A few years ago we bought the combo of a 2007 Avalanche, 5.3 and a 2014 Grey Wolf, 30 ft, dry weight of 5296, and have towed this combo about 6 times/year.Yesterday my Avalanche started to make this horrible/weird clicking noise. Local mechanic thinks it is the cylinder lifter or cam shaft and we may need to get a new engine.Questions1) I was naive and never did enough research, did we break our truck by pulling this camper?2) Would you trade in the truck as-is, taking the hit on the potentially broken motor, for a 2500 of something3) Would you fix the camshaft/whatever it is and keep it as it is a fine towing combo4) Would you do what you need to do to get it running and trade it off for a 2500My brother is a mechanic so if it turns out to need an engine he is checking prices to see how cheap it can be done.Thanks for the advice, and I realize I'm an idiot and should have answered this question years ago before it broke!UPDATE:my brother (a mechanic) found a collapsed lifter, ended up replacing 4 lifters one one side and it is fixed for $650. However, I'm now pretty gun shy about this truck. Is it reasonable to expect that now that it is fixed I can go back to not worrying about it? Or is it likely a lifter will go out again?

Not enough info. What are the capacities of the Avalanche? And how much does the TT weigh loaded ready to camp. Could be it just broke.

Luminajd wrote:A few years ago we bought the combo of a 2007 Avalanche, 5.3 and a 2014 Grey Wolf, 30 ft, dry weight of 5296, and have towed this combo about 6 times/year.Yesterday my Avalanche started to make this horrible/weird clicking noise. Local mechanic thinks it is the cylinder lifter or cam shaft and we may need to get a new engine.Questions1) I was naive and never did enough research, did we break our truck by pulling this camper?2) Would you trade in the truck as-is, taking the hit on the potentially broken motor, for a 2500 of something3) Would you fix the camshaft/whatever it is and keep it as it is a fine towing combo4) Would you do what you need to do to get it running and trade it off for a 2500My brother is a mechanic so if it turns out to need an engine he is checking prices to see how cheap it can be done.Thanks for the advice, and I realize I'm an idiot and should have answered this question years ago before it broke!That engine is known for lifter problems. I seriously doubt you need an engine. Get a second opinion. How many miles is on it? The lifters are know to get week and quit oiling making it sound like a rod knocking.

How do I figure out the capacities of the Avalanche? We never weighed fully loaded, so no clue there either :(135,000 miles

Not enough info.Towing 5-6k didn't damage the cam.These motors are known for eating cams/lifters - Retail dealer price seems to be around $2500... Not a cheap repair.

Has your Avalanche started using oil or smoking when cold? If so it is probably a slapping piston caused by a sticking oil ring. This is fairly common with the 5.3.( Google it ) It will only get worse and if you don't keep oil in it, it will go south in a hurry. The exact thing happened to my friend and it has been a nightmare since he replaced the engine.

Did we break our Avalanche? Do I need to get a 2500?

LIKE2BUILD
Explorer
Apr 14, 2016
Luminajd wrote:

Good news-my brother found out it was a collapsed lifter, ended up replacing the collapsed lifter and the other 3 on that same side. $650 total.....this is a common problem with the 5.3s.

I'm with Dodge Guy, I would have replaced all 8 lifters while you had it apart. If this was a rare issue then replacing only the 4 makes sense but in the case of a common problem you might as well do them all. I like to do things once and be done.

If you like the truck, you need to keep it and roll on. It's fixed and should be just fine now.

I had my '04 Chevy 2500HD with 6.0L engine for 10 years. It really had to rev in the hills of Virginia and Tennessee (4000 RPM), but it always got me there. The only problems I ever had with that engine were the common ones: 1) O2 sensors, 2) Knock sensors and harness, 3) broken exhaust manifold bolts. All three were repaired for moderate costs and the truck was extremely reliable.

Honestly there was 1 main reason I sold the truck in favor of my current RAM/Cummins.....The Chevy was 2WD and I wanted 4X4. I had come up with several ways to combat getting stuck in teh 2WD but it still happened every now and then. The last time I got stuck in August 2015 was the final straw.

I would have been okay with a gasser when upgrading to a 4X4, but I found a killer deal on this truck and getting a diesel in the deal was a huge bonus.
Luminajd
Explorer
Apr 11, 2016
Thanks for the replies! When I picked it up from my brother I asked him if he would trade it or keep it and he said keep it and font worry about it. I like that plan!
jerem0621
Explorer II
Apr 10, 2016
It's fixed...I would not worry about it again. Just run it...unless you just want a new truck...then upgrade away.

Thanks!

Jeremiah
dodge_guy
Explorer II
Apr 10, 2016
Yep, as we said this is a common issue. I would`ve replaced all of them. but I would just drive it and enjoy. aside from the lifter issues it is a problem free motor!
Luminajd
Explorer
Apr 10, 2016
I updated my original post.
Good news-my brother found out it was a collapsed lifter, ended up replacing the collapsed lifter and the other 3 on that same side. $650 total.
When this happened, Google tells me this is a common problem with the 5.3s. Now that I have had the problem and it is fixed, can I be worry free? Or should I trade it off ASAP? I really like my truck and would like to keep it, but do not want to go through this **** again.
MegaCab_PL
Explorer
Mar 21, 2016
Replacing an engine is always cheaper than a new truck, even used one. If your brother is a mechanic, you can do it in your driveway. I am not a mechanic but with a help of a friend who is, I replaced a motor in my 06 Explorer (4.6 v8 3 valve) with a used one with 50k miles on it. It cost me $ 1600 including shipping, and 10 hrs on a sunny Saturday last year. I have over 20k miles on my "new" motor. Your 5.3 is so common you can find plenty of them. Also, your Avy has much more room in the engine bay, the v8 in the Explorer is a tight fit, but I recall my old Tahoe and there was plenty of room and easy access.
Dave_H_M
Explorer II
Mar 20, 2016
Watch out for all stuff from us internet warriors.

Good luck on getting the real cause of the noise diagnosed and also a feel for the cost of fixing it.

Trading that puppy off with a bad engine will decimate what is in your pocket unless it is totally deep.
kw_00
Explorer
Mar 20, 2016
Cool, never heard of this problem with the 5.3 or 6.0. Sounds like owner neglect in the video of not changing the oil regularly. Regardless my previous version of the 6.0 had a lot of miles and sounded perfect. To the OP it's worth the try, u could get a 3/4 if u wanted it, but if your current truck pulls fine, this will buy u some time till you eventually find another truck that you like or keep the one u got.
FishOnOne
Nomad
Mar 20, 2016
It appears the lifters can get clogged and then create the ticking issue. There's a few video's out there using a chemical to clean out the lifter from the top side and then using a engine flush to clean out the injector from the bottom side. I've attached a link to one of many video's to fix this problem.

Link
73guna
Explorer
Mar 20, 2016
I think once you tow with a 2500 you'll never look back.
Much less driver fatigue in my opinion.
Chevy's, at least the older models (01-07) had a few trim levels ls,lt1,lt2,lt3, each progresively fancier then the first.
I have leather in my 07 and it has heated seats, dont know if you can get that in cloth seats.
Remote starts can be added if you need one.