Glitter in 6.2L oil ... please help

[Biscuit mobile]

I'd look at a used junkyard engine. If you're handy you should be able to swap them out. If you have a local junk yard they may offer install but of course, at a cost.
To get all of those flakes out of the engine will require a total disassembly even if you reuse parts. A guaranteed used engine would most likly be less money and quicker. Most places will have a video of the engine running or not pull it until you buy it. Good luck.

 

[SpareParts]

I'm pretty sure mine was from cam bearings (#2)being the most likely cause from a bad O ring.
Since i installed a new oil pump and O ring my hot idle oil pressure has remained steady using 5w-30 @ 20ish psi.
More worried about my 1 noisy piston breaking. I figure it's gonna run forever or die in a few hours. Either way I don't really care.

 

[thefrey]

I'm pretty sure mine was from cam bearings (#2)being the most likely cause from a bad O ring.
Since i installed a new oil pump and O ring my hot idle oil pressure has remained steady using 5w-30 @ 20ish psi.
More worried about my 1 noisy piston breaking. I figure it's gonna run forever or die in a few hours. Either way I don't really care.

What were your oil pressures before your o-ring replacement?

 

[Geotrash]

I am planning to just drop the pan to swap the o-ring instead of going through the front. My plan is to consider changing the pump if the o-ring does not fix my issues as it may save me some $$ and I don't have to go through the front cover (yet).

This is what I would do for starters. Then run it a while and keep an eye on the oil analysis. It will keep talking to you if it's in trouble.

One culprit for those metal flakes I haven't seen mentioned is the timing chain tensioner. I've seen those wear through the plastic track and start eating into the steel behind it. But you'll see that with the pan off. Might take the front cover off too for a better look.

I think the probability that it's a trunnion bearing is very low. They had problems with them back in the LS1 days, but I haven't heard of an LS3 losing a factory trunnion bearing yet.

 

[thefrey]

This is what I would do for starters. Then run it a while and keep an eye on the oil analysis. It will keep talking to you if it's in trouble.

One culprit for those metal flakes I haven't seen mentioned is the timing chain tensioner. I've seen those wear through the plastic track and start eating into the steel behind it. But you'll see that with the pan off. Might take the front cover off too for a better look.

I think the probability that it's a trunnion bearing is very low. They had problems with them back in the LS1 days, but I haven't heard of an LS3 losing a factory trunnion bearing yet.

Good idea, thank you for the info.

It's gonna suck but I'm at least happy that I'm dropping the pan because it should help me pinpoint the issue. I thought I noticed maybe a plastic piece in the oil but who knows. Dropping the pan will tell me all the debris that is in there so maybe it's something with the timing chain.

I'm gonna take the valve cover off and check out the rocker arms. I'm not 100% sure what I'll be looking for yet - but the last owner said they had new lifters installed which was about 15k miles ago and there's a slight tick. Which is kinda why I'm very curious about trunnion since it's definitely on the passenger side. So either the random intermittent tick I have is related to my o-ring issues or something rocker/trunnion related. Hopefully the lifter isn't going out already.

 

[Geotrash]

Good idea, thank you for the info.

It's gonna suck but I'm at least happy that I'm dropping the pan because it should help me pinpoint the issue. I thought I noticed maybe a plastic piece in the oil but who knows. Dropping the pan will tell me all the debris that is in there so maybe it's something with the timing chain.

I'm gonna take the valve cover off and check out the rocker arms. I'm not 100% sure what I'll be looking for yet - but the last owner said they had new lifters installed which was about 15k miles ago and there's a slight tick. Which is kinda why I'm very curious about trunnion since it's definitely on the passenger side. So either the random intermittent tick I have is related to my o-ring issues or something rocker/trunnion related. Hopefully the lifter isn't going out already.

Check the exhaust manifold bolts as well. A broken/loose bolt is common on these and masquerades like a lifter tick. I had a loose manifold bolt a couple of years after the cam swap on my 2012 and I could've sworn it was a lifter starting to go. But thankfully it was just a loose ARP manifold bolt. I torqued it back down and haven't had a problem since.

 

[thefrey]

Check the exhaust manifold bolts as well. A broken/loose bolt is common on these and masquerades like a lifter tick. I had a loose manifold bolt a couple of years after the cam swap on my 2012 and I could've sworn it was a lifter starting to go. But thankfully it was just a loose ARP manifold bolt. I torqued it back down and haven't had a problem since.

I am almost positive I don't have an exhaust leak. I replaced and was able to successfully remove some broken bolts. I didn't replace the gaskets, but the only bolts that I couldn't repair are the ones against the firewall. So I think it's lifter related unfortunately

 

[Geotrash]

I am almost positive I don't have an exhaust leak. I replaced and was able to successfully remove some broken bolts. I didn't replace the gaskets, but the only bolts that I couldn't repair are the ones against the firewall. So I think it's lifter related unfortunately

All the same, a mechanic's stethoscope is cheap and will help you rule it out for sure.

 

[B-train]

Question about your #3 - Wouldn't bearing wear on these engines mean that any metal shavings be non magnetic? From all the research I've seen everything points to non-magnetic particles being bearing material.

That may be true, but metallic parts definitely ride on them. Any metal is always suspicious. But, based on all that has been said and debated thus far, I'd try the o-ring on the pickup tube and go from there.

 

[thefrey]

That may be true, but metallic parts definitely ride on them. Any metal is always suspicious. But, based on all that has been said and debated thus far, I'd try the o-ring on the pickup tube and go from there.

Heard. That does make sense, even if it’s not all ferrous it’ll give me an idea of what may or may not be wearing if only part of it is magnetic before I do an oil sample