Advice on when to sell (turned into oil deep dive)

[thefrey]

Your oil is too thin. Valvoline Restore and Protect, right?

Restore & Protect Premium Full Synthetic SAE 5W-30 Motor Oil - Valvoline™ Global

The first and only motor oil that returns pistons to factory clean by removing up to 100% of deposits. Turn back time on your engine with Valvoline Restore &...

www.valvolineglobal.com

View attachment 465088

See that KV100? That oil is 10.8. Too thin, you want well over 11. See the Viscosity Index of 161, too low. These LS engines like higher, around 170.

Quaker State Full Synthetic works as well as ACDelco's oil and even Red Line's for reducing lifter rattle.

View attachment 465089

Those "thin" oils leave a lot of metals in the engine oil at the end of their run. I documented this with regular Mobil 1 and ACDelco and Quaker State in 2 different LS engines.

Yes that’s what I’m using. Huh. Interesting considering 5w30 is what’s recommended

Is the KV100 dependent upon oil spec or is it the same across all viscosities?

I switched to Valvoline restore and protect because that’s what a ton of people have recommended in this forum since it seems to do a really good job at cleaning.

So, is a potential fix (maybe not fix but higher KV100) going up in oil viscosity? Or is it changing brands totally?

Is the lifter rattle potentially a byproduct of thinner oil which would cause the lifter to not pump up fully or is there another reason?

 

[swathdiver]

Yes that’s what I’m using. Huh. Interesting considering 5w30 is what’s recommended

Is the KV100 dependent upon oil spec or is it the same across all viscosities?

I switched to Valvoline restore and protect because that’s what a ton of people have recommended in this forum since it seems to do a really good job at cleaning.

So, is a potential fix (maybe not fix but higher KV100) going up in oil viscosity? Or is it changing brands totally?

Is the lifter rattle potentially a byproduct of thinner oil which would cause the lifter to not pump up fully or is there another reason?

We're not talking about changing from 5W30 to something else. We're talking about the makeup of the oil you are using. The KV100 or ASTM D445 spec does change the range when you use different weight oils. But we're talking about staying with 5W30 and there is a variance between brands and their offerings as shown in the attachment.

Does that make sense?

Maybe these fellas can explain it better than I: @blanchard7684 @jfoj


When I used regular Mobil 1 5W30 in my LS engines, the motors would rattle on start up for a few seconds. The oil samples taken showed more metals in the oil too. Then I switched to the "thicker" 5W30 from ACDelco and Quaker State and the rattle went away and the metals in the oil went down by a lot.

 

[blanchard7684]

5w30 can have a small range of 9.5-12.5 cSt for it to be 5w30.

I'm not getting a good signal on what the exact viscosity is for Mobil1 5w30. The two links below show two remarkably different viscosities and indicies.

Mobil 1™ 5W-30

Whatever you're driving, wherever you're going, you can trust your car to get you there when you use Mobil 1 advanced full-synthetic motor oil 5W-30.

www.exxonmobil.com

PdsDetailsPage

Mobil 1™ 5W-30 is an advanced full synthetic engine oil designed to keep your engine running like new by providing exceptional wear protection, cleaning power and overall performance.

www.mobil.com

The later link has a 'global' indicator and the former has a 'United States' indicator.

I would assume supply chains here in US are getting the oil with lower viscosity (10.8 cSt)

Mobil 1 and engine noise is a somewhat common thing. I've experienced it on my Toyotas (that are already noisy).

I have found that oils with higher moly content are correlated with reducing (not stopping) engine noise. Mobil 1 does have substantially lower moly than many other oils.

For something like a suspected lifter tap, for oil to assist in reducing the noise, the noise has to be present when engine is warm. This is where a higher viscosity can help dampen the noise.

If noise is only when cold, engine oil won't change this.

If you had a collapsed lifter, unstuck it, and now there is an audiable tick it could be some damage on cam lobe.

You could try finding another 5w30 that has higher moly and viscosity (I think this is what @swathdiver is suggesting). But you have to be careful, very careful, that the oil has a low calcium additive for LSPI prevention.

Alternatively there is no harm in trying a 0w40 dexos spec oil to see if that changes anything. I'm not sure if Valvoline has a restore and protect in 0w40 yet.

The restore and protect blend is good for varnish removal. It is like techron for your oil.

 

[thefrey]

We're not talking about changing from 5W30 to something else. We're talking about the makeup of the oil you are using. The KV100 or ASTM D445 spec does change the range when you use different weight oils. But we're talking about staying with 5W30 and there is a variance between brands and their offerings as shown in the attachment.

Does that make sense?

Maybe these fellas can explain it better than I: @blanchard7684 @jfoj


When I used regular Mobil 1 5W30 in my LS engines, the motors would rattle on start up for a few seconds. The oil samples taken showed more metals in the oil too. Then I switched to the "thicker" 5W30 from ACDelco and Quaker State and the rattle went away and the metals in the oil went down by a lot.

Yes that makes sense. I’m on the same page.

I didn’t know if KV100 was a function of oil weight or not and if you need to change oil weight to change your KV100, but it sounds like it’s the same across all weights.

Sounds like it’s worth a shot to just switch to an ACDelco or Quaker.

I’m pretty sure the other oil type I used was Mobil1 since I’ve owned this car.. so that might explain the noisiness I’ve been experiencing if all the oils I’ve been using have had low KV100 values

 

[thefrey]

Mobil 1 and engine noise is a somewhat common thing. I've experienced it on my Toyotas (that are already noisy).

I mentioned this in another reply but the other oil that I’ve used since I’ve owned this is Mobil1 and I also was experiencing noise

For something like a suspected lifter tap, for oil to assist in reducing the noise, the noise has to be present when engine is warm. This is where a higher viscosity can help dampen the noise.

If noise is only when cold, engine oil won't change this.

If you had a collapsed lifter, unstuck it, and now there is an audiable tick it could be some damage on cam lobe.

I am experiencing a lifter tap when warm. It seems to be hit or miss for daily driving, but I almost always notice a lifter tap if I’m doing a longer drive when hot

It’s random and intermittent and I’ve been trying to diagnose the noise since I’ve owned the vehicle (8k miles)

I dropped the pan in attempt to raise the oil pressure by replacing the pickup o-ring. I think that’s actually what made my lifter collapse by making AFM activate more and it collapsed about an hour and a half into a roadtrip.

I was able to trailer it home so it probably ran for for maybe 3 minutes total with a collapsed lifter.

I am assuming that I didn’t cause any damage to the cam because the noise is still the same and as intermittent with the uncollapsed lifter.

So I don’t think I personally caused damage to the lobe. The past owner? No clue. But since it is sometimes quiet sometimes not I’m not sure if it’s a flat spot in the roller perhaps or maybe it’s as something as simple as the oil. It’ll sometimes tick when cold and also hot but sometimes it’s quiet.

Do you have any 5w30 recommendations that are a higher viscosity? I also don’t know what the benefits of switching to a 0 weight would be.

 

[tom3]

If it weren't for our extended warranty I'd ditch that 0 weight oil right now. 5w30 conventional oil is probably right for any modern engine. And today's synthetic oil is just regular oil with a bit more additives and higher price (from what I've read).

 

[blanchard7684]

I mentioned this in another reply but the other oil that I’ve used since I’ve owned this is Mobil1 and I also was experiencing noise



I am experiencing a lifter tap when warm. It seems to be hit or miss for daily driving, but I almost always notice a lifter tap if I’m doing a longer drive when hot

It’s random and intermittent and I’ve been trying to diagnose the noise since I’ve owned the vehicle (8k miles)

I dropped the pan in attempt to raise the oil pressure by replacing the pickup o-ring. I think that’s actually what made my lifter collapse by making AFM activate more and it collapsed about an hour and a half into a roadtrip.

I was able to trailer it home so it probably ran for for maybe 3 minutes total with a collapsed lifter.

I am assuming that I didn’t cause any damage to the cam because the noise is still the same and as intermittent with the uncollapsed lifter.

So I don’t think I personally caused damage to the lobe. The past owner? No clue. But since it is sometimes quiet sometimes not I’m not sure if it’s a flat spot in the roller perhaps or maybe it’s as something as simple as the oil. It’ll sometimes tick when cold and also hot but sometimes it’s quiet.

Do you have any 5w30 recommendations that are a higher viscosity? I also don’t know what the benefits of switching to a 0 weight would be.

The 0 side of the oil isn't really what may help, it is the "40" side if you will that will help.

It looks like Kendall and Castrol both make a dexos spec 5w30 with viscosity in the 10.8+ range.

 

[thefrey]

Your oil is too thin. Valvoline Restore and Protect, right?

Restore & Protect Premium Full Synthetic SAE 5W-30 Motor Oil - Valvoline™ Global

The first and only motor oil that returns pistons to factory clean by removing up to 100% of deposits. Turn back time on your engine with Valvoline Restore &...

www.valvolineglobal.com

View attachment 465088

See that KV100? That oil is 10.8. Too thin, you want well over 11. See the Viscosity Index of 161, too low. These LS engines like higher, around 170.

Quaker State Full Synthetic works as well as ACDelco's oil and even Red Line's for reducing lifter rattle.

View attachment 465089

Those "thin" oils leave a lot of metals in the engine oil at the end of their run. I documented this with regular Mobil 1 and ACDelco and Quaker State in 2 different LS engines.

You’ve sent me down on an oil rabbit hole hahah. The engineer and analysis paralysis in me is a wild combo.

Do you know if it’s best to run a 5w30 oil or is something better? Quaker recommends 0w20 from their website but that doesn’t make much sense…

Do you know if snake oils are worth anything? Not sure if doing something like a liqui moly lifter additive would be a good addition to a solid oil with a higher kinematic viscosity. My assumption is no but I’m not sure.

 

[Noggles]

I skipped the oil deep dive because I don't understand it at all lol. I would say do the ATF analysis first and see how that comes back. If it's good, I would look for a good local performance shop and talk to them about doing a DOD delete. Even paying someone and maybe renting a car or something for a few days is going to be cheaper than selling the current truck and buying something newer/nicer, especially in the long run.

I won't speak for anyone else but if I was in the market for a truck like these and saw the DOD situation as you currently describe it, I would immediately move on unless the truck was listed for an impossibly low price so that I could work in the price of mechanically deleting the dod without going over the value of what the truck is actually worth.

 

[swathdiver]

You’ve sent me down on an oil rabbit hole hahah. The engineer and analysis paralysis in me is a wild combo.

Do you know if it’s best to run a 5w30 oil or is something better? Quaker recommends 0w20 from their website but that doesn’t make much sense…

Do you know if snake oils are worth anything? Not sure if doing something like a liqui moly lifter additive would be a good addition to a solid oil with a higher kinematic viscosity. My assumption is no but I’m not sure.

I would not change from 5W30 to something else. Definitely not 0W20 as it cannot handle the heavy loads on the engine when towing or racing for long term. The engines weren't designed for it anyway. GM used it to squeeze every last ounce of MPGs out of the engines at the expense of durability.

No additives either, the modern engine oils have good additive packs for our modern engines. One might need additives for an engine 40+ or more years old.

The first is the Yukon XLs oil analysis history. The oldest two were on regular Mobil 1 5W30 oil, all of the rest on ACDelco 5W30 oil.

The second is the 6.2 Sierra's oil analysis history. The older is after 3+ oil changes of ACDelco 5W30 and the newest is after 3 oil changes with Quaker State Full Synthetic 5W30.

I was looking for a replacement for the ACDelco oil as it was getting expensive and hard to source. Quaker State is at Walmart.

 

[petethepug]

The seed has been planted. You’re looking down the road for some complacency. The trucks past shows it’s a runner but I can tell you don’t want to be the owner when it lets go.

Nothing wrong with shopping for a new vehicle now when there’s no urgency or (mechanical) inconveniences to deal with. Are you going to stay in a 1/2 ton SUV or truck?

The rust would be the deal breaker for keeping it. For another family, they could care less and need your truck really bad. I sold our 08 YXL Denali after I bought an 09 Esky ESV Plat to get the Non AFM e85 6.2L, leather, no crack dash & a/c seats.

I can tell ya, you will find a good replacement that makes sense or you’re dream vehicle if you’re looking when you don’t need to.

 

[thefrey]

The seed has been planted. You’re looking down the road for some complacency. The trucks past shows it’s a runner but I can tell you don’t want to be the owner when it lets go.

Nothing wrong with shopping for a new vehicle now when there’s no urgency or (mechanical) inconveniences to deal with. Are you going to stay in a 1/2 ton SUV or truck?

The rust would be the deal breaker for keeping it. For another family, they could care less and need your truck really bad. I sold our 08 YXL Denali after I bought an 09 Esky ESV Plat to get the Non AFM e85 6.2L, leather, no crack dash & a/c seats.

I can tell ya, you will find a good replacement that makes sense or you’re dream vehicle if you’re looking when you don’t need to.

I go back and forth with this car. I just drove it 800 miles over the past few days and it did great. I actually towed 7500lbs with it too recently and it took it like a champ

I really don’t need an SUV or truck at the moment. I am a car guy so I like cars but also trucks. I am 6’2 or so, so having the extra leg room in the Yukon for driving long distances makes a big difference for me.

I think if the body was in much better condition, I wouldn’t mind putting the work into making it a 300k+ mile car. But I moved south and honestly the rust is gonna scare a lot of people down here even though most of it is cosmetic lol.

I might fix the rust myself. I’ve always wanted to learn how to do body work but I’m not sure if it’s worth the effort.

I really don’t want to be in the market for a vehicle at the moment lol. So im probably going to ride this girl out for another 6 months at least. If I could get 250k out of her I’d be happy.

 

[petethepug]

Keep looking round at stuff as well as researching. Just like you’re saying, roll with it.

 

[thefrey]

The rust would be the deal breaker for keeping it.

Just a little bit of seasoning…

 

[solli5pack]

You're not going to get much for it so just keep it until it's completely unreliable. Then since you're familiar with these types of truck buy another one with high miles for cheap! One from Florida with no rust.

 

[thefrey]

Your oil is too thin. Valvoline Restore and Protect, right?

Restore & Protect Premium Full Synthetic SAE 5W-30 Motor Oil - Valvoline™ Global

The first and only motor oil that returns pistons to factory clean by removing up to 100% of deposits. Turn back time on your engine with Valvoline Restore &...

www.valvolineglobal.com

View attachment 465088

See that KV100? That oil is 10.8. Too thin, you want well over 11. See the Viscosity Index of 161, too low. These LS engines like higher, around 170.

Quaker State Full Synthetic works as well as ACDelco's oil and even Red Line's for reducing lifter rattle.

View attachment 465089

Those "thin" oils leave a lot of metals in the engine oil at the end of their run. I documented this with regular Mobil 1 and ACDelco and Quaker State in 2 different LS engines.

Looks like Quaker's new synthetic is a little upgraded in some areas... I don't think they sell the Ultimate Durability anymore - my guess it was replaced with the Ultimate Protection

 

[swathdiver]

Looks like Quaker's new synthetic is a little upgraded in some areas... I don't think they sell the Ultimate Durability anymore - my guess it was replaced with the Ultimate Protection

We've been buying these numbers from Walmart:

550046169 and 550046194

 

[thefrey]

We've been buying these numbers from Walmart:

550046169 and 550046194

Ended up finding this at a nearby Walmart. I think it was one of the only locations in the state that had any

 

[swathdiver]

View attachment 466226
Ended up finding this at a nearby Walmart. I think it was one of the only locations in the state that had any

We have both here but I've been buying the plain Full Synthetic. Come to think of it, what I buy and what I get may not always be the same! I better check...

 

[Marky Dissod]

View attachment 466226
Ended up finding this at a nearby Walmart. I think it was one of the only locations in the state that had any

Bet this stuff is good enough for an L8T ...