Do 98 Corvettes have needle bearing issues?
08-07-2004, 11:06 PM
#1
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Do 98 Corvettes have needle bearing issues? I know that some years are more prone to the needle bearing problem than others, and am curious if the LS1 in the 98 Corvette is one of them? I thought I heard that this problem only seemed to affect 2000+ cars, is this true?
PS, there is nothing wrong with mine, the engine sounds and runs perfectly (no piston slap at all!) I was just curious.
PS, there is nothing wrong with mine, the engine sounds and runs perfectly (no piston slap at all!) I was just curious.
08-11-2004, 11:19 PM
#2
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Hi, Patman.... The needle bearings in any roller tappet ***'y are gonna "break" (ask any reputable engine builder) over thousands of miles. Who needs a sump-full of busted needles / chips? There are a lot of stresses here ; oil control is critical ... & is the reason (I feel) GM put synthetic oil in the LS1 . GM is looking down the road thousands of consumer miles ... & expects this problem not to surface - providing the oil / filter is changed as recommended.
HOWEVER, my '98 'Vette / M6 gets a bit better "attention" than this ; The first time I started the car (@ the dealer), I thought "WOW! A Duntov cam ???" The swarm of noises coming forth (piston slap?) should NOT have been there! My solution? see next post (I fear I have run out of room!)....
HOWEVER, my '98 'Vette / M6 gets a bit better "attention" than this ; The first time I started the car (@ the dealer), I thought "WOW! A Duntov cam ???" The swarm of noises coming forth (piston slap?) should NOT have been there! My solution? see next post (I fear I have run out of room!)....
Last edited by gasalene; 08-11-2004 at 11:47 PM.
08-11-2004, 11:41 PM
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...continued.... GM is going to hate this solution to both piston slap (I had it!) AND the needle bearing longevity issue : Go to your nearest GM parts counter , buy a pint "can" of GM's ENGINE ASSEMBLY LUBRICANT and pour it slowly into your engine! Old oil , new oil , oil change ... whatever! Tell me when your smile says "QUIET"! It cost$ about what 2 quarts of synthetic oil cost, is it worth it? The next oil change, bring the level back to the "full" mark(dipstick) WITH another "can" of EAL ( this was called EOS, Engine Oil Supplement...but was changed to EAL before the FTC jumped the oil additive crowd! Coincidence? Who cares? What is EAL? Shhhh...says GM. I know... it's a "miracle cushion" for piston slap! & needle bearing life! MOS2 anyone ??? 
08-11-2004, 11:56 PM
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One final thought: If the EAL boosts the "oiling" power of synthetic oils... WHY pay for synthetics? Why, indeed! My perfectly quiet '98 just hums along on good ol' XXX brand 10W40 ( you know, the one with the API star) , & one "can" of EAL! - Comments? "Gasalene" 
