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5.3 with VVT replacement

Bigstic

Bigstic

Red Skull Member
Joined
May 19, 2020
Member Number
79
Messages
32
Loc
ND
Have a 2010 Chevy 1500 with a fucked VVT 5.3l engine in it. Looking like 3 options. Buy a used one for around $3k and hope the VVT hasn't killed it. Buy a remanufactured one with 100k warranty but still VVT for $5000. Rip this one apart and get the stuff to delete the VVT and hope she goes back together with little mess for around $6000.

The truck has 130,000 miles on it and is an LTZ. Even the wheel wells on the bed aren't rusting. I picked it up for next to nothing and was going to put a junkyard motor in it and send it through the auction. But for as nice as the truck is, I'm kind of thinking I should keep it around and my 17yo kid has been driving my truck all the time so would be nice to have another.

Thoughts?
 
VVT is like playing russian roulette, but other than that the 5.3 is solid. I'd probably go VVT delete on a used motor because 130k on the clock. Without VVT that's a 250k motor.
 
1.0 metro swap it for better MPG.

Depending on if it rod knocks or not. I'd slap a new cam in there, without even spitting on it, and drive the wheels off it. Maybe Id change the oil. My brothers 2012 wiped 2 vvt cams and the internals were perfect.
 
Norm said:
VVT is like playing russian roulette, but other than that the 5.3 is solid. I'd probably go VVT delete on a used motor because 130k on the clock. Without VVT that's a 250k motor.
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You're confusing VVT and AFM.

VVT is usually reliable.

@OP : What VVT issue killed the engine? If you wanted to delete it, I'd go with a similar profile OEM cam and keep it cheap.
 
Haven't opened it up but she has a nice tick going on :flipoff2:
 
Bebop said:
You're confusing VVT and AFM.

VVT is usually reliable.

@OP : What VVT issue killed the engine? If you wanted to delete it, I'd go with a similar profile OEM cam and keep it cheap.
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I'm probably using the wrong term. But the stupid cylinder shut down gas saving shit they have.

It drove 120 miles sounding like this. Did I mention I got it for next to nothing :lmao:
 
Bigstic said:
I'm probably using the wrong term. But the stupid cylinder shut down gas saving shit they have.

It drove 120 miles sounding like this. Did I mention I got it for next to nothing :lmao:
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Ok, that's AFM.

Collapsed lifters.
Super common.

Cam / lifter / pushrods and you're in business. I'd go back to the same cam profile and be done. 6k for this is retarded.
 
Bebop said:
Ok, that's AFM.

Collapsed lifters.
Super common.

Cam / lifter / pushrods and you're in business. I'd go back to the same cam profile and be done. 6k for this is retarded.
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The 6k was for a shop to install the delete kit. Not going back with the same stuff.

Oddly I'm much more comfortable swapping a whole engine versus swapping cams and lifters so That why I was looking at junkyard engines.
 
Bigstic said:
Oddly I'm much more comfortable swapping a whole engine versus swapping cams and lifters so That why I was looking at junkyard engines.
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LS's don't care about what you do to them. Honestly they are stupid easy to work on.

IF you get a performance cam. I recommend going with a higher stall converter and a GOOD tune. Boss ordered one that was "stock trans friendly" and was un-drivable until we put a higher stall converter in there.
 
Bigstic said:
Oddly I'm much more comfortable swapping a whole engine versus swapping cams and lifters.
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That's a day's work if you're fucking around.
Tons of youtube videos.
Super easy shit.

My advice is to get a new cam retainer plate and lifter trays but many have been successful without.
 
You sure you’re not talking about DOD? Whatever you chose make sure you do the DOD delete with it.
Don’t shop for a reman engine by price, shop by quality, I’ve seen a few people regret it.
 
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Bigstic said:
I'm probably using the wrong term. But the stupid cylinder shut down gas saving shit they have.

It drove 120 miles sounding like this. Did I mention I got it for next to nothing :lmao:
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Grab an L96 and 6l90e out of a 2500. :flipoff2:

No DOD, VVT is solid. Just get a tune done to swap segments so the computer isn't upset, and tune the trans for 0 converter slip. :smokin:



Or install $1200 worth of delete parts in your current motor. Shop was ripping you off for being lazy and uneducated.. :flipoff2:
 
3k for a used gen 4 ls motor sounds insane to me.

As long as they didn’t run the ticking motor long term and send metal through the entire system for an extended period of time, just slap a dod delete kit in and hope for the best. Beware that At 130k, the 6l80 might be on the way out as well too, so you’ll want to tune the trans as well.

Even in ltx trim they’re just plastic fantastic piles of shit; You almost couldn’t give me a gmt900 (07-13 gm). But if you already own it, you should get it going for as cheap as possible.
 
My suburban has been ticking loud for as long as I can remmeber. I bought it with 130,000. It now has close to 200,000. The only thing I did is disable AFM with HPtuners.

I did have a 5.3 AFM failure in the past. It was obvious with the poor running and smoke. I dont remember it being more than $1000 to delete AFm but it's been awhile.
 
Can you get the cam out without having to discharge the AC?
 
Bebop said:

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There you go.

Bigstic : Bring it to me, I'd be happy to do it for 4k labor+parts and save you $1200 :grinpimp:
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So that and a tuner and a day of busting my knuckles and cussing at stupid fittings and I should be good to go? Any specific tuner? Honestly have shoulder surgery in 3 weeks so that is another big reason I was looking at a shop but maybe this will motivate me :flipoff2:
 
Bigstic said:
So that and a tuner and a day of busting my knuckles and cussing at stupid fittings and I should be good to go? Any specific tuner? Honestly have shoulder surgery in 3 weeks so that is another big reason I was looking at a shop but maybe this will motivate me :flipoff2:
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You don't even need a tuner (although it's preferred).

You could use an external OBD defeat device:


HPTuners or EFILive are the softwares to use. Any half decent tuning shop should be able to get rid of the AFM for $200ish




Random youtube video I found, but there are many more available.

 
Bigstic said:
So that and a tuner and a day of busting my knuckles and cussing at stupid fittings and I should be good to go? Any specific tuner? Honestly have shoulder surgery in 3 weeks so that is another big reason I was looking at a shop but maybe this will motivate me :flipoff2:
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HP Tuners and have the ability to screw it all up yourself :flipoff2:

I paid $700 with credits (need $300 in credits to "license" the serial numbers on that truck). However, I can keep buying credits and tune lots of stuff. Some of the newer stuff will need to be sent in to be modified to enable tuning though.



Then I watched about 200 hours of YouTube tutorials. Now I'm waiting on my built 6l90 to be able to test my tunes and see if they work.
 
Chevy_man said:
need $300 in credits to "license" the serial numbers on that truck
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Not if you know CAN well enough, you could insert a CAN read/write device in between HPtuners and the vehicle. Change the correct information to something you already have licensed and you are all set. :) I did this 8-10 years ago when I had dreams of a side gig programming pcms.

HPtuners isnt a bad solution. Expensive at first but in the long run addtional vehciles aren't really all that expensice. A 5.3 is 2 credits so only $100 for remove AFM.
 
Chevy_man said:
HP Tuners and have the ability to screw it all up yourself :flipoff2:

I paid $700 with credits (need $300 in credits to "license" the serial numbers on that truck). However, I can keep buying credits and tune lots of stuff. Some of the newer stuff will need to be sent in to be modified to enable tuning though.



Then I watched about 200 hours of YouTube tutorials. Now I'm waiting on my built 6l90 to be able to test my tunes and see if they work.
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Why would you need any more than $100 in credits to get typical access which allows you the ability to disable AFM unless you didn't read the fine print and unlocked the FSM module as well? I've done a ton of stuff with HPTuners and it's never been more than $100/ vehicle unless turbo.
 
kmkommes said:
Not if you know CAN well enough, you could insert a CAN read/write device in between HPtuners and the vehicle. Change the correct information to something you already have licensed and you are all set. :) I did this 8-10 years ago when I had dreams of a side gig programming pcms.
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I'm told that stuff like PCM hammer and tunerpro have gotten to the point that HPtuners is a bit obsolete for common GM stuff, but I haven't tried it.
 
larboc said:
Why would you need any more than $100 in credits to get typical access which allows you the ability to disable AFM unless you didn't read the fine print and unlocked the FSM module as well? I've done a ton of stuff with HPTuners and it's never been more than $100/ vehicle unless turbo.
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HPTuner credits differ based on what vehicle you're unlocking.
 
larboc said:
Why would you need any more than $100 in credits to get typical access which allows you the ability to disable AFM unless you didn't read the fine print and unlocked the FSM module as well? I've done a ton of stuff with HPTuners and it's never been more than $100/ vehicle unless turbo.
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You forgot the $200 to tune the 6l80e. Very least it needs to be told to quit slipping the converter all the time.
Factory trans tune let's the converter slip 20-60rpm during lockup for "reducing harshness". Creates a ton of heat, and usually what wipes the converter.
 
larboc said:
I'm told that stuff like PCM hammer and tunerpro have gotten to the point that HPtuners is a bit obsolete for common GM stuff, but I haven't tried it.
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It was 8-10 years ago when I "hacked" hptuners. For a bit I started following open source tuning programs but then stopped.

I am probably ignorantly speaking up hptuners. I imagine there are some really good alternative options out there.

Similar to the Jeep community and with their erection over the $300 Tazer when Jscan at $20 in my opinion is just as good.
 
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