LS1Z28_98

So I am still in the middle of this cam swap. I drained my oil, M1 5W30 with a thousand miles on the oil. The car has 70,000. I looked at the drain plug and there was a gray paste on the magnet. There were not huge shavings on it, it was a grainy pasty matter. The engine has not run bad, the only noise is a tinny tick that I thought was valvetrain noise coming through the header. The valve covers are off and the oil is nice and clean, not as much as a shaving anywhere. Pushrods are straight, rockers are fine, springs are not off yet but appear fine. My parts/hot rod guy, is not experienced with the LS motors, but he didn't think this sounded too good.

I am thinking a bearing issue, but if it was that wouldn't I get a knocking instead of a tick? Only other think I can think of are rings?

Or is it nothing at all?

vettenuts

iTrader: (4)

Sounds normal from your description. But if you are worried, second oil change after the swap send an oil sample to Dyson Analysis, Terry will pick up any issues. First oil change after the swap will be contaminated due to the swap.

021less

iTrader: (28)

what he said, sounds like normal stuff to me.

redtail2426

iTrader: (10)

yeah that sounds pretty normal to me.a dark silvery paste that is smooth to the touch.nothing to worry about.I get that on every oil change i do on my car and mine has 21k miles.

LS1Z28_98

Well I'm glad, I was trying to reason out that LS motors I'm sure are built with a lot tighter tolerances than traditional SBC motors were. I didn't want to jump to conclusions. None the less I made the decision before all this, to change my oil weight to 0W40. It can get hotter than hell here in the summers so I'd like a 40 hot weight, and not to mention you can never go wrong with a 0 cold weight.

Thanks for the input!

Hell'sChariot

iTrader: (24)

Its normal. I had glitter in my oil after my cam swap. It gets less and less every oil change. It must have been the cam breaking in...?

LS1Z28_98

This is before the cam swap. I drained the oil to lower the pan to put the new oil pump on and noticed it on the magnet.

s346k

iTrader: (4)

roller cams don't break in...

i'd guess it is something else in the valvetrain "breaking in" but nothing i'd worry about.

to the OP - don't worry, you're fine. - no chunks or abundance of it won't be a problem. if you continually get a bunch of it on the magnet you might want to check your cam bearings..

Deeavi

iTrader: (16)

I live in SC, so I am familiar with the heat you are speaking of. I went to 10w-40 with mine after I bought it. The car had 92,000 miles on it.

I am also going to run 10w-40 in my new motor! We don't have a lot of cold weather.

As far as the paste, it sound like an oil additive. Some have metallic properties and will stick to the magnet