AFM Piston Soak / Top Cleaner

[iamdub]

Thanks all for the help. If anyone is interested in doing this here are my notes:

I ran a hot piston soak using ACDelco's 10-3015 /19355198. This is supposed to be the current version of the fluid called out in the TSB. Its about #35. Not as serious as the original formula but the original is discontinued and selling around $160 a can.

To make life easier I used a 100cc graduated syringe with about a foot of tubing. This let me measure the amount i put in as well as remove the fluid when done.

Cylinder #1 kept all the fluid for the three hours whereas Cylinder #7 drained to the case.

I used a 15/16 socket to rotate the engine clockwise out of TDC via harmonic balance nut. I also disconnected all the coil packs and the 26# fuse (FCSM) to cut the injectors. This let me spin the engine using the starter to get all the remaining fluid out. Even after sucking the fluid out it still got everywhere so pack the bay with a towel.

New oil and new plugs and added a Range AFM disabler.

The last thing I am doing is an oil catch can. Can any one help me with the manifold connection? My stock tube is hard plastic to the plastic elbow. I think the elbow comes off with 1/2 turn? How did everyone else connect? Remove the plastic tube and use the stock elbow or a different fitting? Pic below

That fitting on the top of the manifold is super brittle and I've never known them to just disconnect. I'd recommend cutting the 90° bend out of that tube, located down a few inches where it curves back to run towards the back of the rocker cover. Just cut it an inch or two in each direction going from the center of that bend. Slip your catch can hoses over the remaining straight pieces of pipe.

For future reference, you can simply hold the throttle pedal to the floor while cranking to cut out spark and fuel.

 

[77mercury77]

I gotta say after eight years of ownership my truck's oil has always looked dirty even after an oil change. After doing the piston soak on cylinders that had oily or oil foueld spark plugs my sythn oil finally looks like it should on the dip stick.

If anyone is having issues with oil fouling I would highly reccomend doing the following before more drastic measures:

-2010 updated D/S valve cover. Cheap and easy to do. I think I spent less than $150 on genuine parts.

-AFM oil pan shield. Super cheap parts but a PIA to do. About a 3/4 day under the truck for RWD. Great time to fix all the other oil leaks. Also to change the oil pick up oring which could result in oil pressure issues. My oil pick up screen had some embedded blue gasket material I had to clean out. I'm not sure how big of a difference the shield made but it's done with other needed fixes.

-Top down piston soak. Updated AC Delco PN is priced similar to other solvents, I see no reason to buy the old stuff at an inflated price. This made more of a difference than the first two items regarding my specific issues.

-AFM disabler. Most likely necessary after piston soak to prevent rings from cokin up with oil while the cylinder is deactivated.

-Catch can. Cheapo can from the web. For me it's a diagnostic device that lets me see what and how much the pcv is dumping back into the intake. I can now catch (ha) a problem if collection type/rate changes.

 

[iamdub]

I gotta say after eight years of ownership my truck's oil has always looked dirty even after an oil change. After doing the piston soak on cylinders that had oily or oil foueld spark plugs my sythn oil finally looks like it should on the dip stick.

If anyone is having issues with oil fouling I would highly reccomend doing the following before more drastic measures:

-2010 updated D/S valve cover. Cheap and easy to do. I think I spent less than $150 on genuine parts.

-AFM oil pan shield. Super cheap parts but a PIA to do. About a 3/4 day under the truck for RWD. Great time to fix all the other oil leaks. Also to change the oil pick up oring which could result in oil pressure issues. My oil pick up screen had some embedded blue gasket material I had to clean out. I'm not sure how big of a difference the shield made but it's done with other needed fixes.

-Top down piston soak. Updated AC Delco PN is priced similar to other solvents, I see no reason to buy the old stuff at an inflated price. This made more of a difference than the first two items regarding my specific issues.

-AFM disabler. Most likely necessary after piston soak to prevent rings from cokin up with oil while the cylinder is deactivated.

-Catch can. Cheapo can from the web. For me it's a diagnostic device that lets me see what and how much the pcv is dumping back into the intake. I can now catch (ha) a problem if collection type/rate changes.

With AFM disabled or deleted, the deflector/shield isn't needed. Knowing this would save someone a lot of unnecessary labor in removing the pan unless they were doing so anyway to repair leak(s).