Customer said it was using oil! Good oil pressure, no ring ridge but oil in intake!!! I removed the heads and gaskets look good but there was this goo under there, what is this? Going to cam it, and carb it sooner or later after I have the heads cleaned up. My question is if it didn't knock and have good oil pressure can I just budget build this thing? Here's a few pics

 

Here's the ring ridge, or lack there of!

 

And last one my bolts!!!

 

At 200k might be a good idea to take the engine out and freshen it up before installing a cam.

 

It's sitting on my shop floor so its already out... I'm going to rering it and probably roll bearings in the mains that's it then. These things are pricey to rebuild. Thanks for the reply

 

The goo looks like coolant or some kind of condensation got in there. Was it in the oil pan too?

 

Just on the vc and heads. Nothing in the pan which leads me to condensation..

 

Condensation. My truck has double that under the valve covers, after about five short trips in cold weather with no PCV system and a 160 t-stat.

 

Good deal thanks guys...

 

I freshened up my dads LM7 in his yukon XL last winter due to a failing oil pump at 219,xxx miles. He was seeing a max of 20 psi of oil pressure and around 10-15 @ idle.
His was burning some oil as well, and the cylinders looked like they were honed the day before. What I found when pull the pistons was the oil scraper ring pack was stuck tight in the ring lands. They weren't seized they just had no more spring left in them.
So I ended up having my machine shop do the lightest hone possibe, new set of stock piston rings, new cam bearing (they had the most wear of any part in the engine), new meling oil pump, ls2 timing chain, ls7 lifters/trays, new set of 5.3L prc heads from texas speed. *** I reused the main and rod bearings*** With the heads this cost about $2,000, (every gasket, tty bolt, fluids, filters ect...) so not that expencive
Just changed the oil last week for him @ 263,xxx on the clock, runs like new.

In the end I would at least put a new oil pump, lifters/trays, timing chain in your motor.

 

I will probably just go ahead and rebuild the thing then. It's not my priority engine just a backup for my pickup. Who sells a complete rering/bearing kit that cost effective? Not looking for a high doller forged kit just something that has all the gaskets I need?

 

There are tons of rebuild kits, just google 5.3 rebuild and you will find various kits including everything you need to more basic minor rebuild kits.