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Oil Consumption

Old 03-09-2006, 12:30 PM
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Default Oil Consumption

I am eating alot (enough to set my light off every 1000 miles or so) of oil (Mobil 1 synthetic 5w30) and had the same issue with 0w40.. I am looking to stop oil consumption. I do realize that these motors are prone to psiton slap and I am getting some piston slap. What possible ways can I solve my dilema. I do drive my car pretty hard and occasionally get into the 150mph+ range.

I have heard of breathers helping with oil consumption. Is there any negative aspects to installing a breather? How about a vented oil cap?

Someone also mentioned messing with the PCV valve. I am not sure hwat they meant. Can anyone elaborate.

Thanks, Andrew
Old 03-09-2006, 01:54 PM
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There is a replacement PCV valve that is a fixed diameter orffice instead of the check valve type. I switched to the new P/N about three weeks ago. Hopefully it will help.

Steve
Old 03-09-2006, 02:09 PM
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The truck PCV didn't help me any. Mine is still sucking it through there. I just switched to 5W40..going to see if that helps any. You'll probably end up having to put a catch can on it. That seems to be the usual solution to it.
Old 03-09-2006, 07:35 PM
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Here's something I came up with...

https://ls1tech.com/forums/showpost....3&postcount=43
https://ls1tech.com/forums/showpost....3&postcount=42
Old 03-10-2006, 02:50 PM
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When I put my ported Throttle body in today. I noticed my previous one had some oil on there, along with the inside the manifold.
Old 03-10-2006, 03:34 PM
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The thing I did cut down my oil consumption by alot.
Old 03-10-2006, 03:40 PM
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Is that a fitting drilled into your oil cap or is it a pvc valve? Where does it go? (maybe a catch can or just outside the engine compartment and drains to the road)


Originally Posted by joecar
The thing I did cut down my oil consumption by alot.
Old 03-10-2006, 03:43 PM
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Originally Posted by v8hunter
Is that a fitting drilled into your oil cap or is it a pvc valve? Where does it go? (maybe a catch can or just outside the engine compartment and drains to the road)
The metal thing in the oil cap is the PCV valve, and the hose attached to it (in a loop) goes to the intake manifold (just downstream of the throttle body); this is what is shown in the pictures.

The oil cap is the highest point on the engine, so it's harder to get oil up there; when accelerating, the oil that is pumped up to the rockers moves toward the rear of the valve covers.
Old 03-10-2006, 03:46 PM
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Synthetic oil has smaller molecules so it is more likely to leak past rings/seals than dino oil. Another idea would be to run a thicker oil like a 20-50 or a straight 40 weight. If you run a can of restore through your motor it will likely improve your compression and reduce blow by so that will help too. The final way to reduce oil consumption (which you won't like) is to take it easy with your car.

I tried running the truck pcv valve and got no results other than my seals started to slowly leak.


Originally Posted by Waveridr85
I am eating alot (enough to set my light off every 1000 miles or so) of oil (Mobil 1 synthetic 5w30) and had the same issue with 0w40.. I am looking to stop oil consumption. I do realize that these motors are prone to psiton slap and I am getting some piston slap. What possible ways can I solve my dilema. I do drive my car pretty hard and occasionally get into the 150mph+ range.

I have heard of breathers helping with oil consumption. Is there any negative aspects to installing a breather? How about a vented oil cap?

Someone also mentioned messing with the PCV valve. I am not sure hwat they meant. Can anyone elaborate.

Thanks, Andrew
Old 03-10-2006, 03:52 PM
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The fixed orifice PCV valve didn't do **** for me, but it sure did sound like I had a blower under the hood (which actually got quite annoying at times). I'm still trying to reduce my consumption...I'll see what I can figure out. Luckily, I've got lots of time to figure this out. Money...not so much.
Old 03-10-2006, 07:09 PM
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Yea that whistling pisses me off at times too. I'll do something one of these days to stop the consumption.
Old 03-16-2006, 02:50 PM
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Interesting way of doing that.
Old 03-16-2006, 03:48 PM
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At what mileage did you guys notice oil consumption? My car is right at 23k on the clock and have no sign of oil consumption what so ever. When can I expect this to become a problem, or is this just one of the many LS1 curses in which some engines do and some do not??
Old 03-16-2006, 04:00 PM
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Originally Posted by LS1LUNATIC
At what mileage did you guys notice oil consumption? My car is right at 23k on the clock and have no sign of oil consumption what so ever. When can I expect this to become a problem, or is this just one of the many LS1 curses in which some engines do and some do not??
You would have noticed it right away. Oil consumption over time is usually caused by other issues like rings.
Old 03-16-2006, 07:32 PM
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My 3 previous LS1 vehicles never used a drop. The T/A I have now sucks alot through the PCV valve. Some do, some don't. You just have to be lucky.
Old 03-16-2006, 07:37 PM
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No whistling from my truck PCV. I plan to eliminate the whole PCV system.
Old 03-18-2006, 11:53 AM
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There's a bulletin from GM on oil consumption for LS1 and LS6. On LS1 vehicles the oil consumption is from the piston rings the number 2 compression ring and the oil expander ring. If its an LS6 if you have oil behind the throttle body or in the intake manifold it is advised to replace the valley cover with a revised one. And as for piston slap GM considers this normal. The reason for it is the excessicve clearance between the piston itself and the piston bore
Old 03-23-2006, 06:04 PM
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So are the dealerships going to replace the valley cover as a recall or something?
Old 03-23-2006, 06:35 PM
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Originally Posted by gta87ls1
There's a bulletin from GM on oil consumption for LS1 and LS6. On LS1 vehicles the oil consumption is from the piston rings the number 2 compression ring and the oil expander ring. If its an LS6 if you have oil behind the throttle body or in the intake manifold it is advised to replace the valley cover with a revised one. And as for piston slap GM considers this normal. The reason for it is the excessicve clearance between the piston itself and the piston bore
Do you have a link to the bulletin...?

What is the GM part number of the revised LS6 valley cover...?

LoL... GM considers everything bad to be normal
(e.g. piston slap, 1qt per 1000miles, noise from axle, etc)

Originally Posted by LS69TA
So are the dealerships going to replace the valley cover as a recall or something?
I heard some horror stories about dealer work...
People went in for piston ring replacement (to cure oil consumption) and came out with a bunch of other problems, and now they had worse oil consumption.

My wife took her GAGT to the dealer for waranty work (intake manifold had a coolant leak) and they ended up breaking the 16 pin connector on the vehicle harness that the fuel injector subharness plugs into, and they completely killed a 2 year old battery.
Old 03-23-2006, 09:26 PM
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Bulletin number is 01-06-01-023A. I don't know where you can find this information yourself because I got it straight from the GM online service manual it's kinda like alldata for GM. It's only a bulletin and not a recall. If you have extended warranty that might pay for it unless u still have a factory warranty other then that you have to pay for it. It's for 1999-2001 camaro's and firebird's with the LS motors and 1999-2002 corvettes. For the LS6 the valley cover is revised along with the rings and on LS1 its rings only.

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