Glitter in 6.2L oil ... please help

[rdezs]

The VVT solenoid, as well as the actuator that screws into the end of the camshaft and holds the pulley on as well

 

[rdezs]

And don't even try for "we" to do the work.... If she breaks a nail it will be all your fault!

 

[thefrey]

The VVT solenoid, as well as the actuator that screws into the end of the camshaft and holds the pulley on as well

Is the VVT solenoid and actuator one or two parts?

Everything that I see is that it’s 1 part and they label it as “solenoid/actuator” unless I’m missing something. So that’s why I was confused with the Melling kit because they have a “VVT solenoid/actuator” in the kit but you mentioned to go genuine GM

 

[thefrey]

By the way, you'll see the eight towers with an oil port coming up through them when you lift off the VLOM. In an AFM delete, I plug those ports with steel plugs pounded in.

View attachment 456033

This is the underside of a VLOM that was bleeding off oil pressure. It ran for two oil changes on Valvoline restore and protect as an experiment to see if it actually cleaned anything. The clean spots are clearly where it was bleeding off oil pressure, and did a good job cleaning. The seal is that orange circle that goes over the oil port. Now when you find loose bolts you'll have a good idea.....


View attachment 456034

And when you remove your oil pump, take out the oil pressure relief valve and see if there's crud inside. Here's what the parts look like on an oem pump. Note the spring seems kind of corroded.

View attachment 456035

Good stuff. I’m assuming you did your AFM delete yourself. How much did you end up spending total? Just wondering for future reference since it could be on the radar later

 

[thefrey]

And don't even try for "we" to do the work.... If she breaks a nail it will be all your fault!

Heck, even if she breaks a nail and I’m not even around it’s still my fault!

 

[rdezs]

I want to say it could be done for around 1100, but I do a lot of other stuff when I do AFM deletes. Like new water pump and hoses, machine shop work on the head. New radiator. If the starter looks original, that too. All new sensors. Just under $2,000 to be thorough and really refresh things. Obviously not necessary, but better in the long run of course. And it depends if you plan on keeping the vehicle for several more years, and want it to be trouble free.

There's a solenoid on the front of the timing cover.

Then you have the actuator that goes through the camshaft pulley and threads into the camshaft. Some websites listed as the camshaft bolt.

 

[rdezs]

 

[rdezs]

The solenoid that mounts on the outside of the timing cover

 

[rdezs]

Here's a visual aid that might assist you in understanding how the AFM system can leak a lot of oil. After the oil pressure sending unit, it goes to the VLOM, which has a solenoids to control oil flow down eight towers. There's a seal between the VLOM and each tower that can leak. From there it sends oil to the AFM lifters. This oil galley is in addition to the normal galley that supplies oil to the lifters. A lifter malfunctioning, for a lifter bore that has a little bit of wear.... Will lose some oil pressure potentially as well. Those solenoids are very sensitive, which is why you have the screen under the oil pressure sending unit to filter the oil headed that way. And excess oil pressure can damage the solenoids.... That's why you have the extra relief valve in the oil pan.

 

[rdezs]

When doing an AFM delete, you buy a flat valley cover that the oil pressure sending unit mounts into. And it does not have the oil passage headed over to the towers that are underneath it. The flat covers usually come with a set of o-rings to seal off those towers, and or you can plug the towers with steel plugs. The purpose of that is to keep oil pressure from coming backwards up the towers from the lifters. The end result of doing the AFM delete is you remove 16 possible places where oil pressure can be lost.

With the diagram does not show is the VVT oil path. That comes off the number two camshaft bearing, supplying oil to the center of the camshaft, and then to the actuator mounted in the front of the camshaft.

So in summary, the answer is yes, the AFM system uses a lot of oil pressure.... And can leak a lot of oil pressure.