Question of the day ( trucks )

[Johnny Dangerr]

used with 100K are around $2000.00

...

At 350K my Tundra needed head work. I found a Tundra with 100K in a yard in Dallas. Bought the engine, transmission, transfer case, etc - etc.

Had it removed and replaced as 1 piece. Easy peasey.

Cost a bit under 4K......

[BowSlayer]

Thought I’d bring this back up with more info.
It ended up needing a new engine. I had a new one installed with a 3 year 100k warranty for 6k. While this was going on I was driving a truck my father in law bought from another family member. It is an 04 Silverado with the 5.3 ( exactly the same as mine ) it has 230k miles( about the same as mine ) and guess what? Driving home from work the oil pressure completely disappeared. I shut it down immediately and have it towed to a shop. They said new engine but I can’t imagine that because it sounds perfectly fine when running. Anyway, apparently if you get 250k out of these 5.3 considered yourself lucky. I hear they last forever but I have had two take a dump in a month. The irony is it’s the first truck I have ever really taken care of.

I have a 2003 with 185,000 on it. About 2 months ago while pulling my travel trailer to the lease I lost my oil pressure. There’s a local mechanic I know that knows everything there is to know about these motors so I called him. First thing he said was “it needs an o-ring on the pick up tube for the oil pump”. I took it to him and he fixed it. It’s a very common issue on that motor. While he had it apart I told him to put a new oil pump too. I’ve had great pressure ever since.

[BowSlayer]

Should be about 2500 to fix if they have to replace the cam. Hydraulic lifters in those. They have the gas saver trash where it cuts out certain cylinders. Causes the problem with the lifters.

I’m pretty sure they started the gas saver stuff in 2007.


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[175gr7.62]

Thought I’d bring this back up with more info.
It ended up needing a new engine. I had a new one installed with a 3 year 100k warranty for 6k. While this was going on I was driving a truck my father in law bought from another family member. It is an 04 Silverado with the 5.3 ( exactly the same as mine ) it has 230k miles( about the same as mine ) and guess what? Driving home from work the oil pressure completely disappeared. I shut it down immediately and have it towed to a shop. They said new engine but I can’t imagine that because it sounds perfectly fine when running. Anyway, apparently if you get 250k out of these 5.3 considered yourself lucky. I hear they last forever but I have had two take a dump in a month. The irony is it’s the first truck I have ever really taken care of.

Oil pressure sending unit most likely. I’ve fixed 6-7 of them. The screen under it can get clogged also.


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[flywise]

I’m fairly certain on my FIL’s truck it’s just the oil pump. I’m picking it up from the shop who told me new engine on Monday and taking it back to Nacogdoches for his mechanics to look at it.

[Big Lee]

Those year models had an issue on start up the lifters would rattle. Caused by the oil pickup tube o ring not sealing off. I would recommend to ensure at minimum they replace that Oring with whatever repairs they quote you. If you go cam and lifters. I'd put a new oil pump on as well. While the cylinder heads are off. Send them out for a valve job and resurface the deck. While the intake is off. Have them put new Knock sensors and harness in. Cheap. And make sure they seal the rubber boots off to the knock sensor harness. Since the cam is out. Make sure they put a new chain and gears on. 240k miles isn't much at all on those engines.

[Big Lee]

I have a 2003 with 185,000 on it. About 2 months ago while pulling my travel trailer to the lease I lost my oil pressure. There’s a local mechanic I know that knows everything there is to know about these motors so I called him. First thing he said was “it needs an o-ring on the pick up tube for the oil pump”. I took it to him and he fixed it. It’s a very common issue on that motor. While he had it apart I told him to put a new oil pump too. I’ve had great pressure ever since.

Very common.

[Mike D]

My 2004 Z71 5.3L that I handed down to my son is still going and had 335k on it currently. It does appear to have developed a lifter tick recently but otherwise it’s still running great.

I’ve had half a dozen oil pressure sensors on it but they do just the opposite, they peg out at 80psi and never move.


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[Buckshot4900]

Spend 5k and still be able to eat. Truck prices are insane. I’m hoping my 2000 F250 7.3 with 316000 miles hauls me to the cemetery in about 20 years. It’s all about priorities.


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[Rubi513]

I have a new truck. It’s a piece of crap

Lol! I don’t care what anyone else says. You are correct!
How manufacturers can’t make a trouble free truck these days is ridiculous.

[cva34]

5.3 with 240k. I am hoping its just the lifters and a valve. The #2 cylinder started misfiring halfway to Nacogdoches last friday. Shop out there is looking at it today

Might be as simple as coil pac on #2 or injector or spark plug on #2

[flywise]

My 2004 Z71 5.3L that I handed down to my son is still going and had 335k on it currently. It does appear to have developed a lifter tick recently but otherwise it’s still running great.

I’ve had half a dozen oil pressure sensors on it but they do just the opposite, they peg out at 80psi and never move.


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I picked up my father is laws truck from the shop today to trailer it back to ETX. When I dropped it off it was pegged at 0 psi drove it on the trailer and it was pegged at 80. Got home and let it run for 30 min and never left 80.
That shop wanted me to put an engine in it for $10000. I am putting a new oil pressure sensor tomorrow and see what happens.

[Aggies96]

Oil pressure sending unit most likely. I’ve fixed 6-7 of them. The screen under it can get clogged also.


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I had the same issue on an '04 I had with 200k miles. Noticed the oil pressure was lower then usual for a few weeks then just no pressure at all with no previous issues. About 50k miles later the oil pump did go out that I got replaced. Sold it with 290k miles on it 6 years ago and its still a running ranch truck. I would def get a second opinion on the 'new engine' if you weren't noticing any previous issues.

[bigbad243]

I vote new truck. Not because I like to spend the money or have a note, but once you go down the fixing route, it begins to be a giant time waster. I flat out just don't have the time for that crap, so new it is for me. I have to be able to get out to customers/vendors, and don't have days/weeks/months it takes now days to get it fixed. Sucks but the repair shops nowadays are really slow IMO for various reasons.

[Buckshot4900]

If the oil pressure dropped to 0 and now is 80, I suggest you drain your oil and reach in the oil pan with a stiff wire with end hooked and see what you pull out.
I had a Dodge truck do that and it was a bad FRAM oil filter that came apart and when you ran the engine for awhile the pump would pick up the lining of the filter and stop oil flow. You could let it sit for 5-10 minutes and the lining would fall back into the pan and let oil flow again.
I did some head scratching to figure it out but all it costed me was a new filter and some aggravation of pulling the pieces out of the pan.


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