TOZ

Need some advise. My car has 15K miles on it, i did a Cam swap (222/224 114) back in June las year. Since then I drove the car for 2000 miles (today) and when I pulled the oil plug to do my oil change I found some really small shaving on the magnet.
I talked to a friend of mine and he tells me that is bad, but then i talk to another couple of friends and told me that it is ok, it`s just the cam working it`s place in the motor.
When I did the cam swap I drove it for a about 300 miles or so did an oil change and didn`t have this problem, now 2000 miles after I find this.
Another person told me is also Dry start, since I only use the car on the weekends and sometimes 2 weeks at a time. But I`ve never seen this before and I`ve done several oil changes.
Hopefully this is normal and I don`t have to worry about it.
The car also runs in a 125 shot of NOS and I run it last weekend after a long time. It was on an open road fro 1st to 5th gear and that was it.
Here are the pictures of the oil plug. Click on them.

TOZ

More pics. What i`m gonna do, it`s just run some regular oil for about a 100 miles and drain it again to make sure I got everything out.
Please any feedback is appreciated.

TOZ

Damn 40 views and no feedback, very dissapointed !!

KySilverado

iTrader: (7)

I usually never find shavings like that. More of a sludge with very fine metal in it. Even after cam swaps. My 5.3 started making bad noises and I pulled it. When I drained the oil the drain plug looked similar to that with a few larger flakes. Turns out that a cam lobe and lifter went out.

I am by no means saying that your cam lobe is going out. If it were mine I would probably throw some cheaper dino oil in it and drive it. Change the oil often keeping an eye on it. Knowing now how mine sounded, If I started hearing ticks, rattles, or a squeal I would suspect a cam lobe/lifter going out.

ashade98

iTrader: (16)

TTT for ya!

Jpr5690

iTrader: (13)

dosent seem too bad.. id just leave it alone if its running fine

GuitsBoy

iTrader: (4)

yeah, it dosnt seem too bad, although its definately something to keep an eye on. dont bother switching to regular mineral based oil, keep the synth, but drain into something clean and recycle the oil after a short interval so you can take another look at the plug and change out the filter.

Old Geezer

iTrader: (3)

Go 1 step further, and cut the filter open. Use a pair of snips, so there's no shavings created....
If you are going to beat on the car, I'd suggest looking at the filter on every change.

Another avenue is an oil sample check. About $25.00.

orangeapeel

iTrader: (18)

2blue

Those jagged looking things on the end of the magnet might not be shavings. I had the same looking things, but when I used a rag to wipe them off, they all turned into a fine gray goo. I bet the magnetic force allows the fine particles to form like this. Really fine particles, like you find on the magnet at the bottom of an automatic transmission pan, shouldn't hurt anything. Of course, in an auto trans, they come from wear of steel plates in the clutch packs and are continuous. You shouldn't have continued wear in an engine after installing new parts. Maybe this is why the factory doesn't install magnetic drain plugs? Good luck!

Grimes

iTrader: (3)

When my car was new, during my first 2/3 oil changes my drain plug looked like that. I wouldn't worry. Just keep an eye on it.

TOZ

Yeah, thats what it was, once i put in my finger in it, it turned into liquid, kinda like a very thick oily thing.
I went ahead and put some regular Penzoil oil in it, I will drain next weekend to inspect it for further shavings. Hopefully there won`t be any.
I`m thinking of adding DuraLube to my Syntetic next time for the Dry Starts since I only use the car on the weekends. What do you think ? Or may be go Royal Purple ?

Xtnct00WS6

iTrader: (8)

Did you do your own cam swap? I'm thinking that maybe the rockers weren't tightened down in the correct sequence? Did you just torque them down to 22 lbs, or did you spin the motor around and then tighten the appropriate rocker arm bolt?

Just an idea...

FWIW, I've had shavings in my oil ever since I did a cam swap. It's been decreasing ever since though. I also don't think I tightened down the rockers properly.

TOZ

Yeah i did my own swap. I did tight them to 22LBS. I don`t remember if it was sequential, I`ll have to see the LS1 How to, I followed all the instructions from there. If it says there was a sequential part i did it then.

2blue

I was in a shop recently where they do a lot of LS1 mods and the mechanics were simply torqueing down the rocker arm bolts on one side. They had previously checked the valve stem wipe and lifter preload, which is probably the reason for the turning the crank procedure. If the valve train geometry is correct, then this can be done, but it is safer to do it the long way. You never know when a long or short valve or a deep or shallow valve seat may occur. Once the rocker arm fulcrum seats solid, further turning of the bolt should not increase lifter preload. The reason for the toruqe spec is probably to insure the bolts do not back out. 22 ft-lbs. is a safe torque for 8 mm bolts in aluminum, and the relatively "soft" aluminum is the reason for the low torque.

Xtnct00WS6

iTrader: (8)

I believe the reason for the sequence is so the cam is on the correct spot when the rocker bolt pushes the lifter down on it. I believe the lifter is supposed to be on the base circle (as apposed to the lobe) when the rocker bolt is tightened down.

TOZ

So guys, in one note, is my problem a normal thing, not to worry about it ? Also what about adding the Dura Lube to my Sytetic oil or should I go Royal Purple ?

Xtnct00WS6

iTrader: (8)

I don't think "normal" would be the word I'd choose. I think it's something you need to be aware of and keep an eye on. You might want to get an oil analysis. I'd just keep using the same type of oil you've been using. Some kind of synthetic I hope.

TOZ

Thanks guys, anymore feedback is always welcome.

JL ws-6

iTrader: (50)

I wouldn't use royal purple, at lest not the 5-30. I'd go for somethign in a 10-40 with that stuff, it's very thin to start much like mobil one is. I have been using the 0-40 in my car with no problems for a while. I change my oil excessively, 4 times a year, and I only put about 2000 miles a year on my car, so the oil usually comes out looking very clean. I usually have some light dust on the magnet, if I wipe it off with a clean paper towel I can see a very slight metal dust off teh magnet, and it has done this since day one for the most part. I had a cam put in at 14600 miles, and swapped the heads at 18400, so teh motor's been apart a couple times, nothign funny was ever found while that much of it was apart so I'm not too concerned. If youy want to be safe, run the oil you just put in, then refill with whatever you normally run, drain that after about 300 miles or so then refill with another new filter... and run it for a period of time, say 1500 miles, then do another change, and take a sample of that oil and send it out. This way the motor has been flushed otu good, and any remaining particles should be gone, and you should be back to normal so to speak... and the oil analysis should be able to tell you what is going on.