just put an order in to a fleet chevy dealer for a 2023 Express with a 6.6L V8.

This engine was introduced by GM io 2020, and I did some research on this engine and it seems that a lot of people are complaining that it burns oil.

I am just trying to find out if owners of this engine see oil burning issues with it in their vans, and how severe.
I am not about to buy a new van so that i can add 1qt of oil every 1000 miles...

What is the reliability of this vehicle if maintenance is kept up to date.

Any feedback highly appreciated.

 

It's fairly new. You'd need to break in the piston rings slowly, as all people should. I dont own a 6.6, I just know that lots of people put the pedal to the metal even on a brand new vehicle, and harm the engine in doing so. My father had a 1969 C-60 medium duty Chevy with the 366 cubic inch big block engine (6.0 liter). It did not use much oil at all, pulling heavy loads all the time. But most men knew to take it easy on a new engine back then, as he did. My 1998 K-1500 Chevy uses no oil between 5000 mile oil changes, for instance.

 

Still finding lots of posts and videos showing that this engine burns oil.

Don't know what to think ...

 

I've heard tell that the oil control piston rings are not very well designed in some of the GM motors, leading to oil burning. The notion of reducing friction by using these rings was a bad idea, if true.

 

@oilcanhenry, do I have any aftermarket options to instal better piston rings ?
Or any other engine mod that would make this engine better re: oil consumption ?
any shop that can do that kind of engine work ?
I understand this engine was modded by some lab and ended up making around 2000 HP
I don't need the HP, just a reliable engine that does not burn oil.

I understand that will require another pile of money, but this van is really pivotal to what my future plans are and would like to make it work, even if i end up paying more in the end.

 

1. follow break in procedures to seat the compression rings properly. This means no towing until the break in period is over.
2. don't follow extended oil life change intervals. When customers come in at 15000kilometers for the first oil change bc the oil life monitor ran it that long...asking for problems.
3 there is no factory build option to make this engine better. Anything aftermarket will void powertrain warranty.

 

@tech2 - I am willing to accept voiding the powertrain warranty if I get a good aftermarket mod.

No plans to tow with this, and I am familiar with the brake in procedure.
The issue becomes bigger when/if it is a design issue that causes this oil consumption.

 

there is no mod. Run it and see what happens...it may never burn oil...you have the entire warranty period to determine this. If it does burn oil...they will address it under warranty...that is the time to have then install what ever mod you want. if there even is a problem...the engineers will figure it out eventually and design updated parts. at this point no one has enough information to determine anything.

 

Thank you all for the input. Appreciate it.

 

The complete break-in is 2500-5000 miles. It would cost you a lot of hard-earned money to put better oil control rings in the motor, but it's your call. Back in the day, they used to use non-detergent regular motor oil for break in but now they just use the oil they recommend. I suppose you could try that, but only for a short while as with dual VVT motors, it is likely not a good idea. Might damage bearings, which is not at all good. I'd just run her low and slow instead and see what occurs. I'd keep RPMS at 1500-2000 max and never floor it. It might turn out well. It will not churn out 2000 HP stock. You are in the 400-500 HP range stock. Nothing wrong with that at all.