GMT400s with a ton of miles?

[cam.man67]

So I've always heard that our 88-98s are generally truck that can take a ton of miles as long as they're taken care of. Our '96 GMC is still a young truck at 160,000 miles, so I can't really speak to that end. but I'm curious, what is the highest mileage GMT400 you've had or heard of? My neighbor's '94 w/t 1500 has 550,000 with one trans and one rear rebuild!

[sntrym95]

Mine's not quite that high, but I have 310k on the motor, never had the valve covers off. I'm on trans #3 (I tow a boat), and rear end #2, but have the original G80 in it still. It's a 95 C1500 ECSB with a 350, 4L60E, and a 3.42 rear end.

[Tom]

A 20yr old truck with 160,000 miles is considered young?!?!?!?
A truck is a truck. Replace parts and it will last forever.
Same engine as has been used for many decades, a well known variable. Trans is well known to only last around 150k at best. I've never known anyone with any truck and a rear end failure although people do talk about it happening. I don't see these gens being any more or less reliable then older or newer gens.

[Valarius_Starchaser]

I work at a GM dealer and we had a GMT400 with 950k on it a few months back for its 4th engine..... Now thats dedication to a vehicle

[special-K]

I see these as lasting way beyond what prior years did. They brought in the notion that 100k is no big deal. My '92 K3500 SRW 6.5TD gave me 200k of virtually trouble-free service. I kept on driving, with confidence, all the way till 335k when the crank broke in the original engine. 22 years of hard work. That truck gave me the service of more than two trucks.

I went out and bought the '95 K2500 Suburban, 20 years old with 120k, from Georgia where rust hadn't even thought about starting on it. Didn't pay much, put some exhaust on it, and have been driving for 20k+, just hop in and drive so far

[Toms97]

Originally Posted by cam.man67

So I've always heard that our 88-98s are generally truck that can take a ton of miles as long as they're taken care of. Our '96 GMC is still a young truck at 160,000 miles, so I can't really speak to that end. but I'm curious, what is the highest mileage GMT400 you've had or heard of? My neighbor's '94 w/t 1500 has 550,000 with one trans and one rear rebuild!

Similar situation here, '97 Chevy K1500 with a 305 that just hit 161,000 yesterday. Still original engine and transmission (I think, bought used at 43k miles). It's tried to self destruct a couple times, between an intake manifold gasket leak that sludged up the engine and a worn-out TCC piston that caused the torque converter lockup to slip.

Rust might get it first, as the paint is peeling off the bottom of the doors. I see a lot of them starting to do that around here. That's mostly cosmetic but the frame also has a heavy layer of rust on it, but still appears sound.

[7echo]

1993 C1500, 305, automatic. 189,000 miles.

PO put in a new rear end at 147,000.

A little surface rust on the frame.

[Mr_Rich]

My '89 has close to 275K on the chassis to date with the fourth engine and second 700R4 trans.
History:
1st engine: Factory 305 ~30K miles cracked engine block in lifter valley
2nd engine: Dealer repl. 305 short block ~18K miles; I got tired of the incompetence and mistakes that was done with the warranty work. I lived with too many problems at the time.
3rd engine: OTC 350 ~190K miles I replaced this engine in '94 myself out in the street outside my apt. It was the best thing I could've done at the time. I got roughly 19 years of use out of this engine. Only reason I swapped it out because the gaskets were wearing out and I got tired of the coating of grime in my engine compartment. Still ran great at the time.
4th engine: Spare 350 with a roller cam. Exact same engine block as my 190K engine, only equipped with a roller cam. Swapped out because I could and it was a retirement project. I went through the whole drivetrain and took care of areas where gaskets failed such as the right side diff. gasket. New U-joints and brakes. So I have roughly 50K since I did all this work and it still drives like a new truck. My paint job looks like he!!, but it runs good.

[91short]

I'm guessing that my 91 has over 300k miles on the original eng, trans, and rear end. The odometer broke about 11 years ago. The truck has the 4.3 with a 5 speed. My dad bought it from a friend when it was a year old, I got it from my dad in 2005.

[jones9j]

I love the 73-87 but everyone knows they won't last like the 88-98. 99 to present,, do I really need to discuss that junk. Lol. I had several 88 -98 with over 300k. Had a 94 z71 tgat had 420k and all that was ever replaced was the battery. Still had orginal, water pump and starter. Lol

[Ta12sec]

Just sold my 99 z71 2dr tahoe with 217k and it ran like a top.

[ColinsChopShop]

My dads 1996 gmc 2500 with the 5.7 has 307,000 on it now and original engine and transmission. its a work truck and it gets worked hard.

[Terrick down Under]

G'day from down under.
I have a 93 CCLB dually, 7.4 & 4L80E. 430,000 on the clock.
Only changed the valve cover gaskets, gearbox #2.
I am trying to find a reman motor to ship down here.

Don't get me wrong, its still running ok, but it gets a bit slow with the TC on going up some of the hills around here.

[MalibuSSwagon]

my Dad had a 1994 K1500, 4.3L V6. Was our plow truck, we abused the hell out of it. Here it is the day the transmission lost reverse. 250k miles and still ran great but the frame was also rotted everywhere so it was time for it to go.



I thought he was nuts the day he brought home a V6 plow truck but it did the job of clearing the 500ft driveway quite well for many years.

Dad also had a 1990 C3500 roach coach with 200k miles and when he sold the business it had over 350k+, only replaced an alternator in that time. not bad.

[special-K]

I just helped a guy I know up at Spring Carlisle get his '93 C1500 V6 started when we were about the only ones left there. He had already told me earlier he bought it new. I don't know how many miles are on it, but I can tell he doesn't know a lot about mechanics or how to take care of anything. He sells MOPAR stuff, so see?, he obviously doesn't understand . His battery was dead flat and he said he just got a new battery. First I removed the wire nut on the smaller primary lead and cleaned that up, then found both cables fairly loose at the battery. Not crusty there since battery was new, but you could see it at the edge of the rubber. I cut that open and cleaned it up best I could. I had a tiny pair of vice-grips, straight screw driver, a small flat jeweler's file, and about 1 liter of Pepsi. Got him going and told him it was time to replace those original battery cables. 23 year old battery cables. It seems everything (but fuel and brake lines) lasts longer on these trucks. My '92 never had a bulb burn out. Had to replace one rear circuit board once. Never replaced a u-joint or any front end work. Everything in the interior worked fine till the end. Headliners could hold up better, but oh well

[Cabnchassis]

Here is an article about a guy that made a million, and i read one years ago about a truck GM bought from a guy that drove it more than a million miles delivering sea food. Nothing special done, just regular maintenance. My 92 has 212K runs perferct and compression is just a hair below factory numbers. Take care of an SBC and it'll go a long ways. Aside from maintenance the most important thing to keep up on to keep them going is oil leaks. If it's leaking oil on the outside, it's building sludge on the inside.

[Mick Je]

My Dads 93 Dually just turned 199,000 miles. A year ago the trans went out and got it rebuild with a towing shift kit. And the end of last year the distributor shaft bearings went out so had to replace that, finally got a decent distributor. Beware to anyone who buys a AC Delco distributors make sure it has a new modules, AC Delco reuses the original modules from when our trucks were new! And they SUCK! Besides that it's a great truck! I would like to do a 8.1-Allison swap later on though!

[jcramsey]

The 93 GMC I just bought is showing 265,XXX on the odometer. Not sure if engine and trans are original or not though.

[cam.man67]

Here are three with 1,000,000 miles, two I think on the original engine!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lNuq4ChkrF8

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iSunY_w957Q

http://www.knfilters.com/mobile/news.aspx?id=157

[54 jimmy]

my 97 has 201,000 miles on the original drivetrain. I am the second owner. love this truck. my 89 had 185,000 on it when I sold it but had the motor replaced once, 3 trans, and 2 rears. love these trucks and as long as you service them regularly they last forever.

[TwoFiftyShifter]

I had a 96 ECSB 4x4 for a few years. Bought at 252K sold at 292K. Some electrical problems near the end but otherwise no issues. My father bought one new in 1997. His ate fuel pumps a few times. Sold with 160K and looked like a new truck, it was black and he got top dollar.

The TBI 350s were great torque makers and stone reliable. Seems the Vortecs had some issues along with their performance.

I will always like this era truck. The first to have all of the creature comforts easily available.

[Hoods69BadBowTie]

I regularly see them in at my work with 150k-250k miles and most still in decent shape for the most part. There are a few that I have worked on with over 300k miles I know that we have replaced motors in them. My '95 has right over 200k and it's getting tired but still gets me from point A to point B and then back home. Great reliable trucks if they have regular maintenance done on them.

[Blazeone]

201,000 miles

Just put in a new th400.

1 new radiator around 80,000

New rotors & calipers / lines at 190,000

[mountie]

385,600 + miles,on my '88 C2500 Sierra SLE. ' Camper package'.

The 1st year model had some factory warranty issues. The local Orange County, Ca. dealer guy to OK the warranty work was a JERK!!

< at less than 13,000 miles>

#1 - Catylic Converter broken inside. Rejected
#2 - Rear leaf spring set did not match ( one was for a van?). Rejected
#3 - Oil Cooler adaptor leaked at filter 'O' ring ( surface not machined ) Rejected
#4 - 34 gal fuel tank ( per window sticker) was actually 28.5 Rejected
#5 - R/F fender at antenna area, original defect metal work. Rejected
#6 - 700R4 Transmission 'lock up' defect. ( chattering) Rejected
>> Even during a Technical Service Bullitin ! <<
Transmission blew up, and GMC still rejected a warranty fix!!
#7 - Paint clearcoat blistering Rejected

I finally had the pleasure of installing a California Performance Transmission ( Art Carr ), build me a 650HP capable transmission that has been awsome for 20 years.

I had valve seals go bad at 220,000. It was better to get a fresh 350 installed ( at Dick Guldstrand race shop) for the same cost as head repair.

With the great advice in this forum, and parts from LMC / Rockauto, my truck is as good now, as it ever was!!

[pwdcougar]

My 97 is just a spring chicken with just over 125K. Replaced the water pump a couple times and did the new style injectors last year. I just wish the brake lines lasted a little longer. My steel lines started rusting through when the truck was 6 years old!

Paul