Well. I gotta change my tune about Chevy.

[Tennessee williams]

I've always been a die hard Chevrolet man. About a week or so ago the bunkhouse boss had some truck trouble. This truck is one she ordered in '14 to her liking just the way she wanted it. Well. She was in the school parking lot picking up the curtain crawler when it started making a bunch of racket and missing. I had it towed to the dealership(this dealership sucks too). They said a lifter broke. They quoted me 9500.00 for a new engine or 9800.00 to put in new lifters and a cam. This truck was a bit over 63,000.00 and only has a bit over 110,000 miles on it. Well, I did my research and found out GM is in the middle of a lawsuit because of this same issue with other vehicles that have this same 5.3 engine. I contacted them, and they said they would give no help whatsoever. Looks like I am going to get a Jasper engine for around 9500.00 that comes with a diablo tuner so I can get rid of the tune that drops 4 cylinders on the hwy. Ouch. I've gotten the bunkhouse boss one of those speedy little challengers to drive while the truck is being fixed. Maybe I'll be a Dodge man now. IDK

[Widder, SASS #59054]

And WHO has always bragged about MOPAR?     Meowndangself, thats who.

 

I like the 60's and 70's muscle cars and some trucks, but even then Ole Widder was favoring

the MOPAR team.

A feller at church ask me about 35 years ago WHY or WHO got me to drink Pepsi.

I said..... Richard Petty.

 

It was that simple.

 

..........Widder

 

[Pat Riot]

@Tennessee williams

Is that Jasper engine brand new?

If not, if it’s a rebuild, find a way to do a compression check on it before going through all the work to install it. 
I bought a Napa engine for my Chevy S10 ZR2 4.3 at 148,000 miles. It has 170,000 now. The engine is shot. I put nearly 6 grand into the project a couple of years ago. 
When I got the engine all 6 cylinders except cylinder #2 ran a compression of 150#. Cylinder 2 was 135 pounds. 130 is the cutoff for “good - overhauled”. Yeah, Bull $#!t!

Anyway, the SOB started throwing check engine lights and 3300 misfire codes right after the warranty went out on the engine. 
The only fix is another engine. 
 

Be careful and don’t believe everything you hear from whoever sells you the engine. Ask for the fine print up front. 
Jegs, Summit, Napa, etc all get their engines from a couple of places unless you have special work being done. 

[Sixgun Sheridan]

A properly rebuilt engine is better than a new one. One slapped together using nothing but used and cleaned parts tested to be barely within specs obviously isn't. It's time-consuming and more money initially, but I prefer to rebuild the original engines in of my vehicles since at least I know the history behind them and can control what gets saved or replaced.

[Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438]

I worked for an auto parts place while I was in college.  I'll bet that fully 1/3 of the rebuilt engines we sold came back on warranty claims, and most of those were the result of carelessness and ignorance.  No assembly lube was a common factor, as was improper parts selection, missing gaskets and improper torque settings.  The rebuilders were not always at fault; we found a lot of engines that had been run with the wrong oil, especially failures to use break-in oil.  

 

If it were me, I'd avoid the mass production rebuilders, use a smaller local shop that has a long and solid reputation, and go over with them, in detail, how they rebuild.  Ask for an itemized parts replacement receipt, and ask for the replaced parts to be returned to you.

 

LL

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

I'm not understanding how a top end rebuild can cost more than a new engine. Does the $9500 new engine cost include installation? If not, it seems that would add substantially to the final cost?

[Dantankerous]

Buy a Toyota.

 

Them don't have problems until about 321,875 miles. Heck, their tires don't evsn wear out.

[Warden Callaway]

Maybe try the junk yard?  Find an engine from a wrecked vehicle with low miles.

[Blackwater 53393]

My old Chevy has hauled off two newer Dodge/Ram trucks that belonged to my son and the next door neighbor’s Super Duty.

 

You get a bad one once in a while and there’s good ones in every brand.

 

That old green ba$+@rd has 385,000+ miles on it and it’s starting to produce little annoying problems like a bad positive battery cable and the damned thing will use almost a quart of oil between changes!!

 

I worked for Ford, Chrysler, GM, and AMC before Chrysler took’em over, and every one of ‘em has or has had major issues, right up to this minute!!

 

I MAY just rebuild Ol’ Green, (after I get a couple of other projects out and running) but for now, I’m good with what I’ve got.

 

OH YEAH!! Never deal with any dealership after the warranty has expired!! They are really just a training ground for future mechanics!!  I used the dealerships to get the factory training when I started working as a repair technician.

 

Find a reputable independent general repair facility to do your work!!

 

 

[Go West]

I'd be tempted to have a private shop do a used engine swap for that kind of money.

If not that, then I would shop for a brand new factory engine on the internet. $9,500 is a lot of money.

[Widder, SASS #59054]

If my Bunkhouse Boss broke her new truck, I surely wouldn't let her drive my new

Hemi 'Shaker' Challenger.   

 

..........Widder

 

[irish ike, SASS #43615]

I worked at an auto machine shop/auto parts for 11 years rebuilding engines, valve jobs etc. The only warranty work I ever had was caused by others. Impact guns are not a torgue wrench!

[bgavin]

I gave up on Chevy in 1977.. never looked back.
Bought a Dodge 4x4 new in 1983.
It was the most uncomfortable ride I've ever had.

The clutch pressure plate entirely died in Rochester NY after 3,000 miles.
I had to jack shift it back to Buffalo, NY where my maw-in-law lives.
The clutch shop looked at my CA license plate, said "wow.. that is gonna be expensive."

I asked if he liked being in business.
He got porky and asked what I meant about that.
I replied my maw-in-law is a city councilwoman...
The price immediately dropped from "expensive" to "fair."

No more Dodges for me, either.
I was a wrench for Toyota in the early 70s... that is all we drive today.

[Pat Riot]

I have owned Fords, Dodges, Chevy’s  and Mazdas. They all their pluses and their minuses. No mechanical device will last forever. Some just don’t last as long as others. 
 

We have a 2007 Suburban and a 2002 S10 ZR2. They have both been good vehicles. The way I drive that ZR2 it should have died long ago. That Suburban has 185,000 miles on it. It has crossed the USA several times and made dozens of trips from California to Oregon. They have been good vehicles overall. I will buy another Chevy at some point, but maybe it’s time for a Dodge truck this time.