66 BADBOY

iTrader: (2)

Hoping to get a little "newbie" help here. I'll ask forgiveness up front for these questions, but I haven't torn into an engine since 1993, and that was an old iron SBC. So please have patience with my concerns!! LOL

I just got a 60K mile 2001 LS1/A4 pullout delivered late last week. All of the oil was drained out before shipment. Last night, I took off the valve colors to look around. The oil residue looks a little bit more brownish-bronze than what I remember seeing in my old SBC 17 years ago.

You can see in the 2nd to last pic that there is a bit of a "coffee" puddle. I know that the ole coffee color means coolant entry, and also just means condensation. Without being able to see the oil (drained already), I don't know how much water was in the oil.

So when I opened the valve covers and saw the bronze-ish color tint, I got to thinking.......(sorry for sounding stupid here).......but do these motors get the newer style red coolant? Or the older green stuff? That made me wonder if the red coolant was leaking in and causing the bronze-ish tint? Or is this a normal residue color for an aluminum head and I'm worried about nothing??

Also, the last pic.........there are two exhaust valves that look like this. The rest are just dry carbon. Is this a sign of oil blowby from the rings? Or something coming in from the top of the head?

HELP!! AHHHHH!! LOL It came with a warranty so I figured I better get this checked now.

Thanks in advance guys.

blue98Z

iTrader: (29)

The color is normal on the heads. The last pic of the valve is a leaking valve seal. New ones should fix it. You'll need 8 for the intake and 8 for the exhaust. They are different so make sure the right seal goes on the right valve.

pauls99z28

iTrader: (32)

Ya that's perfectly normal. I believe its from the Mobil 1that GM uses

66 BADBOY

iTrader: (2)

Thanks for the replies guys. I really do appreciate it. Feel much better now!! LOL

I'll have to see what they say about the valve seals. Not sure if that would be under their warranty or not. They didn't send me any details about it. Just said they'd cover anything mechanical that isn't a wearable part (which was verbally stated as pulleys, belts, etc).

Thanks again guys!!

crainholio

iTrader: (2)

It looks normal coloring from conventional oil use, the little bit of water would be expected of condensation. No worries aside from the valve-stem seal already pointed out.

01ssreda4

iTrader: (96)

my 100k motor. You're good

66 BADBOY

iTrader: (2)

Thanks again for the replies guys. I appreciate the help!!!

garygnu

the former owner did not change oil enough and it wrecked the valve seals.get all new seals.are you going to cam it?

66 BADBOY

iTrader: (2)

Yup. Looking to go with the El Torro or something very similar. I've been kicking around the idea of different heads too, but that all depends on the $$$.

elias_799

iTrader: (8)

wow, somebody missed a couple of oil changes

my 120 000 mile motor did not even look like that, the inside was a little gold and that is it.

Jim85IROC

iTrader: (6)

I noticed on my 130k LQ9 that one head was considerably more brown/yellow in color than the other. I think it had to do with the "clean/dirty" side of the motor with respect to the PCV. With all the rockers in a pile, it was obvious which side of the motor they came from.

01ssreda4

iTrader: (96)

I agree with you there buddy

twitchtwice

iTrader: (12)

seems dirty but normal. my car has 40k miles. and when i pulled the heads and the valley cover it would have been clean enough to eat off of.