Colorado2500
I'm Awesome
So, I have a couple things going on with my truck that have finally worried me enough to ask y'all for help.
Its a '89 C2500, L05 TBI 350, 172xxx miles, runs okay with decent power and fuel economy, recent full tune-up, well cared for in terms of maintenance.
1. Slight oil consumption issue, was bad for a while, then I switched to high mileage synthetic and went to 5w-30 from 10w-30, and now there is no noticeable smoke on start-up nor under heavy acceleration. The stick shows it has lost some though, so I don't know, maybe valve stem seals? I've heard these are notoriously bad on these trucks, especially with higher mileage.
2. Coolant loss, oil looks fine, no visible leaks, no smoke out the tailpipe, but every couple of days I'll pop open the rad cap (recently replaced along with thermostat), and the coolant level always seems lower than the last time I checked it, and the reservoir has little coolant in it usually. Is this head gasket or maybe intake gaskets? The trucks never been overheated to my knowledge.
Also, I get a rushing water sound on acceleration from behind the dash, from the heater core I'm guessing, is this normal?
3. Vibration sound from under the passenger side valve cover, towards the front of the truck. No idea here, it does it all the time, and its not real pronounced, but noticeable.
4. Occasional tapping sound from engine when driving only, sometimes when hot, sometimes when cold, sound goes away and comes back, only under acceleration and increases with rpms, but seems to be quieter when rpms increase as well but that might just be engine noise quieting it. Again I have no idea, just worn valve-train? Bad lifter? This worries me the most.
I just could use some advice, I don't have a lot of experience nor money as I'm in college, but I need to make sure my baby, and my only transportation is in okay shape. Thanks.
Its a '89 C2500, L05 TBI 350, 172xxx miles, runs okay with decent power and fuel economy, recent full tune-up, well cared for in terms of maintenance.
1. Slight oil consumption issue, was bad for a while, then I switched to high mileage synthetic and went to 5w-30 from 10w-30, and now there is no noticeable smoke on start-up nor under heavy acceleration. The stick shows it has lost some though, so I don't know, maybe valve stem seals? I've heard these are notoriously bad on these trucks, especially with higher mileage.
2. Coolant loss, oil looks fine, no visible leaks, no smoke out the tailpipe, but every couple of days I'll pop open the rad cap (recently replaced along with thermostat), and the coolant level always seems lower than the last time I checked it, and the reservoir has little coolant in it usually. Is this head gasket or maybe intake gaskets? The trucks never been overheated to my knowledge.
Also, I get a rushing water sound on acceleration from behind the dash, from the heater core I'm guessing, is this normal?
3. Vibration sound from under the passenger side valve cover, towards the front of the truck. No idea here, it does it all the time, and its not real pronounced, but noticeable.
4. Occasional tapping sound from engine when driving only, sometimes when hot, sometimes when cold, sound goes away and comes back, only under acceleration and increases with rpms, but seems to be quieter when rpms increase as well but that might just be engine noise quieting it. Again I have no idea, just worn valve-train? Bad lifter? This worries me the most.
I just could use some advice, I don't have a lot of experience nor money as I'm in college, but I need to make sure my baby, and my only transportation is in okay shape. Thanks.
