This is a nice easy to follow remake of my videos adding the drain back holes. To clarify, this modification doesn’t remove enough aluminum to even measure accurately on a scale, no balance issue. JD
I do remember watching your video when doing some research on this topic. In fact, we've watched many of your videos. Thanks for the feedback on the balance concern. Thanks for watching.
The original Saturn engines used the same drain back feature and it wouldn't take long for the engine to start burning oil. Back in 08 I rebuilt the engine on my Saturn and did this mod, I think I drilled 6 holes in each piston. Long story short, the Saturn was able to go another 200K miles without burning a drop of oil. As a mater of fact the engine was still running great when I scraped the car.
Great video! I recently freshened up a 6.0 ls and 7 out of 8 pistons the oil rings were all sludged up I had to soak them to free them up before reassembly. Wish I had found this video sooner. I will definitely try this on my next rebuild
There won’t be any gas or it will be 50$ a gallon buy 2030 2035. The plan is you will own nothing and be happy not joking study this for many many years. I have older vette I have owned for 40 years which is resto Rod with a blown modded L82 .Also have a 2006 gxp 5.3 which I have been driving daily after I restored it and oil rustproofed . The gxp is mint but with the switch to electric and my keen interest I global events I see no future in collecting cars . Also was restoring a 1977 searay with 351w but not sure I won’t sell it because right now in Ontario Canada the province is locked down and the boat ramps are forboden you can drive as per the Covid 19 lock down aka the flue
There will not be enough electricity to power the grid either. Good luck charging your ev if it didn't already get repoed because you can't get to work.
@@stevenpolitte4628 we're not going to switch to EV's overnight, the infrastructure will have to be upgraded over time but your argument is short minded and invalid considering there's still 20yrs until manufacturers are required by law to only sell EV's and that's still only in certain countries. Gas cars will still be around after that you just can't buy them new. No duh the infrastructure can't support that now but there's plenty of time and money to upgrade.
So I get there is allot of drive for ev, I work for a Major oil company. They are heavily tied in with allot of these WEF partners, they are still placing brand new production facilities in the gulf, with plans to reduce production down to 30% by 2050. So unless they get backstabbed by their own partners, then it'll be a while.
To help speed up the layout of the new holes, use a seamstress tape. They can be found in the sewing section of Walmart, or wherever. You now now that you need 1 3/8" from the factory slot, to the first hole, to the next hole. Start at a factory slot, make a Sharpie mark, and you are done.
I would add a piece of wood screwed to the board that the face of the piston would butt up against as a stop. Once you get the first one set, getting the others would be easier and more stable during drilling.
We were doing this procedure on some Toyota 4cyl. Engines back in the late 90s. Low and behold Toyota eventually offered redesigned pistons later to help correct the issue. High quality synthetic oil run at reasonable intervals will help prevent buildup in the oil rings that make them stick.
We have the 2.4 ecotec engine, we are going to do this for the notorious engine oil burning issue, Jasper Engines now apply this method on the 2.4 pistons in the Ecotec engines that they offer now, I am convinced of this method of modification. Thanks for the awesome info vid
my old 2.2 ecotec burned oil like crazy i'd have to put in a quart every 2 weeks or so but i beat that motor up every day redlined and took every beating
What’s really interesting is that the LC2 Turbo Regal/grand National engines has this same type of oil control /drain where it forces the oil down to the wrist pin. I have taken a bunch of those part and never had a issue with the oil rings being coaked up with carbon. And or burning oil.
My guess is many burn oil because when installing the oil ring, many don't check to see if the expanding spacer between the two thin steel rails has not jumped from being butted up against each end of it. You just look at them and they slip past each other. I ordered eight pistons and the rings were already installed, and in all eight the spacer was not in correctly. The spacer is what exerts pressure on the rails to push against the cylinder wall.
Correct, that's why they're called the expander ring. However, we're talking about an issue that was done at the factory. I have a hard time believing that all of the factory expander rings were installed wrong. Thanks for watching.
My grandad and uncles were doing this with a hand crank drill on B model Fords in the forties. Nothing new about this. Proper oil and change intervals are a better idea, however. Retired piston guy.
Interesting find, and fix. It wouldn't surprise me if the piston with "a couple of hundred thousand miles on it" had the oil changed with conventional only, and probably did 5-10K mile intervals.
This is the same production problem that was in Saturns 1.9L engines, the only remedy was to drill holes in the oil groove. You’d think that manufacturers would learn lessons about not skipping this step.
So, to understand, would it be to make oil flow more freely that way oil don't burn up and get consumed? On top of all this i would of done 2 snall slots one on each side were the skirt touches the wall.
So, is this THE cure, no but it is an easy thing to do that can only help. If it does nothing more than keep the rings free it's a great idea. An oil catch can in the PCV tube is also a great addition. I would also like to add that almost NOBODY changes pistons on an LS. I have NEVER seen one with a ridge at the top, or pistons that were worn out of specs, why spend at least $300 for pistons unless you really hate that piston slap. My buddies truck was down 80 hp at 275k, new rings and a bigger (stage2)cam, boom 180 hp gain. These blocks, hypereutectic (hard surface) pistons, and better oil keep these from wearing like any old engine from the 50-60"s As a GM World Class tech and slobbering car nut, I have pulled lots of these apart. Most all of them have stuck rings. I have also seen it on many other engines, besides GM (for all you haters). Seems like every manufacturer has oil consumption problems: 4 cylinder Ecotec Mini Cooper, 4 cylinder Chrysler, Nissan, etc. Later model LT engine have holes behind the oil rings, and a different PCV system, very few oil consumption problems. Now in my experience with these engines it is rarely just one thing that causes this problem. Cheap oil (Dexos is great, cleans out sludge and is available at Wal-Mart cheap), extended oil changes, and to me the biggest problem, putting around like a 90 year old and the engine never sees 3,000 rpm. Worst ones I have seen is the 6.0L, I had to do lifters on two in a row. One had so much carbon build up it filled the quench area and you could tell where the combustion chamber started. The next one was clean as a could be, very little build anywhere. I made an effort to talk to the customers and the first one used oil and they said they drive pretty slow. The second customer said they drive like their hair is on fire. The MPG showed it too.
Wow 😮this is cool, I have a question I have a 2017 Kia soul and is starting to burn oil almost a 1quart every 2000 miles Can this be done in the pistons on that engine if I rebuild it, the car is awesome and it has good mpg everyone your comments will be appreciated.
Good information sir but you know what I have an 02 6.0 Silverado with 157k miles and it does not burn oil but I have been using synthetic oil since new now I don't know if synthetic oil has anything to with it or my truck may have been built on a Wednesday...lol but the engine doesn't burn oil or leak oil at all or just maybe those year of engines where built better
@@Shoptoolreviews 130K on my 06 Yukon with the 5.3 on dyno oil and it does not burn but 1/2 quart every 4-5K miles. I change my oil every 6 months or 6K miles.
You can buy aftermarket, but most of these LS pistons are perfectly fine for reusing. They're also very safe to build 600+ horsepower. That's pretty cheap performance. Thanks for watching.
This is why it is important to use full synthetic oil on L S engines. But we live in America were most folks just run their stuff into the ground buy the cheap oil and trade it in for a new one.
just restored an ls4 gxp been driving daily in Ontario. As I was doing mini restoration and paint touch up and paint correction I soaked all the combustion chambers in. Kleens combustion cleaner for a few days to clean ring lands and free rings as it was a stock motor with dod then changed the oil with 5-40 synthetic and hi quality filter the car has over 100000 miles and runs and sound like new the 5.3 uses no oil . Also for gm front wheel drive transmissions I used transmax synthetic and a biggest transmission oil cooler . Purchased the car cheap because it had a destroyed transmission. One I replaced it with a rebuild I checked the temp and on a 75f day it would spike to 218f way to hot and it actually started to darken the new Oem dex so I flushed it and added the rv cooler in series with the Oem rad cooler and added the trans max synthetic to replace the Oem fluid the car runs 175f after freeway 75 mph driving of 100 miles . So in my opinion the cooling and hi quality synthetic fluid will help keep the transmission alive with a yearly service of removing 7 quarts pumped out transmission dip stick tube
I have a 4.8 lr4 that I'm gonna be swapping into my 70 lemans. The original plan was to slap a btr stage 2 truck cam in it and go. But now that I've done a little bit of research on the oil cunsumption issues with these motors and how to fix the issues, it's has made me consider if I should at least take the pistons out replace the rings while I'm at it and fill those little holes that u were drilling in this video. I already have the motor down to a shortblock anyways and it wouldn't take very long to do, I'm just curious if it's worth it. The truck it came out of had 250k miles on it but the motor was super clean when u took it apart, no valve train issues, no leaking valves or seals, the pushrods were undamaged, but I think I'm gonna get new lifter while I'm at it since its apart anyways, and I was also curious on running a ls9 cam instead of the btr stage 2 v2 truck cam that I have for it. Just wanting anyone's thoughts and opinions on this.
Since you're so close and the expense is pretty low, I'd recommend to pull it apart, fix the pistons, run a dingleberry hone through the cylinders, and install some new rings. Also, gap the rings appropriately, especially if you're thinking of a turbo. Thanks for watching.
I put a stage 2 btr truck cam in my 01 silverado 5.3 sounds great I leave it running whenever I'm out running errands love that choppy lopey idle. Installed all new lifters, rockers and hardened pushrods. And sent the heads to machine shop for 5 angle valve job and p&p. Mfer rips
The reason why they did that design is to keep the oil on the skirt of a piston you can see the drain back holes where the pin is yes in the LS engine has a poor PVC valve system it's all about how much you change the oil and you should use a good durablend or all synthetic
You are correct, for the most part...or at least I agree with you for the most part. However, they still should have allowed for more drain back in the pistons. It's a very common issue, in both dirty and well-maintained engines. Thanks for watching.
I have a missfire in cyl 6 in my 99k 2011 4.3 silverado. Rough idle, not burning oil and no knock. Went through a plethora of tests and intake gone through. My question is, is the 4.3 truly an LS with 2 less cylinders? Im about to say f it and rebuild the damn thing.
Your positive that it can't hurt integrity or unbalance it a little. Just wondering, there known for chippy the top edge off the first ring already. There swallow pistons and a awesome idea
Weight will be negligible. I'm thinking the structural integrity would be weakened though..... I'm not going to try this on my turbo 5.3, and find out.
Under boost, they are known to pull the top off the piston and the first ring, but you're doing the drilling at the oil ring. You're not removing enough material for the pistons/rotating-assembly to be out of balance. If you're concerned then just weigh each piston/rod and match them before assembly. Thanks for watching.
Because it is . We Routinely Change them for oil consumption issues . Going From burning a quart a day to nothing after VC change sounds crazy but it is true .
I would venture to say that the culprit is probably the valve covers and PCV system. You can find videos on fixing this issue in the valve covers. Thanks for watching.
Easy to fix, except for the fact that you have to completely tear down the entire engine to do this repair. Has GM fixed this on the newest gen 5.3 engines (2020 Silverado)?
I mean if you have worked on one of these before and wanted to do it you could do it in a couple hours let's call it a weekend but lots of these motors have over 200k without touching it I mean I generally don't even buy them till they have over 200k
@@Shoptoolreviews one way you might be able to tell is for instance get a 2020 5.3 piston out of the box if someone has it in stock on the shelf at a local parts store which I doubt it just being a piston and look at it. I'm not sure but piston company technical department guys could probably tell you weather today engines had the drain or not. And maybe the aftermarket Pistons may have the drain in them somebody like JE, Keith Black, Manly and many more piston companies their technical department could tell you possibly, maybe not as much about the factory piston but definitely could tell you after market their piston and if it was done.
@@Shoptoolreviews I've always known the LS to be one of the best engines out there for longevity, durability and horsepower. But are you saying the LS engines some of them use oil over time? If so what year models and liter sizes? And if they're using oil over time are they fouling out the spark plug causeing them not to run? I know engines pretty well but I don't know the LS as good as I do the SBC or BBC. I'm perfectly fine with adding oil each time or every other time I add around a half a tank of fuel, check and add oil if needed. Idealey you don't want to add oil but I would much rather add oil and still get down the road then have to pull the motor and fix it from a rod knocking because of low oil or the motor is shot and locked up. I"ve added oil to most of my service vehicles over the years. And on my street and strip car I have a low oil pressure engine shutdown safety shut off switch. And also a high temperature water engine shut down switch that has saved my engine once before it got too hot.
Great work but if im opening it up im putting good stuff in it. I get it budgets are a thing but alot of work when just a bit more cash gets you going with benefits.
Geat tip! Quick heads-up: "indention" is not a word - it is a false word. The word you're looking for is "indentation." Same thing with the false word "conversate," I hear used regularly, when the word to use is "converse," from the word conversation.
I have 245k on my 04 2500 dosent burn at all.when I used to put slot of miles on it I would change oil first week of the month didn't car how many miles.never used synthetic.
You can definitely do that if you're building a high-revving race block. Or, if you're running on the street, you didn't remove enough material to make much difference, so you throw it back in the block with fresh rings and a hone job, let'r rip. Thanks for watching.
Yes and No. Yes, this particular engine could have done better with oil changes, but that doesn't change the fact that LS pistons need larger scavenge ports. Thanks for watching.
my LS 3 IN A 2006 MONTE CARLO WAS USING OIL & DEVELOPED A MISS - Upon some research i found this tp be a VERY common issue - i have forgotten which pistons are prone for the problem seems like ther were 3 of them - you can goggle for yourself - Anyhow - G.M. makes a chemical that is poured into the problem cylinders - let that stuf set for whatever time the instructions say , seems like approx 15 mins - chev sells this by the quart - your gonna hafe to check with the parts dept for the name ,sorry -- it has been 40000 miles since i did this treatment and several years so pleaze forgive me ---- HOWEVEER for approx $ 25.00 YOU can fix this issue - the back plugs were difficult but maybe u have tools that i dont have . u will need a small funnel & about a foot of hose to reach spark plug hole - plus sockets etc - remove problem plugs pour chem in -let set minutes - after setting remove coil wire -so it wont start ture it over to purge liqid - put a peice of cardboard over top of engine to keep the chem from geiiing on paint - hope this helps some one - i changed ALL plugs & wires while at it approx ,110 k on the car when done - now 150 k with more to come
OLÁ. Assisti seu vídeo e comento apenas o que vi. Nada sobre o que escutei pois adquiri dificuldades de audição ao longo dos anos. A princípio todos fomos vítimas de uma mudança no sistema de lubrificação em diversos motores.. Alguns fabricantes tentaram remediar o problema e criaram maiores dificuldades que as iniciais. Houve mudança na canalização do virabrequim, foram retiradas as bolsas de óleo das Bronzinas de biela e retiraram as chavetas das BB, eliminaram os furos de óleo nas canaletas dos anéis de óleo, fizeram injetores que de forma DEFICIENTE lubrificam cilindros, pistões e anéis. Forte queima de óleo se for adaptada a bronzina com bolsa (e chaveta) de óleo. A insuficiência de óleo ocorrerá se for montada a bronzina de sem chaveta e sem bolsa. O fabricante também esqueceu que o volumem de óleo faz parte do sistema de refrigeração do motor. ABRAÇOS... Roberto Udo Krapf
Perfect. You're right! If I were to make a video doing this, 75% of the viewers would tell me how that's not precise and everything will be out of balance, etc. Even though, I know it would be fine. Thanks for watching.
@@Shoptoolreviews I've built couple hundred engines in my time. Zero chance I would have wasted my time in this. Just replace the pistons with something better.. If can't afford it then buy plenty of oil and keep it changed.
The mouse is old school chevy small block. They came in many displacements from 262 ci to 400 cubic inch. They're the most popular engine ever built. Parts were readily available and inexpensive to build from mild to wild power levels.
8.1L is not an LS variant. The 8.1L is the L18 Vortec 8100, which is the last Big Block engine that Chevrolet made, ending production in 2009. There has never been a LS big block. Thanks for watching.
This is why I am happy electric cars are becoming more common. The internal combustion engine has been around for over a century. Billions of pistons have been made. The engineers are STILL screwing it up. If they haven't figured it out by now, they never will.
By no means are we recommending to dismantle a running LS for this alone. It's meant to be done when you're rebuilding anyway. It makes a difference. Thanks for watching.
Please don't come to someone else's video and make remarks about things you don't know about. Literally not compromising the piston and remind me how much a couple of aluminum shavings weigh again.
@@Shoptoolreviews I used to sell Chevy's at a dealership. Only lasted for 3 months. They overcharge for everything. 50k for a sedan whereas a new Volkswagen Sedan is only 20k with all of the features. I mean sure, powerwise it's good but one can not deny that they've lost their touch and are cutting too many corners. Tarnishing the brand. Chevy used to be #1 in my books.
I agree GIF it's under a half a gram in weight it shouldn"t make a difference. But if you're going to balance it do it after all the work is done then balance.
Wait a Minute . I think you’re doing more damage . The ring is actually called an “oil control ring “ . It also supplies oil to the cylinder walls and aids in lubricating the skirt . It’s. Not supposed to drain all of it . Engineers designed it without holes for a reason . Just a. Heads up . It’s not scavenging oil to take back to the pan , it’s scavenging to later be deposited back on to the cylinder wall . You don’t want to get rid of it .
I don't think that's exactly true. The LS is still the go-to platform for building cheap power. What other motor can you buy for $400 (used) and the stock rotating assembly hold together for 700hp+? It's a well-proven platform, but not without a few cautions. Thanks for watching.
@@Shoptoolreviews very true , over here in AUS plenty of stock bottom end turbo combos making genuine AUS dyno recorded power levels over over 800rwhp+ on stock bottom ends running easy 8sec quarters great video boys
Yea Ls stands for Last of the Seconds. . Cheap horsepower 460 with a 6-70 even the new godzilla motor can't touch it. For a good point A to B performance motors just run the old 350 or Ford 302 why complicate things. .
Paying 80K for a truck, but immediately have to make customizations so the engine doesn't blow up? What am I missing? I just has a 6.2L blow up on me. Upon research, i am seeing that GM engines have a lot of issues. I am beyond disappointed. I suppose GM wont admit nor fix, as that will admit fault. Good to know. My business will never be with GM again.
no crazy music just straight to the point! yay!
Lol. We're guilty of the crazy music sometimes too, but we try to keep it to a minimum. Thanks for watching.
A tip : you can watch series at flixzone. Me and my gf have been using them for watching loads of movies these days.
@Darren Russell Yup, have been using Flixzone for months myself :)
"Have a great day! Go out and do something nice for someone"
This man is legend!
This is a nice easy to follow remake of my videos adding the drain back holes. To clarify, this modification doesn’t remove enough aluminum to even measure accurately on a scale, no balance issue. JD
I do remember watching your video when doing some research on this topic. In fact, we've watched many of your videos. Thanks for the feedback on the balance concern. Thanks for watching.
I'm a Ford guy. I'll never tear down an LS and do this. But here I am paying attention like I'm in the middle of an LS build.
I appreciate that. I was able to keep your attention. :) Thanks for watching.
The knowledge is Transferable. I have a few Ford tricks on my Chevy.
Lol... Welcome...
The original Saturn engines used the same drain back feature and it wouldn't take long for the engine to start burning oil. Back in 08 I rebuilt the engine on my Saturn and did this mod, I think I drilled 6 holes in each piston. Long story short, the Saturn was able to go another 200K miles without burning a drop of oil. As a mater of fact the engine was still running great when I scraped the car.
That's a great story and thanks for sharing. Thanks for watching.
I laughed so hard 😃😃Shows to go you.......😳😳😳😳😳🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪 That's amazing !!! I want to try that on my 5.3 l 2005 Chevy
Great video! I recently freshened up a 6.0 ls and 7 out of 8 pistons the oil rings were all sludged up I had to soak them to free them up before reassembly. Wish I had found this video sooner. I will definitely try this on my next rebuild
Finally a video without background music.
Lol. Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching.
We all better learn to rebuild engines for when manufacturers all go EV.
That will be a sad day. Thanks for watching.
There won’t be any gas or it will be 50$ a gallon buy 2030 2035. The plan is you will own nothing and be happy not joking study this for many many years. I have older vette I have owned for 40 years which is resto Rod with a blown modded L82 .Also have a 2006 gxp 5.3 which I have been driving daily after I restored it and oil rustproofed . The gxp is mint but with the switch to electric and my keen interest I global events I see no future in collecting cars . Also was restoring a 1977 searay with 351w but not sure I won’t sell it because right now in Ontario Canada the province is locked down and the boat ramps are forboden you can drive as per the Covid 19 lock down aka the flue
There will not be enough electricity to power the grid either. Good luck charging your ev if it didn't already get repoed because you can't get to work.
@@stevenpolitte4628 we're not going to switch to EV's overnight, the infrastructure will have to be upgraded over time but your argument is short minded and invalid considering there's still 20yrs until manufacturers are required by law to only sell EV's and that's still only in certain countries. Gas cars will still be around after that you just can't buy them new. No duh the infrastructure can't support that now but there's plenty of time and money to upgrade.
So I get there is allot of drive for ev, I work for a Major oil company. They are heavily tied in with allot of these WEF partners, they are still placing brand new production facilities in the gulf, with plans to reduce production down to 30% by 2050. So unless they get backstabbed by their own partners, then it'll be a while.
To help speed up the layout of the new holes, use a seamstress tape. They can be found in the sewing section of Walmart, or wherever. You now now that you need 1 3/8" from the factory slot, to the first hole, to the next hole. Start at a factory slot, make a Sharpie mark, and you are done.
Yep, that's great info. Thanks for sharing.
I would add a piece of wood screwed to the board that the face of the piston would butt up against as a stop. Once you get the first one set, getting the others would be easier and more stable during drilling.
We were doing this procedure on some Toyota 4cyl. Engines back in the late 90s. Low and behold Toyota eventually offered redesigned pistons later to help correct the issue. High quality synthetic oil run at reasonable intervals will help prevent buildup in the oil rings that make them stick.
You're exactly right, regular oil changes and good oil will definitely help this issue...but it was still a poor design. Thanks for watching.
the holes need to be drilled below the upper oil scraper ring to avoid oil going under the ring
We have the 2.4 ecotec engine, we are going to do this for the notorious engine oil burning issue, Jasper Engines now apply this method on the 2.4 pistons in the Ecotec engines that they offer now, I am convinced of this method of modification. Thanks for the awesome info vid
my old 2.2 ecotec burned oil like crazy i'd have to put in a quart every 2 weeks or so but i beat that motor up every day redlined and took every beating
What’s really interesting is that the LC2 Turbo Regal/grand National engines has this same type of oil control /drain where it forces the oil down to the wrist pin. I have taken a bunch of those part and never had a issue with the oil rings being coaked up with carbon. And or burning oil.
I've drilled out the oil hose on many Motors made him a little bit bigger especially on read ring jobs using Hastings rings or Perfect Circle
Exactly right. Thanks for watching.
My guess is many burn oil because when installing the oil ring, many don't check to see if the expanding spacer between the two thin steel rails has not jumped from being butted up against each end of it. You just look at them and they slip past each other. I ordered eight pistons and the rings were already installed, and in all eight the spacer was not in correctly. The spacer is what exerts pressure on the rails to push against the cylinder wall.
Correct, that's why they're called the expander ring. However, we're talking about an issue that was done at the factory. I have a hard time believing that all of the factory expander rings were installed wrong. Thanks for watching.
What makes you think those tiny holes wont plug up like the other drain back holes.Matter of time dont you think.. Nice video on explaining ..Thanks
If you're doing a lot of these I would suggest a jig out of angle iron with adjustable stops
My grandad and uncles were doing this with a hand crank drill on B model Fords in the forties. Nothing new about this. Proper oil and change intervals are a better idea, however. Retired piston guy.
Interesting find, and fix. It wouldn't surprise me if the piston with "a couple of hundred thousand miles on it" had the oil changed with conventional only, and probably did 5-10K mile intervals.
You're probably correct on the oil changes, but it's still a flaw in engineering on these new pistons. Thanks for watching.
@@Shoptoolreviews certainly an interesting and seemingly easy enough solution. Thanks for putting the video together.
This is the same production problem that was in Saturns 1.9L engines, the only remedy was to drill holes in the oil groove. You’d think that manufacturers would learn lessons about not skipping this step.
I've got 423 head stock 5.3. I use catch cans on both ends. They work well.
Yes, running a catch can/s really helps and ensuring that the valve cover baffle/pcv is clear and working properly. Thanks for watching.
Excellent and very useful info there man.
We appreciate that. Thanks for watching.
So, to understand, would it be to make oil flow more freely that way oil don't burn up and get consumed? On top of all this i would of done 2 snall slots one on each side were the skirt touches the wall.
So, is this THE cure, no but it is an easy thing to do that can only help. If it does nothing more than keep the rings free it's a great idea. An oil catch can in the PCV tube is also a great addition. I would also like to add that almost NOBODY changes pistons on an LS. I have NEVER seen one with a ridge at the top, or pistons that were worn out of specs, why spend at least $300 for pistons unless you really hate that piston slap. My buddies truck was down 80 hp at 275k, new rings and a bigger (stage2)cam, boom 180 hp gain. These blocks, hypereutectic (hard surface) pistons, and better oil keep these from wearing like any old engine from the 50-60"s As a GM World Class tech and slobbering car nut, I have pulled lots of these apart. Most all of them have stuck rings. I have also seen it on many other engines, besides GM (for all you haters). Seems like every manufacturer has oil consumption problems: 4 cylinder Ecotec Mini Cooper, 4 cylinder Chrysler, Nissan, etc. Later model LT engine have holes behind the oil rings, and a different PCV system, very few oil consumption problems. Now in my experience with these engines it is rarely just one thing that causes this problem. Cheap oil (Dexos is great, cleans out sludge and is available at Wal-Mart cheap), extended oil changes, and to me the biggest problem, putting around like a 90 year old and the engine never sees 3,000 rpm. Worst ones I have seen is the 6.0L, I had to do lifters on two in a row. One had so much carbon build up it filled the quench area and you could tell where the combustion chamber started. The next one was clean as a could be, very little build anywhere. I made an effort to talk to the customers and the first one used oil and they said they drive pretty slow. The second customer said they drive like their hair is on fire. The MPG showed it too.
Wow 😮this is cool, I have a question I have a 2017 Kia soul and is starting to burn oil almost a 1quart every 2000 miles Can this be done in the pistons on that engine if I rebuild it, the car is awesome and it has good mpg everyone your comments will be appreciated.
And it's a way, if I'm remembering, since the addition of the windage tray,it helps lub the wrist pin. But forces oil down.
Good information sir but you know what I have an 02 6.0 Silverado with 157k miles and it does not burn oil but I have been using synthetic oil since new now I don't know if synthetic oil has anything to with it or my truck may have been built on a Wednesday...lol but the engine doesn't burn oil or leak oil at all or just maybe those year of engines where built better
It probably doesn't have anything to do with build quality and more to do with your maintenance schedule. Thanks for watching and commenting.
@@Shoptoolreviews 130K on my 06 Yukon with the 5.3 on dyno oil and it does not burn but 1/2 quart every 4-5K miles. I change my oil every 6 months or 6K miles.
After drilling those two holes can I put one in the middle
When doing this mod will it weaken the piston in a boosted application
Does that not require the crankshaft to be re-balanced?
Do you have picure of piston LE9 with new hole? I tried to add new hole but failed.
Thank you for your knowledge and video's USA 🇺🇸
If I have the pistons out odds are I’m not going to reuse them. Aftermarket.
You can buy aftermarket, but most of these LS pistons are perfectly fine for reusing. They're also very safe to build 600+ horsepower. That's pretty cheap performance. Thanks for watching.
This is why it is important to use full synthetic oil on L S engines. But we live in America were most folks just run their stuff into the ground buy the cheap oil and trade it in for a new one.
just restored an ls4 gxp been driving daily in Ontario. As I was doing mini restoration and paint touch up and paint correction I soaked all the combustion chambers in. Kleens combustion cleaner for a few days to clean ring lands and free rings as it was a stock motor with dod then changed the oil with 5-40 synthetic and hi quality filter the car has over 100000 miles and runs and sound like new the 5.3 uses no oil . Also for gm front wheel drive transmissions I used transmax synthetic and a biggest transmission oil cooler . Purchased the car cheap because it had a destroyed transmission. One I replaced it with a rebuild I checked the temp and on a 75f day it would spike to 218f way to hot and it actually started to darken the new Oem dex so I flushed it and added the rv cooler in series with the Oem rad cooler and added the trans max synthetic to replace the Oem fluid the car runs 175f after freeway 75 mph driving of 100 miles . So in my opinion the cooling and hi quality synthetic fluid will help keep the transmission alive with a yearly service of removing 7 quarts pumped out transmission dip stick tube
Hey does anyone know if the gen 6 454 bbc pistons are the same way ?
I have a 4.8 lr4 that I'm gonna be swapping into my 70 lemans. The original plan was to slap a btr stage 2 truck cam in it and go. But now that I've done a little bit of research on the oil cunsumption issues with these motors and how to fix the issues, it's has made me consider if I should at least take the pistons out replace the rings while I'm at it and fill those little holes that u were drilling in this video. I already have the motor down to a shortblock anyways and it wouldn't take very long to do, I'm just curious if it's worth it. The truck it came out of had 250k miles on it but the motor was super clean when u took it apart, no valve train issues, no leaking valves or seals, the pushrods were undamaged, but I think I'm gonna get new lifter while I'm at it since its apart anyways, and I was also curious on running a ls9 cam instead of the btr stage 2 v2 truck cam that I have for it. Just wanting anyone's thoughts and opinions on this.
Damn the was alot of words
Since you're so close and the expense is pretty low, I'd recommend to pull it apart, fix the pistons, run a dingleberry hone through the cylinders, and install some new rings. Also, gap the rings appropriately, especially if you're thinking of a turbo. Thanks for watching.
@seth nelson265, watch Richard Holdener videos on RUclips, he has done and dyno'd damn near every LS cam and combo you can think of !
If you change the cam, put in new lifters.
I put a stage 2 btr truck cam in my 01 silverado 5.3 sounds great I leave it running whenever I'm out running errands love that choppy lopey idle. Installed all new lifters, rockers and hardened pushrods. And sent the heads to machine shop for 5 angle valve job and p&p. Mfer rips
The reason why they did that design is to keep the oil on the skirt of a piston you can see the drain back holes where the pin is yes in the LS engine has a poor PVC valve system it's all about how much you change the oil and you should use a good durablend or all synthetic
You are correct, for the most part...or at least I agree with you for the most part. However, they still should have allowed for more drain back in the pistons. It's a very common issue, in both dirty and well-maintained engines. Thanks for watching.
Any idea if an LMF 5.3L also has these pistons that need additional drajn holes?
I'm pretty sure that the LMF iron blocks still had the same rotating assemblies. Thanks for watching.
Probably said on down, but screw a piece across the v joint and jut push the piston top against it to stop wobble.
Same thing on 6.2L pistons??
Looks like they were trying to force oil towards the wrist pin broach
I have a missfire in cyl 6 in my 99k 2011 4.3 silverado. Rough idle, not burning oil and no knock. Went through a plethora of tests and intake gone through. My question is, is the 4.3 truly an LS with 2 less cylinders? Im about to say f it and rebuild the damn thing.
Your positive that it can't hurt integrity or unbalance it a little. Just wondering, there known for chippy the top edge off the first ring already. There swallow pistons and a awesome idea
Weight will be negligible. I'm thinking the structural integrity would be weakened though..... I'm not going to try this on my turbo 5.3, and find out.
Performance pistons normally have drain holes and drain to the wrist pin
Under boost, they are known to pull the top off the piston and the first ring, but you're doing the drilling at the oil ring. You're not removing enough material for the pistons/rotating-assembly to be out of balance. If you're concerned then just weigh each piston/rod and match them before assembly. Thanks for watching.
Thank you for posting. Great info
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching.
Some say it was a valve cover and then the pcv.
Because it is . We Routinely Change them for oil consumption issues . Going From burning a quart a day to nothing after VC change sounds crazy but it is true .
@@nate5102 i know this was a year ago but I just got a Valvecover with the fix, about to do it.
I wonder if this issue is what has caused my 2001 4.8 to burn oil since new?
I would venture to say that the culprit is probably the valve covers and PCV system. You can find videos on fixing this issue in the valve covers. Thanks for watching.
These tiny holes are going to fix the problem for good?
Easy to fix, except for the fact that you have to completely tear down the entire engine to do this repair. Has GM fixed this on the newest gen 5.3 engines (2020 Silverado)?
That's a good question. I'm not sure if the LT engines have changed the piston design.
I mean if you have worked on one of these before and wanted to do it you could do it in a couple hours let's call it a weekend but lots of these motors have over 200k without touching it I mean I generally don't even buy them till they have over 200k
@@Shoptoolreviews one way you might be able to tell is for instance get a 2020 5.3 piston out of the box if someone has it in stock on the shelf at a local parts store which I doubt it just being a piston and look at it. I'm not sure but piston company technical department guys could probably tell you weather today engines had the drain or not. And maybe the aftermarket Pistons may have the drain in them somebody like JE, Keith Black, Manly and many more piston companies their technical department could tell you possibly, maybe not as much about the factory piston but definitely could tell you after market their piston and if it was done.
@@Shoptoolreviews I've always known the LS to be one of the best engines out there for longevity, durability and horsepower. But are you saying the LS engines some of them use oil over time? If so what year models and liter sizes? And if they're using oil over time are they fouling out the spark plug causeing them not to run? I know engines pretty well but I don't know the LS as good as I do the SBC or BBC. I'm perfectly fine with adding oil each time or every other time I add around a half a tank of fuel, check and add oil if needed. Idealey you don't want to add oil but I would much rather add oil and still get down the road then have to pull the motor and fix it from a rod knocking because of low oil or the motor is shot and locked up. I"ve added oil to most of my service vehicles over the years. And on my street and strip car I have a low oil pressure engine shutdown safety shut off switch. And also a high temperature water engine shut down switch that has saved my engine once before it got too hot.
Great work but if im opening it up im putting good stuff in it. I get it budgets are a thing but alot of work when just a bit more cash gets you going with benefits.
Geat tip! Quick heads-up: "indention" is not a word - it is a false word. The word you're looking for is "indentation." Same thing with the false word "conversate," I hear used regularly, when the word to use is "converse," from the word conversation.
I have 245k on my 04 2500 dosent burn at all.when I used to put slot of miles on it I would change oil first week of the month didn't car how many miles.never used synthetic.
How about 3 or 4 holes per side?
Sure, whatever you feel comfortable doing, but don't go too crazy. Thanks for watching.
Only thing needed to do after is weight each piston and match up with right rod and catch for balances
You can definitely do that if you're building a high-revving race block. Or, if you're running on the street, you didn't remove enough material to make much difference, so you throw it back in the block with fresh rings and a hone job, let'r rip. Thanks for watching.
Good tip.
Judging by the buildup on the piston the primary problem is either insufficient oil changes or the engine got hot.
Yes and No. Yes, this particular engine could have done better with oil changes, but that doesn't change the fact that LS pistons need larger scavenge ports. Thanks for watching.
@@Shoptoolreviews I just took apart an 86k mile gen 4 from a 2011 truck, seized oil rings here too
The last two engines I rebuilt have had this same issue, I will be doing this on the engine I'm building now
I don't see why the marking should be so precise, when the drilling is +/- free hand. Anyway, good to know
Could it be better probably but I mean lots of these motors have over 200k and more and people take them with that many miles and make 6,7,800 hp
That is correct. But, if you have one apart, spend the extra time to make the rings and pistons scavenge the oil better. Thanks for watching.
my LS 3 IN A 2006 MONTE CARLO WAS USING OIL & DEVELOPED A MISS - Upon some research i found this tp be a VERY common issue - i have forgotten which pistons are prone for the problem seems like ther were 3 of them - you can goggle for yourself - Anyhow - G.M. makes a chemical that is poured into the problem cylinders - let that stuf set for whatever time the instructions say , seems like approx 15 mins - chev sells this by the quart - your gonna hafe to check with the parts dept for the name ,sorry -- it has been 40000 miles since i did this treatment and several years so pleaze forgive me ---- HOWEVEER for approx $ 25.00 YOU can fix this issue - the back plugs were difficult but maybe u have tools that i dont have . u will need a small funnel & about a foot of hose to reach spark plug hole - plus sockets etc - remove problem plugs pour chem in -let set minutes - after setting remove coil wire -so it wont start ture it over to purge liqid - put a peice of cardboard over top of engine to keep the chem from geiiing on paint - hope this helps some one - i changed ALL plugs & wires while at it approx ,110 k on the car when done - now 150 k with more to come
OLÁ. Assisti seu vídeo e comento apenas o que vi. Nada sobre o que escutei pois adquiri dificuldades de audição ao longo dos anos. A princípio todos fomos vítimas de uma mudança no sistema de lubrificação em diversos motores.. Alguns fabricantes tentaram remediar o problema e criaram maiores dificuldades que as iniciais. Houve mudança na canalização do virabrequim, foram retiradas as bolsas de óleo das Bronzinas de biela e retiraram as chavetas das BB, eliminaram os furos de óleo nas canaletas dos anéis de óleo, fizeram injetores que de forma DEFICIENTE lubrificam cilindros, pistões e anéis. Forte queima de óleo se for adaptada a bronzina com bolsa (e chaveta) de óleo. A insuficiência de óleo ocorrerá se for montada a bronzina de sem chaveta e sem bolsa. O fabricante também esqueceu que o volumem de óleo faz parte do sistema de refrigeração do motor. ABRAÇOS... Roberto Udo Krapf
That's a lot of work. Just drill 2 holes on each side...by eye. Absolutely no issues. Ever. Never.
Perfect. You're right! If I were to make a video doing this, 75% of the viewers would tell me how that's not precise and everything will be out of balance, etc. Even though, I know it would be fine. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for your reply. 👍
They even make a 7.4L LS
Yes, they do. The LSX 454 is an LS build. Thanks for watching.
8.1
No need for tape. Eyeball it right or measure on piston.
True, but I do have a little OCD, so I need it to be a little precise.
LS's are cheap?? Where at, I'll take two!
Id think just 2 holes on the exhaust side would suffice but who knows
Maybe, but what's a couple more going to hurt?! lol. Thanks for watching.
Gooooooooooood idea 💡
No surprise GM would not have the piston drilled. PROFIT First.
GM is probably not looking beyond 100K miles, which these LS engines handle without issue.Thanks for watching.
Gets paid by the word. Jesus man. Get on with it
Isn't freedom awesome? You have the power of the mouse in your hand, but Thanks for watching.
@@Shoptoolreviews I've built couple hundred engines in my time. Zero chance I would have wasted my time in this. Just replace the pistons with something better.. If can't afford it then buy plenty of oil and keep it changed.
But this will corrupt crankcase oil pressure and vacuum.
So how many minutes to tear down the engine to do the fix? 😛
Mouse motor?
No. Mouse motor would be the old SBC (Small Block Chevy). LS/LT engines start a whole new line of engines. Thanks for watching.
The mouse is old school chevy small block. They came in many displacements from 262 ci to 400 cubic inch. They're the most popular engine ever built. Parts were readily available and inexpensive to build from mild to wild power levels.
Also mane a 8.1 L
8.1L is not an LS variant. The 8.1L is the L18 Vortec 8100, which is the last Big Block engine that Chevrolet made, ending production in 2009. There has never been a LS big block. Thanks for watching.
This is why I am happy electric cars are becoming more common. The internal combustion engine has been around for over a century. Billions of pistons have been made. The engineers are STILL screwing it up. If they haven't figured it out by now, they never will.
Because GM
Thanks for watching.
Nothing wrong with the factory pistons! Just change ye dam oil!!
Please don't take apart your engine just to compromise and unbalance your pistons.
By no means are we recommending to dismantle a running LS for this alone. It's meant to be done when you're rebuilding anyway. It makes a difference. Thanks for watching.
Please don't come to someone else's video and make remarks about things you don't know about. Literally not compromising the piston and remind me how much a couple of aluminum shavings weigh again.
You're clueless. 4 holes do nothing for weight and yes I owned a machine shop for 20 years.
@@RwP223 wrong. Absolutely wrong.
It's sad that Chevy overcharges it's customers and does this.
Not sure I can agree with that one. Chevy is still the biggest bang for your buck in the horsepower game. Thanks for watching.
@@Shoptoolreviews I used to sell Chevy's at a dealership. Only lasted for 3 months. They overcharge for everything. 50k for a sedan whereas a new Volkswagen Sedan is only 20k with all of the features. I mean sure, powerwise it's good but one can not deny that they've lost their touch and are cutting too many corners. Tarnishing the brand. Chevy used to be #1 in my books.
Just drill the mfs!! Its just a junk ls. Lol nice video.
The LS isn't perfect as many want us to believe after all
What, no laser beam? Just kidding...
But... Now you must rebalance the piston if you are running high rpm's
4 small holes like this in aluminium doesn t have weight difference to need rebalancing the rotating
I agree GIF it's under a half a gram in weight it shouldn"t make a difference. But if you're going to balance it do it after all the work is done then balance.
You definitely over complicated a simple matter
Wait a Minute . I think you’re doing more damage . The ring is actually called an “oil control ring “ . It also supplies oil to the cylinder walls and aids in lubricating the skirt . It’s. Not supposed to drain all of it . Engineers designed it without holes for a reason . Just a. Heads up . It’s not scavenging oil to take back to the pan , it’s scavenging to later be deposited back on to the cylinder wall . You don’t want to get rid of it .
oh ya!....theres not an easy way to fix this....lol
Because its GM and all they know is stupid junk
I don't think that's exactly true. The LS is still the go-to platform for building cheap power. What other motor can you buy for $400 (used) and the stock rotating assembly hold together for 700hp+? It's a well-proven platform, but not without a few cautions. Thanks for watching.
@@Shoptoolreviews very true , over here in AUS plenty of stock bottom end turbo combos making genuine AUS dyno recorded power levels over over 800rwhp+ on stock bottom ends running easy 8sec quarters great video boys
@@Shoptoolreviews and some have gone even quicker , great base the LS 💪👍
Ls junk
Don’t hate on the cheapest horsepower you can buy, and the most successful powerplant. Thanks for watching.
Not reliable
@@ricktotz4078 yeah there's sooo many of them blown up all over the place no one wants to buy one
I wish I could put a laugh react on this lol
Yea Ls stands for Last of the Seconds. . Cheap horsepower 460 with a 6-70 even the new godzilla motor can't touch it. For a good point A to B performance motors just run the old 350 or Ford 302 why complicate things. .
Paying 80K for a truck, but immediately have to make customizations so the engine doesn't blow up? What am I missing? I just has a 6.2L blow up on me. Upon research, i am seeing that GM engines have a lot of issues. I am beyond disappointed. I suppose GM wont admit nor fix, as that will admit fault. Good to know. My business will never be with GM again.
I'm sure a lot of people appreciate your videos but they're just too long and drawn-out get to the point and move on
ADHD lmfao
Change the playback speed to 1.5x or 2x. That may help. Thanks for watching.