1998 Chevrolet Silverado K1500 4x4 5.7L Vortech from North America

Summary:

An awesome truck, but only because it's a Chevy 350. The 305 and 4.3 are garbage

Faults:

To tell you the truth, nothing really went wrong until the warranty was done. After that I had a few problems until I quit taking it back to the dealership for service. Reliable as hell otherwise. Never left me stranded.

Water pump and lower hose at 100,000.

Tires.

Fuel pump and filter.

Air filter.

Plugs, wires, cap and rotor.

General Comments:

I am a Chevy guy through and through, and to tell you the truth, I really can't bring myself to buy a new truck, because they look so girly.

Simply because it is a 5 speed with a Chevy 350 under the hood, this thing will probably run forever. I ran it for about a year with a bad water pump and never experienced any overheating at all. The only reason I found it is because there would be antifreeze on the ground underneath it sometimes.

Other than that, can't complain about anything. It will bark fourth with no problem :) She is a quick one.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 14th June, 2009

15th Jun 2009, 22:14

That is really awesome you were able to get your truck with the 350/5 speed combo, I've always thought you could never get a 5 speed with the 350.

In reply to 15th Jun 2009, 22:14

16th Apr 2011, 18:59

Oh buddy. I have a 4.3 liter shortbox. She flies. I had her buried at 110 MPH and she burns.

17th Apr 2011, 18:43

Say what you want about the 305, but I have seen original 305 smallblock Chevy engines go way, way past 300k - 400k without a rebuild, not leaking or burning oil, and running quiet.

I was amazed to see this myself, but have seen this on a lot of old Chevys. Sure the 350 has more power, but the 305 with a cast iron block puts Japanese technology to shame when it comes to reliability and high running hours.

19th Apr 2011, 10:24

Hey man, don't be bashing on the 305, I restore cars, and I have a 93 C1500 extended cab with a 305 with an automatic.

I drove it up to Barea, Kentucky last August to buy a 71 Lincoln Mark III (a 5700 lb car) and towed it home on my trailer. No problems at all. The 305 may not be as "fast" as the 350, but my truck has always done what I needed it to do without much trouble or strain.

I have 180,000 miles on it. All I've done is regular maintenance and fixed a few wear and tear items. You know, the usual stuff like brakes, timing chain, water pump, trans services, oil changes, etc.

I had the infamous wiper issue, but a new computer circuit board fixed it. I did a few cosmetic upgrades to it too, such as 97 front end and rear bumper, chrome deep dish Chevy rims and caps, repainted it midnight blue with a pewter belly, removed all side trim and emblems (except for a Cheyenne emblem on the c-pillar like my dad's 72 Cheyenne Super) for a clean profile, and changed out my bed to the step side.

I love my truck, he does what I need, and always gets me where I want to go. If I ever need another motor, then I'm getting another 305 for sure. If I want to go fast, I'll drive my 66 Malibu with its 396. If I want to go luxurious, I'll drive my 71 Mark III. Every car I own has its purpose.

1998 Chevrolet Silverado 5.7L V8 Vortec from North America

Summary:

Awesome!

Faults:

Service Engine Soon light indicates a P0420, which is Catalyst Efficiency Below Threshold Bank 1, from what I've come to understand that means I have to replace the catalytic converter. FYI, if it we're 02 sensors the OBDII codes would tell me so. Haven't replaced it yet, I suspect that the plugged cat converter could be the culprit of rough idling. Estimated around 300 bucks to replace. Kinda scared if the plugged converter could mean something like a burned exhaust valve, so if I replace the converter and if I end up back at square one all over again. Though with 176,000 miles on it, good chance it is just an old used up converter?

Starter was replaced, not sure of all the details, but previous owner had to enlarge one of the holes to mount it. Tried using shims, but every now and again at start up you get that smacking noise from the pinion gear. That might be expensive to fix.

Steering kinda twitches or jerks with left turns. Getting new tires soon and complete alignment, so I'm hoping that fixes it. New tires are expensive FYI.

Ball joints leak grease, but nothing new on mostly any vehicle.

General Comments:

Water pump was replaced by previous owner, I can tell since I pulled off the skid plate under the front differential and scraped off dirt and thick gunk that had rested there from when it was going out. Seems like water pump is a must to replace sooner or later on these.

Fuel filter has been replaced within the year, wondering about replacing it again in the spring 09. It does do that loud fuel pump sound, but with the rumbling engine it isn't any big deal, and it just shut offs pretty soon after I pull the key out of the ignition after driving.

Transmission was also totally replaced, it's still even shiny! So even with 176,000 miles on the engine, the tranny has maybe over a 1,000 or 2,000 miles and still under warranty.

Other than that, seems quite alright. Has a feeling of power behind the wheel! Has actually been taken pretty good care of, and oil changes, routine maintenance has been performed consistently. Wondered about switching to high mileage oil, but am scared of causing any leaks. Just sticking to Pennz 5W30 at the moment.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 29th October, 2008

18th Jun 2014, 22:20

You need to check with your dealer and have them check the sensor for your steering; mine did that and did not cost that much.