Vortec 5.7l oil consumption.

[SAATR]

Having established that my Vortec is thirstier on oil than it should be, how is it getting into the cylinder?

Hone marks still on bore (but can't exclude damaged oil control rings).
Valve guides - is there enough oil pooled around them during running to cause high oil consumption?
From the crankcase to the inlet ports via leaking inlet manifold gasket or cracked manifold - plausible?

Have you have you ever changed, or had somebody else change, the lower intake manifold gaskets on your engine? I ask because the original plastic/rubber composition gaskets are not only extremely failure prone around the coolant passages, but also at the intake ports adjacent to them. I have changed a set twice in less than 50k miles (head gasket started leaking and I had to tear the engine down again) only to find that the first set of replacements were already beginning to fail at the coolant passages. If they have never been changed, I highly recommend pulling the LIM and changing them out. It will give you an opportunity to examine the current gaskets as a possible leak point, and also to look at the intake ports for possible valve stem seal leakage.

 

[Ehall8702]

You're almost certainly changing oil 2--3--4 times as often as you need to.

I have better things to do than change oil uselessly.

Don't get me started on the benefits of an aftermarket bypass oil filter, which pretty-much means the oil is kept clean for 30--50+ thousand miles; just change the full-flow filter now and then, and keep the oil level topped-off as needed.

Oil and filter are so cheap IDC about changing 4 times a year. I bought a flat if filters (12) and 6 gallons of oil for $55...I spend more on energy drinks in a month than oil for a year. And I have enuff oil for over a years changes and filters for next 3-4 years. I buy thru my shop so I get a a helluva deal tho, but still buying local parts store u can spend $25-30 on a change and $100-$120 a year on oil is not a big thing honestly and that's coming from a broke ****.

 

[Ehall8702]

Have you have you ever changed, or had somebody else change, the lower intake manifold gaskets on your engine? I ask because the original plastic/rubber composition gaskets are not only extremely failure prone around the coolant passages, but also at the intake ports adjacent to them. I have changed a set twice in less than 50k miles (head gasket started leaking and I had to tear the engine down again) only to find that the first set of replacements were already beginning to fail at the coolant passages. If they have never been changed, I highly recommend pulling the LIM and changing them out. It will give you an opportunity to examine the current gaskets as a possible leak point, and also to look at the intake ports for possible valve stem seal leakage.

Intake gaskets definitely a thing to check, I've had to watch out where the coolant was eating the head around the rubber seal edge , clean it good, jb weld it and sand it down flush and then I ONLY use permatex permadry plus gaskets. Have been back in over 5 years later and gasket and head looked great still. It's a real PITA so might as well do it best u can while u r there. About to have to do my trucks intake soon, slightly leaking, put a bit of stop leak in it hoping to get thru winter cause my garage isn't insulated yet and it's cold asf already (-9 as I'm typing this)!

 

[Schurkey]

The GM Technical Service Bulletin that recommended you run only full synthetic instead of semi synthetic never reaches you unless you seek it out

First Guess: The TSB is really just a red herring; the timing chain problem is a result of piss-poor engineering and/or materials selection--not a problem with oil.

But GM pushes out some propaganda that allows them to blame the customer instead of taking the liability themselves: Oh, you used cheap oil. No warranty for you!.

GM has lied on TSBs before...think about how widespread piston-slap problems were; and yet GM pretended there was no damage being done.

There should be a class action lawsuit on the 3.6L motor.

GM needs a whole bunch of class-action suits.

Ford needs a car-crusher at the end of the assembly line, to bypass the whole "ownership disappointment" thing.

 

[Crookedaxle]

First Guess: The TSB is really just a red herring; the timing chain problem is a result of piss-poor engineering and/or materials selection--not a problem with oil.

But GM pushes out some propaganda that allows them to blame the customer instead of taking the liability themselves: Oh, you used cheap oil. No warranty for you!.

GM has lied on TSBs before...think about how widespread piston-slap problems were; and yet GM pretended there was no damage being done.


GM needs a whole bunch of class-action suits.

Ford needs a car-crusher at the end of the assembly line, to bypass the whole "ownership disappointment" thing.

First Guess: The TSB is really just a red herring; the timing chain problem is a result of piss-poor engineering and/or materials selection--not a problem with oil.

I agree 100%. But if I would have known what I know now I would have ran full synthetic and done oil changes at 5,000 miles. I bought the vehicle with 18,000 miles on it and I'm sure I could have got more than 131,000 miles on it. But then if Government Motors would have let the customers know about the issue that would be admitting fault and we can't have that from Corporate America now can we. The customer bends over and grabs their ankles just like you said and GM is certainly not alone. And GDI was in its infancy when this motor came out. By the time people were talking about the fuel dilution problem with the oil many of these vehicles already had the damage done.

I've got a few older Mercedes Diesels with the venerable OM617 5 cylinder diesel that is known to easily go 1,000,000 miles with good scheduled maintenance. All with 40 year old oil technology too. Yes, even the timing chain. We sure have come a long way haven't we?

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

Yup look at the early Cummins diesel, the 12 valve one. Practically bulletproof. I know a guy that ran one hard in a ram dually, towing a big trailer all over. Had much better luck with it than 3 newer ram duallys with the new style 24 valve Cummins. Only reason he got rid of the old one was it was 5 speed, his left leg and back got too sore from the clutch. I've ridden with him a few times, he runs all his vehicles hard!

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

Intake gaskets definitely a thing to check, I've had to watch out where the coolant was eating the head around the rubber seal edge , clean it good, jb weld it and sand it down flush and then I ONLY use permatex permadry plus gaskets. Have been back in over 5 years later and gasket and head looked great still. It's a real PITA so might as well do it best u can while u r there. About to have to do my trucks intake soon, slightly leaking, put a bit of stop leak in it hoping to get thru winter cause my garage isn't insulated yet and it's cold asf already (-9 as I'm typing this)!

Dude I got cold just reading this!

 

[Ehall8702]

Dude I got cold just reading this!

If reading makes ya cold u should be here lmao! I have a 1800 sqft garage with 25' tall ceilings! I have a 125k btu jet heater and a big forced air wood stove and hard to keep it "warm". Spent all my cash this year on a titan lift, new concrete, and bay doors, maybe next year I'll make enuff to insulate it and I won't be mad doing an intake in the winter lol.

 

[Schurkey]

I have a 1800 sqft garage with 25' tall ceilings! I have a 125k btu jet heater and a big forced air wood stove and hard to keep it "warm". .

When it was me, I cordoned off a smaller section of the garage with cheap tarps hung from the ceiling. Then heat the small section--perhaps a two-car section, big enough for the vehicle you're working on, with room to get around all four side, plus space for a toolbox, compressor, parts-washer and beer fridge. Yeah, heat bleeds through the tarps to the rest of the garage...but it still makes a BIG difference in keeping a smaller area comfortable.

In your case, I could imagine a PVC-pipe or 2X4 framework with a tarp "ceiling" so you don't have to heat 25 feet high, too.

DO NOT allow the tarps to catch fire.

 

[Pinger]

Have you have you ever changed, or had somebody else change, the lower intake manifold gaskets on your engine? I ask because the original plastic/rubber composition gaskets are not only extremely failure prone around the coolant passages, but also at the intake ports adjacent to them. I have changed a set twice in less than 50k miles (head gasket started leaking and I had to tear the engine down again) only to find that the first set of replacements were already beginning to fail at the coolant passages. If they have never been changed, I highly recommend pulling the LIM and changing them out. It will give you an opportunity to examine the current gaskets as a possible leak point, and also to look at the intake ports for possible valve stem seal leakage.

Original as far as I know and changing them was a job for the summer that never quite got done.
I have gaskets here now so as soon as weather and time permit they'll be done.