Changed the cam in my LS1 and discovered SLUDGE
08-23-2005, 05:12 PM
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Changed the cam in my LS1 and discovered SLUDGE I posted this on www.bobistheoilguy.com to get some answers, but I thought it was good info for members here as well. Maybe someone here can give me some advice.
Yesterday was the good ol' cam swap in my Gen 3 LS1 V8, but the discovery wasn't pleasing at all. Under the valve covers all grayish metal was covered by a black sludge and looked like gloss black powder coat. I wasn't to worried at this time, but when we removed the front timing chain covered I was floored. EVERYTHING in the engine was coated with this filth.
Both the oil pump and cam gear looked to be gloss black powder coated. Everything that oil could possibly touch was coated with this black film. You had to rub the surface kinda hard with your thumb so that you could see the varnished metal beneath it. Now here comes the upsetting part.
I bought a bottle of Auto-RX a couple of months ago just for the heck of it and the fact I had 80K miles on my car. I changed the oil filter and simply added the contents to my current fill of GC 0W-30 (Hope I don't upset the elves, lol). I left it in there for 1500 miles and then changed the oil (Castrol GTX 10W-40) and filter (Supertech 3675) then ran the car another 1,000 miles for the rinse phase. I only dropped the rinse oil 500 miles early so that I could change the camshaft in the engine. So, after discovery of the sludge and reassembly of the engine I had a bottle of Seafoam sitting on the shelf. I added it to the 6 qt. fill of Castrol GTX 10W-40 in hopes that the solvent based cleaner will help remove the heavy black sludge that has plauged my engine better than the past Auto-Rx that has just ran a complete clean and rinse cycle. Even the stock camshaft removed from the engine had sludge discoloration building up on the cam lobes, NOT GOOD!!!
"Help me Obi Wan Kenobi, your my only hope."
How do I remove this virus from my engine? I bought the car used with 25K miles on the clock and have babied it ever since with nothing but Mobil 1 10W-30 synthetic or German Castrol 0W-30 and have NEVER went past recommended intervals. I am now worried that the past owners either neglected the car or the car had more miles than the odometer cared to tell me about.
Would the gurus please help me.
Yesterday was the good ol' cam swap in my Gen 3 LS1 V8, but the discovery wasn't pleasing at all. Under the valve covers all grayish metal was covered by a black sludge and looked like gloss black powder coat. I wasn't to worried at this time, but when we removed the front timing chain covered I was floored. EVERYTHING in the engine was coated with this filth.
Both the oil pump and cam gear looked to be gloss black powder coated. Everything that oil could possibly touch was coated with this black film. You had to rub the surface kinda hard with your thumb so that you could see the varnished metal beneath it. Now here comes the upsetting part.I bought a bottle of Auto-RX a couple of months ago just for the heck of it and the fact I had 80K miles on my car. I changed the oil filter and simply added the contents to my current fill of GC 0W-30 (Hope I don't upset the elves, lol). I left it in there for 1500 miles and then changed the oil (Castrol GTX 10W-40) and filter (Supertech 3675) then ran the car another 1,000 miles for the rinse phase. I only dropped the rinse oil 500 miles early so that I could change the camshaft in the engine. So, after discovery of the sludge and reassembly of the engine I had a bottle of Seafoam sitting on the shelf. I added it to the 6 qt. fill of Castrol GTX 10W-40 in hopes that the solvent based cleaner will help remove the heavy black sludge that has plauged my engine better than the past Auto-Rx that has just ran a complete clean and rinse cycle. Even the stock camshaft removed from the engine had sludge discoloration building up on the cam lobes, NOT GOOD!!!
"Help me Obi Wan Kenobi, your my only hope."
How do I remove this virus from my engine? I bought the car used with 25K miles on the clock and have babied it ever since with nothing but Mobil 1 10W-30 synthetic or German Castrol 0W-30 and have NEVER went past recommended intervals. I am now worried that the past owners either neglected the car or the car had more miles than the odometer cared to tell me about.
Would the gurus please help me.
Last edited by UnleashedBeast; 08-23-2005 at 06:16 PM.
