Used LS 5.3Chevy motor

[HuntinJake_23]

My brother has an 07 Avalanche with the Ls 5.3 motor and it’s getting up there in miles. It is starting to ware out, is there somewhere to buy a used crate motor, I seem to remember seeing regular 350 motors for sale in the GON magazine at the Chevy dealership in Jasper. Or has anyone gone through with having one rebuilt? A new crate motor is $8000 and that’s a bit much, his budget is $2000-$3000!

 

[Stroker]

Any junkyard should have plenty of 5.3 motors. Get on with as low miles on it as possible. Price's are usually $5-700 depending on mileage.

 

[transfixer]

Good low mileage 5.3's and 6,0's are in high demand, with all the LS powertrain swaps that people do, they can be found though if you're persistant. Unless his has over 300k miles , which I doubt, it can probably be brought back to life with a new cam and lifters, he should also get someone to disable the Active Fuel management part of the programming, they started that in 07, where it cuts off oil to some of the lifters in order to save fuel. that feature ultimately causes lifter and cam fallure on those engines. Any used motor will need to have the oil pickup tube o-ring replaced and a new oil pan gasket, other than that the bottom end of those engines are virtually bullet proof as long as it didn't run low on oil .

 

[HuntinJake_23]

Good low mileage 5.3's and 6,0's are in high demand, with all the LS powertrain swaps that people do, they can be found though if you're persistant. Unless his has over 300k miles , which I doubt, it can probably be brought back to life with a new cam and lifters, he should also get someone to disable the Active Fuel management part of the programming, they started that in 07, where it cuts off oil to some of the lifters in order to save fuel. that feature ultimately causes lifter and cam fallure on those engines. Any used motor will need to have the oil pickup tube o-ring replaced and a new oil pan gasket, other than that the bottom end of those engines are virtually bullet proof as long as it didn't run low on oil .

I went through that with my wife’s 08 Silverado, pretty much redid the whole top end. That fuel saver is the most ridiculous thing ever.

The issue he is having is the cam or crank sensor code is coming up. The mechanic he took it to said it was a stretched timing chain. The truck has 260,xxx miles

 

[transfixer]

I went through that with my wife’s 08 Silverado, pretty much redid the whole top end. That fuel saver is the most ridiculous thing ever.

The issue he is having is the cam or crank sensor code is coming up. The mechanic he took it to said it was a stretched timing chain. The truck has 260,xxx miles

That doesn't sound right to me, I'd take it to someone else and see what they say, they can hook it up to a scanner and monitor the signal from the sensor, I'd replace the sensor before I'd condemn the timing chain,

 

[DAVE]

If the codes set immediately on start up it may be chain or cam sensor or wiring related. If the codes set intermittently it may be from low oil pressure getting to cam actuator caused from sludge build up in cam passages, cam bearing, actuator sticking due to sludge. Finding the fault can be difficult if it is intermittent. replacing cam position sensor, actuator magnet requires pulling water pump. To check actuator you will have to pull timing cover. If it is a four wheel drive you will have to pull front differential to remove oil pan to remove timing cover for chain inspection and will need special service tool in order to install timing cover back on. Unless the vehicle has had oil & filter changed religiously preventing sludge build up I would not even try to fix with that mileage and no way would take a chance on buying a used engine which may have same problem.

 

[jiminbogart]

A new crate motor is $8000 and that’s a bit much, his budget is $2000-$3000!

2-3k puts you in a rebuilt long block. https://spprecision.com/products/60...MIjPWcjq6a6AIVF6SzCh1WeQDsEAkYESABEgIrmfD_BwE

How much to rebuild the engine that he has now?

Another avenue is buy in a wrecked low mile truck and pulling the engine and selling the parts. For a used engine I would have to hear it running, ect.