Tom400CFI

Impressively tough. I do auto repair on the side in my garage for extra $$. This guy comes to me w/a '00 Silverado 1500 5.3L that has NO oil pressure. Top end rattling like crazy.

Apparently, he got the oil changed down in Salt Lake City. On his way back up the canyon, (20 mile run w/a 3000' rise), about half way, his oil pressure drops, and a minute later, the valve train starts making a racket. What does he do? Continue driving home to Park City. He drives it for about 15 more miles, and 1500' rise w'no oil pressure. When I get to the truck, I can't believe that it was driven that far w/NO pressure, and still runs, so I assume that it did have some oil pressure. I fire it up and the gauge doesn't move...at all; "Check engine oil pressure" warning light comes on too.

I have the truck towed to my house and start working on it, thinking that it must be the oil pump. After a little more 'thinking', I hypothesize that since the symptom occurred right after an oil change, maybe it's possible that the filter is defective, and blocking oil flow. I replace the filter, start the engine, and...nothing. No oil pressure. I remove the new filter and there is zero oil in it. I start the engine again w/the filter removed, and zero oil comes from the port. So the engine was truly getting NO oil!

Why? It wasn't a problem w/the oil pump. Scroll down to see what the problem really was...

Tom400CFI

Tom400CFI

Tom400CFI

Astounding, IMO. I can't believe the condition of the bearing and rod journal. I was worried that the Gen III/IV engine might not be as tough from an oiling stand point as the Gen I/II engine. It appears (from this example) that it is.

calemasters

One can change their oil, or change their engine. The choice is the owner's.

TTRotary

Damn that's impressive. Maybe he was using Prolong. Remember those ads?

Tom400CFI

LOL! ~ Prolong. Yeah, I remember that "stuff". SLICK 50 too.

SunsetOrangeCreations

That guy needs to do more maintenance.....oil change more often. Maybe do synthetic from now on.....


That is the most sludge ever... Looks like some 1970's motors I've torn down.

I guess thats what non-synthetic oil turns into...

Amazing that it didnt fry the whole thing.

A true testament to strength.

npm

wow, eye opener, thanks tom.

JmpnJckFlsh

Makes you wonder what stimulated him to get his oil changed...Do you suppose he stumbled across a "round tuit" down in Salt Lake?

This reminds me of those old Chevy truck ads from the 80s(?) with Bill Withers singing the theme: "Lean on me...when you're not strong...I'll be your friend, I'll help you carry on...For it won't be long, Till I'm going to need somebody to lean on..."

Abomination

why would someone abuse their own vehicle like that?!?

Darth_Vader

Wow, that is some major sludge!

augydog

just plain

Deep Silver C6 Z51

I thought that engine was from my wife's Chevy Monza that she had back in college.

PappyTinker

If you want to see sludge in your engine, have your service tech top off your antifreeze level by pouring it into the hole meant for adding oil. A friend of mine who is a mechanic showed me an engine that, at 3K miles on the oil, he had scraped a substance out of a customer's Ram 1500's crankcase that was the consistancy and color of licorice pudding. Oil analysis indicated significant ethelene glycol contamination.

not08crmanymore

What is that,a half a piston ring??or whatever they're called...

Tom400CFI

I've been in the Virgin Islands for the last week and a half, so sorry for the delayed report.

When I put the motor back together, I filled the pump w/grease, filled the filter, and fired it up. Oil pressure came up in about 4-5 seconds and the valve train quieted down in another 30 seconds or so, except for one tick. I drove the truck for about 20 minutes getting it fully up to temp, and by then all valve noise was gone. Brought it back to my house and dropped the oil and filter, HOT, w/the oil freshly stirred up. Re-filled and new filter and drove it to the customers house. 40 PSI (according to the gauge) hot at idle, no noises and good power. I am impressed.

I considered that cooland could have cause the sludge, but I'm not sure how that would explain the excessive "dry carbon" higher up in the engine (note the front timing area pic and up around the bores etc). At work, we've had "Gen IIe" engines (Vortec 350's) that have the infamous intake gasket failure where it dumps ELC into the valley and hence the oil. It makes the oil coagulate (sp?) but you can see it in the color of the oil when you drain it. This was nothing like that. The dryish carbon like crud in the higer areas of the motor make me think that the oil just wasn't changed enough.