Piston Slap
- Thread starter Terry6
- Start date
rlmurraysr59
New Member
Piston Slap
I pulled a '32 Holiday Rambler TT with a '95 GMC 1 ton Crew Cab over 128 thousand miles and I don't remember ever hearing anything about a "piston slap". Does yours have one? I would suggest going to the General Motors website to see if you could asked the question of their tech support. Or ask a local dealer if they are aware of anything like that. I know, mine wasn't a Vortec.
GM has been pretty good over the last few years, as have all the domestic automaker, in providing recall or problem information. Your wife might have read an article in Motorhome magazine where someone had a specific truck that had a problem and the owner was having trouble getting it fixed by a specific dealer. They have a "Action Line" section in their magazine that jumps in and trys to resolve problems.
I worked for the Powertrain Division of General Motors for 35.5 years and visited the plant in Tonowanda, NY where they build that engine. It is a very reliable power plant. It has now been replaced by a bigger block 8100 engine. Still Vortec.
Good lUck.
I pulled a '32 Holiday Rambler TT with a '95 GMC 1 ton Crew Cab over 128 thousand miles and I don't remember ever hearing anything about a "piston slap". Does yours have one? I would suggest going to the General Motors website to see if you could asked the question of their tech support. Or ask a local dealer if they are aware of anything like that. I know, mine wasn't a Vortec.
GM has been pretty good over the last few years, as have all the domestic automaker, in providing recall or problem information. Your wife might have read an article in Motorhome magazine where someone had a specific truck that had a problem and the owner was having trouble getting it fixed by a specific dealer. They have a "Action Line" section in their magazine that jumps in and trys to resolve problems.
I worked for the Powertrain Division of General Motors for 35.5 years and visited the plant in Tonowanda, NY where they build that engine. It is a very reliable power plant. It has now been replaced by a bigger block 8100 engine. Still Vortec.
Good lUck.
Piston Slap
rlmurrays59, I have a 82 Suncrest with a 454 eng.86000 miles and does not have piston slap. I am very happy with it. I am trying to find the artical so I can post it. We are thinking of buying in the next year or so and like GM which has more H.P. than the Ford, or so we have been told by some salesman we have talked to. Thanks for the advice, and Happy traveling.
rlmurrays59, I have a 82 Suncrest with a 454 eng.86000 miles and does not have piston slap. I am very happy with it. I am trying to find the artical so I can post it. We are thinking of buying in the next year or so and like GM which has more H.P. than the Ford, or so we have been told by some salesman we have talked to. Thanks for the advice, and Happy traveling.
Piston Slap
HI Tery6, it was the first 8.1L or 8100 engines that had the piston slap, I don't know what GM did, if they did anything to rectify the situation. What I heard & read is it was blamed on short piston skirts. I don't think it caused any serious problems just sounds bad. :evil: It wasn't the 454 or Vortec 7.4L engines. Of course I don't own any GM products
, You may want to check out the new generation Ford V10 3 valves per cyl. IT will Blow that old GM v8 right off the road :evil: :laugh: .
:laugh: :bleh: :approve:
HI Tery6, it was the first 8.1L or 8100 engines that had the piston slap, I don't know what GM did, if they did anything to rectify the situation. What I heard & read is it was blamed on short piston skirts. I don't think it caused any serious problems just sounds bad. :evil: It wasn't the 454 or Vortec 7.4L engines. Of course I don't own any GM products
, You may want to check out the new generation Ford V10 3 valves per cyl. IT will Blow that old GM v8 right off the road :evil: :laugh: . :laugh: :bleh: :approve:Piston Slap
LOL Gary B, we are considering Ford when we buy, I did have one Ford that I was pleased with :laugh: I'll be sure to show your post to my Brother, he has a Big Block Ford and pulls a 27 foot TT. I follow him when we travel and that TT tracks right behind that Ford very well. It's a very nice set-up. Just for the record, I follow him just in case he needs a push. :evil: :laugh:
LOL Gary B, we are considering Ford when we buy, I did have one Ford that I was pleased with :laugh:
I'll be sure to show your post to my Brother, he has a Big Block Ford and pulls a 27 foot TT. I follow him when we travel and that TT tracks right behind that Ford very well. It's a very nice set-up. Just for the record, I follow him just in case he needs a push. :evil: :laugh:stewarttoy
New Member
Piston Slap
quote:Originally posted by Terry6
I read somewhere that some of the 454 engines are developing Piston Slap, does anyone know what years and if GM is doing anything about it? As I remember it's the newer Vortec eng. My wife says it was in Motor Home magazine, but can't find it again. :evil: :laugh:
quote:Originally posted by Terry6
I read somewhere that some of the 454 engines are developing Piston Slap, does anyone know what years and if GM is doing anything about it? As I remember it's the newer Vortec eng. My wife says it was in Motor Home magazine, but can't find it again. :evil: :laugh:
stewarttoy
New Member
Piston Slap
Hello Terry,what a coincidence,I just started tonight to check the web...I have a 1986 Bounder that started a slap overnite,its a 454 Chevy engine,the mechanic told me not to worry,compression is over 120 on all cylinders,he said drive it until probably some other problem will occur first...I feel a little un easy driving it ,not knowing,but all I can tell you is what he said...good luck to you (and me)Take care
Hello Terry,what a coincidence,I just started tonight to check the web...I have a 1986 Bounder that started a slap overnite,its a 454 Chevy engine,the mechanic told me not to worry,compression is over 120 on all cylinders,he said drive it until probably some other problem will occur first...I feel a little un easy driving it ,not knowing,but all I can tell you is what he said...good luck to you (and me)Take care
Piston Slap
Hi stewattoy, welcome to the site. Good folk and good imformation here. Outstanding compresson on your engine, the frist time I heard of piston slap was when I was 16 years old a mechanic told me my 6 month old Honda motorcycle had it. The bike ran so good I kept riding it until I broke my leg in 1966. Is this a mechanic someone you know & trust? If not you might want you get a 2nd opinion, or maybe even a 3rd if the 2nd mechnic doesn't agree with the the 1st. :laugh: Good luck to you as well, and take care.
Hi stewattoy, welcome to the site. Good folk and good imformation here. Outstanding compresson on your engine, the frist time I heard of piston slap was when I was 16 years old a mechanic told me my 6 month old Honda motorcycle had it. The bike ran so good I kept riding it until I broke my leg in 1966. Is this a mechanic someone you know & trust? If not you might want you get a 2nd opinion, or maybe even a 3rd if the 2nd mechnic doesn't agree with the the 1st.
:laugh: Good luck to you as well, and take care.Piston Slap
Years ago I used to do that type of work. One of the more famous was the old 6 cylinder engines. It was not unusual at all to hear the piston slap in those.
For the 20 or so years I worked on and overhauled engines I never did see one that failed bacause of the piston slap. Usually something else develops first - burning oil because of worn rings - seals - valve failure and etc.
I don't think I would worry too much about the engine - just keep on listening to it and checking the oil and generally maintaining it well and I bet it outlasts your interest in the unit (you will probably trade it in long before trouble develops).
Good luck
God Bless
Bill & Judy
Years ago I used to do that type of work. One of the more famous was the old 6 cylinder engines. It was not unusual at all to hear the piston slap in those.
For the 20 or so years I worked on and overhauled engines I never did see one that failed bacause of the piston slap. Usually something else develops first - burning oil because of worn rings - seals - valve failure and etc.
I don't think I would worry too much about the engine - just keep on listening to it and checking the oil and generally maintaining it well and I bet it outlasts your interest in the unit (you will probably trade it in long before trouble develops).
Good luck
God Bless
Bill & Judy
C Nash
Senior Member
Piston Slap
Hi Terry
Better watch what Gary tells you he's is ford brain washed :laugh: . I have the v10 ford n our MH and Had to get a Chevy Tracker to push it :approve: Also added a bowtie emblem on the sterring wheel and that alone added about 100 HP. Don't worry about a little piston slap, might be a ford that got sucked up in there . It was the short piston skirts that caused ths in the early 8.1. old 265s were terrible at this and we knurled the piston to repair woops, telling my age. To my knowledge Chevy has done nothing to fix the slap.
PS Hurts to say this but have been very pleased with the Ford V10. Hope our chev race car don't read this
Hi Terry
Better watch what Gary tells you he's is ford brain washed :laugh: . I have the v10 ford n our MH
and Had to get a Chevy Tracker to push it :approve: Also added a bowtie emblem on the sterring wheel and that alone added about 100 HP. Don't worry about a little piston slap, might be a ford that got sucked up in there . It was the short piston skirts that caused ths in the early 8.1. old 265s were terrible at this and we knurled the piston to repair woops, telling my age. To my knowledge Chevy has done nothing to fix the slap.PS Hurts to say this but have been very pleased with the Ford V10. Hope our chev race car don't read this
Piston Slap
Thanks C Nash and sepisllib, for information and the laughs. I'm thinking of going Ford V-10 on our next Motor Home, and yes it's hard for me to say as well C Nash. :laugh: That 454 has been very good to us for 10 years, but it's almost time to move on. My wife says we need more room, that might have something to do with my brother buying a new T.T. that has a 12 foot slide. Take care and God bless. Terry
Thanks C Nash and sepisllib, for information and the laughs.
I'm thinking of going Ford V-10 on our next Motor Home, and yes it's hard for me to say as well C Nash. :laugh: That 454 has been very good to us for 10 years, but it's almost time to move on. My wife says we need more room, that might have something to do with my brother buying a new T.T. that has a 12 foot slide. Take care and God bless. Terry