1997 Chevrolet Silverado K1500 Z71 from North America - Comments

Rear differential pinion seal seeps some oil. It is so slow that I add about 1/4 cup of fluid to the differential once a year.

Driver's side door jam switch (the one that tells the vehicle your door is open) is fluky. Maybe I'll replace it.

Slight Piston slap when cold, goes away after a few minutes. This is common on small block Chevy and not a problem. This has been going on since I purchased the vehicle and has not changed in severity over about 18K miles.

Shop had to use the "knockouts" on the right front upper control arm mounts to bring the camber and caster (front end alignment) into specification at 97,000 miles. But, I do drive this vehicle in Michigan where the roads are notoriously rough.

At 90K miles the check engine light came on. My OBD-II tester told me I had a faulty valve in the emision's system (I don't remember exactly which one, maybe EGR). There was no effect on gas mileage, starting or drivability. I drove it for about 1,000 miles this way in the winter. The parts guy at a local dealership told me that they can get sticky from carbon buildup and to just clean it and put it back on (a new one was $175). Actually, the problem just went away on its own (the valve became unstuck).

The valve covers leak a little bit of oil, this is typical with older small block Chevy's. Not enough for it to smoke when the drips hit the exhaust manifolds.

This is a GREAT truck and a fabulous bargain. I paid $11K for mine (book at the time was $15,500 avg retail). It is fully loaded and was kept in excellent condition by the former owner. It is relatively smooth riding and very comfortable. We call it "The Kentucky Kadillac". The 5.7L V8 is very powerful AND the fuel economy is about the same as it was for my 4.3L S10 ZR2!!!

Yes this is a V8, 4x4, Automatic trans pickup truck. So gas mileage in the 15 MPG range is acceptable with my driving cycle.

The small block Chevy is, without a doubt, one of the world's benchmark engines. Even with 98,000 mis I burn/leak only about 1/4-1/2 qt between oil changes and it starts and runs smooth as silk every time. The Z71 5.7 (350 ci) liter has dual cats and dual exhaust back to the muffler. Some Z71's have the 5.0L (305 ci)

I know an engineer at GM who worked on this generation of Chevy pickups and he told me that one of the main priority goals of the design project for these trucks was ultimate durability and I belive him.

The brakes do not perform very well. They are durable however. There is a lot of pedal travel and I would like to see a firmer and more responsive brake system. I replaced the factory front pads with a set of high performance European pads. The brakes were improved in stopping power and feel, but now I have: squeal, vibration and dust. I will try another brand of pads soon.

Next time you drive down the freeway take a look around you and see how many of these trucks are around you. Many of them as real work trucks, All beat up and carrying heavy loads. These puppies just run and run and run. I know people that have way over 150K miles on their Z71's and have no intention of selling them and love them.

My goal is to get at least 200K miles out of this truck and I do not see any issue at all with this.

With the prices of equivelent 2004 models over $30K... A good used one starts to look pretty appealing.

I also happen to think that this is one of the best looking trucks (besides any GM truck from 1950's to about 1970) built. It is very classy looking.

I agree totally with you. My Z71 Extended cab had 203,000 miles on it and still going strong. I in fact just bought a new truck and I still like driving my older one better.

Today's date is Sept 12, 2006.

My 1997 Z71, 5.7 L, runs great with about 173K miles on it. Runs on pure synthetic oil. Sometimes I pump it up with the Hypertech programmer, but then generally have to run mid-grade gas to avoid pinging. Even without the Hypertech it pulls very strong. Just took it on a short camping trip to Lassen Park (California) with the wife and it ran great.

My 1997 Chevrolet Z71 extended cab has 235,000 miles and it is still going strong.

I have a 97' Z71 with a bad a** 350 under the hood, and even with 235,012 miles on it, that puppy carries heavy loads, runs great, looks great, and will dust almost any newer truck.

Go Chevy! Ya'll did it right with this generation.