[Diceman]

what kind of compression numbers would a 5.7L 96 suburban have off the assembly line? what is within spec for a used engine? what is the point of rebuild?

i went to the local autozone and they didnt have a book that covered the '96 so i couldnt find the info i needed and google doesnt seem to be much help. thanks!

 

[TrailLeadr]

Compression should be at 150 PSI out of the factory. Max variation between cylinders is 20PSI. Sorry I don't have specs for what's acceptable for a used engine.

 

[Diceman]

i guess the reason im asking, i know where i can get a 96 suburban with 150k, everything seems too good to be true, tranny shifts great, truck runs good, it is a 2500 with the HD towing package, no leaks, new slightly oversize tires, 4x4, etc. only problem is 1-7 cylinders are running about 100psi and #8 is running 75. there is a very ever so slight miss at idle at sometimes you can feel it at about 48mph in overdrive(figuring that it is because of the rpm at that speed in overdrive, very low). they are wanting 5500 and the mechanic said go for it until the comp test came out with #8 at 75. then he said ditch it unless they will drop it 1000 bucks for the cost of the new motor when it blows up.

is this truck worth it? the only real problem seems to be this one cylinder, i have gone over this thing like mad crazy and cant find anything else that would be a deal breaker. thoughts? i tried to get them down to 4500 but they wont do it and wouldnt budge past 5500. im going back to satan tomorrow to talk to my rep again and try to bargain a little more since i think for the price and condition that the overall truck is in, it is worth the money. im sure they would let it go for a little less, how often does a salesman let a sale go over a couple hundred bucks? i love exploiting salesman. i digress

thoughts, opinions, should i go for it even if they dont budge? should i shoot for a certain price? anything else i should be thinking about?

 

[TrailLeadr]

I think that's a bit of exaggeration on the mechanic's part to say that the engine will blow up. I would think that the compression for 150K miles is pretty well on target. As far as #8 being 75 well that is low. Basically you're running a 7 cyl engine, since #8 isn't contributing much to the overall power.
I don't see why you couldn't use that as leverage to get them to come down on the price. Coming down $1000, might be a big much to expect though.
I'd say go for it. But definitely try and get them to drop the price somewhat.

Good luck!

 

[L0sts0ul]

ok, I just rebuilt the motor in my truck and it cost me $1390 CAD for the motor rebuild (new everything except water pump, intake and exhaust, and injectors).

however, the problem that I Was having that I had a broken exhaust valve spring on the #1 cylinder... therefore it was dropping compression because the valve wasn't completely closing...

I chose to rebuild but for about $200 bucks I could have had the spring replaced... it could be that cheap...

5500 USD sounds like a lot, I payed 4000CAD for a 93 with about the same mileage... so, I Would talk them down... its hard to sell an SUV that size, especially with the price of gas.... pick at it.. I Wouldn't pay more than 4 USD but thats my 2c


Soul

 

[Diceman]

the other thing is, they were asking 6975 for it so i've already talked them down 1500. :biggrin: im hoping they can hook me up for a little more off. like i said im heading down there to talk to the sales guy i've been working with. he completely understands my position and he is near my age so i could have already owned the truck for penny's on the dollar if he made the decisions. i could own him instantly. it is the management that doesnt want to let it go for that price. typical really.

now i do have one piece of shining glory on this, the "internet sales manager" asked me what price it would have to be for me to drive it home today. i told them but HIS manager didnt approve it. that seems to me like the IS manager is almost saying ok to that price. i may talk to the manager tomorrow and see if it can be done if he'll hear me. i figured shooting for $1k down wouldnt flow. im hoping for at LEAST $500 though. i dont want to look like a ***** and sign for the $5500 that i said no to yesterday. :biggrin:

i really like the truck and like i said, everything else that i can find in my area is just rediculously out of my price range. most trucks in this region are still being asked for about $11k, even with 180k on the clock and rust spots. that is silly IMO. this truck for $5500 and small amounts of rust on the rear door with mostly sound operation seems almost like a no brainer for me. plus i dont have to finance.

 

[L0sts0ul]

I think this was mentioned before, but really, ou could still drive the truck with a compression issues on the 8th cylinder with no MAJOR problems for years...trust me..i ve done it without even noticing.


so, remember, the motor isn't the only part of the truck you are looking at, you said yourself, that you like the body, and the other accessories... is the truck worth to you what you would have to spend to keep it running? imo, I buy vehicles based on what I Can do with them how much I like them and will they do what I need them to do... price is important, as I won't stand for getting ripped off, but at the same time, I am willing to take a little pain in the Arse in order to get what I want honestly.


you also said yourself that you have little options for trucks in your area for that price range...

just walk in the dealership with cash or a certified cheque for what you want to pay, and say take it or leave it if you wanna play hard ball.

you could also do the other route, and (if you have the 5500 for it ) tell them you want oil changes for life.... free extended warranty, tint, car starter/alarm, rims and wheels, stuff like that for paying that higher price.


the oil changes are nice to have

anyways good luck

 

[wildmans92]

Hey guys im new to this site and i am a mechanic at a gm dealer. Honestly it sounds like a decent deal, but i would have a cylinder leakage test done on #8 for sure as well as #1 and #7 just to pinpoint the cause of the compression. This will give you an idea of what it might be.

 

[ChevyFan]

Everything is negotiable and it doesn't sound like the world is beating a path to this vehicle ... it's still there and they're still talking to you.

It does sound like a decent deal for a 150k on a 96 4x4.

 

[Diceman]

when the sales guy told me no he mentioned that they have had a lot of interest in it. although, i had it for 2-3 days, then put a check on it to hold for another 4 days so they've probably been telling people it is sold. either way, i walked back in there and told them i'd give them 5k for it with a full tank of gas and new batteries in the remote. they offered 5200 and $20 bucks of gas with the new batteries for the remote. i just took it, i had a feeling i had squeezed them for all i could. i asked the sales guy a few days before that how much they had in the truck and he said around 5k.

the bad news, the remote still doesnt work for crap and i dont think they put $20 in gas in. they also had a bunch of monkey's detailing it because i went to pick it up after 4 hours of waiting and it didnt even look like they wiped anything down inside. i left it for another hour and a half and they did the bare minimum as there was still a lot of cleaning that should have been done. i just let it go at that point, they werent willing to go the extra mile, they wont get my business next time. honestly one of my worst experiences in vehicle delivery that i've ever experienced. i really hope they send me a customer feedback card or something. perhaps i will get some free swag if i give them a bad review.

about the engine, i didnt even notice until the mechanic pointed it out and the truck still has some go. i'll do a leakdown test sometime this summer/fall and see where the leak is coming in at.