GM 5.3 AFM/DOD lifter noise

[SpectraPat]

My son’s Yukon recently started making lifter noise and after doing some research, I found out this is a common issue with these engines around 120k.
He started looking for another Yukon or Surburan but I looks like the still have the same problem.

Other than installing a delete kit, is there anything else to get more than 150k miles out of these engines?

thanks in advance
Pat

 

[attitude]

Pull the lifters to see what one has gone bad, put a scope on the cam to see if the bad lifter/lifters have cause any damage to the cam yet. If not put new lifters in and drive for another 30k miles. You can also swap the oil pump just in case it is getting weak.

 

[TrollerDave]

DOD Delete in CA questions

My wifes suburban ate a lifter so I am going to do a DOD delete while I am at it. The few questions that I have are, for those who have done it did you get the ECM flashed? and if so who did you use and does it affect getting smoged in CA?

www.riverdavesplace.com

Some good info in this thread.

 

[Big B Hova]

I had a non DOD lifter go bad, cam just kept grinding itself into a better profile. Truck kept getting more lopey and faster.

 

[SpectraPat]

Pull the lifters to see what one has gone bad, put a scope on the cam to see if the bad lifter/lifters have cause any damage to the cam yet. If not put new lifters in and drive for another 30k miles. You can also swap the oil pump just in case it is getting weak.

Thanks. That’s what he’s doing now but probably going to sell it and look for a new one. I just wanted to know if it’s still an
issue on the newer models.

 

[attitude]

Thanks. That’s what he’s doing now but probably going to sell it and look for a new one. I just wanted to know if it’s still an
issue on the newer models.

To my knowledge the lifter issue still isn't fixed. It’s hard to know on the newer models because they usually don’t fail until after 100k miles.

 

[Deckin Around]

Carmax

 

[Cdog]

I just tore down my LT4 over the weekend to do the delete. It’s pretty complicated. Basically take it down to a short block because you have to remove the heads to get to the lifters.

These engines are pretty awesome engineering. DOD lifters excluded

 

[Havasu blue label]

Just add a lifter noise oil from autozone should work for a little bit

 

[J DUNN]

Tell him to get one with the Baby-Max so it has that sound all the time. Lol

 

[pronstar]

I just deleted my wife’s 2018 Suburban in December. Had about 115k miles at the time. Truck is excellent otherwise, I maintain my trucks well.

With this issue and the trans/converter addressed, the truck will be more reliable than new.

There’s a lot of “while you’re in there” stuff to consider. Here’s what I had done, basically free labor.

Timing chain and tensioner

Oil pump

All belts and cooling hoses

Belt drive tensioner

Water pump

Oil pump control valve solenoid wire

Circle D triple-disk converter, OEM stall
(trans was 1 year old warranty replacement)…why wait for it to fail

Cam phaser & gasket

Motor mounts

 

[SpectraPat]

Tell him to get one with the Baby-Max so it has that sound all the time. Lol

 

[welldigger00]

Oh boy. I’m $7k all in with me doing the labor.

 

[zhandfull]

I’ll have to admit. The lifter and trans issues have pretty much squashed my dreams owning a newer used Tahoe/Suburban.

Guess I’m sticking with the 2003 Suburban.

 

[DarkHorseRacing]

My 2016 Yukon Denali just died today. 192k miles, ate the #2 lifter. The dealer quoted me $17,300 to replace the motor.

F that. I'd rather put that down on a new truck with a warranty. Especially since I know my trans is going next. It already does the weird lurching and shifting.

I'll get the LZ0 babymax before I ever get another 6.2.

I think the 6.6L gas motor doesn't do the AFM/DoD shit? Sadly the 2500 it comes in is out of my price range.

Anyone recommend a GMC dealer near the IE?

 

[LakeMead Boater]

My 2016 Yukon Denali just died today. 192k miles, ate the #2 lifter. The dealer quoted me $17,300 to replace the motor.

F that. I'd rather put that down on a new truck with a warranty. Especially since I know my trans is going next. It already does the weird lurching and shifting.

I'll get the LZ0 babymax before I ever get another 6.2.

I think the 6.6L gas motor doesn't do the AFM/DoD shit? Sadly the 2500 it comes in is out of my price range.

Anyone recommend a GMC dealer near the IE?

@DuttonDave in Riverside

 

[Orange Juice]

#2 sawdust will soften the knock.

 

[NicPaus]

My 2016 Yukon Denali just died today. 192k miles, ate the #2 lifter. The dealer quoted me $17,300 to replace the motor.

F that. I'd rather put that down on a new truck with a warranty. Especially since I know my trans is going next. It already does the weird lurching and shifting.

I'll get the LZ0 babymax before I ever get another 6.2.

I think the 6.6L gas motor doesn't do the AFM/DoD shit? Sadly the 2500 it comes in is out of my price range.

Anyone recommend a GMC dealer near the IE?

I was just shopping 2500 hds with the 6.6 gas to replace mine that was stolen. It's only a few grand more than a 1500 same configuration. I think it was 62k 1500 65k 2500. Finding the 6.6 us damn near impossible. Got to buy them in transit. If you like white , trail boss and 4x4 around 64k plus fees. That is leather and LT. Real similar to what I had except trail boss. It got great highway mileage. I will buy another 1 soon. Just got a lot going on to drop 70k.

 

[Backlash]

My 2016 Yukon Denali just died today. 192k miles, ate the #2 lifter. The dealer quoted me $17,300 to replace the motor.

F that. I'd rather put that down on a new truck with a warranty. Especially since I know my trans is going next. It already does the weird lurching and shifting.

I'll get the LZ0 babymax before I ever get another 6.2.

I think the 6.6L gas motor doesn't do the AFM/DoD shit? Sadly the 2500 it comes in is out of my price range.

Anyone recommend a GMC dealer near the IE?

I can't remember the guys name, but he posts ads on Craigslist in the high desert. He alleges that his shop has everything from bare heads all the way up to complete motors for all years LS. Transmissions too. Going that route would be far less expensive than the quote you received.

 

[Backlash]

Here you go. These are screenshots from last year, but give it a try.

 

[welldigger00]

I’ve said it before in the other thread. Always always always run it a gear lower than top gear on the freeway, and put the message center on the screen that shows the v4/v8 selection to verify. This keeps it in v8 mode.

 

[Big B Hova]

Obviously new lifters means new cam. New cam means bigger cam, bigger stall, 4.56 gears, posi, long tube headers, x pipe, delete cats, E85 conversion, supercharger, etc....

 

[CLdrinker]

Carmax

That is messed up

 

[Bigbore500r]

My son’s Yukon recently started making lifter noise and after doing some research, I found out this is a common issue with these engines around 120k.
He started looking for another Yukon or Surburan but I looks like the still have the same problem.

Other than installing a delete kit, is there anything else to get more than 150k miles out of these engines?

thanks in advance
Pat

My 2 cents - If it just started making noise (and he stopped driving it....) he can most likely get away with having new lifters installed, and the motor will live ALOT longer than 30k additional miles, as long as its currently healthy. Trucks are expensive, if that's all thats wrong its worth spending a few thousand to fix it!

 

[pronstar]

I’ve said it before in the other thread. Always always always run it a gear lower than top gear on the freeway, and put the message center on the screen that shows the v4/v8 selection to verify. This keeps it in v8 mode.

Yeah I don’t like how they drive with AFM. But our Suburban was electronically disabled from day 1, and it still had lifter failure.

 

[pronstar]

My 2 cents - If it just started making noise (and he stopped driving it....) he can most likely get away with having new lifters installed, and the motor will live ALOT longer than 30k additional miles, as long as its currently healthy. Trucks are expensive, if that's all thats wrong it’s worth spending a few thousand to fix it!

That’s exactly my train of thought with my 2015 Silverado and 2018 Sub

I own them outright, and I’m obsessive about maintenance. I budgeted for lifters and transmission when I bought each.

An $8k repair is like 6 payments on a new truck…

 

[DarkHorseRacing]

My 2 cents - If it just started making noise (and he stopped driving it....) he can most likely get away with having new lifters installed, and the motor will live ALOT longer than 30k additional miles, as long as its currently healthy. Trucks are expensive, if that's all thats wrong its worth spending a few thousand to fix it!

That depends on what else might be wrong with it, or getting to that point. I bought mine in 2021, used, and in the four years I've had it I've almost bought a new vehicle on repairs and consumables (tires, etc) and fixing other stuff. So, I can fix this, but eventually I'm going to need to replace it as its already high mileage. And I'm done with getting nickel and dimed with used, if new has a warranty and they fix what breaks, I'd probably be ahead money over the same time period of ownership.

 

[DarkHorseRacing]

Here you go. These are screenshots from last year, but give it a try.

View attachment 1496390

View attachment 1496391

I reached out to the guy. Sounds a little sketch but he did say he could get an L86 engine, and he has the repair shop to do a swap. I just don't know the quality of the engine (they all sound like they are wrecked car parts takeoffs).

Just waiting for him to call with pricing and other details. If its cheap enough maybe try another trans as well hoping the torque converter isnt an issue in the next one.

 

[575cat]

You already have a used engine fix what you got other then swap engines and start over on that one

 

[Backlash]

I reached out to the guy. Sounds a little sketch but he did say he could get an L86 engine, and he has the repair shop to do a swap. I just don't know the quality of the engine (they all sound like they are wrecked car parts takeoffs).

Just waiting for him to call with pricing and other details. If its cheap enough maybe try another trans as well hoping the torque converter isnt an issue in the next one.

I haven't used them, but always see their ads when I'm surfing Craigslist. Obviously, buyer beware until proven otherwise. He's been advertising for years so hopefully that means something positive. It beats the prices quoted by GM for a factory replacement......

 

[SpectraPat]

Now I know why people lease a new car every 3 years! No more buying a car and keeping it forever like my old mans car and truck.

 

[attitude]

Now I know why people lease a new car every 3 years! No more buying a car and keeping it forever like my old mans car and truck.

Thats what I did with my Yukon after it had a lifter go bad and ate the cam. Fixed it and traded it in for a lease. I already didn’t trust the Yukon but every car model we looked at had issues, so we just leased.