I am the son of an old school mechanic. My dad always told me to run my finger around the inside of the oil filter threads before installing to make sure there are no metal "burrs" from the manufacturing process. Don't want those things in your oil. Godspeed dad.

No time or money for oil changes , but hey , look at those cool wheels

It amazes me how many people don’t check their oil level regularly. I check mine monthly. Oil is cheap,engines aren’t.

Lost oil pressure in my 04 silverado 5.3. I was next door to an auto shop. They quoted 6000 for a new engine. Said it spun a bearing. Even sent me a video of the vehicle running with no oil pressure to show off the noise. I replaced oil pump, timing chain, and pickup tube oring for about $500. I've put at least another 20,000 miles on it

This is testimony to the fact that LS motors are bulletproof. I’ve been a mechanic for 45 years, and I’ve come across some pretty bad oil this rates rates up there with the worst, reminds me of that old Fram commercial , “ PAY ME NOW, OR PAY ME LATER” In this case, I believe that the old LS here, defied all the old rules, of FREE WEAR AND TEAR.

Needs to do another oil change before long!

I vote that we make the socket included bolt a thing!

I did the oils change game for five years, the amount of people that brought in junk vehicles with motors that used oil was almost funny. What was the common thing was when I would inform them that the vehicle was low or had no oil on the dipstick at preservice, how they would get mad at me like I drove their vehicles for several thousands of miles between services and ran em out or low was hilarious

The 5.3 is a great engine. I have a 2004 Silverado with 125,000 miles on it. I take very good care of it because I can't afford a new truck.

old school trick, before you change the oil, put a quart of kero in the crankcase to break up the sludge and then change oil

Kenny taught me how to rebuild a transfer case in a 2003 Chevrolet 2500HD 6.0L pickup. $500 in parts and it works great. Thank you Kenny!

I sold my 2004 Silverado step side last year. It had a 5.3v8 and 268,000 miles. It never used any oil. Was always on full mark at 5K miles and could still see through it. The kid that bought it drives it every day!

That's insane how badly that motor was neglected 😞 I own a 2001 GMC Yukon that has over 300k on it. It looks nothing like that motor it still runs like new and would drive it cross country without fear. Those motors are bulletproof. But you still need to take care of it.

I'm 73 years old and been driving since I was 16. Since then I chedk everything under the hood once a week. Even though I don't drive much now I still do this,especially checking oil level and engine coolant level.

Glad to see someone else priming the filter. I do this every oil change on my 5.3. I hear people actually arguing against this. I have heard them say this will somehow HARM the engine. I really do not see how when this filter is full every other time you crank the engine. I will give you that it probably wont hurt the engine to run 5 seconds while it fills the filter, but if you can avoid that by spending an extra 2 minutes on an oil change, why not?

A friend of mine owned a repair shop and had a customer that had more money than he knew what to do with. I bought a brand new Datsun 280Z (that should tell you how long ago it was) and NEVER changed the oil or filter. He added oil when it was low but it was never changed. My buddy told me that when the engine finally blew at around 80,000 miles the filter weighed 40 lbs., pretty much a solid block of steel. Your comment on the weight of the filter reminded me of that. Keep the good stuff coming buddy.

Main reason to oil the gasket is to let the seal slide as it gets tightened. This is supposed to prevent it from bunching up (good visual, look at slow mo of drive wheels on top fuel dragsters). With modern elastomers, it's probably less of a problem. I wouldn't be surprised if they have copolymers and fillers in the rubber to help prevent binding, and residual mold release from manufacturing that help, and the machined mating surface is probably smoother and flatter than it would have been when the conventional wisdom became conventional... That probably all helps too. Still, for the amount of time it takes and the lack of any downside I can see, I go ahead and oil it anyway. In my experience, cleaning the mating surface and adequately tightening are much larger impacts on oil filter leaks.

40 years ago, on a construction site, i ran a drum type wacker diesel machine out of oil, and it stopped as it was clanking. We toped it off, and it ran fine afterward. It was one of my first jobs.

I guarantee your care and consideration for this customers vehicle is 100% unappreciated

That’s why I change my own oil

Can’t deny that the 5.3 is a good engine

When I come across a engine like this, I pour a quart of the thinnest, cheapest oil I have on hand in the engine with the drain plug out. Helps flush crap out.

Been changing oil in vehicles for 45 years, have never pre-filled my oil filters. Have never had any engine failures, either.

When I had a Chevy S10 2WD with a 4.3L. the factory filter was a PF47. I used a PF 52 which I primed with Marvel Mystery oil. Then add 4 QTS of Mobil1 5W30. Perfect fill. That engine stayed clean and quite.

Also, you lube the gasket to keep it from rolling up or wrinkling when it contacts the sealing surface, one of the more reasonable reasons I've heard from old mechanics.

You can prime a filter that's installed horizontally or upside down. Fill it up like you did with this one and then turn it upside down over the oil bottle and only the oil in the center tube of the filter will drain out. A check.valve holds the rest of it in. I have a '93 Corvette with the oil filter mounted upside down on top of the engine and that's how I prime the filter every time!

I have always used Fram filters in every vehicle that I have owned over the past 35 years, changing oil and filter myself every 4 months regardless, and never experienced a problem with Fram.

I remember back in the day I just began using use Quaker State oil in an old Chevy 1 ton van because it was cheaper..Every 3 thousand got changed. A problem appeared with a tapping noise in the engine. Couldn't track the noise down. I was baffled. So I ended up attempting to change the oil. While doing this when I removed the filter it was totally clogged and weighed a ton. I ended up using transmission fluid to help flush the system and did another oil change. To make a long story short I ended up using a different brand of oil, Pennzoil and never had an issue since. I read that Quaker State oil had been nicknamed Quaker sludge and now I believe this.

Kenny, I like your laid back approach to vehicle repairs. I have a 2004 1500 with the 5.3L with 307,000 miles and original transmission. I know it’s getting tired but it still keeps going. The main thing is I keep up with regular maintenance (oil, filters, trans fluid filters and fill) to keep it going. Had to replace the transfer case with another used one due to case wear causing fluid to leak out. All good and ready to work again. The LS is a solid motor.

I'm 80 years old and I've been driving since I was 14. I've had several transmission failures and all were made by Chevrolet. However, you have to give Chevy credit for knowing how to build a V-8, both the Old School versions and the LS series. I've owned quite a few and they're bulletproof. This video is more proof of that.

Kenny, that Napa 1042/WIX 51042 is the OE size for 03 - 06. Try using the 1522/51522 fits 2002 and older. But it's longer and easier to use on all 1st gen LS trucks.

Couple things on the 5.3 burning oil. On a relative's 2010 gmc, gm came up with 1- a revised PCV valve cover to stop allowing oil to squirt directly into the intake port, 2- a deflector that blocked oil squirting into the bottom of the cylinder wall from oil pressure relief above the filter (inside the pan) Engine did not smoke or leak oil. On oil pressure, the pick up tube to pump O-ring gets hard and loses seal.

Can't believe 1 quart of oil came out. But you can only do so much for someone's vehicle.

Maybe change the oil and filter again after 500 miles or so, get more / most of the sludge out.

Any working car is a blessing no matter how ugly it is. A simple 3k oil change will keep you away from engine repair and public transportation.

The whole idea of oiling the filter gasket is to keep it from hanging up as it contacts the seat as you thread it on. Also- I have ALWAYS tightened my filters by hand the recommended 3/4 turn after the gasket seats and then another bit with a wrench. It has to seal against the amount of oil pressure the engine produces, and I have seen too many NOT tightened enough leak. Mind you- your not reefing on them, just be sure they are tight!

Amazing. This engine takes the abuse and keeps on ticking. It sounded pretty darn good to me. I'd run it about 50 miles to clean up the mess inside, change oil again to the syn oil, flush cooling system, put new battery in it, and drive it. Check oil once a week.

There is simply NO excuse - NONE, for not checking the oil AND changing it on a regular basis. Especially on a vehicle with that type mileage. Come on!...

Great video Kenny, to the point, no dragging it out with nonsense, very informative. Thankyou..

Would it be beneficial to change the oil again after the drive?

Thats a Chevy LS engine for ya. My guess would be from the looks of the drain oil, the pick up screen is probably sludged up. I would recommend to the owner to drive it for a couple hundred miles, then change the oil again. Then maybe change it again in a 1,000 miles. If you have a good parts man, he can do some cross referencing and find a longer filter that has a little more filtering capacity.

Crappy oil and filter BUT it's WAY better than what was in it for sure!

It's amazing how quiet even a damaged engine can be with good oil and the right filter just replaced. I've had cars that had noise but had just been serviced. Servicing again seems like a waste. Till the vehicle gets the right part number filters and the manufacturers recommended oil . Then the mechanic looks like a magician. This can be true also with the correct air filter. My 302 CFI sounded like a jet plane was trying to land on you while driving. The motorcraft air filter tried instead took that noise away.

Shows that these Chevys are well engineered to be able to "cope" with this kind of abuse, and neglect

The oil pump bypass is the reason for most LS oil pressure issues on high mileage engines. I understand that this engine has some real exceptions. Gunk collects in the bypass piston and spring keeping it from closing to regulate oil pressure creating a low oil pressure condition. I have found that on my 4.8L LS at 241,000 miles that if you add some engine cleaner before the oil change and let it run for 5 to 10 minutes, then cycle the engine off and on with a few minutes in between starts frees up the bypass piston and spring in the oil pump. Just keep the engine below operating temp like 150 or less. Hope this helps someone.

many years ago i pulled the plug on a 351 ford and literally got nothing, not a drop. put on new filter, filled the oil and started, no problem. that ford never missed a beat and never had a problem afterwards.

Like your channel, greetings from Belgium, Europe

As a quick lube tec. I have seen many cars trucks even diesel trucks with absolutely no oil and I mean bone dry doing 80 to 100 vehicles a day I’ve seen so so much great video very informative thanks

if I didn’t intervene this is what my wifes car would be like, seriously

Liked the sensible comments and addressing priming and oiling the gasket.

2001 5.3 Yukon. Changed oil every 5,000 miles. I'm at 360K on same engine and tranny. It's nearing the end for me, and I won't take it deep into the desert any more to stress it. But next to my house, best thing I've ever bought.

I GUARANTEE that pre-lubing the filter gasket allows you to tighten the filter a little tighter when hand tightening (as I prefer to do)...

There's a oring on the oil pump that goes bad and leaks causes it to lose oil pressure I've done many of them

Ken The oil pressure wasn’t too bad at 2000 rpm it was reading a little over 40psl for oil. Time will tell. There wasn’t much oil in the truck. Nice video

I have a 2006 Mercury Grand Marquis with 387,000 miles on it. I have changed the oil and filter every 3000 miles. I use 10w30, not 5w30. I will soon be changing to 10w40 to compensate for engine wear and increased clearances. The oil still looks almost new when I drain it out. Oil and filters are a LOT cheaper than engines. I do have a spare engine for it though, for when the original engine finally does wear out. I do put oil on the filter seal. It helps to avoid tearing the seal. You can also turn it just a little bit more. I always snug up filters with a wrench. I use spray brake cleaner to clean the drain plug, the area around the drain plug, and the flange where the filter goes. What oil treatments (like Lucas and STP) do is increase the viscosity of the oil to compensate for loose clearances in a worn engine, and they definitely do help. I had a '64 Fairlane with the 200ci straight six in it that was burning a lot of oil. I put 40w oil in it, and about a quart of STP, and that reduced the oil burning by 2/3, and I continued to drive it another 5 years or so like that. I would have used much thicker oil in that engine. It won't fix the damage, but it will compensate for it to some degree, the engine will run better and last longer.

I have found that under high rpm conditions, my 04 LS based 5.3 can consume oil through the valve seals due to the fact that the oil returns in the heads cannot handle the volume of oil at high engine speeds. Yes, I change my oil when the oil life displays less than 25%, therefore there is has never been any sludge in my drained oil.Matter of fact the oil looks only a little darker than when it went in.At 325k miles, the oil pressure is 38-45 psi at idle depending on the temp of the engine.I bought my 04 Z71 new with 11 miles on it. I have had VERY good service from it apart from a rear crank seal at 256k miles. My drug of choice has always been Chevy.

That engine will go another 100,000 as long as he takes care of it

Those old ls motors are tough as nails. That's unbelievable

Oh, grief. The state of that oil. And the paltry volume. I, too, grew up with a Boomer Dad. Always tinkering on the car, even bled brakes more than once. Loved to help out with the occasional top-end rebuild. In the process his involved processes became mine. Check before you start, check thru the procedure, check once more before closing up. And always preview and clean new components before install. Helped more than I knew in Mech Training in the Air Force, that's for sure. Bring back Car Shop in school. Service shops wouldn't see half of these issues if people knew more. Love your work, Kenny. Keep wrenching!

My ol lady had a 2007 trailblazer with the 5.3. She ran that thing out of oil more times than I can count. For the last 40,000 miles we had that thing, you had to add a quart of oil every 100 miles, it burned and leaked it out so fast. Between front end parts, steering parts, and that horrible engine with its dod garbage, it did make it to 260,000 miles before we sold it to a scrapper. It still ran and drove, the ac and heat still worked, all the power options, including the seat. We were just spending too much on oil each week.

On these GM trucks and SUVs, it's easier to use the longer "truck" filter due to the difficulty in reaching around the filter. I agree, it is in an awkward position. So instead of the PF46 you can use the PF61. Or if it takes the PF48 you can run the PF63. Both these filters are longer and fit just as well. But they are easier to grab in that narrow hole.

In my younger days when we had a .otor with damage like this,I would drop a new filter in about 500 to 750 miles .then resume regular changes.sometimes it helped sometimes too much damage for was done,but it did take some contaminants out and you crossed your fingers and held your breath.

I bought a used 1986 Jaguar XJ6. I found a mechanic that was very familiar with the car. I had him do an oil change before I went on a trip to Vermont. Very hilly Vermont. As I was climbing a very steep road, I was losing power. At the bottom of the other side of the hill, I checked the oil and found none on the stick, so I added a quart and continued home with no issues. The next day I checked the oil again and found none on the stick. It took three more quarts until I finally saw oil on the stick. The mechanic had a container that held 5 quarts that he would put in and he would put the last two quarts in individually. He forgot to put those 5 quarts in the engine. I had half that trip on two quarts of oil and three quarts for the trip back! I later found that he was a drunk. Luckily the car never smoked or gave me any problems after that. 9:00 As I'm sure you know, those oil pressure sensors fail, and sometimes you get correct readings, max pressure readings or it drops down to zero.

Had a 2008 gmc sierra with the 4.8 liter engine...177,000 miles when i traded it...never a problem...i changed the oil regularly...great engine.

When I was in High school I raced a Cuda with a brand new built engine with automatic. I was in my 69 rt charger manual 4 speed. Well when I was just about to hit 4th gear I heard a huge bang. My windshield was coveted in oil so I shut down. Turns out the other car blew the oil ring gasket because they didn't lube it. That's all I know. So I choose to always lu e them just in case.

The filter is 1qt and what drained is another . 3 qts low . Run some kerosene through it for about a 5 minute idol . Drain 3 days later and all those oil passages will be clear again . New filter and oil run it for 1000 and add a qt of kerosene run it for 50 miles and drain . That’s as clean as it will ever get .

These old 5.3 trucks (99-06) are just tanks. The motors can take a ton of abuse and just keep on ticking (pun intended) You keep up on maintenance with these and you’ll easily see over 400k on a motor. The 4l60 transmissions go PNNNN sometimes, but these trucks tend to be abused by their owners so it’s not surprising that the transmissions grenade as they try to do burnouts. I am glad to see that this truck in the video seemed to bounce back a little with a little work. Good video. Keep it up! 👍

My son inlaw has 1 cup of oil in his 4 cylinder GMC. Wondered why it was shaking. I added 4 quarts. Stopped shaking. He blew up his last motor. Not checking oil level. Real genius.

Whoa … That’s one tough motor… I can’t believe it even started

Hey I wonder what a compression test would show.

I purchased a Chevrolet truck in 1995. I change the oil every 3000 miles. I still own that truck. Still has the factory 4.3liter motor. My truck doesn't burn oil. It's like I tell my grandchildren, if you take care of your equipment. Your equipment will take care of you.

Amazing results!

Like a rock

I regularly prime oil filters when i do oil changes- you can prime the horizontal ones- you just have to be quick about putting it on. As soon as the threads start, no more oil should leak out because the anti-drainback valve is holding it back, then if you spin it on fast, the centrifugal force will further keep the oil in the filter. You might loose a few drops, but it wont just pour out like you would suspect ;) In my experience, the gen 3 5.3 should have a cold oil pressure of around 60 cold 40 hot- the 40 cold 25 hot tells of the damage to the bearings. I just replaced an LQ4 because someone ran it out of oil- I tell people to check your oil when you put gas in the car- start the pump and instead of standing around, pop the hood and check the oil...

One of the tricks that I use is get a large soda cup that will go over the filter after you get it lose but before it starts pouring oil out, slide over the filter and turn it off the oil won’t spash all over. Obviously you can do this with the filter that comes out straight up. Just makes a little cleaner job. Great video!

I bought a 64 Chevy Impala 283cu with 40k on it. Dropped the canister type filter and it was bone dry and packed with red dog (coal mine byproduct used on dirt roads) zero oil! Flushed the motor with 2 gallons of kerosene. Got another 70k out of it.

Lube the rubber seal so the gasket doesn’t stick to the motor and get a double gasket, then leak.

If I were the owner, I would be back at your shop to get another oil change and filter in 1,000 miles. The insolubles and carbon buildup in that engine are going to use up the detergent component from the additive package in no time. The next change will also flush out some of the metal as it is loosened from laminar surfaces. He might get a few extra thousand miles out of the engine AND the next oil filter should only weigh 3lbs when removed LOL! Unbelievable how some people spin the wheel! I would LOVE to see the spectro lube oil analysis from that sample you drained! OMG! When did GM start using a 3/8" drive drain plug?

Maybe it's just because of how my grandpa taught me and drilled it into my head, but it always amazes me how your vehicle is one of the most important parts/purchases of your life, yet how little people care to respect and maintain them.

I'm a GM fan so I have hi hopes she'll run a while longer anyway.

I'm not sure which motor it is, but in Toronto Canada, the Fire Dep't and Ambulance Service are both having huge oil consumption issues on new Tahoes. And I mean brand new vehicles. My wife's 2022 Tahoe needs oil every 2nd day. She is the only person who checks it. She's 5 foot tall and needs a stool. There's no excuse for the other Members not checking it. Sheer laziness IMHO.

Good video, I learned a few things.

This reminds me of a Uniparts filter I installed during an engine rebuild on a UK Triumph 1300 car a lifetime ago. I tapped the filter before installation on a flat surface (for some reason) and was amazed and appalled at the amount of swarf that fell out of it.

Seen many Ls the pickup tube 0 ring is done. Reported oil pressure fluctuations. If you are lucky you catch it in time. Always fill the filters as much as possible when changing oil. Never hurts to put a 1/4 a quart in the engine after draining the oil. Help push any debri out. When you see clean oil finally dripping.

Personally, I ONLY use Wix filters, oil is checked weekly. Once it starts to get dark, it's gone. This is how my 96 Blazer has 220,700 miles and still runs great. Last change I cut the filter open just for shits and giggles, no metal in it. Keep on wrenching.

Wow, those are some good tires.

Our 2001 Silverado with the 5.3L had 200k on it and the engine was still strong. The body however was rusting away after 13 years, so we bought a new one.

Your comments on tightening filters and plugs should also apply to wheels. Some time ago I had a small argument with a mechanic about tightening wheel nuts. He firmly believes in impacting them on until his compressor explodes and I will use the impact to run them on and then tighten them by hand with a swing bar, pulling upward. I told him I want to be able to get them off if I have a flat out in the boondocks ,and I can easily put more than 100 ft.-lbs on them like that. He seemed incredulous that I had never had one come loose. I later removed a wheel he had put on and had to break one of the nuts.

If the filter is vertical I always fill it at least half to three quarters full of oil prior to reassembly. Most wear on an engine is at start up, so why would you not? Maybe would not care if it is not your vehicle, but on my own I will always keep doing it that way.

I had a 1999 GMC Suburban, sold it with 265k, didn't burn a drop, didn't leak a drop. Recently bought a 2004 Chevy Suburban with 155k. Both have 5.3's. Hoping my new one serves me as well as my first one.

I’m oiling the gasket! If you find the filter gasket stuck to the drain that is usually why is they didn’t oil the gasket.

I’m having trouble with the fact this customer didn’t pull the dip stick to see if it was at least low and then drive it like that is troubling

Yeah, I don't think the customer ever changed his oil

Ah, my favorite Service 4WD message. In my case it was a bad TCCM, but there are so many other options that GM was kind enough to include.

I bought a 2003 Ford Explorer Sport (2-door) to replace my 1999 Ford Explorer Sport. It suited my height and the job that I did. With low mileage, I thought I was getting a decent deal, but a year later, the Mechanic said it wasn't worth the time to replace the leaking valve cover gaskets because the engine was all gunked up from neglecting oil changes. Five years later, my gaskets are still leaking onto my exhaust and the car is still running.

That’s wild I’m having the exact same issues with my 2000 Tahoe mines holding 10psi though. And I need to do intake manifold gasket’s since it’s idling way too rough

it's hard to kill an LS

I always prime my oil filters. And change the filter halfway through the 6000 mile interval. I buy a dozen Wix filters when they are on sale, it's cheap insurance. My neighbor has over 350,000 miles on his 5.3. Never had a repair that was major, and it doesnt even burn oil. When cared for and not beat on, the 5.3 is a very decent engine.

Thank you for your videos

I wonder how long this engine lasted?! Any follow up?