I currently run 15-40 in my 01 6.0 so comsumption is 2qt every 2500mi, but when i run 5-30 im going through a qt every 1k. I put in the updated pcv valve and there is no oil drips in my garage. Is this thing pretty much in need of a rebuild?
CK5
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6.0 oil consumption
- Thread starter MTChevy
- Start date
Quite a few newer engine consume oil,though you dont actually see it being burned very often...thinner 5W-20 and 5W-30 oils can litteraly evaporate without showing any smoke,many vehicles I see come into a friends shop are often low on oil,sometimes none showing on their dipsticks after only 2 or 3 K miles when they come in for an oil change............................................................................................................................................................................................................most mechanics dont consider an otherwise good running engine due for an overhaul until they start using a quart every 500 miles or less,provided its not belching blue smoke or fouling spark plugs...a lot of newer chevy's have pistons that are "loose" and are noisy till the engine warms fully up,and dealers consider the noise,along with the oil consumption "normal" if it takes over 500 miles to use a quart of oil..I would stick with the 15W-40 if it dont get arctic cold during the winter where you are,its thicker and wont be consumed as fast,plus its much higher detergency and better oil overall...the 5W oils can get very thin in hotter weather and get consumed a lot more rapidly...................................................................................................I have noticed some brands of oil dont seem to "dissapear" as fast as others of the same viscosity--higher flash points have much to do with that.....if your engine has good compresson and dont blow blue smoke,I'd just run it and make sure to keep it full of oil--adding some LUCAS or similar oil treatment probably wouldn't hurt either...
I have an '03 with over 130k on the engine that was bought new. Think I've added oil between services once in it's life and that was after a fairly long trip in the summer towing a heavy load. Always run 5w-30 synthetic.
My wife has an 06' with 150,000 on it and it never has used oil. She had an 03' before that and put nearly the same miles on it and I don't think it ever used any oil.
Something is not right, Is the 01' model year in the ball park for the piston slap issue? Maybe this has something to do with it? Also 15/40 is really stiff for these engines. 5 and 10/30 are more what you "should" be running.
Something is not right, Is the 01' model year in the ball park for the piston slap issue? Maybe this has something to do with it? Also 15/40 is really stiff for these engines. 5 and 10/30 are more what you "should" be running.
454Sub
5/8 ton status
01 I believe is the year they changed, or began to change for the piston slap issues.
Mine slaps like crazy
We have an 03 6.0 truck with 382,000 
that uses less then quart between oil changes (every 3-3500 miles with standard 5-30 since new) and we also have an 02 6.0 with 320,000 that has had mobil 1 every 4k since new and it too uses less then a quart between changes. Both trucks have a very minor slap when cold and neither engine has ever been apart.
On the other end, my friends wife has an 04ish Tahoe 5.3 truck with ~80k on it and it uses a quart every 1500-2000k miles
that uses less then quart between oil changes (every 3-3500 miles with standard 5-30 since new) and we also have an 02 6.0 with 320,000 that has had mobil 1 every 4k since new and it too uses less then a quart between changes. Both trucks have a very minor slap when cold and neither engine has ever been apart. On the other end, my friends wife has an 04ish Tahoe 5.3 truck with ~80k on it and it uses a quart every 1500-2000k miles
Cole my 99 uses less than 1 qt between 5000mi oil changes on 5w-30 Napa full-synthetic. Only time I've had to add oil, is when I pulled the Maiden to Moab and back..then it was only 1 qt for the 3600 mi trip.
My 2003 HD uses less than a quart between changes, it has 280,000 on the clock & the oil isn't nasty either, I run 5w30. It really amazes me.
If you are not smoking, & not dripping I think I would live with it for a while.
2001 is in the range of the bad Castech heads. I have never heard of them on a 6 liter though. Are you losing coolant also?
If you are not smoking, & not dripping I think I would live with it for a while.
2001 is in the range of the bad Castech heads. I have never heard of them on a 6 liter though. Are you losing coolant also?
I have never had to add coolant to the truck....i find it weird that i dont see a puff of smoke at start up with how much oil it goes through
ckeck out http://ls1tech.com/forums/index.php there is lots of ls motor info over there. i recall seeing a few threads on this problem .
chulisohombre
1/2 ton status
It amazes me that gm wants you to run such thin oil on these engines. 5w oil os thin and I only ran it on my four banger ingines. My 5.7 used a good amount of oil when I got it and I tried running the 5w oil a couple changes and it did the same thing. Switched to 10w 40 and it has better oil pressure and burns half as much. All my small blocks that's what I ran before I got the truck I got now. But
On the cap it says run 5w30. I laughed when I first went to put oil in it. Lol. Why so thin factory oil?
On the cap it says run 5w30. I laughed when I first went to put oil in it. Lol. Why so thin factory oil?
Because the tolerances are tighter and these are a night and day better assembled and thought out engine than the old 5.7 etc.
We run 15W40 in the race car and see nearly 70 PSI warm on a hard pull with a factory bottom end. Engine had 17,000 on it when we installed it in 2010. Probably has 21,000 miles on it now. I would guess the 4,000 race and test miles would have to equal three to four times that?
Tighter tolerances and better oiling adds up to thinner oils.
4xcrazy
3/4 ton status
I thought I read somewhere also, that they run the thinner oils so that it moves through the system faster, getting the oil to vital parts quicker especially during start ups.
I have a 6.0 sitting on the floor of my shop, maybe i should build it and swap. Whay do you recommend for gaskets, pistons?
black dawg
1/2 ton status
hasnt gm been saying 5/30 since the begining of the tbi era.
63chevyll
1/2 ton status
found this when looking at a repair site:
1. Update the PCV per GM bulletin 01-06-01-029B.
2. Replace the valve stem seals. Verify the head drainback passages are open and clean.
3. If the consumption continues, replace the oil rings on the pistons.
4. While working on the engine, perform the checks necessary to verify no excessive wear has occurred or is present.
1. Update the PCV per GM bulletin 01-06-01-029B.
2. Replace the valve stem seals. Verify the head drainback passages are open and clean.
3. If the consumption continues, replace the oil rings on the pistons.
4. While working on the engine, perform the checks necessary to verify no excessive wear has occurred or is present.
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Cornfield creations
1/2 ton status
Some people would swear by thicker oil and adding additives like lucas. As technology changes, and oils change, our thinking doesn't, and why? Tighter tolerances and smaller passages need thinner oil. Number one reason for failure on VV-T engines is due to clogged passages to the cams, because of lack of changing oil, which thickens oil.
Lucas has also been shown to ruin engines. Pennzoil had a few cases years ago. Two brand new vehicles- had around 10,000 miles on them. Oil was changed on time with pennzoil, but the engines failed. Manufacturers wouldn't cover under warranty due to a oil related issue. They went back to pennzoil, and found out the customer requested Lucas oil stabilizer to be installed. Turned out that was the reason. It was lucas's issue. Whether or not the company took care of it, I never heard. But independent testing has also shown Lucas OS to aerate oil substantially.
On another note Lucas OS can help with noisy loose engines, adding film thickness. At that point it's not that big of an issue, I am talking about new tight engines AFA thickness.
AFA GM piston slap, here is a good story
http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=44315
Lucas has also been shown to ruin engines. Pennzoil had a few cases years ago. Two brand new vehicles- had around 10,000 miles on them. Oil was changed on time with pennzoil, but the engines failed. Manufacturers wouldn't cover under warranty due to a oil related issue. They went back to pennzoil, and found out the customer requested Lucas oil stabilizer to be installed. Turned out that was the reason. It was lucas's issue. Whether or not the company took care of it, I never heard. But independent testing has also shown Lucas OS to aerate oil substantially.
On another note Lucas OS can help with noisy loose engines, adding film thickness. At that point it's not that big of an issue, I am talking about new tight engines AFA thickness.
AFA GM piston slap, here is a good story
http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=44315
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guy I work with is having a new shortblock put in, due to oil consumption and fouling #1 cyl repeatedly. The service bulletin was done, they replaced a valve cover???? and the problem persisted since new (07) he has over 100K on it now, and they are replacing the shortblock in it under warranty.
some asin cars call for 0w-20 or 0w-30 now adays also.
newer motors with vvt ( vairable valve timming ) or cylinders cut out for highway driving do NOT run thicker or thinner than spec. and use quality oil in them the oil passages are so small sludge can buld fast in them or if oil is to thick / thin can mess with hydrolic system of vvt or on demand .
newer motors with vvt ( vairable valve timming ) or cylinders cut out for highway driving do NOT run thicker or thinner than spec. and use quality oil in them the oil passages are so small sludge can buld fast in them or if oil is to thick / thin can mess with hydrolic system of vvt or on demand .
