Finally happened: '19 Escalade lifter failure

[Bigburb3500]

Well that's the cam that was suggested by the first shop I called. Originally I asked for BTR/TSP Stage 1, but he said that I would need new headers to the tune of around $3k. The second shop I called said that was a lot of BS and that you can have the L8T, BTR, or TSP Stage 1 cam if you pair it with a good tune.

The L8T is the new gasser 6.6L engine from the GM HD truck line. I’m sorry that I’m not vers in the cam tuning but I was suggesting to do a full engine swap. Several folk on here have done one successfully and it’s seems to be a good combo.

Also, I feel a 6.6L swap would likely increase the resale value of the truck marginally. Would remove any/all AFM failure points and be a beastly engine in a Escalade.

 

[jyi786]

The L8T is the new gasser 6.6L engine from the GM HD truck line. I’m sorry that I’m not vers in the cam tuning but I was suggesting to do a full engine swap. Several folk on here have done one successfully and it’s seems to be a good combo.

Also, I feel a 6.6L swap would likely increase the resale value of the truck marginally. Would remove any/all AFM failure points and be a beastly engine in a Escalade.

Right, I thought that's what you meant.

Swapping in an actual L8T is going to cost almost the equivalent of just going the DOD/AFM delete and tune....at least in my area. I live in the worst area for this to happen: the DMV.

But just to be clear: the cam the first shop recommended is for the L8T.

 

[Bigburb3500]

Right, I thought that's what you meant.

Swapping in an actual L8T is going to cost almost the equivalent of just going the DOD/AFM delete and tune....at least in my area. I live in the worst area for this to happen: the DMV.

But just to be clear: the cam the first shop recommended is for the L8T.

AHHH ok I’m with you now!

Well then I think you have your answer: L8T and roll on with the vehicle for another 180k miles. I don’t think a 6.2 + DOD/AFM is worth it if it’s the same cost (my opinion from across the internet lol)

 

[fasteddy]

Well that's the cam that was suggested by the first shop I called. Originally I asked for BTR/TSP Stage 1, but he said that I would need new headers to the tune of around $3k. The second shop I called said that was a lot of BS and that you can have the L8T, BTR, or TSP Stage 1 cam if you pair it with a good tune.

An L8T is an engine and not a cam. And nobody knows how to do a clean L8T swap yet. If its just ticking real bad, just do a DOD delete. Cost will vary by shop. At 180K you may just want to do an engine, but I would stay away from a DOD engine. Chev Perf Parts makes a LT1 Crate w/o DOD

https://www.jegs.com/p/Chevrolet-Performance/Chevrolet-Performance-62L-455HP-460HP-LT1-Crate-Engine/3132855/10002/-1

Or there are shops on ebay that make a reman LT1 w/o DOD

https://www.ebay.com/itm/277388659074?msockid=20a9fb42107e6599192bede511ec6407&_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D777008%26algo%3DPERSONAL.TOPIC%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20250528151634%26meid%3Db6da69230a1c421ca0cb5f3c9449b4f7%26pid%3D102791%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D15%26mehot%3Dnone%26itm%3D277388659074%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D4375194%26algv%3DWatchlistVariantWithPSItemDR_BP%26brand%3DGeneral%2BMotors%26tu%3D01KE0R1NW5J3BWBPTB8J9G2197

Cost of a new Escalade is $100k+ so spending 10K to go another 200K-300K is a good deal. I love my Escalade and its in really good condition so if the motor were to die I would just put in a new one. I've seen alot of Escalades lately that just need new motors and the rest of the vehicle is in really good condition.....very sad. I get tempted at least once a week. LOL I gotta stop looking. I saw an 2018 ESV for $7K last week......so tempted.

 

[fasteddy]

I would not swap anything out. I would just disable AFM for now. In a few years maybe delete AFM.
Maybe it's just me but if it were mine i would fix it.
In my experience, if a vehicle had major mechanical problems it is only a parts vehicle in price when selling.
It can be done under 12K but even if it is 12K you end up with a paid off vehicle with a new engine.
But ultimately it is your choice.
Do you wanna keep it or dump it?

One other point. There is a guy running around my area that will do an AFM delete for $500 and you supply parts. I'm told by a few people he did a great job. Maybe ask around.

Hahahahaha......I've done it before and I wouldn't do it for $500. You need a lot of tools and a special TQ wrench and about 20 hours of time.

 

[SpareParts]

Hahahahaha......I've done it before and I wouldn't do it for $500. You need a lot of tools and a special TQ wrench and about 20 hours of time.

I would not either.

 

[thefrey]

Something that may be worth trying before you throw a ton of $$ at it…

Loading…

www.crazedperformancerepair.com

My 2013 had a lifter collapse at 200k. I bought this tool, released the lifter, I bought a range AFM/DOD disabler (most people will just tune their ECM but I was on a time crunch), and I clipped the gaskets on the VLOM.

I drove around for 15k miles like this. I could only assume that I would’ve been able to drive it further since the lifters weren’t collapsing/in V8 mode at all times.

This is more of a bandaid, but definitely worth trying. Will get you back on the road for pretty cheap.

I can only assume that your cam is OK given the minimal run time with the collapsed lifter.

I did a DOD delete myself recently (I’ve never done any big engine work like it before) and there’s a lot of benefits to it. It all depends on how long you want your truck to last.


Another thing to look into (I don’t know a ton about the LT engines) but I wonder if you bent a pushrod. Might be worth pulling off your rockers and checking all your pushrods.

 

[jyi786]

Something that may be worth trying before you throw a ton of $$ at it…

Loading…

www.crazedperformancerepair.com

My 2013 had a lifter collapse at 200k. I bought this tool, released the lifter, I bought a range AFM/DOD disabler (most people will just tune their ECM but I was on a time crunch), and I clipped the gaskets on the VLOM.

I drove around for 15k miles like this. I could only assume that I would’ve been able to drive it further since the lifters weren’t collapsing/in V8 mode at all times.

This is more of a bandaid, but definitely worth trying. Will get you back on the road for pretty cheap.

I can only assume that your cam is OK given the minimal run time with the collapsed lifter.

I did a DOD delete myself recently (I’ve never done any big engine work like it before) and there’s a lot of benefits to it. It all depends on how long you want your truck to last.


Another thing to look into (I don’t know a ton about the LT engines) but I wonder if you bent a pushrod. Might be worth pulling off your rockers and checking all your pushrods.

Appreciate it. I looked into this, but immediately counted it out because I do not want bandaids.

 

[jyi786]

Update: did an oil change, did NOT turn on the truck.

I made sure to clean my container so that there was no residue to contaminate the oil. The oil that came out of the truck has NO metal. No chunks, no metallic sheen, NOTHING.

I cut open the filter. There were NO metallic sheen, no metal bits anywhere. I looked very, very closely between the pleats. Most were completely clean. Between just a few, there are some very, very small flakes, but you seriously have to look for them hard.

There was no sludge at the bottom of the filter, the top or the bottom of the core, no metallic sheen, no metal at all.

It seemed pretty normal to me. I have pics of it all as well; will post later this evening. Does it seem like the bottom end is ok and that I am just good to do the DOD/AFM delete?

 

[SpareParts]

I would think so. A lifter going bad is what leads to a lot of AFM deletes.

 

[fasteddy]

Update: did an oil change, did NOT turn on the truck.

I made sure to clean my container so that there was no residue to contaminate the oil. The oil that came out of the truck has NO metal. No chunks, no metallic sheen, NOTHING.

I cut open the filter. There were NO metallic sheen, no metal bits anywhere. I looked very, very closely between the pleats. Most were completely clean. Between just a few, there are some very, very small flakes, but you seriously have to look for them hard.

There was no sludge at the bottom of the filter, the top or the bottom of the core, no metallic sheen, no metal at all.

It seemed pretty normal to me. I have pics of it all as well; will post later this evening. Does it seem like the bottom end is ok and that I am just good to do the DOD/AFM delete?

You won't know until you tear it down and find the problem. DOD can cause problems beyond just the DOD lifters. Like on mine, it was a normal lifter that failed. The roller froze and ground down a cam lobe. I suspect the DOD system caused an oiling problem with the lifter. On yours....Like does it run? Throwing any codes? Can you isolate any loud ticking? Stethoscope can help with that. But what specifically is your problem? Can you post a video so we can hear it? at idle and then rev to 3K-4K? The LT6.2 engine is a great engine without DOD! 460lbs of TQ is hard to beat. I have 20K miles now (100K total) w/o DOD and my engine runs like new. And I have never seen a DOD deleted vehicle for sale....cuz they just keep running. Its the DOD ones that are ticking and people want out of.
So its important to try to "as best as possible" diagnose the problem......before you start pulling heads and cam.

 

[jyi786]

You won't know until you tear it down and find the problem. DOD can cause problems beyond just the DOD lifters. Like on mine, it was a normal lifter that failed. The roller froze and ground down a cam lobe. I suspect the DOD system caused an oiling problem with the lifter. On yours....Like does it run? Throwing any codes? Can you isolate any loud ticking? Stethoscope can help with that. But what specifically is your problem? Can you post a video so we can hear it? at idle and then rev to 3K-4K? The LT6.2 engine is a great engine without DOD! 460lbs of TQ is hard to beat. I have 20K miles now (100K total) w/o DOD and my engine runs like new. And I have never seen a DOD deleted vehicle for sale....cuz they just keep running. Its the DOD ones that are ticking and people want out of.
So its important to try to "as best as possible" diagnose the problem......before you start pulling heads and cam.

Yes, my truck runs. I haven't tried to actually drive it, especially now. No check engine light. I haven't yet went to check for codes, although I will do that tomorrow. Loud ticking (spanking sound), yes. Isolated to right side (passenger) bank. Sounds exactly like a bad lifter....but now, since you say it? I'm having doubts, because it sounds EXACTLY LIKE THIS.

Now I'm wondering if all I have is an exhaust leak!

I'll be checking for that and codes first thing tomorrow morning.

 

[thefrey]

Yes, my truck runs. I haven't tried to actually drive it, especially now. No check engine light. I haven't yet went to check for codes, although I will do that tomorrow. Loud ticking (spanking sound), yes. Isolated to right side (passenger) bank. Sounds exactly like a bad lifter....but now, since you say it? I'm having doubts, because it sounds EXACTLY LIKE THIS.

Now I'm wondering if all I have is an exhaust leak!

I'll be checking for that and codes first thing tomorrow morning.

Keep us posted!

Next step IMO if you can’t pinpoint an exhaust leak is to take the valve covers off and check for any play in the rockers. That’ll give you visual confirmation at the very least if it is a lifter issue.

My collapsed lifter:

 

[ReaperHWK]

Unpopular opinion but here’s what I’d do. Bandaid that truck and trade it in for 12k. Use that 12k you were going to use for motor replacement and get this truck or something close.

2020 Cadillac Escalade Luxury 4WD - $28,979

Save $12,177 on a used Cadillac Escalade near you. Search over 6,400 listings to find the best Long Island City, NY deals. We analyze millions of used cars daily.

www.cargurus.com

2020 and older trucks are now 3 re-designs behind and are getting cheap as F.

 

[jyi786]

Unpopular opinion but here’s what I’d do. Bandaid that truck and trade it in for 12k. Use that 12k you were going to use for motor replacement and get this truck or something close.

2020 Cadillac Escalade Luxury 4WD - $28,979

Save $12,177 on a used Cadillac Escalade near you. Search over 6,400 listings to find the best Long Island City, NY deals. We analyze millions of used cars daily.

www.cargurus.com

2020 and older trucks are now 3 re-designs behind and are getting cheap as F.

I thought about doing that, but I just can't bring myself to. If I was going to trade, I would NEVER go back into the same platform. There are just too many things I had to do to mine to bring it where it was.

IF my truck were to actually be dead or un-salvageable, I am going to go with a GMC Sierra 2500 HD (AT4X or Denali Ultimate), or a Cadillac Escalade V series (ESV).

 

[fasteddy]

Yes, my truck runs. I haven't tried to actually drive it, especially now. No check engine light. I haven't yet went to check for codes, although I will do that tomorrow. Loud ticking (spanking sound), yes. Isolated to right side (passenger) bank. Sounds exactly like a bad lifter....but now, since you say it? I'm having doubts, because it sounds EXACTLY LIKE THIS.

Now I'm wondering if all I have is an exhaust leak!

I'll be checking for that and codes first thing tomorrow morning.

Yes....that sounds like a bad lifter in the vid and they don't necessarily trigger a Check Engine Light (CEL) on the dash. Mine wasn't that loud. Ran fine. No codes. I actually drove it for a few thousand miles while I was waiting for parts. LOL Chevys are Tough! And exhaust leaks can sound like a bad lifter too. Diagnosis is key. And on your next car selection, get 2500. 6.6 L8T engines are DOD free. I wish they made a 2500 Suburban with a 6.6.

 

[jyi786]

I ran all the diagnostics and I have some info to report.

1. I checked codes with ACC on and ENGINE OFF. There were no codes.
2. I checked for loose spark plug cables. Nothing was loose; everything was connected perfectly.
3. I proceeded to check for an exhaust leak. There are no obvious signs anywhere of an exhaust leak. No broken bolts, no soot, no marks, no sign of an issue with the headers.
4. I set my OBD scanner to view live data. I turned the vehicle on. I noticed immediately misfires on a few cylinders: 3, 4, 5. Then they went away and it went to zero. There was no tapping noise. Slowly, I started to hear slight screeching and then the tapping began slightly. Looking at the live data, there are misfires all over the place on all cylinders, but RANDOMLY, and they are very small. 1, 2, but not constant. Tapping noise and screeching are still there. Sometimes, they all go to 0 and stay there, then small misfires. Screeching and tapping still there, but screeching eventually goes away and just tapping.
5. Still no codes set. No check engine light.
6. I shut it off and disconnected.

Still sound like early stage lifter failure?

Here's a video.

Watch 20260104_125544 | Streamable

Watch "20260104_125544" on Streamable.

streamable.com

And here's a screenshot of the random misfires.

 

[fasteddy]

Check wire connections to coils too. Listen to this vid.

Also you can drain a quart of oil and add a quart of AFT. ATF can provide a cleaning function. See if that changes the noise. It won't fix a broken lifter
but the detergent in ATF can unstick a stuck roller. And it should change the noise a little if its a lifter. Does the noise get louder if you rev it up to like 3K?

 

[jyi786]

Check wire connections to coils too. Listen to this vid.

Also you can drain a quart of oil and add a quart of AFT. ATF can provide a cleaning function. See if that changes the noise. It won't fix a broken lifter
but the detergent in ATF can unstick a stuck roller. And it should change the noise a little if its a lifter. Does the noise get louder if you rev it up to like 3K?

Yep that was one of the videos I watched. Checked the coils, no problems.

ATF? I read about that before, but I'm leery of doing that, I just changed the oil yesterday.

The noise doesn't get louder as I rev it, it just speeds up with the engine speed.

 

[jyi786]

Another update: wasn't able to get the valve covers off; I know that's the most definitive test, but I did gather more info:
Ok, so I've confirmed. The screeching had nothing to do with the issue at hand. It is something accessory related. The screeching disappears when running the engine without the belt.

That being said, I removed the belt and checked for misfires. With the belt removed, I get misfires on cylinder 4 and 5. My scanner says "Misfire Cyl 4 Current: 2" and "Misfire Cyl 5 Current: 2". With the serpentine belt and intake all connected up, the misfires are all over the place.