GM LS engine 3rd revision valve cover install

[wirelessF]

This is GM's third attempt to mitigate the oil consumption issues plaguing LS1 engines and 1999-2013 LS engine trucks. For some reason the engine eats oil through the PCV setup and people who run catch cans catch a significant amount of oil. For millions of engines that don't it pools up in the intake. I was surprised when I pulled the intake manifold on my truck to see oil weeping out of the intake runner outlets.

New GM valve cover. Includes new gasket and grommets. Part number 12570427 for 2009-prior LS engines which has the hose connector barb for the PCV tubing. 12642655 is for 2010-2013 LS engines which uses a push on fitting connector.

Underside of the valve cover. Compare to the original cover the new cover has less openings and protruding tabs over the single opening to mitigate oil splashing mixing with the blowby fumes...eh

New valve cover features and revisions:

Compare to the old version:

The orifice is now integrated into the valve cover:

Production date as fresh as it gets (Oct 06, 2015.) I like my valve covers free range, vegan and GMO-free fed with the highest quality ingredients:

LM7 valvetrain pic with 140,400mi on it. I Lexus V8's:

4th PCV valve grommet junk already:

Inside the PCV baffle in the valve cover:

Whoops no finished pic but it's easy than baking a pie. You need a 10mm socket to remove 5 bolts then move the coil packs out of the way and a 5/16" socket to remove the 4 valve cover bolts. Clean gasket mating surface. Then installation is the reverse of removal.

 

[A_Harman]

Do you want to come over and change the valve covers on my Camaro?

 

[WiskyBadger]

I didnt know this was a issue, my 06 didnt burn oil and my 08 hasnt since I got a programmer and turned the AFM off. Both were/are at the full line when I change/changed the oil. Weird, nice information. Thanks

 

[Chris142]

How long has GM been building engines? They cant design a PCV system in the 21st century? My wifes Tahoe drinks oil like its free.

 

[wirelessF]

Originally Posted By: ChevyBadger
I didnt know this was a issue, my 06 didnt burn oil and my 08 hasnt since I got a programmer and turned the AFM off. Both were/are at the full line when I change/changed the oil. Weird, nice information. Thanks


My 02 didn't drink oil like some of the severe cases I've heard but I've noticed the oil level would drop to the 3rd dot on the dipstick on a 5,000mi OCI which I would've shrugged off. I hated dealing with the bad PCV valve grommet and might be a chance to get my skinny armed friend to clean inside the intake manifold and maybe it will stay cleaner.

 

[wirelessF]

Originally Posted By: Chris142
How long has GM been building engines? They cant design a PCV system in the 21st century? My wifes Tahoe drinks oil like its free.


Yours might have the 2nd revision valve cover. Despite having some of the revisions (built-in orifice, single hole) they still had oil consumption issues and changed the single hole design to a square hole w/ tabs.

 

[cool_breeze]

Good info! Ill be using this to update my pcv system soon before this race season starts.

Currently seeing high consumption at high rpms with a Norris catch can and revised pc valve. Still running the stock ls1 valley cover and will update to the revised ls6 style that the racers seem to say is a must.

Does the new covers come with a pcv permanently installed where the small orifice is in your pic?
Are they sold as a pair for about $110? Im looking at scoggin dickeys site but it doesnt say.

 

[01rangerxl]

We don't sell these much at work (dealer), but that's probably due to Dorman having a replacement available and most affected trucks being older. I have heard of this problem before though, and our '04 5.3L at work drinks oil. We're just going to keep putting oil in it though (sometimes)...it frequently winds up 2 quarts low.

Nice write up and very clean engine.

 

[xxch4osxx]

Looks like you have done the intake gaskets at some point, are those the metal ones?

 

[Blokey]

Thanks for posting this! I'm going to do this upgrade to my Pontiac G8 GT. An oil catch can is a popular mod over at the G8Board, and I considered doing this, but I'd rather try this factory upgrade instead. I checked on GMPartsDirect and confirmed that this will work on my car.

 

[ls1mike]

Some people have the problem. Some people don't My Truck and Trans Am don't use any oil.

My 01 Z28 did. My 98 very little. I think it is hit or miss.

Great photos.

 

[wirelessF]

Originally Posted By: xxch4osxx
Looks like you have done the intake gaskets at some point, are those the metal ones?


Yep, the Felpro permadry gaskets. A bit pricey than the OE gaskets though.

 

[Ojustracing]

You'd be amazed at what is sitting in your intake manifold underneath the intake PCV vac line. My 13 Tahoe uses no oil. But had big blob of [censored] sitting in it. I put a catch can on it the day after finding it.

 

[Blokey]

Originally Posted By: Blokey
Thanks for posting this! I'm going to do this upgrade to my Pontiac G8 GT. An oil catch can is a popular mod over at the G8Board, and I considered doing this, but I'd rather try this factory upgrade instead. I checked on GMPartsDirect and confirmed that this will work on my car.


Just finished my VC (date code 22Dec2015) replacement on my G8:

 

[wirelessF]

Originally Posted By: Blokey
Just finished my VC (date code 22Dec2015) replacement on my G8:

Wow that's cleaner than my LM7. Did you have any head/valvetrain work done? What oil and OCI are you running?

 

[5W50Spooge]

Question. WirelessF said: ". Part number 12570427 for 2009-prior LS engines "

TSB 10-06-01-008M says 12570427 is for 2007-2008. But this TSB is for AFM engines only.

Will 12570427 fit on 2000-2006 5.3's ? In my 2001 the PCV is plugged into the end of the hose coming from the intake manifold, and the barrel of the PCV slides into a large diameter grommeted hole in the valve cover. Can you just yank the 2001 PCV out of the hose and plug that hose into 12570427?

 

[DriveHard]

my 2011 Silverado doesn't use a drop of oil...ever, even when towing heavy or a long trip to the mountains.

 

[Smokescreen]

My 2003 Sierra 2500 6.0L doesn't use any oil to speak of. Is mine supposed to be one of those affected ?

 

[NYEngineer]

My 09 Suburban was using oil. I just kept adding while I researched the answer to the problem. One day, I started up at a mountain bike trail after a ride and I smoked out the whole parking lot.
I started by installing the updated valve cover. SLIGHT improvement. Then I added a Moroso catch can in the PVC line and a much bigger improvement.
I finally dropped the oil pan and installed the shield that keeps the excess oil when in AFM mode off the rear cylinder walls and that was the end of it. The icing on the cake was a Range Technologies thing for my OBD port. Truck uses almost no oil now.

 

[4WD]

Originally Posted by ls1mike
Some people have the problem. Some people don't My Truck and Trans Am don't use any oil.

My 01 Z28 did. My 98 very little. I think it is hit or miss.

Great photos.


Never had a single one (including two now) consume a drop of oil …