compressor off Amazon and change the parts yourself and forego the professional cleaning and re-surfacing. IMO, the stock rockers are fine in a stock setup, as yours will be. I did my delete at 200K miles but with a performance cam, higher pressure springs, thick chromo push rods, etc. and spun it to 6,000 RPM pretty much every time I drove it. I planned to replace the the original rockers with some but with upgraded trunnions, but at a later date. The originals were fine so I put 'em back in. I finally replaced them earlier this year (215K?) when I had it opened up to do other work. I put in new OEM ones. I couldn't tell a difference in them versus the original ones other than the oil staining. If the originals are fine and the engine has been well-maintained, I wouldn't be scared to keep 'em in. With a maintained and not abused LS, 150K is maybe only mid-life.


do any of you have a strong recommendation for spark plug wires that are not weak. i have thick AC Delco red bastards on right now but theres several plugs i can walk up to and with one finger ive been able to just pop them clean off the plug. these MF'ers has cause me heart problems as i had first thought the motor had an odd ass tick, turns out one of them just were not seated, and refused to seat until i crunched the damn thing with some plyers. so if any of you have a set that actually grip onto your plugs, id appreciate the shout out.

The OEM wires are perfectly fine. They hold really tightly so if you can easily pull one off, either it's not fully snapped on in the first place or it's damaged/worn. If you wanna replace 'em, I couldn't recommend anything better than ACDelco OE wires. Mine (same red ones as yours) had 200K+ on 'em and seemed perfectly fine. I replaced 'em recently cuz I happened across an Amazon Warehouse Open Box deal on some pretty blue OEM ones meant for an LS3. They almost don't fit, but do and I like 'em.


and finally-
Improved driver's side rocker cover. GM PN#: 12642655? - improved...how, exactly? ive read less oil consumption but, is there something else i need to do for this, as in, an extra item or step or just slap this hoe on and send it?

With the original design, the port in the baffle was in such a position that oil flicking up off the rocker at higher RPM bullseyed straight into the port, filling the baffle with more liquid oil than what could drain out before being sucked up by the vaccum hose of the PCV system. The relocated hole prevents such a high volume of liquid oil from filling up behind the baffle so the PCV system just gets more oil mist than straight up liquid oil. It's absolutely a worthy investment. This and a catch can should be standard on any LS engine.

 

[cplurbz]

boy, i was hoping you and swath would chime in to give an attaboy or slap upside the head.

good. But, might I suggest you save a few bucks and get this for the head bolts? It's the exact same for half the price. I believe I have some pics and a description in my build thread of an easy way to pop in those rocker cover bolt grommets. They can be a bear.
You should also get a new thermostat and maybe a housing.

aight, bolt order changed to. i have a new thermostat on the list as well, along with spark plugs and the other fringe items. i did read through some of your build post but its like 50+ pages long so...daym. ill look though it for that grommet trick.

good cam choice. No special tuning will be required for that cam.

and thats why im going with it. just a simple plug and play. TSP only offers the LM7 option on cams but everywhere ive read, even places outside this forum, for my year and what im doing, everyone points to an L33 cam.

How are you disabling AFM in the PCM? I'm a fan of this resource if all you want is to disable AFM in the tune and not make any other changes.

yea i have brendans page bookmarked for this specific reason. the mans updates the date on it periodically so thats a great warm and fuzzy knowing im not sending my trucks brain to a silent dead address.

I'm also a fan of the "MasterPro A37 Plug Kit". Had I known about it when I did mine, I would've done it. I had my engine out to fully re-seal it so I tapped my ports and installed set screws with Loctite.

in about 3 years this is supposed to become mine and mine only when we update to another newer ride for the wife and thats when ill probably pull the whole engine myself. then...ooooooh man, ima do things to it. if only i could find a way to stick a T56 in it, mmmm boy.

My thoughts are that the LMG originally had a high-volume pump to support the AFM system. When you delete AFM and plug off everything, you're essentially making it a Gen3 engine as far as the oil system is concerned. So, you should be fine with a standard volume pump if your oil pressures are good. If you want to bump 'em up a few PSI, the high-volume pump will be fine. Worst it can do is cause 70+ lbs. and cost you a few HP that you'll never feel but it'll only be near maximum RPM.

the only rigorous duty this will see is pulling my motorcycle so ill standard pump it then.

I think new springs are cheap insurance. In a stock engine, they rarely ever fail. But they're still weaker than they were 100K+ ago. I'd definitely replace the valve seals. Since the springs will be removed for this, why not change 'em? I recently changed mine (had one break and drop a valve) for the Summit SUM-174002. Like the head bolts, Summit doesn't manufacture these parts. I'm convinced they're all OEM parts re-boxed in Summit's packaging and sold at a discounted price. I'd have a machine shop do at least a clean-up pass on the head's surface, clean the heads and install the new seals and springs. If you wanna minimize costs, you can get a $40 compressor off Amazon and change the parts yourself and forego the professional cleaning and re-surfacing. IMO, the stock rockers are fine in a stock setup, as yours will be. I did my delete at 200K miles but with a performance cam, higher pressure springs, thick chromo push rods, etc. and spun it to 6,000 RPM pretty much every time I drove it. I planned to replace the the original rockers with some but with upgraded trunnions, but at a later date. The originals were fine so I put 'em back in. I finally replaced them earlier this year (215K?) when I had it opened up to do other work. I put in new OEM ones. I couldn't tell a difference in them versus the original ones other than the oil staining. If the originals are fine and the engine has been well-maintained, I wouldn't be scared to keep 'em in. With a maintained and not abused LS, 150K is maybe only mid-life.

the oil in this thing has been changed religiously every 5k miles or before, never over. ive been wondering if i should bother with a head job (giggidy) and just change the springs/seals - lap the valves myself since i already do that on my bike.

i dont so much have a budget than i do a time crunch. i got about 2 weeks to get this done when i start and i dont know if the local shops around here have much of a backlog. itll probably have to be a point decision when im at the teardown.

The OEM wires are perfectly fine. They hold really tightly so if you can easily pull one off, either it's not fully snapped on in the first place or it's damaged/worn. If you wanna replace 'em, I couldn't recommend anything better than ACDelco OE wires. Mine (same red ones as yours) had 200K+ on 'em and seemed perfectly fine. I replaced 'em recently cuz I happened across an Amazon Warehouse Open Box deal on some pretty blue OEM ones meant for an LS3. They almost don't fit, but do and I like 'em.

yea its like 3 or 4 of them that just do NOT snap on. the little clip deep in the bore of the wire dosent want to hold onto the plug. im not sure of what plugs are in it now but im going with the AC Delco iridium set. might have to pull one just to check to see if that could be it.

With the original design, the port in the baffle was in such a position that oil flicking up off the rocker at higher RPM bullseyed straight into the port, filling the baffle with more liquid oil than what could drain out before being sucked up by the vaccum hose of the PCV system. The relocated hole prevents such a high volume of liquid oil from filling up behind the baffle so the PCV system just gets more oil mist than straight up liquid oil. It's absolutely a worthy investment. This and a catch can should be standard on any LS engine.

ok cool. ill see how far along ill get with all this and contemplate a catch can set up. (****, my bike needs one before she gets one, shit aint fair).

 

[donjetman]

and finally-
Improved driver's side rocker cover. GM PN#: 12642655? - improved...how, exactly? ive read less oil consumption but, is there something else i need to do for this, as in, an extra item or step or just slap this hoe on and send it?

Valve cover driverside – GM# 12570427
Top is original oil sucker
Bottom is new improved

 

[cplurbz]

Valve cover driverside – GM# 12570427
Top is original oil sucker
Bottom is new improved
View attachment 385698

yea i see the new one has a bit of skirting around the port to block some splash. makes sense now.

 

[Dustin Jackson]

with 144k on the clock of my '07 Tahoe, i feel the sun setting on the family truckster to stay in its original state. so like the many threads i have read before posting this one, i am humbly asking for a check of my homework before i start clicking buy buttons, and for some further clarification in the damn oil pump situation, not that it hasnt been cleared up, its due to my cultural heritage that my reading comprehension is sub par. so here goes-

-Comin from the TSP kit

• 16 Delphi LS7-Style Lifters (28-25341990)
• GM MLS 5.3L/5.7L (Pair) (28-12498544)
• L92 Valley Cover w/o PCV Provision for Truck/G8 Applications (28-12598832)
• GM Crank Bolt (28-12557840)
• GM 3-Bolt 4x Cam Gear & ARP Cam Bolts for Stock Replacement or Aftermarket 3-Bolt Cam (28-12586481 & 46-134-1003)
• TSP OE Style Oil Pan Gasket (25-TSPOPG2350)
• ARP LS Header Bolts; .984" Length; Black Oxide Finish; 12 pt. Head (46-134-1201)
• 4) LS2 Lifter Trays
• LS2 Chain Dampener
• Timing Cover Gasket
• Front Crankshaft Seal
• Water Pump Gaskets

-Comin from Summit

Fel Pro valve cover gaskets VS50504R1
Head Bolts #17800568
Mahle Cam thrust plate B31822
ARP Cam plate bolts 134-1002
Mahle intake gaskets MS16340
Chevy performance exhaust gaskets 12617944
AC delco water pump 19253263
pan relief valve plug PO-M14-KIT

-Coming from other places

L33 Cam #12583623 - wholesalegmpartsonline.com, the only legit place ive been able to find one. iiiiii dont trust some ebay.
AFM tower blocking plugs A.K.A a MasterPro #A37 - Oreillys

aight, now heres where i need more clarification on.

"stock oil pump is fine" ok...pluging '07 tahoe into summit i get 10295 "standard" and 10296 "high volume" both recommended for the vehicle. and the points for and against the high volume kinda fade as some say standard is standard and others say HV is the standard.

head springs and seals- is there a preference for this or are yall just yeeting them to your local head shop and letting them do whatever? i am to understand the stock rockers are fine as long as they check out along with the rods. but havent seen much discussed on the former.

do any of you have a strong recommendation for spark plug wires that are not weak. i have thick AC Delco red bastards on right now but theres several plugs i can walk up to and with one finger ive been able to just pop them clean off the plug. these MF'ers has cause me heart problems as i had first thought the motor had an odd ass tick, turns out one of them just were not seated, and refused to seat until i crunched the damn thing with some plyers. so if any of you have a set that actually grip onto your plugs, id appreciate the shout out.

and finally-
Improved driver's side rocker cover. GM PN#: 12642655? - improved...how, exactly? ive read less oil consumption but, is there something else i need to do for this, as in, an extra item or step or just slap this hoe on and send it?

...Alright, i think thats everything i had prepared. precaite you looking and for any help you can give.

@cplurbz Looks good man, I didn't see any new head bolts I recommend getting ARP head bolts also.

When I did mine I used the non-standard oil pump. My oil pressure seems a tad bit lower than before I did the delete but other than that I've been happy with it.

That's a good cam and the same place I got mine, using the oriley bearing for the valley holes is good but be gentle when I did mine I chipped a couple of the valley towers.

Other than that looks good, let me know if you have any specific questions about the process you are curious about.

 

[cplurbz]

@cplurbz Looks good man, I didn't see any new head bolts I recommend getting ARP head bolts also.

When I did mine I used the non-standard oil pump. My oil pressure seems a tad bit lower than before I did the delete but other than that I've been happy with it.

That's a good cam and the same place I got mine, using the oriley bearing for the valley holes is good but be gentle when I did mine I chipped a couple of the valley towers.

Other than that looks good, let me know if you have any specific questions about the process you are curious about.

thanks partner, im sure i will have some questions when i get to it next month.