What preventative maintenance to do on a LS3 ‘keeper’

[Mavericks Choice]

**** I missed that sorry. Well don’t know with LS3 frankly because different to L77 where yes, some extra clearance is required, dremel smoothed certain bulgy bits. Spacers and thicker gasket would have been a smart move for L77 with 1.85.

Thanks, that would turn me off them, though a full trunnion upgrade would be sufficient in mine for longevity.

 

[monstar]

Thanks, that would turn me off them, though a full trunnion upgrade would be sufficient in mine for longevity.

In the detail I didn’t have any prob with stock engine it just zipped up.
I changed the stock deck / compression height fractionally and one or two out of 16 were too close.

 

[chrisp]

Lot’s of good information in this thread! I’m going to follow the VVT posts closely.

I stumbled across an interesting article on the web http://australiancar.reviews/reviews.php#!content=recalls&make=Holden&model=Commodore&gen=1142

A fair way down, it states “It is recommended that the lifters be replaced every 100,000 kilometres”.

 

[Skylarking]

Lot’s of good information in this thread! I’m going to follow the VVT posts closely.

I stumbled across an interesting article on the web http://australiancar.reviews/reviews.php#!content=recalls&make=Holden&model=Commodore&gen=1142

A fair way down, it states “It is recommended that the lifters be replaced every 100,000 kilometres”.

I read the same a little while ago and was looking for the link to post it here for some clarification, so thanks for posting the link

Coincidently I went through the service schedule on the Holden web site before purchasing my MSE and didn’t find any mention of a recommended change interval for lifters.

Maybe I should have come to these forums prior to purchase as there were many many issues I was not aware of power steering failures, rocker failures, smelly carpets due to hvac drain failure, glue failure on my MSE, odd grumble from front when turning my MSE right, yada yada yada.

But does Holden document any recommendations re lifters being changed @ 100k kms?

If so I’d be rather peeved if such recommendations popped up as it wasn’t something defined anywhere I checked before purchase so I see it as an unidentified cost that’s been chucked in post purchase.

Luckily I have a 7 year warranty so hopefully it’s worth more than the paper it’s printed on. Guess i’ll Find out whe going back to the dealer about the glue failure and front end noise... on my new MSE that has only covered 760kms so far....

Preventative maintenance, hell I hope it lasts that long

 

[chrisp]

Luckily I have a 7 year warranty so hopefully it’s worth more than the paper it’s printed on. Guess i’ll Find out whe going back to the dealer about the glue failure and front end noise... on my new MSE that has only covered 760kms so far....

Preventative maintenance, hell I hope it lasts that long

Warranty, like insurance, is good to have for when the unforeseen happens and repairs are expensive. So, hopefully your warranty will cover any engine damage should a lifter fail.

I suppose I started this thread to tease out the foreseeable failures so I could plan preventative maintenance before any major damage or inconvenience occurs. When I had an Ecotec, I’d change the crank angle sensor at 150,000 km rather than have it fail. I usually do the fuel pump and water pump at about that time too as they are known to fail at about that mileage.

I think that I’d be replacing the LS3 lifters at 100,000 km for piece of mind. And I’d probably do the valve springs and lifter buckets while the heads were off. The LS3 seems to be a very solid and reliable engine otherwise.

 

[Skylarking]

@chrisp, true about warranty being like insurance which, unlike some junk insurance, will hopefully provides piece of mind...

I would have liked a HSV LFA but I wanted new and what I spent on the MSE was what I felt comfortable spending. And insurance for my MSE was expensive for what is a weekend use vehicle. It’s sad that insurance is not less for such a pamperes low use vehicle.

 

[426Cuda]

Aye hi ho, Silver be me mate, I know the man

Lone pir4te endlessly sailing beyond safe harbour, calibrating new course and finding sweet booty in uncharted places
Of course the perfect platform is the L77, but Wagga is a trek from Moreton Bay, ay?
Happens I’m excited to be pulling out my donk this month so I’ll make a video of the conversion steps with my revisions and walk you through it. Then either I convince my family that there is gold sailing off to Wagga and wrenching VVT, else can send decent instructions along with some tits and bits in a box, including an AutoCal to talk directly with your ECU all the way from city to country using the magic of NBN
In any case after yours gets full sail I will do a bit of a write-up so people can get the gist and best choose a cam for VVT.

Have you pulled the L77 out for a freshen up yet Monstar?

 

[monstar]

Have you pulled the L77 out for a freshen up yet Monstar?

No is sitting under wraps waiting for bits

 

[monstar]

Luckily I have a 7 year warranty so hopefully it’s worth more than the paper it’s printed on. Guess i’ll Find out whe going back to the dealer about the glue failure and front end noise... on my new MSE that has only covered 760kms so far..

How many km is covered by the Seven Year Warranty?

 

[Skylarking]

There is a km limit to the Holden 7 year warranty which, for the moment, I can’t remember.

However the 3 years / 100k kms warranty was the previous standard that many manufacturers have improved upon as compared to the Holden standard warranty.