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GM’s Broken 6.2L V8s Are Stranding Owners for Weeks as Replacement Engine Pipeline Dries Up
The Drive ^ | 01/27/2025 | Byron Hurd

Posted on 01/28/2025 3:07:44 PM PST by TexasKamaAina

General Motors is now the subject of an NHTSA investigation after more than a thousand complaints were logged over sudden and catastrophic failure of some of its “L87” 6.2-liter V8s—a core power plant for Cadillac, Chevy, and GMC trucks. It’s actually the latest in a string of uncommon but linked reliability problems to impact the 5.3- and 6.2-liter small block families over several recent model years—a notably bad run for what’s supposed to be an uncomplicated, naturally-aspirated V8 engine.

(Excerpt) Read more at thedrive.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS: 62l; engine; gm
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To: Drew68

“It’s time to ditch CAFE standards so we can have uncomplicated, reliable powertrains again.

The associated problems are lifters and bearings. Not related to any CAFE standards.

OTOH, my 5.0 is DOHC with variable timing and is virtually bullet proof.


21 posted on 01/28/2025 3:55:03 PM PST by TexasGator (11111.111''!11)
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To: Organic Panic

I only buy American cars and have had great results.

This opinion may not be popular with you.


22 posted on 01/28/2025 3:58:37 PM PST by desertfreedom765
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To: mabarker1


Parts stores will not do them either ... “


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23 posted on 01/28/2025 4:01:39 PM PST by TexasGator (11111.111''!11)
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To: TexasKamaAina

I have a friend who had a previous model Corvette Z06. He had a catastrophic engine failure. (One of the valve heads snapped off and dropped into the engine causing a rod to snap and “speed bag” the inside of the engine). Car had 30k on the clock. Still under warranty the dealer removes the engine, calls Detroit, they tell them to scope the cylinders and check the heads. Found the missing valve head. “That’s a known failure, replace the engine”. Well, when it went it blew shrapnel through everything. So the cats were shot, the radiator was shot, etc. Replaced everything under the hood other than the brakes.

Engine #2. Driving along, and it shuts off. Towed to the dealer, they call Detroit and get a directive to check the dry sump oil pump. It’s locked up. “That’s a known failure, replace the engine”. It’s under warranty, they do it for free. Would have been $14k had they not.

Engine #3. Driving along, and it shuts off. Towed to the dealer, they call Detroit and describe what they see. Detroit has NO IDEA what this failure is. “Replace the engine, and send the old one back to us for review”. They do that, and when he gets it back THIS time, he sells it.

He had had enough.


24 posted on 01/28/2025 4:08:24 PM PST by FrankRizzo890
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To: butlerweave

This is the answer. There are no coincidences.


25 posted on 01/28/2025 4:13:25 PM PST by Frank Drebin (And don't ever let me catch you guys in America!)
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To: irishjuggler

“Kinda crazy that GM has been making some version of that “small block” pushrod V8 since like the 1950s, and it’s still unreliable? The damned thing should be perfected by now, right??”

They didn’t have to deal with Biden’s people for the vast majority of that time. And then when they needed a large engineering force just to figure out what Biden’s people wanted, much less how to implement it, they didn’t have the resources due to shooting their wad on EVs and then having the ever-present HUGE COST of dealing with their labor unions. Hopefully Trump is able to fix both of those problems.


26 posted on 01/28/2025 4:16:07 PM PST by BobL
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To: Drew68

So true. My favorite example is the plastic oil pans in the new F150’s. In what world is that a good idea?


27 posted on 01/28/2025 4:21:05 PM PST by armydoc
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To: AZJeep
They put on my Jeep this stop engine “feature”. I hate it and I am not sure if it saved me a gallon of fuel or not.

My Honda has it (because it's mandated) but I can over ride it. But I have to do it every time I start it. Not a big deal to me. The down side to the stop feature is it wears your engine out faster for short trips in town. How? The most wear on an engine is when it is cold started (Proven by engineers). So if your engine is not up to operating temperature, it is being cold started at every stop light.

28 posted on 01/28/2025 4:22:41 PM PST by BipolarBob (My doctor says I have HD (whatever that is) and worse, he says I have 80 of them!)
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To: irishjuggler

NOT A SB

BB

6.7 LITER


29 posted on 01/28/2025 4:22:47 PM PST by ridesthemiles (not giving up on TRUMP---EVER)
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To: TexasKamaAina
I'm not a gearhead, so this is just a guess ---

The problem seems to be in the top end (valve train) - lifter bearings or bad lifters.

GM has been trying to improve mileage by shutting down two or four cylinders in their V-8s when HP demand is low. Part of this scheme involves the fuel injection, but they also want to keep engine valves closed as well during shutdown. To do this they cut oil pressure to the lifters so they don't open the valves. When you tell the engine you want more power by stepping on the gas pedal, the fuel injection and oil pressure are supposed to be restored to the shut-down cylinders.

That's the way it's supposed to work. Apparently it doesn't, reliably.

A lot of gearheads who install these motors know this and immediately disable this feature. They'd rather buy a little more gas than take the risk.

30 posted on 01/28/2025 4:26:00 PM PST by ZOOKER
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To: FrankRizzo890

“Engine #3. Driving along, and it shuts off.”

My neighbor’s Escalade did that to him twice. The final straw was when he was about to leave his house to quit in his driveway.

Three tows to the dealer. He traded for a Denali ...


31 posted on 01/28/2025 4:26:20 PM PST by TexasGator (11111.111''!11)
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To: TexasKamaAina

Back about 1988.

Bought a new C70 Chevy for a fuel truck.

Engine blew at 9000 miles.

Chevy sent out a new engine.

It blew at 500 miles.

Chevy sent out a new engine.

It blew on the test drive.

I called the head of Chevy’s heavy truck division.

I told him,

“You’ve got a run of bad engines and you’re just farming them out to junkyards around the country, aren’t you?”

He said they were.

I told him I was going to sue them.

He told me,

“Go ahead. We’re GM. We’ll tie you up in court for years.”

Real customer orientation even back in the 80s.


32 posted on 01/28/2025 4:26:39 PM PST by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer” )
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To: Don W

I have a Chevy 1 ton 4 speed 454 truck I bought used in April 1986 with 90,000 miles on it.

IT now has OVER 348,000 on the chassis. TOWING HORSES.

Just changed the center carrier bearing-—ORIGINAL

CHANGED 3 greaseable U-Joints-—2nd replacements

Changed windshield wiper /spray,etc-—ORIGINAL

summer of 2022==Changed the FUEL SWITCH UNDER THE TRUCK BED—ORIGINAL.

Put a new build 454 into it in summer of 2005, built by Joe Mondello of drag racing fame.

NEVER selling my truck.

Car==1979 Buick wagon with over 224,000 miles .. ORIGINAL engine.


33 posted on 01/28/2025 4:28:04 PM PST by ridesthemiles (not giving up on TRUMP---EVER)
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To: Organic Panic

I was talking about this last week with my mechanic in comparing my 2005 6L with the new junk The 6L is a very strong engine, good for 300,000 miles.

Our older Honda engine is much more reliable than the new ones also.

Home appliances were all better in the past. Government mandated new junk.


34 posted on 01/28/2025 4:28:55 PM PST by Cold Heart (Government for moral and religious people. Democrat party is neither )
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To: Pontiac

Cry havoc and slip the roller bearings into the engine.


35 posted on 01/28/2025 4:31:54 PM PST by Cold Heart (Government for moral and religious people. Democrat party is neither )
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To: ridesthemiles

“NOT A SB

BB

6.7 LITER”

The issue is with the 6.2 which is a small block.

GM doesn’t make a 6.7. It does make a SMALL block 6.6.


36 posted on 01/28/2025 4:33:50 PM PST by TexasGator (11111.111''!11)
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To: TexasKamaAina

And then those wonderful GM commercials during football games.


37 posted on 01/28/2025 4:36:00 PM PST by SkyDancer ( ~ Am Yisrael Chai ~)
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To: Fai Mao

It’s popular with me. I will not enrich people who hate me by supporting people who hate me.


38 posted on 01/28/2025 4:37:07 PM PST by rlmorel ("A people that elect corrupt politicians are not victims...but accomplices." George Orwell)
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To: Organic Panic

Not just American vehicles. Toyota is having issues too. As a former motorhead, there are no new vehicles that excite me. Keeping our 230,000 mile 2005 Honda Odessey as long as we can.


39 posted on 01/28/2025 4:38:08 PM PST by stevio (Fight until you die!)
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To: irishjuggler
The damned thing should be perfected by now, right??

I am a little surprised that a 6.2l engine is considered a "small block". My '65 383 Mopar engine was a big block, and is about the same displacement.

GM is constantly being forced to change the engines for emissions and CAFE standards. Some improvements don't show their defects until they get a real-world workout. The workhorse engine from the 50s I believe was the 350, and my LT1 350 (1994 Chevy Caprice Wagon) was bullet-proof.
40 posted on 01/28/2025 4:45:18 PM PST by Dr. Sivana ("Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye." (John 2:5))
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