LMM: LMM with 222,000 tear down rebuild

DAVe3283

Heavy & Slow
Sep 3, 2009
3,727
296
83
Boise, ID, USA
All OEM assembled engines had over 90,000 miles on them and burnt oil substantially first 10k in use..
Whats the explanation for that?
I just looked in GM's service documentation, and here are the specs (for my 2003, yours should be similar):

  • Break in is the first 4,000 miles of engine operation. No published oil consumption guidelines for break in.
  • After break in, oil use greater than 1 quart per 2,000 miles is out of spec, and must be diagnosed/repaired.
It sounds like yours all failed that, which means something was wrong with them.

So these weren't new OEM engines with a warranty, they were junkyard pulls? Because if they were new with a warranty, GM would have fixed them for you per their specs.

Edit: Found a Duramax specific bulletin (attached). Looks like GM calls out 1 quart oil burn per 100 gallons diesel used as the worst-case level. So yours might not have been out of spec, depending on what mileage you get? :confused:
 

Attachments

  • Info - Higher Than Expected Oil Consumption #02-06-01-027 - (Aug 8, 2002).pdf
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Last edited:

Chevy1925

don't know sh!t about IFS
Staff member
Oct 21, 2009
21,660
5,806
113
Phoenix Az
My engine took 25k to finally stop eating oil. i know of 3 other engines in az built by different shops that did the same. out of all the engines ive assembled myself, mine is the only one that took that long to stop eating oil. the others took 1000-3000 miles.

i pulled the top end off my truck in jan of this year to swap to LLY heads. i was expecting to find some wear signs from the long mileage of eating oil, then stopping. all the cyl had hone marks like the bores were fresh with next to no scuffing from the skirts on the cyl walls or anything that would raise attention, that was at 41k. shes got 43k on her now and still runs strong.
 

duratothemax

<--- slippery roads
Aug 28, 2006
7,139
10
0
Wyoming
All OEM assembled engines had over 90,000 miles on them and burnt oil substantially first 10k in use..
Whats the explanation for that?

overloading the truck? Abusing it/driving hard? tuning? I have no idea. If I were you I probably would have gone to a class 4/5 medium duty about 3 engines ago, but thats just me.

And stock tuning.

410rwhp, loading it to within ounces of whats max-legal weight, and driving the balls off of it in summer heat is asking to break things.
 

Digmax

Member
Jan 23, 2016
289
2
18
There is a saying.... break your engine in the way you gonna run it. Seems as if an engine broke in highway driving would be suddenly pulled hard it would use oil but not sure.... like your used engines, doubt they began life with 20,000 lbs

Sent from my C811 4G using Tapatalk
 

malibu795

misspeelleerr
Apr 28, 2007
8,231
548
113
42
in the buckeye state
I just looked in GM's service documentation, and here are the specs (for my 2003, yours should be similar):

  • Break in is the first 4,000 miles of engine operation. No published oil consumption guidelines for break in.
  • After break in, oil use greater than 1 quart per 2,000 miles is out of spec, and must be diagnosed/repaired.
It sounds like yours all failed that, which means something was wrong with them.

So these weren't new OEM engines with a warranty, they were junkyard pulls? Because if they were new with a warranty, GM would have fixed them for you per their specs.

Edit: Found a Duramax specific bulletin (attached). Looks like GM calls out 1 quart oil burn per 100 gallons diesel used as the worst-case level. So yours might not have been out of spec, depending on what mileage you get? :confused:
After first 10k oil consumption drops to 1-2 qt per 10k pending avg weight and terrain i ran during said 10k thats for all the engines including current engine getting pulled

Avg 10mpg per quarter winter is little lower due to extra idle timr
 

Stingpuller

The Pusher Man
Jan 11, 2007
2,019
35
48
57
central Ohio
Motors

Adam I'm not cutting on you. I feel sorry for the troubles you have. It sucks to need the truck to make money and always having problem. I have a truck in here now that has a bad piston. I just put one in a couple of months ago. I told him then that towing heavy with 37" tires and a hot tune was a bad idea. He said "but it tows so good that way". I didn't tune it and don't like DSP5 tunes just for that reason. They are like nitrous its to easy to turn the power up. Now its apart again. I personally think 400 rwhp or anywhere near that is to much for these motors. I hope you get it fixed and don't have any more trouble. As before if I can help just ask.
 

malibu795

misspeelleerr
Apr 28, 2007
8,231
548
113
42
in the buckeye state
Im not taking it personal jeff... Honestly 37" tires with 3.73.. holly shitt! I went 32" with 3.73 to 4.56 gears.. thats a difference.

Thanks for the offer!

Ben
Idle is 3° part throttle is 18-22k rail with timine .8-1° per 100uS with avg pulse of 800-1200uS, with WOT at 26k, 1700uS and 23°
 

malibu795

misspeelleerr
Apr 28, 2007
8,231
548
113
42
in the buckeye state
~400 hp 4.3-4.56 gears with 32" tires low stall TC is about perfect for 90% of the loads i run.. only timeid want more hp is heavy high sail bucking a head wind
 

duratothemax

<--- slippery roads
Aug 28, 2006
7,139
10
0
Wyoming
Idle is 3° part throttle is 18-22k rail with timine .8-1° per 100uS with avg pulse of 800-1200uS, with WOT at 26k, 1700uS and 23°

That doesnt really mean much without actually seeing the map.

23* with only 1700uS is quite aggressive if you ask me. Good luck.

Ben
 

malibu795

misspeelleerr
Apr 28, 2007
8,231
548
113
42
in the buckeye state
Welk unless something happens tomorrow i jyst laundered ~$600.00 through Hamilton cams.
While it was mentioned they run double 5mm pins vs keys it wasn't mentioned that the 5mm press fit pins dont come installed
13731610_10209068942814298_7509444722135290866_n.jpg
 

hondarider552

Getting faster
May 28, 2008
10,627
2
36
34
Arizona
overloading the truck? Abusing it/driving hard? tuning? I have no idea. If I were you I probably would have gone to a class 4/5 medium duty about 3 engines ago, but thats just me.

And stock tuning.

410rwhp, loading it to within ounces of whats max-legal weight, and driving the balls off of it in summer heat is asking to break things.


Yep..

Adam what exactly do you consider gross weight for your setup?
 

malibu795

misspeelleerr
Apr 28, 2007
8,231
548
113
42
in the buckeye state
Yep..

Adam what exactly do you consider gross weight for your setup?

36,000lbs is the Max gross
avg is 30,000lbs

4/5 class trucks run same engine platform as a 3500/350 does, be it Cummins ford or GM and their empty weight substantially more.. all i get is bigger axles/brakes/frame all if which i dont have issues with
 

hondarider552

Getting faster
May 28, 2008
10,627
2
36
34
Arizona
36,000lbs is the Max gross
avg is 30,000lbs

4/5 class trucks run same engine platform as a 3500/350 does, be it Cummins ford or GM and their empty weight substantially more.. all i get is bigger axles/brakes/frame all if which i dont have issues with


Isnt a fully equipped 3500HD somewhere right at 24,500-26k gross per GM?
 

nwpadmax

comlpete diphsit
Aug 17, 2006
110
0
16
under my truck
36,000lbs is the Max gross
avg is 30,000lbs

4/5 class trucks run same engine platform as a 3500/350 does, be it Cummins ford or GM and their empty weight substantially more.. all i get is bigger axles/brakes/frame all if which i dont have issues with

Is not the cooling system a lot larger/more effective in the MD trucks? I would sure hope so.