How long will V8 SS engines last? - Page 2 - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

Buschman · 01-07-2018, 05:20 AM

14,431 miles.

Cylinder 1 sleeve had a 4" crack in it, found while doing a cam. Bad day.

christianchevell · 01-07-2018, 07:33 AM

It really does depend on the maintenance and the luck of the owner the engines cylinder liners are cast in and only capable of a .020 over hone so your basically going to as most would pass the point where it could be freshened up if you drive it in the hundreds of thousands , in the old days....LOL it used to be blocks were made of iron and we could over bore them a few times up to .060 over which was a couple rebuilds and yes you could reach a million miles.

Now we have roller lifter high lift cams, trunnion worries, and AFM lifter worries let alone the block; its a throw away places just don't put new cast in sleeves into it when the bare block new is $1400. SO if you can get a good oil pump it would help with the top end staying lubricated well, and a oil catch can could help also, along with trunnion upgrades to bushings.

Most will never rebuild their LS engine or do a overhaul at 100k with modern oils being synthetic but also low in zddp.... as the blocks cylinder liners can be a little off made from the factory and one could find one cylinder a little off when it was set cast in and therefore had to have more material removed align honing it making it not even able to reach a .020 removal to clean up the bore and re ring the pistons.

Frankly I always did more than 100k on a good old iron block more like 200k....I would though go in and re torque heads especially if aluminum as they expand at different rates and change out gaskets which were cork and get brittle and shrink. Usual problems as in a lot of different varied blocks result from people using FI and trashing the rear cylinders with heat due to lean conditions etc... We have hypereutectic pistons not forged and best N/A and tunes need to be spot on. And of course modifiying a engine makes the maintenance demands much higher especially the springs which the lift and pressures are much more than a flat tappet cam.

The are a couple threads on here about how many miles are on your Camaro and some are over 200k and that's when I would worry and watch oil consumption, and its not unusual to use a quart of oil in 5k due to blow by and consumption which could increase over time, and fill a catch can more along with the exhausts Cats more..which generally are 100k replaced items and their o2 sensors..... Anyway that's all IMO but a lot of truth some may not like to face. A magnetic oil plug for the oil pan is a nice thing to have and can be bought through the dealer, I know I have one.

mf1ve · 01-07-2018, 09:21 AM

To the OP, heck I got 150K out of a 2003 MINI Cooper S, and it still ran well on acceptable compression when I sold it in 2017. I beat the tar out of that engine on the racetrack, at autocross, in the mountains... always. It was pumped up with an extra five pounds of boost and a ported head, too. Based on that, and comparing the reputations of the two powertrains, I'm expecting the LS3 to last "forever".

saluki · 01-07-2018, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buschman

14,431 miles.

Cylinder 1 sleeve had a 4" crack in it, found while doing a cam. Bad day.

Damn that's just bad luck. You just had a bad block.

On truck LS engines if you can't get 250k+ miles on one you are doing something wrong. On actual LS engines I could see it be less due to how hard we push them.

MrChrisLS3 · 01-07-2018, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buschman

14,431 miles.

Cylinder 1 sleeve had a 4" crack in it, found while doing a cam. Bad day.

Ouch, that hurts.

Also a good point. There is absolutely no way to tell. Proper maintenance is the key, along with proper use. But the truth of the matter is that anything can happen regardless.

Forever is a mighty long time. At some point any combustion engine is going to need to have bearings and various moving parts replaced.

rebelyell22 · 01-08-2018, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JLSuperfly

48k? What happened? Money shift?

Oil pump failed. It was under warranty, so they just put a new one in

TheFlyingBananaSS · 01-09-2018, 08:01 AM

This question is the same as asking how many licks to the middle of a tootsie pop?

frankwjr · 01-09-2018, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheFlyingBananaSS

This question is the same as asking how many licks to the middle of a tootsie pop?

it's 3 BTW...lulz

pogie_boy · 01-09-2018, 08:55 AM

The 5.3L LS in my 05 Silverado is at 266000.
Only had to replace the water pump (just recently actually) and oil/filter changes whenever it told me to. Well I replaced the plugs at 100,000 only because I wanted to.

I drive that thing like I stole it.

it does eat front wheel bearings and tie rod ends, but that is another story.

jrkellypvok · 01-09-2018, 01:22 PM

I bought my 2010 SS/RS M6 new in September 2009. It has 218,000 miles on it today.

I previously posted that the only issues I have had with this car was a front wheel bearing about 150,000 and a valve spring at 216,000.

The first two sets of tires lasted 55,000, the second two sets lasted about 22,000 to 28,000 and the current set has 57,000 on them.

I only use Mobil One Full Synthetic and change the oil and fluids on-time every time.

Otherwise, I drive it daily, maintain it and love driving it every day.

This has been a great car so far. I don't abuse it, but do get on it occasionally. It drives like new and has as much power as the day I drove it off the lot.

It has been nasty here weather-wise for a while but I will get new pictures later this week with the exterior (probably not detailed) and the odometer.

Keep driving this car and have fun. It is a great ride.

myold88 · 01-09-2018, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrkellypvok

I bought my 2010 SS/RS M6 new in September 2009. It has 218,000 miles on it today.

I previously posted that the only issues I have had with this car was a front wheel bearing about 150,000 and a valve spring at 216,000.

The first two sets of tires lasted 55,000, the second two sets lasted about 22,000 to 28,000 and the current set has 57,000 on them.

I only use Mobil One Full Synthetic and change the oil and fluids on-time every time.

Otherwise, I drive it daily, maintain it and love driving it every day.

This has been a great car so far. I don't abuse it, but do get on it occasionally. It drives like new and has as much power as the day I drove it off the lot.

It has been nasty here weather-wise for a while but I will get new pictures later this week with the exterior (probably not detailed) and the odometer.

Keep driving this car and have fun. It is a great ride.

Can I ask re your oil changes? What is exactly "on time every time"? When
your computer tell you to, or every 3 or 4000 miles? I'm a big believer in
changing the oil on my 2010 SS twice a year regardless of the mileage.

acammer · 01-09-2018, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 907 chad

check out ( power and speed ) pod cast episode 131 they talk about the ls3 and how well it lasts in endurance races and I would say that shows the longevity of this engine.

Really good listen here! Check it out guys.

black79ta · 01-09-2018, 04:01 PM

I have a 2010 2ss and I have racked up a total of 15000 miles. which is 4000 on my cam swap..so far so good...lol

ThisGuyDrives · 01-09-2018, 05:01 PM

A friend has a 2010 SS he bought used with 50k miles on it. He immediately got headers, Borla catback and a tune. Now it has 125k and drivetrain wise it’s still solid and he drives it like he stole it on a daily basis. Last time we talked about the car it just needed some suspension work.

30k on my ‘14 and so far so good.

01-07-2018, 05:20 AM	#15
Buschman Drives: 2018 ZL1 2015 1SS 1LE Join Date: May 2013 Location: North Eastern Michigan Posts: 772	14,431 miles. Cylinder 1 sleeve had a 4" crack in it, found while doing a cam. Bad day. __________________ 2018 ZL1 2015 1SS 1LE Stock...ish

01-07-2018, 07:33 AM	#16
christianchevell old school chevy rodder Drives: 2013 2SS/RS Manual,DM exhaust,CRT Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Oregon Posts: 5,587 View My Garage	It really does depend on the maintenance and the luck of the owner the engines cylinder liners are cast in and only capable of a .020 over hone so your basically going to as most would pass the point where it could be freshened up if you drive it in the hundreds of thousands , in the old days....LOL it used to be blocks were made of iron and we could over bore them a few times up to .060 over which was a couple rebuilds and yes you could reach a million miles. Now we have roller lifter high lift cams, trunnion worries, and AFM lifter worries let alone the block; its a throw away places just don't put new cast in sleeves into it when the bare block new is $1400. SO if you can get a good oil pump it would help with the top end staying lubricated well, and a oil catch can could help also, along with trunnion upgrades to bushings. Most will never rebuild their LS engine or do a overhaul at 100k with modern oils being synthetic but also low in zddp.... as the blocks cylinder liners can be a little off made from the factory and one could find one cylinder a little off when it was set cast in and therefore had to have more material removed align honing it making it not even able to reach a .020 removal to clean up the bore and re ring the pistons. Frankly I always did more than 100k on a good old iron block more like 200k....I would though go in and re torque heads especially if aluminum as they expand at different rates and change out gaskets which were cork and get brittle and shrink. Usual problems as in a lot of different varied blocks result from people using FI and trashing the rear cylinders with heat due to lean conditions etc... We have hypereutectic pistons not forged and best N/A and tunes need to be spot on. And of course modifiying a engine makes the maintenance demands much higher especially the springs which the lift and pressures are much more than a flat tappet cam. The are a couple threads on here about how many miles are on your Camaro and some are over 200k and that's when I would worry and watch oil consumption, and its not unusual to use a quart of oil in 5k due to blow by and consumption which could increase over time, and fill a catch can more along with the exhausts Cats more..which generally are 100k replaced items and their o2 sensors..... Anyway that's all IMO but a lot of truth some may not like to face. A magnetic oil plug for the oil pan is a nice thing to have and can be bought through the dealer, I know I have one. __________________ 2021 Wild Cherry ZL1 A10, Sunroof, Data, Carbon, Nav, RotoFab Dry CAI, Elite x2, Borla ATK, Driveshaft shop

01-09-2018, 08:01 AM	#21
TheFlyingBananaSS Evil Genius of Chevrolet Drives: 2017 Z06, 2019 XTS, 2013 SS Join Date: Feb 2017 Location: New York Posts: 3,260	This question is the same as asking how many licks to the middle of a tootsie pop? __________________ GPI SS2 VVT cam, ECS Novi 1500 supercharger, Corsa Extreme, Detroit Speed and BMR suspension, Circle D triple disc, Melling oil pump, LS2 chain tensioner, ATI 10% UD, DSX E85 kit, High Energy coils, BTR springs, LS2 Lifter trays, Titanium retainers, hardened push rods, FIC 1000 injectors, ZL1 pump, Mighty Mouse catch can, AEM gauges, Tial BOV, Richmond 3.91 gears, Custom gauge bezels, Speed Engineering headers, Stainless Works HF cats, DSX Aux pump, 710rwhp on E85.

01-09-2018, 01:22 PM	#24
jrkellypvok Drives: 2010 SS/RS Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 2	218,000 miles and going strong I bought my 2010 SS/RS M6 new in September 2009. It has 218,000 miles on it today. I previously posted that the only issues I have had with this car was a front wheel bearing about 150,000 and a valve spring at 216,000. The first two sets of tires lasted 55,000, the second two sets lasted about 22,000 to 28,000 and the current set has 57,000 on them. I only use Mobil One Full Synthetic and change the oil and fluids on-time every time. Otherwise, I drive it daily, maintain it and love driving it every day. This has been a great car so far. I don't abuse it, but do get on it occasionally. It drives like new and has as much power as the day I drove it off the lot. It has been nasty here weather-wise for a while but I will get new pictures later this week with the exterior (probably not detailed) and the odometer. Keep driving this car and have fun. It is a great ride.

01-09-2018, 04:01 PM	#27
black79ta Drives: 79 transam with 582cid dart motor Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: missouri Posts: 529 View My Garage	I have a 2010 2ss and I have racked up a total of 15000 miles. which is 4000 on my cam swap..so far so good...lol __________________ 2010 Camaro (inferno orange, 2SS, RS and such) cat backs, catch can, CAI on the way 79 Transam, 582 cid dart motor 779hp 315's out back 40spline gdaxles tko tranny

01-07-2018, 09:21 AM	#17
mf1ve Drives: 2013 Camaro 1SS Join Date: Oct 2017 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 17	To the OP, heck I got 150K out of a 2003 MINI Cooper S, and it still ran well on acceptable compression when I sold it in 2017. I beat the tar out of that engine on the racetrack, at autocross, in the mountains... always. It was pumped up with an extra five pounds of boost and a ported head, too. Based on that, and comparing the reputations of the two powertrains, I'm expecting the LS3 to last "forever".

01-09-2018, 08:55 AM	#23
pogie_boy Drives: 2013 2LT RS CRT Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Dighton, Massachusetts Posts: 43	The 5.3L LS in my 05 Silverado is at 266000. Only had to replace the water pump (just recently actually) and oil/filter changes whenever it told me to. Well I replaced the plugs at 100,000 only because I wanted to. I drive that thing like I stole it. it does eat front wheel bearings and tie rod ends, but that is another story.

01-09-2018, 05:01 PM	#28
ThisGuyDrives Drives: 2014 Ashen Grey Metallic 1LE/1SS/RS Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Tucson Posts: 116	A friend has a 2010 SS he bought used with 50k miles on it. He immediately got headers, Borla catback and a tune. Now it has 125k and drivetrain wise it’s still solid and he drives it like he stole it on a daily basis. Last time we talked about the car it just needed some suspension work. 30k on my ‘14 and so far so good. __________________ Cold Air Inductions Intake SPEC Stage 1 Clutch BMR 1.4" Springs Borla ATAK Catback Exhaust Kooks 1 7/8" LT Headers w/ HF Cats Last dyno tune was with just intake and catback exhaust did a 401/379.