Time to get a tune up?

[Lukasz]

Hello, I am also from Europe, specifically from Poland. I picked up the truck from my mechanic yesterday. There was a problem with uneven engine operation at idle and while driving. My mechanic only deals with American vehicles. I have traveled 270k km. He replaced the top of the engine gaskets, cleaned the intake manifold, and installed a new thermostat. The truck runs great as before. Think about whether it makes sense to replace a functional spider with a new one? If the fuel pressure is OK, why do it? As for ordering spare parts, it won't help you because, for example, during disassembly it turned out that the connector needed to be replaced and the mechanic had to order it from the USA because it was not available in warehouses in Poland, I had to wait 5 days longer for my truck, no big deal . Regards

 

[Schurkey]

He replaced the top of the engine gaskets, cleaned the intake manifold,

WHICH "top of the engine gaskets"? Was the intake manifold removed for cleaning?

Think about whether it makes sense to replace a functional spider with a new one? If the fuel pressure is OK, why do it?

The time to have replaced the spider was probably when the intake manifold was already apart for cleaning--if in fact it was taken apart. There would have been minimal additional labor to have done it then. Doing it now would repeat a lot of labor you've already paid for once.

Replacing the spider depends somewhat on HOW "functional" the poppet-valve unit is. Often it's replaced because one or more poppets isn't spraying properly. There's more than just fuel pressure that can go wrong with them.

I have heard that the updated, electronic injector unit just plain runs better than the poppet style--but I've never owned a small-block Vortec; or worked on the injectors of one.

the connector needed to be replaced and the mechanic had to order it from the USA because it was not available in warehouses in Poland, I had to wait 5 days longer for my truck

Yeah, lack of local access to "foreign" vehicle parts is a world-wide problem. It's worse when you have to deal with lack of domestic vehicle parts due to manufacturers discontinuing stuff prematurely.

 

[Lukasz]

KTÓRE „górne uszczelki silnika”? Czy kolektor dolotowy był wyjmowany do czyszczenia?

Oczywiście.