New Engine @161k??? ‘07 5.7

I am frustrated and disappointed.
This is an ‘07 doublecab SR5 5.7


Driving home yesterday I got off the interstate (15 minute drive) onto a slower highway to get home (10 minutes) and as soon as I exited I noticed shuddering between 1k and 1.8k rpm. Check engine came on blinking as well as VSC and 4lo. I pulled over into a parking lot to look for any sort of leak and confirm I had oil and coolant (I do maintenance routinely but worth a check) and everything looked fine. No shavings in the oil and it looked clean.

Fired back up, still shuddering but made it to my neighborhood. Then it dropped dead as I was rolling down my street and the A/T oil light came on. Wouldn’t crank back up, but at this point I suspected an alternator because the lights would go incredibly dim, almost off, when I tried to crank it. No turnover at all, no started engaging. I tried to jump it a few times with a neighbors car, then again when the tow truck driver showed up. Nada. Drop it off at the shop and a few hours later they call with their main focus being that the crankshaft won’t spin despite using a breaker bar…so of course this is great news.

With 161k they’re recommending I need a new engine because it just won’t be worthwhile to open the can of worms and find who knows what. They charged my battery and upon the first crank you can hear it engaging as if it wants to crank, but it won’t. The second try it doesn’t even get that far. With the serpentine belt off, no crank and the crankshaft is seized.

I genuinely have no idea, nor do the mechanics, what could've caused this. Loss of oil pressure somehow? I do regular maintenance as needed and drive like an old man most of the time.

Has anyone experienced this before? Or have any input/ideas? (Despite get a second opinion because I’m not going with the first quote I get)


They’re proposing a 2012 5.7 with 105k out the door for $9300. With that, I’m thinking I’ll likely trade it in since the market is so inflated and It’ll hurt less than selling next year when it’s worth perhaps much less. Also yes, not the best move to drive it another 10 minutes after it started shuddering, but I guess you could say I was being optimistic and hoping my driveshaft just needed to be balanced or something.
Thanks everyone!

 

Me too......... Shit happens..... depending on the condition of the rest of the truck, how you use the truck, and what you can get for it as it sits (against another used or new truck), a used or rebuilt engine might be your best option. It's not likely you can replace your '07 for $10 grand. Shop around.

 

It probably dumped a valve spring. The extra running probably mangled the valve and seized the motor.

Its worth a 2nd opinion. Its possible the piston is pushing a mangled valve into the head, not allowing the motor to turn over.

In that case you can hope for a new head (maybe fix the old one) and new valve springs...which sure as hell wont cost anywhere near $10k.

I believe the 07’s that had some valve spring issues...could be wrong but not very common either way.

Let us know how it goes

 

Long shot.. but any chance is the starter? Seized and holding the flex plate... My opinion would be pull the starter and then try moving the flex plate that way, or the crankshaft from the front of the engine.. my starter gave me 2 grace starts before it wouldn't start and my tow couldn't help me either, then was shocked I asked him to take me home vice a shop...

If the oil is not showing metal shavings or chunks I would think its something else... buy a stethoscope on Amazon for like 60 bucks and scope through the spark plug hole and check it out if there is any damage... seeing is believing.. if it's made contact there should be some evidence.. I'm no physicist but I'm sure aluminum doesn't evaporate..

Not knocking independent shops, but money hungry shops will upsale you too and never swap the engine but charge you the cost... these are my 2 cents..

 

You can get anything to turn into a vapor if you push enough BTUs into it.

 

Take it to another shop, hopefully one you know you can trust. If it was a valve that broke off you would be able to turn the crank the opposite direction, they should have tried that. Water in the fuel could cause this if there's enough in it. How low was your fuel when this happened? Like Blackdemon said, a starter problem could cause it. It wouldn't take very long to pull the plugs and use a borescope to look into each cylinder to confirm if there's a problem in one. Personally I wouldn't put $9300 into it.

 

Where are you located?

 

So my mechanic is a part of iATN my brother has used various mechanics from there and was pleased.

https://iatn.net/repair/

I’d spend up to $300 just to have the piece of mind and get a second opinion!

if not trade it in and move on.
Sorry it’s gonna suck either way.

 

I second it on the starter. A fried starter can freeze up an engine, or rather make it seem seized. I was stuck in Carson City for 3 days cause my buddies camaro just up and died. On the 3rd day he removed the starter, and discovered it was seized. He got got started rebuilt, and the car started right up.

 

Northeast Florida

 

I 2nd the valve spring rough running then took a total dump, just learned the other day that was a issue on some earlier 2nd gens.