Useless Information

[badandyturbo]

Well, you're slowly getting through my thick skull. In a couple of weeks at Moroso it'll be truck night only for drag racing and think I'll take the family and show them my old haunt, though it's been completely modernized and changed since. Haven't heard from Andy but will see if he can make it and see how those new headers and tune run too.

Sorry I have been MIA. We hosted Thanksgiving this year so I have was busy with that.

I saw your post about Truck Day at PBIR on the 16th but unfortunately we will be out of town that weekend.

Glad to hear you got all your maintenance done.

 

[swathdiver]

Thanks! Ok, maybe January or after sometime. Test and tune are most Friday nights and those would be easier on our family since we don't have to meet with the saints the next morning.

 

[iamdub]

Maybe a catch can with a breather? Never heard of those things until you fellas mentioned them. We always put breathers on the valve covers. Truck really doesn't lose any oil between changes either.

Well, you're slowly getting through my thick skull. In a couple of weeks at Moroso it'll be truck night only for drag racing and think I'll take the family and show them my old haunt, though it's been completely modernized and changed since. Haven't heard from Andy but will see if he can make it and see how those new headers and tune run too.

You should be running a catch can regardless. Your motor may not use that much oil between changes, but I'm pretty confident it's still ingesting some. Ever looked into the back of your intake manifold? Look all the way back through that hole that's halfway through. Your flashlight will reflect on the shiny, wet oil puddled up back there. That's just what settled out of the air and didn't get into the combustion chambers.

A catch can with a breather would help keep the breather from soaking up with oil, but you still need the crossflow that the LS engine was designed to have to evacuate the fumes and moisture from the engine. The positive pressure of the crankcase alone isn't sufficient.

 

[swathdiver]

Last tank averaged 14.2 mpg. Instant economy at 40-45 is over 20 mpg. The traffic lights do it in. Filled up yesterday and averaged 16 mpg on the way home, hit lots of traffic and construction zones. Think I finished the day in the 15s.

It's $50 to enter that "Truck Yeah" event on the 16th. I have no desire to compete, just introduce the kids to drag racing and see how the truck runs. So that being said, I'll see if this coming Friday works for our clan's social schedules.

Chris, did you mention having problems with AFM now?

 

[iamdub]

Last tank averaged 14.2 mpg. Instant economy at 40-45 is over 20 mpg. The traffic lights do it in. Filled up yesterday and averaged 16 mpg on the way home, hit lots of traffic and construction zones. Think I finished the day in the 15s.

It's $50 to enter that "Truck Yeah" event on the 16th. I have no desire to compete, just introduce the kids to drag racing and see how the truck runs. So that being said, I'll see if this coming Friday works for our clan's social schedules.

Chris, did you mention having problems with AFM now?

Looking forward to your track day results.


My AFM "worked" fine, mostly, I think. It's just that, when slowing down while in 4-cylinder mode, the engine rattled like it was about to stall but instantly smoothed out as soon as it switched to V-8 mode. It was like being in too high a gear in a 4-cylinder/manual trans car and slowing down to a speed where the RPM was too low for the engine to run smoothly, then quickly pushing in the clutch so the engine can jump back up to it's normal idle speed.

I don't know if this is a normal operation of the AFM and I'm only feeling the vibes because my mount(s) are shot or if it actually has a problem where it's staying in 4-cylinder mode for too long/too low of RPM. Between this and the intermittent lifter ticking at a cold start, I'm taking it as hints that I should be doing something about. I'm hoping that just not letting the lifters collapse any more buys me enough time to get my ducks in a row.

 

[swathdiver]

I would think that might be a byproduct of busted mounts, the vibration you're having. One of mine began ticking tonight too. So are you figuring to replace the engine with a larger one instead of tearing into yours?

 

[PG01]

I would think that might be a byproduct of busted mounts, the vibration you're having. One of mine began ticking tonight too. So are you figuring to replace the engine with a larger one instead of tearing into yours?

Sounds like it...

 

[iamdub]

I would think that might be a byproduct of busted mounts, the vibration you're having.

I agree. After examining the broken mounts I've gotten from other members, I can see how a mount would transfer more vibes once it fails and collapses. My questioning in this is that the mounts have been broken since I bought the Tahoe and it started doing the rattling a couple months back. Either the mount wasn't fully collapsed and my asshattery finished it off or the AFM system was staying in V4 mode for too long. Regardless, it's now always a V8 and I'm researching solutions for our mounts- either a total replacement or a relatively simple fix with the mount in place.

Considering the cost of the delete kit, performance cam (I'm not gonna go that far and just stick a stock cam in there), labor and tuning, I can spend a little more and swap in a non-AFM engine. It'd likely require the same or less downtime and I'd be starting out with more HP and TQ with a totally stock and lower-mileage engine, with more potential at that. I can sell my 5.3 to recoup some of the extra expense and probably break even. Sounds like a no-brainer, yeah?

 

[swathdiver]

Sounds like a no-brainer, yeah?

It's probably the best bang for your buck for sure. I like to improve on what's already there. Will likely do a mild camshaft when the AFM is physically deleted and level the truck. Other than upkeep and maybe that catch can and airaid pipe I'll be done for a while with this truck. Maybe...

 

[iamdub]

It's probably the best bang for your buck for sure. I like to improve on what's already there. Will likely do a mild camshaft when the AFM is physically deleted and level the truck. Other than upkeep and maybe that catch can and airaid pipe I'll be done for a while with this truck. Maybe...

I get improving what's already there. In my case, I don't feel it's sensible to invest the parts and labor into a 190,000+ mile 5.3. If I can have no AFM, more power and lower mileage for the same investment while likely "starting over" with the engine's lifespan, I'm going that route.