jfw432

So I have a stock 6.0 in my 2000 Silverado 2500 with the 4L80E. Everything runs pretty well but it does have 270k miles on it. I've owned it for 4 years and put about 15-20k miles on it of which almost all of it has been towing. I typically tow anywhere from 1 hour to 10 hours one way and tow around 6-10k lbs. If it was a daily driver or something I used around town, I'd just run it to failure or until it started showing signs of concern. The concern is the truck is worth considerably less than the vehicles/trailers being towed and I'm not exactly sure how I'd get both truck and trailer home if I was 5-10 hours away. I have the capacity to do leakdown and compression tests but wanted to get opinions first since that's not a 10 minute job.

Do you think it's worth ripping the engine out prematurely and rebuilding it just to avoid potential failure?

Maybe not a technical question but if the truck did breakdown in the middle of nowhere, any idea how you'd go about getting all of your stuff home?

LS1 TJ

I would spend money on a leak down/compression test. Then pull the trans pan and see what it has in the bottom. Then go from there.
Other things.
1. Coolant flush.
2. Replace the axle fluids front/rear.
3. Wheel bearings?
Broke on the side of the road towing a trailer is going to cost mega bucks.

jfw432

Yeah I'll start working on the leakdown/compression test. Coolant has been flushed recently along with the axle and transmission fluids. I also have a large transmission cooler and the trans temps have always been quite low even on a 6 hour trip in 100 degree air temps. I haven't considered the wheel bearings so I'll look into front and rear bearings or at least see how they feel. The general condition of the truck is pretty good. Some of the weather seals and plastic inside on the truck aren't perfect but that won't leave me stranded. Guess I'm just trying to weigh the pros/cons of spending a couple weeks and $1k-$2k on a rebuild or ride it out a few more years and see where I stand then.

wlink14

I would just do a compression test rather than a leakdown, just make sure all cylinders are consistent.
Could pop the valve covers and take a peek at the top end, look for loose stuff.
Pop trans pan, new filter and fluid will go a long way.
In my experience LS engines do not need anything other than oil changes and gaskets for their entire life. The only somewhat common failure point is the lifters.
Change ALL the fluids, fix leaks. Dont touch what doesnt need to be fixed.

01CamaroSSTx

iTrader: (3)

I have over 363,000 miles on my 03 Silverado which has the LQ9 and it's still running and doesn't burn any oil but I have been getting some misfires and I probably should run a compression and leak down. The engine has served me well and certainly doesn't owe me anything.