[rikter]

Hey guys. I just purchased a used 2017 ZL1 with 37k miles. It feels great and runs great. I have read about the oil pump failure and the timing chain issues. My question for anyone, is there something I should do to protect investment? Do you recommend me preemptively doing any of these fixes? Or do I just watch the oil pressure and listen for weird engine noises? I really love this car and just want to make sure I have it for many years to come. Due to the fact that I got it from a non-gm dealer there is no service history beyond what Carfax tells me about oil changes and stuff. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

[ZLRob]

Originally Posted by rikter

Hey guys. I just purchased a used 2017 ZL1 with 37k miles. It feels great and runs great. I have read about the oil pump failure and the timing chain issues. My question for anyone, is there something I should do to protect investment? Do you recommend me preemptively doing any of these fixes? Or do I just watch the oil pressure and listen for weird engine noises? I really love this car and just want to make sure I have it for many years to come. Due to the fact that I got it from a non-gm dealer there is no service history beyond what Carfax tells me about oil changes and stuff. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Firstly, congratulations on your purchase! These are beautiful vehicles and it's like Christmas every time you hop behind the wheel of it.

Secondly, unfortunately, I recommend doing it just to get it out of the way and done with. I have a 2017 and what initially started as a purchase of a vehicle with the full intention of leaving it stock turned into another modification party vehicle real quick because of how much of a big shortcoming the vehicle was with its DOD lifters and failing oil pump hardware it comes with.. that led to all of the modifications you see in my signature. It is an expensive undertaking as a whole... So get ready to spend some coin on this vehicle when you do everything. Do the oil pump, a billet tensioner because those are also partly to blame for oil pump failures, a DOD delete, non DOD lifters, and non DOD cam of your profile choosing with at least a 32% fuel lobe to accommodate for future power mods to account for the high side and that should keep you pretty happy for a while. Maybe do an ATI super damper so you can do quick and easy supercharger pulley swap outs later on down the road and don't have to deal with it once the engine is in. Depending how serious you are, I'd be happy to talk shop on everything via PM or another way of communicating. Outside of that, hopefully this gets you going. I'm 1000% happy with my Katech oil pump and don't even think about oil pressure anymore.

[rikter]

Thank you so much. This really does give me a good place to start. Unfortunately I won't be able to do that all in one go due to financial reasons. But I think I'll pick up a Katech oil pump, a billet tensioner and the super damper. I think that will give me a least some stress relief. Then I will work towards the DOD delete, non DOD lifters and cam. I think that's a solid plan to ensure she lives a long life. It's such a great car.

[ZLRob]

The reason why I am suggesting all of that is because book time for doing an oil pump calls for 24 hours or something insane. It basically involves pulling the entire engine to do that, so if you have to pull the engine it's easier right off the bat to do all that since you have that stuff out. This engine is not as simple as the LS engines are. They decided to bury the lifters beneath the heads, so you see why I am saying it's better to just do it all at once. If the reasons for not wanting to do it are financial, I would save up for a little bit, gather your parts and then have the job done when you can do it all right, the first time and don't have to worry about going back in there.

[RobZL1]

I agree with that. Many of us have taken the same path. My pump failed and I'm in the middle of a rebuild right now. See my build thread for the pump failure if interested.

[ariZona28]

Check with Cordes Performance in Tempe. I've known a few folks who have had work done there and were very happy. If an early ZL1 ever comes into my life Cordes will be the first stop.

[KingLT1]

DO it all at once...it will cost less in the long run.

[KamZL1]

Just going to share my experience with you since it sounds very similar to yours. I bought a used 17 about 5 years ago with 15k on the clock. Left it stock (other than a rotofab) for 4 of those years - drove the shit out of it. It was my daily and a car I took everywhere. I did not baby it around, I beat on it (like any other 21-year-old would), ate a lot of scat packs and mustangs, 170 -180 pulls everything you name it. Never had an issue but my gauge cluster stayed on oil pressure because I always had it in the back of my mind. I was waiting for it to go but it never did. I put 2" headers, e50, ported tb and had it at about 600 wheel or so for the remainder of the time I owned it until it was stolen (buy an IGLA immediately) And again I did not change my driving style. I had 80,000 miles on it before it was stolen, never had an issue. Do what you want with that information, but I think if you are strictly speaking on probabilistic outcomes, you are more than likely fine like I was. By all means if it lets you sleep better at night and you have the money to pull the motor, go ahead. I was only going to do this when I went to put a cam in the car.

[manders500]

If you are doing the oil pump, just do the cam at the same time since you are already there.