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Hey everyone, I have a LS3 crate engine with 3,900 total miles since new and there's very tiny metal sparkles in the oil. It had proper break in, oil changed at 50, 500, 1000 and 2000. Used break in oil then conventional till 2k and switched to 5w30 Royal purple. Oil pressure is steady at 60 psi hot idle, 70+ at high rpm.
Here's the mods I did to it:
- Cam motion custom grind 3 bolt: 229/240 - .646"/.628" -111+3
- Johnson 2116 ST linked lifters
- Manson 11/32 pushrods, .20" preload
- pac .660" springs
- tick performance brass trunnions, GM rockers
- GM timing gears, C5R racing chain
- Melling 10295 high pressure, regular volume oil pump
The bottom end and heads weren't touched.
I don't run it hard all the time, it does see the occasional high rpm but nothing crazy. I cruise more than anything.
I have cut open oil filters and found zero metal in them. So the only metal I see is very very fine.
I realize any metal in oil is not good but I don't have the means to tear it down right now.
If you zoom you can see the very fine specs, there was some dirt on the pan so the big particles you see aren't metal.
Thoughts?
I should also mention that I noticed it's running lean. It's been dyno tuned but I think my tuner only accounted for max rpm. All of the plugs look like this
Not sure if this could cause abnormal wear or not
Don't get hung up on the particles in the oil just yet. New engine so you're going to see some of this and that spark plug does appear to show a lean condition. What plugs and gap?
Don't get hung up on the particles in the oil just yet. New engine so you're going to see some of this and that spark plug does appear to show a lean condition. What plugs and gap?
They're NGK iridium, gapped at .040" I believe. The only good thing is that all of them are consistent.
At this point I need to check air/fuel with some wide bands and adjust the tune from there. I don't have any tuning experience yet but I'll spend time learning first. The current tune was set at a shop and they claim it was tuned for low or high rpm. Obviously something isn't right.
"The current tune was set at a shop and they claim it was tuned for low or high rpm".
The starts with this from the "shop".
A cheap oil analysis from Blackstone will tell you what you are now guessing about.
03-12-2024, 09:57 AM
LS3 small metal particles in oil - need input 
starts with this from the "shop".