Hello guys have a 2009 gmc sierra here with a 5.3 4x4 etcab, I had a bad lifter on cylender 6 and removed the head. while the head was getting seviced I cycled the engine over to clean all parts out. I left the other head on, need to know if i will need tdc befor start up ?

Did you replace the cam? If all you did is replace the lifter and removed the head and didn't mess with the timing chain you don't need to worry about setting the engine to TDC. Just make sure to torque the head and rocker arms to spec and you should be fine.

did you inspect the cam? alot of those engines with bad lifters wipe the cam and get little bits in the oil

Hey guys, I did not replace the cam. I did use a penlight to inspect the cam while turning it over it looked ok...I had a miss fire code cylinder #6 and after further inspection found no compression there so removed the head and found that the afm lifter at the intake side had let go and stayed open. I did replace all lifters on that side and had the head redone and the shop had to peplace all the intake valves because the had a huge grove and were very sharp at the seat.

If that was the case why didn't you pull the other head and have it freshened up as well?

I finally did remove the other head, I was not going (trying to be cheap) to but the head shop said look at the condition of this one you can be sure the other would be the same, so I did remove and getting back today, called them before lunch and same thing the intake valves were in need of replace. hope it all works out..

If the cam is ok and the oil galleys are clean I think you should be fine.

alright guys got the heads , everything back on nice and tight. changed the oil and topped up the fluids. and started right up... just ran for a few min, and shut down but sounded great and strong little smoke from engine compartment area but I think it is the new gaskets and maybe oil and such, is there a break in for the heads? thanks a million everyone for the help..

Nope only thing that needs broke in are cam shafts and yours is a roller so drive it like you stole it!

i think i would change the oil and coolant after a few hundred miles, you never know what got in where