Help understanding oil analysis. 2009 Avalanche

[Nacademus]

Hello everyone,

I just wanted to start off by saying that I absolutely love this forum and appreciate the kind of resource it is for people like me. I have been a long-time lurker and finally created an account to ask some questions.

I recently bought a used 2009 Avalanche LTZ with the Flex Fuel 5.3L V8. It had 108,000 miles on it when I bought it so I've been doing systematic maintenance on it to assure that I can get another 100,000 or more out of it. The mileage seems high, I know, but it appears to be very clean and well taken care of considering the age and mileage. It was a one-owner vehicle. I really like the truck-liked them since they were new, but couldn't afford to be the first owner of one. Now that they don't make them anymore, I figured now would be as good a time as any to finally scratch that itch I've had for them.

I have begun keeping a detailed log of everything I do to it as far as maintenance goes.

Here is what it looks like now:

I recently had an Oil Analysis done on it. I was wondering if I could get a little more insight into whether or not this is really good, just OK, average, or what other opinions there could be about it. I was hoping to compare it to similar 5.3L of the same mileage but cannot find a database on the matter.

I am a very data oriented person and not having a pool of other information kills me a little. I know it says "Universal Averages" at the right, but that means nothing to me. Averaged among other 5.3L? Other iron block V8s? Other Chevrolets? Trucks? Cars this age and mileage?? I just don't know.

What looks good? What could be better? What is a common issue I should be worried about? I am looking into a lifter tick noise and was wondering if this OA would indicate any cam wear or the like but it says that is probably not the case. Is there an OA on another 5.3L that DID have the faulty lifter setup and are their numbers different?

I plan to do the analysis with every new oil change but this being my baseline certainly doesn't leave me with much to go on-so I look to OTHER examples of the same engine setup for that. Which... I can't find much of.

I appreciate any insight you could offer. I really want to make this truck last. I like it a lot and coming from a 5 speed HHR, it certainly gives me a little more utility.

Thanks so much!!

 

[Joel_MD]

The numbers on your UOA look fine. You could probably go 10k miles between changes with no problems. Good Luck!

 

[lubricatosaurus]

Universal averages are for that specific engine, of which Blackstone has plenty of examples in their database. All engines are different on how much Fe and other load-bearing metal wear occurs. Yours isn't that much worse than average here.

With that many miles, could be just a little sludge or varnish inside those lifters causing the tick. Try Rislone for 3,000 miles, and then an engine flush (idling for 5 minutes at oil change time) and hope that does it.

Insolubles of 0.3 should be 0.1, try a Fram Ultra oil filter to get out more and smaller junk. Any full synthetic oil, though if it was me I'd try the higher-HTHS M1 5w-30 HighMileage oil in that 7-year old.

 

[Nacademus]

I believe I put the Extended Performance in it this past change-not sure if that's HTHS, I'll have to take a look.

I've never heard of Rislone-I'll definitely research it so long as it won't cause any ill effects.

A family member was trying to get me to put ZMax in my truck but I'm always leery of additives. He swears it improved performance and quieted down his 5.4 Triton-which it may have, but I'm still apprehensive.

My block is iron with Al heads. MANY or all of the new 5.3L went to aluminum block and heads. I was wondering if that could be why my iron would be where it is.


I heard bad things about Fram-used to use them always when growing up, though. Are they better than the AC Delco I put in? I think the Bosch was more restrictive and could have been helping cause tick. I swapped it after about a hundred miles due to paranoia.

 

[lubricatosaurus]

Originally Posted By: Nacademus
I believe I put the Extended Performance in it this past change-not sure if that's HTHS, I'll have to take a look.
The M1 high mileage synthetic has an HTHS=3.3, and the EP version has HTHS=3.0, which means you get a thicker oil film during hydrodynamic conditions overall using the High Mileage oil. (HTHS is a viscosity physical property of the oil under high speed, hot conditions, most useful to indicate oil film thickness behavior.)

Originally Posted By: Nacademus
I've never heard of Rislone-I'll definitely research it so long as it won't cause any ill effects.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Rislone-Engine-Treatment/23598497 and I've heard its a genuine cleaner, maybe helpful for gummed up lifters. The engine flush I mentioned could help too, commonly used in a 5-minute idle just prior to an oil dump at normal oil change time. http://www.walmart.com/ip/CRC-5336-Petro...-1-qt./43228490 or any, I think Gunk is another.

Originally Posted By: Nacademus
A family member was trying to get me to put ZMax in my truck but I'm always leery of additives. He swears it improved performance and quieted down his 5.4 Triton-which it may have, but I'm still apprehensive.
I'm not sure if ZMax will be a great cleaner, needed here. Rislone has a good reputation for cleaning.

Originally Posted By: Nacademus
My block is iron with Al heads. MANY or all of the new 5.3L went to aluminum block and heads. I was wondering if that could be why my iron would be where it is.
I'd say only if you're taking short trips, with attendant acid formation, where a small amount of chemical etching occurs and very slight rust from water that didn't boil off inside.


Originally Posted By: Nacademus
I heard bad things about Fram-used to use them always when growing up, though. Are they better than the AC Delco I put in? I think the Bosch was more restrictive and could have been helping cause tick. I swapped it after about a hundred miles due to paranoia.
Fram Ultra is an all-synthetic filtering media, with silicone ADBV, and very fine filtering capability, so its better than any other paper-media filter like ACDelco. I'd only use full-synthetic oil filters, Fram Ultra favorite, then maybe the Royal Purple oil filters and Purolator Boss full-synthetic oil filters, since they tend to be tougher and filter better, all qualities we want for only a few $$ more. I doubt if the Bosch was too restrictive since the filter engineers look at that carefully when designing them to avoid it.

 

[bigt61]

UOA is fine, insolubles are low - you don't need any engine cleaning or aftermarket additives - the M1 will do fine on it's own - and as mentioned above, you can extend your OCI out to wherever you are comfortable. Your cold lifter tick may just be the exhaust manifold - possible gasket crack or a bolt popped. If it goes away when warm I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

 

[Nacademus]

Ah! I just looked it up and found the FRAM XG10060 Ultra Synthetic Oil Filter for my truck. Maybe I'll swap out the AC Delco PF48e spin one on filter this weekend for the peace of mind. I will say, though, that the ticking was there prior to and wasn't there AFTER removing the Bosch Distance Plus 3334. Even a few miles later, its noticeable quieter.

https://www.boschautoparts.com/en/auto/filters/distanceplus-oil-filters?partId=D3334

 

[Nacademus]

Thank you!


The tick is there when warm. I noticed it most after driving it a while warm. I'm trying to stalk other trucks with the 5.3 to hear if theirs sounds similar. I read that these can be rather noisy engines. When the weather is above...say, 40 degrees F, I hear almost nothing.

Seems weather dependent.

 

[CT8]

Originally Posted By: Nacademus
Ah! I just looked it up and found the FRAM XG10060 Ultra Synthetic Oil Filter for my truck. Maybe I'll swap out the AC Delco PF48e spin one on filter this weekend for the peace of mind. I will say, though, that the ticking was there prior to and wasn't there AFTER removing the Bosch Distance Plus 3334. Even a few miles later, its noticeable quieter.

https://www.boschautoparts.com/en/auto/filters/distanceplus-oil-filters?partId=D3334

No need the change out the filter.

 

[lubricatosaurus]

Originally Posted By: bigt61
UOA is fine, insolubles are low - you don't need any engine cleaning or aftermarket additives -
Originally Posted By: CT8
No need the change out the filter.


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