buying a vs v8, any common problems with the v8 5litre to look for??

[admir87]

Hi everyone,

just looking at getting a v8 calais, and interested to know what to look for with the engine?

any common problems that i should know about?

has done 190000km

do you guys think it will still last a while, engine and gearbox?

the car has supposedly been sitting for 5 years undriven, oil was very dirty, guess thats due to it sitting there if thats true.

gearbox felt smooth, but the lsd has a loud whine.

any info/help would be good.

[justbad4you]

neeed as new diff>>>>304 v8 pretty bullett proof.....190k isnt a heaps fror the v8.clean oil do diff and all should be good,if its been sitting for 5yrs id re do all the hoses and so on.....

[GTP 85]

yea the old 5L's are pretty bullet proof, as said...

listen for engine noises on cold start, and also noises on hot idle. From my knowledge, common problem can be chewed cam lobes and big end knocks.

Noisey valve train on idle when you crack the throttle can also reflect worn engine internals.

I also reckon it's just as important to make sure the trans shift smooth driving normally at under fair load.

The diff whine could be shot bearings, worn gears or no oil at all

If it sounds good and feels nice then go for it. Just dont jump into it if you are unsure

[simmons001]

Oil pickup

[justbad4you]

And remeber....all bolt ons will not come under the hammer off bullet proof 5ltr,holden has some poor bolt on such vr to vs as power steer pumps(shoking for leaks thay still work buy ohhh do thay leak) alternatores, as to the heater core( not that thats under the hood) heater core rust out and leak, $200 for cheap fix with a mate and up to $1200 for a fulll dash out heater core re build,at the end of the day if the car your loooking at has no funny popping or farting probs and everything on the test drive goes well???,the owner has looked after it,oiled at least every 15k, if not sooner,coolent in radiator,if she loooks neat and clean she prob is,,just remeber 5 min up the road and a bolt on could fail or ,then again nothing will fail for years,just make yourself aware of the issues with the model of car and if you happy with your r&d and prepared to take on the good with the bad (as with all cars over 10yo) go for it , if you do your home work and dont rush there is plenty of cheap bargins to be had (australia wide)my 1st ute i got of ebay from nsw,my vt i got sixs month old from fouls auctions in mel,and my vs maloo i flew into qld liked what id seen and i got it shipped down on a truck from brisbane,so dont be scared to loook australia wide ,its almost a buyers market for 2nd hand cars oh and the maloo i got from carpoint (a bargin) even with airfares & transporting to melb. So take a deep breath dont rush,do plenty of r&d and good luck you should do well as stated above. Cheers

[justbad4you]

Mate when your realy interested let me know and ill take a quik look at some of the top car sites for you.just let me know what your after with what options and at what price and ill take a quik look see for you at whats the best and cheapest in oz for that price ill then email you the adds if you like,,,,also what state are you in?that may help.cheeers again mate take care and good luck 1 more time best wishes AND PS MATE WHAT DID HE WANT FOR THE 1 YOUVE ALREADY LOOKED AT?

[BlackVXGTS]

Check out any oil leaks - engine, transmission, power steering pump.

[Kerbstomp]

And remeber....all bolt ons will not come under the hammer off bullet proof 5ltr,holden has some poor bolt on such vr to vs as power steer pumps(shoking for leaks thay still work buy ohhh do thay leak) alternatores, as to the heater core( not that thats under the hood) heater core rust out and leak

Amen to that, done all of these plus the starter motor and DFI in the past two years.. Don't let that put you off though, they are a damn good motor, just at that age where all your other bits will be up for a replacement

[justbad4you]

yes there worse than a women to upkeeep lol..but at least the car dont talk back lol

[hako]

If the oil is very dirty, then that indicates neglect as just sitting for 5 years will not cause the oil to get dirty.

[justbad4you]

If the oil is very dirty, then that indicates neglect as just sitting for 5 years will not cause the oil to get dirty.

i agree.100%