New truck spin-off, overhauling a GM motor.

Its burning oil, like you Im no mecanic, so I would think it needs some type of engine work and thought maybe it would be cheaper to get it overhauled or buy another engine, so I could get another 5 years or so out of it. Gonna use it for hunting/hauling crap and such and hate to spend 25k to 40k on something I'm gonna trash, eventually. Probably close to my last truck purchase.

If it was a gasket, would I see oil on the ground and around the engine block or smokey exhaust?

Don't start me to lying, but probably not. Could just be a slow leak into the cylinders. My engine has always burned a little oil. I changed the plugs in it last weekend and got pretty worried when I saw oil on the threads of the front and back plug. I asked a guy I work with who was a service tech at a GM dealership for years and he said he'd bet the farm it's a leaking head gasket, but as long as there was no oil on the tip of the plug then it's not a huge concern and to be expected with a high mileage engine.

Like I said best way to find out is to have someone who knows more than you and me pull the plugs and check the compression. An engine burning oil can come from a few different things, and not all of them are the end of the world.

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only have to put a half of quart between changes

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I wouldn't even sweat that honestly, but have it checked out if it bothers you.

I have a '02 2500hd crew with 260,000 miles on it and it runs like a dream. I hardly drive it any more, it hasn't been a daily driver since 2008, but still enjoy driving it when I can. i took it to the camp and use it on the farm now Air cold, 4x4 still works etc. It's got a small oil leak that drips down on I guess the manifold and gives a burning oil smell but that's about it. I told someone the other day that when the engine goes I will have it rebuilt etc. The truck is a tank, it's been stuck to the doors a numberof times pulled big tractors etc and still rolling

Half a quart between changes is nothing to warrant a rebuilt.

Adding oil every hundred miles is when you start worrying a lot.

Burning oil could be simple valve seals I think a leak down test will tell you not sure that's not many miles

I'll try the leak down test. Like I said I see no oil on ground or in and around the motor itself. Hate to get rid of it because I'm tough on trucks. It was two years old when I bought it with low miles. Had to spend a 1500 on it back in 09 to rebuild the tranny, other than that, been a good truck, and don't have to baby it like I would a new truck, plus, I love the no payee of the montly noteee. And I'm 57, so I don't need no stinking, well, one of the best two smells in life anymore.

That's normal, there's no such thing as an engine that doesn't burn a little oil over the course of an oil change interval. Half a quart in a V8 over 5000 miles is nothing to worry about and really good for a GM, especially if you are using non-synthetic 5w30. You can try switching to a 10w30 full syn if it really bugs you. Those engines rarely have issues with the shortblock, like the old 5.0 Fords your valve guides and seals will wear out before the pistons loose their seal by normal wear. Very easy pull the heads and freshen them up too.