lt4obsesses

Finally got the oil changed yesterday, and checked the old oil from the filter. It was glittered like a preschool floor at Christmas time.

A litte back story, this oil had porbably gone probaby a little long, 5000 miles +/-, with a little added here and there due to a minor timing cover leak. (Mobile 5/30)

Furthermore, I had a coolant hose come loose, and the oil had gotten pretty hot for a very short time. (I didn't realize the hose came off until I got home) I had a some cooling systems issues going on at that time. Got a new cap from Chevy and it's been good since, a couple of hundred miles.

The car has 163K on it. It has a Hotcam. Spun an bearing around the 90K mark and replaced crank with a reman and new Clevite .010 bearings, rod and main. It runs well, no knocking or pinging, no blue or white smoke, a little rich at idle. But, sparkly oil, is the tell tale.

I certainly do not have cash on hand to have this done. Back in KC, there was a diy garage that I could have done it at, but not so much here. I live in an apartment, so I guess I could rent a storage space and hope they don't care if I work on it there, and piece it together. Or I'm wondering if I shouldn't just sell it for cheap,

Tom400CFI

No worries...that glitter is all the titanium! Oh wait...wrong oil brand.


Doesn't sound good at all...but before spending $$$ or making big decisions, I'd run it 100 miles and drop your new oil/filter and inspect again. Or have a sample done.

85 Stalker

See if you can pick up the "glitter" from the oil sample with a magnet after another oil change.

If it is metalic, not good news..........

ch@0s

Do you own another car that you can drive while you repair it?

MavsAK

Uh oh. Hopefully it is just left overs....

sample the new stuff after a lil bit...see what comes up.

lt4obsesses

It's metalic, no doubt.

Sure, it hasn't been a daily for a few years now, though I still drive it often...or did. I was really wanting to do a 396 build on it, but just not yet. Oh well, I've listed in 'Southwest' as a mechanics special. I just don't have the resources right now. I am really, really bummed about this.

c4cruiser

5K miles on a full synthetic oil shouldn't be a problem. Drive the car for something like 100 miles and then replace the oil filter. Do it again in another 100 miles, then check the oil left in that filter and on the dipstick to see if the particles are still there.

If they are, then I would expect that something is going bad; bearings, rings or ???

What is the oil pressure at idle and at cruise speeds with oil temps at operating temp (180-200 degrees)?

lt4obsesses

20 at idle, 35- 40 cruising. It's been like that since day one that I owned it. My 98 Z28 did the same thing.

ch@0s

You don't have to sell it we can work on it in my garage. PM me.

lt4obsesses

That's a very generous offer.

SDS Photography

No doubt - that is pretty awesome.

ToniJ1960

Reminds me how friendly people in Houston were when I was visiting. I still talk about it all the time. Loved Houston and the horses.

ch@0s

LOL thanks Guys

The only horses I have are under my hood.

Corvettewaldon

Oil---shinny things-----never good---sorry for not sugar coating it! good luck...now you can throw in that 383!!!

lt4obsesses

So, for those that are saying drive it a hundred miles and change again, checking to see if there's more. I guess I'm not sure what you mean.

Is the thought that when the engine went to overheat levels, the oil got too thin and lubricate well enough? But with the new oil and cooling system operating properly, that issue may be resolved?

I'm just afraid that within even that 100 miles, it might grenade the engine.

Tom400CFI

Once at the ski resort, we had a snow cat come in w/a contaminated hydrostatic drive system. The fluid (Dex III ATF) was black/burned. Typically, that would be "the END" for a hydrostatic drive system; what ever made the fluid black probably killed the drive system...and if that didn't the bad/dirty fluid itself should have. But the cat still drove....so we drained and flushed the drive system as best we could, changed filters, ran it and pressure tested and everything tested and worked fine. We put the cat back out on the hill w/clean, fresh fluid and it resumed normal operations, w/no issues going forward. We ended up selling that particular cat, still running well at 12,600 hours -a lot for a snow cat. Five mechanics in the shop and I, and none of us could explain what happened, or why what happened hadn't been terminal, for the drive system. It was an anomaly.

In your case, I'm thinking that the engine is either already toast, so who cares if 100 miles "grenades" it....OR, it's not toast at all, and the situation you've observed is some kind of anomaly.

I'm thinking that if it were my car, and my $$$, I'd change the oil, drive it, and observe. If there really IS a problem, the new oil will "fill w/metal" too.

I'm thinking, I'd want to CONFIRM, that there is truly and engine failure problem, before I sold my car, or spend $$$ I don't have on a new motor.

I'm thinking you have good oil pressure, you have a good running engine still, no funny noises.....I wouldn't throw in the towel just yet.

1993C4LT1

lt4obsesses

Tom, you have a point. I've read alot of your posts, and what you say certainly carries weight and credibility with me.

This car did spin a rod bearing a long time ago. It was professionally repaired with a reman'd LT1 crank, new bearings (rod and main) and a new rod on spun cylinder. The lead tech on the job was my brother, (almost 40 yrs exp) That was about 5 years ago.

The one thing that has me wondering is the oil pump drive gear. About 3 years ago, I had the oil pump fail, and the drive gear was severely chewed. The cause was really undeterminable, as the drive gear mount (plastic) was cracked. It's a chicken and egg thing, did the mount crack allowing play in gear, or did the gear get chewed when the pump locked up and then the mount cracked? It was replaced with a Melling pump, steel mount, and was scored for more oiling capability.

Point is, that metal came from somewhere, and that somewhere is my concern. What I fear, is that it could grenade and ruin an otherwise rebuildable engine. At 163K it's due anyway, no doubt about that.

Maybe I'll put a few miles on it, and check it again. In the meantime start parts shopping getting an idea on what I want. All out, or factory spec, it's a coin toss today. Tomorrow, who knows?

BTW, my oil sample was from the filter, so I guess it was doing it's job.

Tom400CFI

Well it's good that you're considering your options and taking an analytical approach here. I agree that the metal is very concerning -just like that contamination was in the snow cat. That type of discovery never looks good.

I will say this, I'd hate to see you sell the car, and leave this site. What ever you do, I've got my fingers crossed for you that the out come is a good one. (Engine is OK, or you end up with "Chaos/lt4obsesses 383"

lt4obsesses

I briefly put up a for sale post, but deleted it. I have come to realize that is just too much of my own knuckle skin on this car to let the story end this way. LT4 383,396, or LS6, LS2 who knows where the path will lead, but this will get done. I might have to trade my Cadillac for an LS3 Camaro in the meantime, to satisfy my V8 addiction, but YOLO right? (You Only Live Once)