2013 Escalade ESV Annual Maintenance Update: the good, the bad, and the incompetent

[skpyle]

Highlights of 2024 Annual Maintenance:

165,254 miles, approximately 13,000 miles since last year.

-front differential oil looked absolutely pristine, still was the greenish honey color of new gear oil. There was barely a film of sludge on the magnetic drain plug. Refilled with just under 2qts Mobil 1 Synthetic LS 75W-90 gear oil

-transfer case oil was clean, clear, and cherry red. Refilled with approximately 1.75qts of O’Reilly Synthetic Dexron VI ATF

-installed a new NAPA Gold 1269 hydraulic filter for the remote transmission filter. Cut open the old one. It was absolutely clean. Nothing in the media pleats, nothing stuck to the bottom of the can where the external magnet was

-noted oil seeping from the oil cooler lines adapter at the block last oil change. Installed a new Fel-Pro 72462 gasket. I had heard the OEM replacement gasket was to be avoided. I carefully torqued the little bolts to spec of 106 in/lbs, having heard stories of people breaking them off.
I had to disconnect the front driveshaft from the front differential to get enough room to get my gorilla paws up there to work. It was still tight.

-all else was normal maintenance.

My Escalade is trucking right along…

2WD trucks have the advantage here.

New Fel-Pro 72462 oil cooler lines adapter to oil pan gasket.

Fel-Pro gasket at top, OEM gasket at bottom, and the tiny bolts that go with it.

No sludge in the bottom of the remote transmission filter can, where the external magnet was stuck to it.

No metal or debris in the pleats of the media from the filter.
Transmission is still good!

 

[Geotrash]

Highlights of 2024 Annual Maintenance:

165,254 miles, approximately 13,000 miles since last year.

-front differential oil looked absolutely pristine, still was the greenish honey color of new gear oil. There was barely a film of sludge on the magnetic drain plug. Refilled with just under 2qts Mobil 1 Synthetic LS 75W-90 gear oil

-transfer case oil was clean, clear, and cherry red. Refilled with approximately 1.75qts of O’Reilly Synthetic Dexron VI ATF

-installed a new NAPA Gold 1269 hydraulic filter for the remote transmission filter. Cut open the old one. It was absolutely clean. Nothing in the media pleats, nothing stuck to the bottom of the can where the external magnet was

-noted oil seeping from the oil cooler lines adapter at the block last oil change. Installed a new Fel-Pro 72462 gasket. I had heard the OEM replacement gasket was to be avoided. I carefully torqued the little bolts to spec of 106 in/lbs, having heard stories of people breaking them off.
I had to disconnect the front driveshaft from the front differential to get enough room to get my gorilla paws up there to work. It was still tight.

-all else was normal maintenance.

My Escalade is trucking right along…



View attachment 442720
2WD trucks have the advantage here.



View attachment 442721
New Fel-Pro 72462 oil cooler lines adapter to oil pan gasket.



View attachment 442722
Fel-Pro gasket at top, OEM gasket at bottom, and the tiny bolts that go with it.



View attachment 442723
No sludge in the bottom of the remote transmission filter can, where the external magnet was stuck to it.



View attachment 442724
No metal or debris in the pleats of the media from the filter.
Transmission is still good!

Nice work. I had the opposite problem with that gasket though. Couldn't get the Fel-Pro to seal. Ended up back with OEM on my 2012 and it's sealed up.

 

[skpyle]

Nice work. I had the opposite problem with that gasket though. Couldn't get the Fel-Pro to seal. Ended up back with OEM on my 2012 and it's sealed up.

Oh-no...
I might get to do this again.

 

[Foggy]

I didn't like the FelPro.. Prob the first time ever !!!
And the OE obviously has issues.. I found the MAHLE that is still
the metal but is built better than the OE... The felpro IMO needs
to have a metal or solid base under the sealing surfaces

 

[B-train]

If you are ever considering upgrading, keep my info handy, I'll take itnoff your hands. We think alike on maintenance items! Nice thread, and updates.

 

[skpyle]

I didn't like the FelPro.. Prob the first time ever !!!
And the OE obviously has issues.. I found the MAHLE that is still
the metal but is built better than the OE... The felpro IMO needs
to have a metal or solid base under the sealing surfaces

Well...I will find out soon enough. Thanks for the info!

 

[skpyle]

If you are ever considering upgrading, keep my info handy, I'll take itnoff your hands. We think alike on maintenance items! Nice thread, and updates.

Thanks. I cut my teeth on rusty 70's GM garbage in the early 90's. Now that I have things worth having, I go too far trying to take care of them.

My plan is to keep my Escalade for 10 years and run her past 300,000 miles.
We shall see how that works out.

 

[skpyle]

Well crud. There are a couple of oil drops seeping from the oil cooler line adapter to the oil pan. Looks like I am doing this job again. Mahle/Clevite seal instead of the Fel-Pro this time.

 

[j91z28d1]

Well crud. There are a couple of oil drops seeping from the oil cooler line adapter to the oil pan. Looks like I am doing this job again. Mahle/Clevite seal instead of the Fel-Pro this time.

if it's the block off plate and not the oil cooler block. there's an aftermarket one with an o ring that usually fixes it.

 

[Geotrash]

Well crud. There are a couple of oil drops seeping from the oil cooler line adapter to the oil pan. Looks like I am doing this job again. Mahle/Clevite seal instead of the Fel-Pro this time.

I think that will fix you up. Sorry that's happening.

 

[skpyle]

if it's the block off plate and not the oil cooler block. there's an aftermarket one with an o ring that usually fixes it.

Thanks! I have read about the billet aluminum block off plate that does not flex like the OEM plate. However, the L94 in my Escalade does have the oil cooler, so this is the aluminum block with the lines.

I think that will fix you up. Sorry that's happening.

Thanks. Meh, if this is the worst mistake I make in the reasonable future, I am good with it.

I have made far worse. Ask me about running GM Cam & Lifter Break In Lube in my little S-10 as a failed attempt to add more(unnecessary) zinc to the engine oil…

 

[mikez71]

Mine seeps there too!

First with the OEM block off plate. Got new OEM gasket, good for a few months. Leaking again.
Got new OEM oil cooler lines with new OEM gasket. Leaking still.

I'm starting to wonder if it's seeping somewhere (rear main?) and blowing up there..
Or I got crud on the gasket surface when installing it...

 

[Geotrash]

Mine seeps there too!

First with the OEM block off plate. Got new OEM gasket, good for a few months. Leaking again.
Got new OEM oil cooler lines with new OEM gasket. Leaking still.

I'm starting to wonder if it's seeping somewhere (rear main?) and blowing up there..
Or I got crud on the gasket surface when installing it...

Mine too...on both 6.2L engines, in fact. I even went with the ICT billet block-off plate on the '07 (no cooler lines) but am still getting a very slight leak. On the '12 with the cooler lines, there is still slight wetness, but it's way better with the OEM gasket than it was with the Fel-Pro which created a significant leak, so I consider it sealed. If I decide to pull it apart again in the future, I will use the thinnest skim of sealant on it, and see if that helps.

 

[donjetman]

Over 1 yr and 8k miles ago I reinstalled the stock oil blockoff plate w/Felpro# 72435 and a little RectorSeal Tplus2 pipe thread sealant on it. Dry as a bone still.
I use RectorSeal on most gaskets with great results.

 

[j91z28d1]

my feeling is once you've replaced it with the o'ringed aftermarket one, if it's still leaking. it's probably the oil pan gasket. right behind it is where the oil goes into and out of the oil filter. high pressure area.

mine was still leaking around there even after the bullit plate, I'm sure it's the oil pan on mine. I just don't want to drop the front diff and stuff to replace it. electric steering rack and all in the way too. so I dropped it down about a half inch, put some rtv on the rear corners top and bottom of the gasket and around the 2 holes above where it goes in and out of the filter. it's not perfect, but it went from dripping on the driveway to just being moist everywhere between oil changes. good enough for now.

 

[91RS]

There’s nothing wrong with the OEM gasket. I’ve installed hundreds of them at this point. You have another leak. Likely oil pan or rear main seal housing.

 

[skpyle]

Mine seeps there too!

First with the OEM block off plate. Got new OEM gasket, good for a few months. Leaking again.
Got new OEM oil cooler lines with new OEM gasket. Leaking still.

I'm starting to wonder if it's seeping somewhere (rear main?) and blowing up there..
Or I got crud on the gasket surface when installing it...

Mine too...on both 6.2L engines, in fact. I even went with the ICT billet block-off plate on the '07 (no cooler lines) but am still getting a very slight leak. On the '12 with the cooler lines, there is still slight wetness, but it's way better with the OEM gasket than it was with the Fel-Pro which created a significant leak, so I consider it sealed. If I decide to pull it apart again in the future, I will use the thinnest skim of sealant on it, and see if that helps.

Over 1 yr and 8k miles ago I reinstalled the stock oil blockoff plate w/Felpro# 72435 and a little RectorSeal Tplus2 pipe thread sealant on it. Dry as a bone still.
I use RectorSeal on most gaskets with great results.

my feeling is once you've replaced it with the o'ringed aftermarket one, if it's still leaking. it's probably the oil pan gasket. right behind it is where the oil goes into and out of the oil filter. high pressure area.

mine was still leaking around there even after the bullit plate, I'm sure it's the oil pan on mine. I just don't want to drop the front diff and stuff to replace it. electric steering rack and all in the way too. so I dropped it down about a half inch, put some rtv on the rear corners top and bottom of the gasket and around the 2 holes above where it goes in and out of the filter. it's not perfect, but it went from dripping on the driveway to just being moist everywhere between oil changes. good enough for now.

There’s nothing wrong with the OEM gasket. I’ve installed hundreds of them at this point. You have another leak. Likely oil pan or rear main seal housing.

Good to know on the sealant idea.

In September of 2021, before I bought it in October, the selling Cadillac dealership replaced the oil cooler lines and oil pan gasket with new GM parts.

I have pulled the little round sheet metal inspection cover at the bottom of the bellhousing. I do not see evidence of oil leaking down from the rear main, or radial streaks like oil is being flung off the flexplate.

I have looked up the back side of the block and head as best as I can with a strong light. I do not think the valve cover is leaking.

The leak is a couple of drops on the bottom edge of the oil pan, and some wetness in the area. I am living with it for the moment as I daily drive my Escalade.

When I installed the Fel-Pro gasket, I pulled the oil cooler lines block as far away from the oil pan as I dared so I could wipe the surfaces with a brake cleaner soaked rag. Then hosed the area down with brake cleaner for good measure. Once all was dry, I installed the gasket by hooking it on the bolts installed through the block. I 'think' everything was clean.

I am going to order a Mahle/Clevite gasket and try again.
And or borrow a borescope and try to look at the oil cooler lines block from the top to see if oil is leaking at the top of the block.


Thanks for all the ideas and suggestions!