THE BEST GM ECOTEC? 2.0L Turbo LTG Cadillac ATS Engine Teardown. 13-23 Camaro Regal Malibu CTS

[@BillWrightabc]

Eric, there is a great gap between "immature" and "whimsical showmanship to meet audience expectations." I believe we who understand how you have built your business, the network of professionals with whom you work, the love you show for your family, the give back to the community you and your fellow shop owner down in Florida are working on with rebuilding the van for the mother and her children...you have earned yourself the slack to engage in a bit of whimsical showmanship with the head gaskets, timing chain guides and water pumps bits every week. Besides, some of the water pump skits have caused me to keep my keyboard cleaned up from wine-thruogh-the-nose snorts. Yahdone is good. Keep up the great work.

[@dawnpoint]

Anyone who has a problem with these videos being "immature" clearly works in HR.

[@BillWrightabc]

@@dawnpoint Dawnpoint--I am a Lead Technical Recruiter and former Human Resources Director. My first job out of college was at Ford Motor Company. I am a confirmed gearhead. Think, dude, you just stepped into an octagon you shouldn't have. 😁🤣

[@dawnpoint]

@@BillWrightabc And you just confirmed my comment to be true. Good work.

[@robertwest3093]

I couldn’t have said it better, Bill Wright!

[@BillWrightabc]

@@robertwest3093 Thank you, Robert. I love what Eric does, from the deadly series analysis and great explanations to the fun stuff with his staff, viz., the water pumps. Don't know if you saw the 7/12 show, we had flying chain guides--!!!! 🤫🤣

[@randywooldridge9064]

Don’t change a thing, a lot of us love your Chanel the way it is !

[@christopherreed4723]

"Chanel" is a perfume company. I think what you're thinking of is a "channel". 😉

[@dagameboy]

@@christopherreed4723🤓

[@WarriorsPhoto]

Amen! I find these teardown videos very entertaining.

[@joaquinpinon2872]

@@randywooldridge9064 Ditto

[@USBCablez]

I want to see a tear down of 3.5 Honda odyssey motor roughly 2005 up to 2010 3.5 Very interested in seeing the timing system and belt tensioner

[@danmidkiff5416]

Be as immature as you want. Haters gonna hate! You keep this fun, and that's why I keep watching. Thank you for taking the time to do these. We appreciate your knowledge, your comedy, and your childishness! There, I did that without cuss words. The end.👍🤓

[@ianriggs]

Most of us have the same sense of humor for some reason lol. Must be a car nerd thing

[@NoName-qs6ei]

Friday? I aint complaining. Better be a Saturday night video too!!! 😂😂

[@TheRealCaptainKlutz]

Or just leave it and watch it tomorrow night. Then you won't be disappointed. And if one lands tomorrow you'll have a double feature!

[@tonyarbs]

“That’s really not an issue unless you look at it.” LMAO that is gold!

[@BWGPEI]

The old line is 'You're only young once, but you can be immature forever!' Those who are tend to be a lot of fun, and thus do you entertain us. Bless you!

[@grahammonk8013]

@BWGPEI Growing old is a bit unavoidable, growing up is optional.

[@groosbro1]

On the bright side at least GM didn't use a rubber belt for the oil pump...

[@karlschauff7989]

lmao oil pump belts have people so triggered

[@grahammonk8013]

@groosbro Gotta say, I'm impressed.

[@Heatherder]

@@karlschauff7989ikr its really not a big deal

[@groosbro1]

@@karlschauff7989 "You Keep Using That Word, I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means"

[@russcudney1469]

Give it time

[@christopherweise438]

I almost s**t my pants.....i thought it was Saturday night, and i had missed all of Saturday day.

[@samholdsworth420]

Would you like me to check your pants to confirm you did not sh|t them?

[@samholdsworth420]

My comment disappeared thanks KZbin

[@metalted6128]

Shut your pants??? Cause a KZbin video is a day early. Really??? Are you president Biden??

[@groosbro1]

😂

[@groosbro1]

​@😂metalted6128

[@samholdsworth420]

Thank you Teresa ☺️

[@rand49er]

I have a '16 ATS with this engine and have read many stories in the forums. The '13s and early '14s were made with tight ring gaps apparently (a redesign occurred into the '14 model year) and people were having problems with them especially when they tuned them or installed bigger turbos. I've reached the age where I don't need to go fast but want longevity and fuel economy now. I think you hit the nail on the head about detonation. GM recommends running 93 RON (or whatever you can get in your state), and a lot of people apparently run 87. That's probably what happened in this case. As for me, I run 93 exclusively and change the oil every 3k miles. After watching a number of your videos, there's been more than once that I want to go out to the garage and check my oil even though I know it's okay. Thanks for this video. It's nice to know the LTG is capable of in excess of 172k miles as long as it's cared for.

[@CaptainSpadaro]

Makes sense: the old rule of thumb used to be that you ran premium/high test/whatever you wanna call it with forced induction engines. Ford is the same way with the Ecoboost engines: they say they'll run fine on 87, but if you look at the fine print, they say that the advertised power and torque levels were achieved using 93. I've been running 93 exclusively in my Fusion (2.0L Ecoboost) for about 2 years now and I have noticed a difference in how it feels. I also wouldn't be surprised if this engine was subjected to low quality 87 octane gas.

[@allancroskery1811]

@@CaptainSpadaro I had a 2.3 Turbo Mustang, the power difference between 87 and 91 (generally the highest grade available in my area) was significant enough you could tell without any instrumentation; some people have claimed a difference in around 60 hp at least in terms of 87-93. Now if are you getting into it an a regular basis, revving it out and putting a bunch of heat into the engine? step up to 91+ if you are just cruising nothing to worry about even as long as you don't lug the engines. I eventually got the Ford Racing Calibration for the engine and that specified a minimum of 91 but it allowed for the engine to make a decent bit more power and a pleasant side effect fuel mileage increased as well. But even so in an emergency 87 could be used as long as you were gentle and stayed off of boost.

[@CaptainSpadaro]

@@allancroskery1811 my car is stock at the moment; no money for mods. I do know that it has Ford's Learned Relative Octane Adjustment strategy, though. That was what motivated me to make the switch; that and reading the spec sheet off the Ford media site that explicitly said 91 or higher was recommended (living in Illinois I'm spoiled by having 93 available).

[@N4CR]

I rented a 2021? or so with this engine as well and prior renters had used 87 and it pulled power and ran like a dog.

[@w41duvernay]

He'll, I owed 2 different gm cadillacs that had 150k miles with LTG property maintenance as an Uber driver. That engine is a champ.

[@RussellCockman]

I’m a scientist, not a mechanic, and leave servicing of my vehicle to the experts. However, I have learnt so much about engine failure modes from watching your engaging teardowns that from the evidence of wet plug and wet inlet/outlet ports, I predicted about half way through that the problem would be low compression (stuck rings) in cylinder 4. That the underlying cause was fuel detonation was an amazing insight into the stresses an engine experiences if conditions stray slightly away from design. Thanks for the entertainment and keep up the good work, mate.

[@weekendwarriorweldingdiypr4604]

Woohoo!! Stuck with no electricity in Houston 5 days after hurricane Beryl. My power company sucks, but this is excellent! An early/extra video to help pass the time!! You rock!!!

[@mitchellmerrill8459]

We're thinking about you guys. Hope things get better soon ❤

[@martyketelaar5277]

Me too buddy-north of Houston on 5 days with no power so great that Eric has blessed us with an early video!

[@DieselThunderAviation]

Glad you are all ok! South of Houston and our power came back late on the 1st day. Also happy for the end-week teardown!

[@I_Do_Cars]

Hope all is well guys! Someone will find the switch and turn it on soon I hope!

[@weekendwarriorweldingdiypr4604]

@@DieselThunderAviation lucky bastards... I'm at Westheimer and Beltway 8 and nothing. No crews tonight. Fingers crossed tomorrow is a better day

[@vaskyappliance6144]

I'm impressed! That looks like a well built & robust engine!

[@victahmone]

Anyone who says the way you take the engines apart is immature doesn't understand how well you know your job. You do an amazing job brother! Keep it up! Your videos are always on point! Keep doing what you're doing!

[@hirisk761]

i just traded in my Buick Verano that had the non-turbo version in it. a 2013 model. got 221k out of her beforehand! and that was seeing severe duty as an Uber/Lyft taxi! thanks GM, that was a good piece!

[@SrWolf90]

This engine is very well designed, and built with quality parts (not common in a modern engine), it shows that the engineers took into account many details, it is made with great care.

[@BillMalcolm-tn3kq]

I agree, it's likely at the top of the 2.0l turbo list in design -- but made with great care? Well, the mechanics writing in tell us of loose bolts behind the timing cover, and cracked pistons, etc. But obviously not too bad if used engines are as cheap as Eric says -- no real demand means not many failures, which leads to low s/h prices. So, pretty good care, but not necessarily outstanding. As an armchair expert of no repute and retired mech eng who never worked in the automotive industry, I've been a car nut since age 9 in 1957. So like to keep up with the mechanicals. This LTG certainly makes the Ford/Mazda Ecoboost look like a cheapy by comparison. No drop-forged crank in the Ford, nor proper sand-cast block. Most manfacturers like to cheap out and makr die-cast blocks that due to the process are hard to give solid metal support from cylinder to the outside of block. Leaves unsupported cylinders compared to this GM standard which is structurally very strong and isn't cheap to make. Also, this LTG has a proper inverted tooth timing chain, not the second hand bicycle chain the rest of 'em use. So it's a superior base design all right. None of the BMW inline turbo engines torn down here on the channel have come close to 170K miles. Always some dumb thing fails, even if the machining itself looks impeccable -- plastic part failure points are as cynically crass as a manufacturer can get, IMO. And who knows how good the Mercedes ones are by comparison, not much better if at all than the equivalent Bimmers, I'd bet. Driven the BMW N20 and B48 versus competing Merc OM170 and OM160 -- so four-cylindery both of them -- good power but sound so common. The two Caddy ATS's I've driven both had this LTG, and I found it much nicer, but the cars themselves were laughably ill-assembled - and priced stupidly as if they were worth a price it was obvious to see they were not. The Germans have Caddy beaten there easily, in my opinion. One hears of various problems that the 2.0l Honda turbo once fitted to Accords are now having. I didn't find it too bad -- couldn't stand the 10 speed auto which made the engine yip like a dirt bike out on a trail. VW 2.0l EA888 turbo drives superbly when new, but I don't trust VW having owned Audis. The one torn down here made my head spin because of beedless complexity. Jaguar, Volvo, Peugeot, Rebault, Akfa Stellantis all make 2.0l turbos that don't impress me much. Then there's the wackadoodle Nissan VC. Hmm. No thanks to any of those, nor the Hyundai/Kia one they used to put in the Genesis, which was weak, as is the Lexus 2.0l turbo. Of course, GM having got the LTG correct, stopped making it, and the replacement LSY most resembles the Lexus, as in, it has no chops, way less power than the LTG. Probably costs far less to make, as well. Yup, this LTG is a good engine, I think. Too bad it's gone.

[@CaptainSpadaro]

@@BillMalcolm-tn3kq what issues are the 2.0Ts in the Accords having? IIRC that engine has some similarities to the engine in the Civic Type R, so I'm not surprised that people mod them and break them.

[@clinlabsci1]

Eric, this was an engine I requested! Thank you so much for taking suggestions and running with them. Bonus Friday content also appreciated.

[@michaelolafson276]

First time showing the number four piston I couldn’t believe you didn’t see the cracks (admittedly may have been easier to see on screen), had to rewind to make sure I wasn’t crazy! Love your content, and your childish disposal of wear components… all joking aside, highly educational stuff, not an engineer worth their salt that doesn’t like a good failure teardown!

[@keithf8649]

Yep was waiting the whole video for the cracked piston of LTG fatal flaw. Had all the rods and pistons replaced under warranty on my 19 LTG car after one cracked

[@jaredbawden6707]

Was looking for this kind of comment. It really did stand out to me too.

[@mausball]

10/10 the camera saw that and Eric couldn't.

[@danm2768]

Eric another fantastic tear down, Having been in the automotive industry for well over 40 years I applaud your forensic ability in identifying root cause problems. Your wrap ups are top notch!. Keep doing what you do best and don't forget the slam dunks in the process, screw those naysayers your gimmicks and nuances are the best, just love it! I sure hope soon you get a chance to tear down the new GM 4cyl 2.7L Turbomax that motor is really under the scrutiny of the general public especially when its installed in such a large GM vehicle base. Keep on wrenching! Can't wait for the next video!

[@johnbucknell901]

I was the original developer for this engine family (Gen2 Ecotec - 2.5 and 2.0T). I agree that making a high performance turbo last that long is impressive.

[@Christdeliverme]

You were? Sorry your sentence isn't complete.

[@jeffreygoss8109]

You were or who was? If you were the designer well done.

[@stevemccauley5734]

@@jeffreygoss8109

[@stevemccauley5734]

@@jeffreygoss8109sorry man. Didn’t mean to tag you. I have no idea what happened & it won’t delete that stupid tag lol

[@netrioter]

SAAB and Volvo turbo engines go 500k miles.. this isnt that impressive

[@brendanham2068]

Great video💪 Its a Common failure of the LTG (piston rings) especially in 2013-2015 before the ring gaps got updated. They had them too tight from factory. Also the factory calibration is more on the lean side WOT for a turbo di car. It is a very easy motor to work on in the car. Very happy with my built LTG. Great motor when maintenced properly and on time👍

[@mahcooharper9577]

Don't you dare stop being who you are. There's a reason we all love your content. It's the highlight of my week! Thanks for what you do Eric!

[@tjw8t1]

I've had 2 of these. One was in my fully loaded 2013 Malibu LTZ, and the other was in my 2018 Malibu Premier. These engines are criminally underrated! They can hold 350 whp apparently with no changes to the internals, the block can handle 500. I loved both of mine that I had. On a long trip, my 2018 Malibu got almost 40MPG. I should have never sold it.

[@garry2280]

I have the 2018 Buick regal sportback and I absolutely love it. With the 9 speed transmission it does 0 to 60 in under 6 seconds and I have gotten 43 mpg on the highway. I was going to trade it in but can’t bring myself to do it.

[@jeremiahnichols8272]

It's nice to see an engine with a metal valve cover. I'm tired of manufacturers using garbage plastic and composite materials.

[@csjrogerson2377]

What does it matter as long as they dont break or leak and they dont.

[@Friend_of_the_One-Eyed_Ladies]

15:00 That kind of cam journal scoring happens with engine cold starts. As in, frozen winter cold starts. Cold oil is like honey, and it takes a few seconds to reach the top of the engine where the cams are. So basically a few seconds of oil starvation every time you start your frozen motor in the morning. This damage can be reduced by using thinner winter oil (e.g., 0W20 instead of 5W20), and use a block heater to pre-warm the engine oil if the outside temperature is colder than approx -10°C (14°Frankenstein). Take it from an ex-mechanic who daily drives in -40° C/F winters.

[@chadharmon5716]

it takes 5w30 per gm

[@sinr247]

Use of a good five thirty synthetic oil will prevent that

[@N4CR]

It can happen without frozen winter starts, just cold weather starts. Seen it in stock superbikes with 2000km before, on the side where the cam chain connects.

[@timothyodonnell8591]

Water Pump Collection Bin (Good Pumps Only)- LOL!

[@luciusael]

Yes! The cracked piston was my guess at the beginning of the video. In the ATS/Camaro modding community, LTGs are known for their stock pistons being a weak link. Anyone who wants to tune these engines better get forged pistons (e.g. from ZZP) before proceeding.

[@joaquinpinon2872]

Thanks again for a great tear down. I have a 2015 ats with the 2.0 and it's strong enough for me to beat srts. I have a cated downpipe, better air filter and no muffler. Glad to see the simple construction. Take care and blessings to all.🙏

[@Heatherder]

You sure that air filter is better? Most aftermarket ones are hot air 😅

[@stevemccauley5734]

@@Heatherderif he has a ZZP in fender CIA… I guarantee it’s better than stock. Still though, I’d like to outrun him with my antiquated Chevy Cobalt SS that only has a tune. His Caddy ain’t crap. And neither are 99% of the SRTs he’s using as a measuring stick lmao

[@SrWolf90]

You have a very good engine, one of the best I have seen in the past decade, if you take care of it, and respect the specifications, it will last you many miles.

[@joaquinpinon2872]

I have a modified stock box with an AEM dry flow air filter that works great. I would like to meet the fellow with the SS, sounds like a it would be an interesting race. Take care all

[@joaquinpinon2872]

By the way, my caddy has less than 70k and only use low ash amsiol signature series

[@g0p4ck]

Your channel made me realize I like to watch people UNscrew things on the internet, also. Great stuff; thanks Eric.

[@karlschauff7989]

87 Octane in an engine that had LSPI issues early in its life. Using the wrong engine oil can cause LSPI to be more likely to occur. Allowing the engine to warm up a bit before driving helps reduce the chance of LSPI too.

[@NightStalkers-hx3dq]

What is the translation for "LSPI".

[@keithf8649]

@@NightStalkers-hx3dq en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-speed_pre-ignition

[@brucehobbs1734]

Eric, I’m one of your OGs. Since before 9000 subscribers. My wife even enjoys your antics. You do what’s made you so successful. Don’t listen to the overly sensitives that don’t watch your channel for its content, just want to keyboard masochists.

[@nolanhidalgo658]

"maybe he ran 87 and pulled a horse trailer" I lost it lol

[@davidsurber8234]

Love the way you edit, Eric. We get it all, but you manage to compress it. BTW, I'm an old man, and I love a little "childishness" once in a while. Reminds me of myself 40 years ago.

[@johnoldonekanole602]

I find you to be informative and entertaining no need to change anything. Thanks for sharing your time with us.

[@OwninFools2020]

I bought a 23 camaro with this engine since it was going to be the last production. i only have 10K miles on it and if it even makes it to 172K+ I'll be happy with it. I change my oil every 3K miles, premium fuel only, and let the turbo cool down before shutoff. awesome video!

[@enriquelabrada2666]

Same here! Mine is a '18 I got with 73k miles. I'm at 97800 so far. I wait 5 minutes before shutting off, get the oil changed every 3k miles, and I use 93 octane. No issues. I did add a PCV oil catch can recently.

[@Yoomaro]

@@enriquelabrada2666have you had any issues? I have a 2022

[@OwninFools2020]

@@enriquelabrada2666 that will be a mod i will add after my last year of warranty

[@unavailablenumbers]

Finally! FINALLY! Thank you! And now you see why I said they were so hard to find without collision or unusual damage. No question this one got condemned on compression on cylinder 4. The LTG's just ridiculously well engineered AND is capable of running on 87; it will detune significantly but it is entirely safe. But as you see, there is a weak point - the rings. All it takes is spark or fuel going wrong for a little while, and the rings and piston are toast because of fuel washdown. (If you pop a ring, you WILL crack the piston.) And it's actually way cheaper to do an entire engine because of the labor. Absolutely no question this one was maintained properly too. The carbon buildup should be way, way worse. UNLESS they did what GM should have included in the schedule, which is a basic fogging clean clean every 60k (when you do the plugs.) Just a can of GM 1052626 or 19355198.

[@MikeL-FL]

We had one of these in our 2018 Equinox. It’s a good engine. I did alpha testing of the JB4 with that and it made over 300hp (from 252). Biggest mistake GM made was getting rid of this and keeping the 1.5.

[@keithf8649]

Burger does a bad job of advertising this application. I went with the Trifecta calibration on mine because it also changes the transmission program and makes it shift even better. Side note, the 1.5 Equinox gets stuck with the old 6 speed, while the 1.5 Terrain gets the 9 speed (and both diesel versions get the 6 speed, but same diesel engine in the Cruze gets the 9sp) no idea what the product planners were going for

[@MikeL-FL]

@@keithf8649I’m not sure if it’s officially supported. We had a problem with the JB4 throwing random CELs that were not corrected at the time I had to return the lease (which was why I couldn’t get the Trifecta). I’m guessing they must’ve gotten it corrected for the Camaro, but no idea about the Equinox.

[@CaptainSpadaro]

The 2.0 was dropped due to low sales; IIRC GM said only 8% of buyers opted for it, which just proves what I've been saying: that many crossover buyers are afraid of the accelerator. I had a chance to drive a 2.0 Equinox at work a few weeks ago and I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of scoot it had. I also remember Car and Driver giving the 3G Equinox good marks for handling when it initially came out.

[@keithf8649]

@@CaptainSpadaro The 3G Nox is based on the same platform as the 2G Cruze. It feels nimble and light on its feet compared to most other "crossovers" (really just tall hatchbacks). I have not driven a Cruze hatchback but I did have a 2012 Cruze and it drove very similar except for the power. The LTG is a very good engine for the car, can get over 25mpg in mixed driving but also has over 300hp and AWD. Only major thing I would change is the seats.

[@mnewln1800]

On the LTG and LCV GM redesigned the timing system with an inverse tooth timing chain. As the contact points wear the angle of engagement changes not the chain length. It's quieter too.

[@vanhalo]

Extends to the LKW (‘14-‘15 Malibu version) as well.

[@johnlegarre3667]

My daily driver is a Wrangler V6. I decided to take my wife's 2014 ATS 2.0T for a spin and was pulled over by a local LEO for doing 47 in a 35 zone. I told the officer that I wasn't used to the smooth accel. and ride. He understood and told me to "have a nice day." lol

[@TommyPeel]

Got one of these in my Buick Regal TourX wagon; I've been very happy with it so far. Runs great, decently fast, and gets 30+ mpg on the highway with 3 adults, a baby, and a ton of luggage. I only run 91/93 octane in mine; the owners manual says premium is "recommended". Mine is rated at 250hp/295tq; I bet the hotter variants in the ATS and Camaro require premium.

[@kd7cwg]

The regal gs got the hotter tube with this engine as well. (A quick google search says 270hp/295tq)

[@wmalden]

Same here!

[@trupatriot1776]

Love the nonchalant "eff off" to the criticism about throwing parts.

[@wilgerdes3240]

...Eric, always remember, growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional. Throw all the parts U want! Some ppl R just wound 2 tight!

[@troublesome3607]

I have a 2014 Regal GS with this engine. Has over 250k on it. Not surprised to see a well maintained LTG looking good at 170k

[@rebelcave8556]

Except it does not work

[@WarriorsPhoto]

I know GM makes good engines. Here's another example of that. I like seeing your positive attitude towards American engineering. Hopefully that 540i gets some videos made about it as well. HINT hint! ;-)

[@WorthlessNickores]

I like your humor and comedy. Adds to the show.

[@jdeltoro518]

The cleanest tear down. That #4 piston was the culprit. Great job

[@ChetJang]

I don't know if it is truly unusual, but I was surprised to see somebody took the time to put caps on the turbo.

[@rbtsplcsnme24]

Daily driver is 16 malibu premier. 2.0 Turbo. 8speed 172,000 Solid engine. Transmission has weird habits but shifts well. Change your oil and filters, and use 93 octane or 91 no ethanol. Keep rackin those miles up!

[@BlairGuinea]

Thanks Eric, always love 'I do Cars"

[@IKnewMickey]

Eric your success speaks for its self. A few negative comments are gonna happen.

[@adsconlabouring]

Nothing wrong With the way you act on your channel I've had a severe back injury for over the last 3 yrs your channel has brought me joy laughter and a shit load of smiles. For those who say your immature should go get a life and they don't have to watch it. You are wonderful at what you do and I wish we had some one have a channel like yours in Australia. One day I hope to see you tear down a qr25de Nissan engine. Just to hear your thoughts. On their structure and reliability questions. Once again keep up the good work love your channel.

[@chrismadden9897]

Eric, I requested this very same engine too! In my opinion, this GM 2.0L LTG I 4 Ecotec turbocharged engine IS one of the best engines GM made 😊 I had 4 vehicles with this same engine, they're easy to work on, easy to maintain, and has a lot of power. A lot of GM enthusiastic people I know and read on the Internet, are not that happy with old Mary Bara with her crew of non car guys when GM stopped producing them. Keep up the great video work👍

[@patricklanigan]

I own an LTG myself in an ATS. GM recommends 91 octane, but you can run 87 octane in them. What can happen is with cheap oil and long drain intervals is you can have low speed detonation which will crack a piston. Some oils do not do well in direct inject turbo engines and are more prone to result in low speed detonation.

[@chaddles8329]

I work at a dealership, this engine and the 1.5 get cracked pistons. The timing covers leaking were a frequent issue and they suck to do in a rwd application because the back vacuum pump has to come off to pull the valve cover. We got smart and started leaving the valve cover alone and sneaking the front cover out from under it.

[@TheMadTube]

Last year, my friend called me out to look at his Equinox with the LTG engine. He had a hard misfire in one cylinder. It was still under warranty, so I had him send it back to Chevy. It blew a piston just like this failure.

[@keithf8649]

Most common fail on these engines. Need 93 and the Equinox needs a Trifecta tune to keep it out of low speed high load situations. Really no excuse to lug the engine with the close ratio 9 speed

[@nickbrooks3253]

That loose bolt at 10:50 is often loose from factory. Opened up many low mile ones working at the dealer to reseal the leaking timing cover and saw it several times. It ends up touching the cover and doesn't back out all the way. Never see it cause any issues though.

[@ty9329]

They released a bulletin on these to torque down that bolt if you remove the cover lol, I would say 80% of the ones I've worked on have been loose

[@Saullavado44]

Can I put loctite on it to keep it tight (in addition to torque)?

[@nickbrooks3253]

@@Saullavado44 yeah you can

[@93sundance]

Eric I've worked on those engines since 2013, and that guide bolt is frequently loose when I take the front cover off. All of those covers leak as well.

[@drifter233]

I hoped I wasn't the only one that saw the witness mark on the bolt head lol

[@jonathanhutchins1745]

I worked at a Cadillac dealer and had to pull the front cover for an oil leak and that same guide bolt was loose and hitting the timing cover seen it a few times common problem

[@Aj.1987.]

1st...love the channel!!!! Watched for about 2yrs now 👍 you walked me thru my 06 5.7l hemi teardown and gave me the interest in doing so. Mine was a low miles Auxiliary police unit with low idle hrs. It looked great but non the less thanks for the confidence brother!!!

[@LincolnSixAlpha]

Please feel free to huck whatever you want around! I certainly enjoy the fact that the water pumps are chucked from halfway across the room!

[@MayheM_72]

I work at NAPA, and we have a young-ish customer who's daily driving a '74 Dodge Dart 2dr with a slant 6. He came in this week to buy a water pump. Right before he paid, he said "Wait.. is this a NEW water pump, or a rebuilt one?" I asked if he ever watched your teardown vids, and he just cracked up laughing. (For the record, it WAS a new water pump! LoL)

[@taeraresh2115]

Not always. He’s taken at least one especially nice one home.

[@Behemoth33]

Cylinder 4 ring land cracked/melted, and that's mostly because of improper oil on the DI engines, had a similar issue on a smaller 3 cylinder GM engine, there was actually a TSB on it to use different oil to prevent LSPI(Low speed pre-ignition)

[@bigblockjess617]

A Friday video? hell yes!

[@The_Kman]

I am a BBC guy. I couldn't even make an educated guess on this one, Steve. Kudos for your tenacity! 👍👍

[@caj122892]

Wife had a 2016 Malibu with one. Only 60 some thousand miles but never had a hiccup from it. Decent power and great mpg.

[@thedirtybubble9613]

That's a clean engine. Someone was keeping up with their oil changes.

[@Adam-nv9zo]

Thank you, Teresa. Awesome teardown, as always.

[@geotec67]

Access pan to clean the pickup screen, fuel pump on the engine, water pump runs externally, one balance shaft under the crank opposed to, two balance shafts above the crank. The timing chain is also a simpler design. I would love to have one. Without turbo, of course.

[@keithf8649]

The 2.5 would be your ticket, but it didnt come in as many cars. Impala, Colo/canyon, Blazer, ATS, and 3 years of Malibu en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_Ecotec_engine#2.5

[@restingdeeply1064]

I had to reseal an oil pan on a 2.0t Malibu which, the order you tore this engine down is the order you’re supposed to if you’re going to reseal the pan. When I pulled the timing cover I, too, had two backed out timing guide bolts. It was the same two as well. Interesting! But yeah, to reseal the pan you have to pull the valve cover to get to the timing cover to get to the pan. Reliable, but tedious LOL

[@dragineeztoo61]

We got so close to the video I've been waiting for, where you tear down a perfectly good working engine.

[@davyhill23]

Diametrically opposed to last week's aluminum lava machine, very cool surprise Friday video

[@Duken4evr29]

Nicely designed engine. Really like the gear chains for everything. I like this engine a lot more than most of the new stuff.

[@Mars741]

For ever young my friend. It's ok to have a good time. If people think it makes you look immature they can deal with it. Be you brother.

[@autist7516]

Had on in a 2108 equinox and never had an issue, traded it in at 120k miles.

[@georgerocheleau]

Throwing parts makes you look immature? There are several channels of serious mechanics that never throw parts. Instead I prefer to watch somebody that enjoys what he is doing. Don't ever change.

[@evilkabab]

GM is reliable and they dont try to amaze the world with tech novelties.

[@akripper6248]

I'll admit I was quite surprised to see a video on Friday night but I'm not complaining. Thanks Theresa! (I probably spelled that wrong, sorry)

[@ottopartz1]

For a second there i thought that I lost a day again, but then realized Eric must be testing us or the algorithm!

[@jimmyaber5920]

The three piece oil rings with low tension are what many makes take out and go back with one piece with expander spring oil ring. Sometimes some tweaks to middle and top rings. Some require pistons as the other style oil ring is wider or needs a deeper ring groove than the original oil ring used. GM's affinity for high gear ASAP also gets you tickling detonation zone so heavier deposits and Bingo! Detonation damage.

[@adsconlabouring]

Thankyou Theresa I hope I spelt that correct. You have made so many people happy.

[@budlanctot3060]

I'm fairly impressed by this GM "ecotech" engine. It seems, usually, when you dissect one of these "types" of engines, they die a premature death because they are over-stressed trying to make so much power from such a small package. This appears to be a notable exception.

[@joeblow8593]

Thanks Teresa

[@mitchellblu3]

The early years of these engines were known for ringland failures. 13-15 I believe were the main years and in 2016 they slightly revised the piston to give it a thicker ringland. The early ATS models were known to go through engines pretty frequently until the update and then the engines became a lot more reliable. Tuning them is a popular thing to do and they can make decent power. Up to about 350hp they're usually safe but once you start pushing beyond that is there it get's into the sketchier territory and you need to have a proper tuner for the job.

[@FishinMagik]

Yeah dropping this video at 9 has my internal calendar all kinds of messed up, but totally worth it!

[@tdotw77]

Love the 7.3, 360k is just broken in. She's ready to go another 140k atleast no problem! I have one with close to 300k just put 8 injectors, plow plugs & UVCH in it cause the original ones were really tired, was getting extremely hard to start when cold(several were experiencing very bad solenoid stiction). Other than that I've done nothing to it, other rhan wear & tear items(starter, batteries, brakes, tie rods, etc). Super duties are very well built especially the diesel 7.3L versions(6.8 v10 gas not too bad either if you dont mind 6 or 8mpg lol). I'm not sure why this one is in your shop but that engine, trans, transfer case, axles, body panels, etc are gonna sell very well. There are still millions of these trucks on the road today. I've personally had 3 of them, still driving one now(lost one to an T-bone accident & the impound taking it, the other was rusted to death[WNY salt ustbelt] and beat into ground - needed atleast a trans, injectors just to be able to function, wasn't spending $5k on it). Since 2011 I've only been driving 7.3 superduty trucks, I'm kinda worried to get into a 6.0 without the money insurance to be able to fix it when something goes south, although they are actually nice powerful engines if the few bad issues are taken care of. Anyways nice teardown, and early at that!

[@Migweld7]

Very like the way you respond to people complain about the fact you throw parts all around the shop. Keep in going like this body!

[@retiredbektek]

Being a GM and a 2L turbo GM w all those mi's, I'm rather impressed by the quality

[@douglasbruce1417]

Early GM LTG engines had Low Speed Pre-Ignition issues (LSPI). I assumed a piston dead before I started watching. FYI, timing chain issues seem to be resolved in the LTG.......previous LHU and LNF had them,

[@pauls8685]

2020 Equinox with 2.0 LTG It is premium recommended engine. We have have at times run 87 octane and 89. But usually 93 octane. The engine is more responsive and gets better mileage. It's to each owner to decide how safe long term use of 87 octane is

[@michaelseibold9977]

Eric you never, ever mistreat parts even when you drive over them on the fork lift. You are just doing stress tests.

[@concrete2733]

I loved my LTG in my 2014 Malibu. 259hp and 290lb/ft of torque. Topped it out at 150mph on a closed course

[@concrete2733]

29:34 These motors were known for cracking pistons early in their lifetime.

[@N4CR]

Rented a CT4? last year, 4 banger turbo awd. It did fine for stoplights but could've had a little more juice up top but was okay on boost for overtaking etc. It did hate the low grade fuel that was in it before and definitely pulled power, on proper juice it did fine. I am used to a 4.6 V8 lexus with an 8 speed and no lag though lol. Seeing this I'm surprised people aren't modding these more often. They look pretty strong with definitely more power left to be extracted and can't see any major flow impediments.

[@MichaelAStanhope]

my favorite Cadillac ATS moment was in 2013 when these were new cars, one followed me onto the hardware, and decided he wanted to show off his turbo car against my 1988 Buick Reatta (looks fast, is not). I followed his white smoke trail about 2 miles till I saw him along the side of the road. I pulled over and asked if he needed help, he very angrily said NO so I got in my Reatta, and sped away. Only time I won a race in that car! 🤣

[@randyhughes5160]

First thanks Teresa and second some people will never understand because they do things there way and complain at how expensive it is

[@scottguffie7759]

To be frank, if it was just watching a guy tear down an engine on a stand I'd likely have watched one video and went "meh, boring." I come for the comedy inherent in your commentary and showmanship. Keep up the good work, it's why you have my subscribe and lots of likes from me.

[@MichealMireles]

Please for the love of all that I hold dear!!!!!…….Do Not Stop Throwing Parts! Literally saves my sanity some days! Thanks Eric and Team! Stay Cool Guys!😅

[@RANDOMNATION907]

20:33 . . . Teresa & Crew @ Recycled OEM Parts missed a golden opportunity to put one of those Nicolas Cage "You Don't Say" Face stickers on the bottom of the pickup screen. That would have been awesome.

[@chuckgladfelter]

I have the newer 2023 Cadillac 2.0 turbo engine that's downrated on the power but I can run E-15 in it w/o any issues for over $1.00 less than premium. It's been a decent motor with perfect reliability.

[@GaryBoyd02]

Nice hook shot for the scrap bin Eric .....great form....what an athlete!

[@thomasrbishop8736]

Outstanding. It's Friday and I'm confused but I enjoyed your video.

[@Dappersworth]

As I always say, as long as you don't touch an ecotec under 2.0L it'll be pretty decently reliable. I'd love to see an LSJ torn down, it's the precursor to the direct injection ecotec that runs in everything and uses port injection instead. They're only found in the cobalt ss and ion redline, and are VERY stout engines; handling well over double their stock horsepower without opening the bottom end.