Post your latest oil change.

[Grumpy Bear]

59 minutes ago, BlaineBug said:

 

For what reason is/was so much fuel getting in to your oil?

 

GDI high pressure pump is driven from the engines camshaft and has direct access to the sump. It's a plunger pump and leaked. Not enough to raise the oil level. Hardly enough to create a smell but enough that the fuel shellac seized the rings in #1 hole. Worse, enough that the viscosity broke a full SAE grade in under 1700 miles and it was a stinker to find the leak was so small. Never showed up on a pressure test, never showed up in the fuel trims. We changed it AFTER replacing every other component that could account for such a small amount. Yea, including all injectors. Fuel rails, Coils, Plugs, boots, resistors. Even rebuilt the evap system. Each repair showed progress but not resolution. When finally the HPP was replaced, the readings went from 5% to a fraction. Something like 0.2%. 

[Big_Kahuna]

my next oil change will be VALVOLINE EP with 15oz biotech lubegard , the valvoline is loaded with molybdenum on its own and lubegard will enhanced even more, the RAM people are in love with lubegard thy calming their hemi tick completely stops after using this and the engine is quiet over all, I will try in my gmc next oil change to see how she like it.

[BlaineBug]

11 hours ago, Grumpy Bear said:

 

GDI high pressure pump is driven from the engines camshaft and has direct access to the sump. It's a plunger pump and leaked. Not enough to raise the oil level. Hardly enough to create a smell but enough that the fuel shellac seized the rings in #1 hole. Worse, enough that the viscosity broke a full SAE grade in under 1700 miles and it was a stinker to find the leak was so small. Never showed up on a pressure test, never showed up in the fuel trims. We changed it AFTER replacing every other component that could account for such a small amount. Yea, including all injectors. Fuel rails, Coils, Plugs, boots, resistors. Even rebuilt the evap system. Each repair showed progress but not resolution. When finally the HPP was replaced, the readings went from 5% to a fraction. Something like 0.2%. 

Sounds like a fun diagnosis and parts cannon repair.

[Grumpy Bear]

40 minutes ago, BlaineBug said:

Sounds like a fun diagnosis and parts cannon repair.

 

Frustrating is what it was. Especially since none of the diagnostics test that would have prevented the 'parts cannon' approach showed anything one could hang their hat on. Local garage didn't find it. Local dealer scratched his head. Neither gave UOA a thought and laughed/smiled when I first took this journey. Local shop is now a believer.  

 

So, I proceeded cheapest easiest to most expensive and complicated doing a UOA after each individual repair for conformation and direction. Mostly...well that's better BUT, that wasn't it 

 

What it was not, was a waste of time or money. Every system needed the work I gave it. Unit has a fair number of miles. 

 

ANY education is expensive. I just paid a different instructor but learned just as much. I'm not out a thing. What would be a waist is letting this bite me twice after receiving this instruction. I have two more GDI's on the property. There are thousands on this list that could benefit IF...

 

Had this been a carburetor points motor this silliness would have lasted about an hour, tops. Wait! It wouldn't have happened at all. That cam driven pump has a weep hole for this purpose. 

[BlaineBug]

All of this occurred with your 2015's 4.3 V6?

[Grumpy Bear]

21 minutes ago, BlaineBug said:

All of this occurred with your 2015's 4.3 V6?

 

No sir. This happened to the Ecotec 2.4 I-4 in the wife's GMC Terrain SLE.

 

That 4.3 in Pepper is at 163K with ZERO issues. It's been a rockstar. Uses maybe a bit more than a cup between 5K OCI's. All you hear out of that motor is pump/injector tick. Her last UOA was MINT. Zero fuels and very low wear. 

[BlaineBug]

3 minutes ago, Grumpy Bear said:

 

No sir. This happened to the Ecotec 2.4 I-4 in the wife's GMC Terrain SLE.

 

That 4.3 in Pepper is at 163K with ZERO issues. It's been a rockstar. Uses maybe a bit more than a cup between 5K OCI's. All you hear out of that motor is pump/injector tick. Her last UOA was MINT. Zero fuels and very low wear. 

Oh I see.  I heard the motors in the Equinox (same as Terrain) were ****** and were costly to repair.  Something about an engine-out water pump replacement or some other extreme labor B.S.?

 

I popped in a magnetic-tipped drain plug in my 5.3 last year, haven't found anything on it out of the ordinary.

Edited December 11, 2022 by BlaineBug

[customboss]

3 hours ago, Big_Kahuna said:

my next oil change will be VALVOLINE EP with 15oz biotech lubegard , the valvoline is loaded with molybdenum on its own and lubegard will enhanced even more, the RAM people are in love with lubegard thy calming their hemi tick completely stops after using this and the engine is quiet over all, I will try in my gmc next oil change to see how she like it.

Friendly commentary.  Use a fully formulated lubricant and don't do backyard chemistry.

 

Valvoline EP 0w-20 Dexos1 GEN3 ( you have a 6.2L I think)  doesn't contain much Mo nor more than any other approved lubes. To meet GEN3 its a great formulation and Valvoline is no longer providing the latest SDS for us to see what it doesn't have in it.  Its using a PAO cut and some good ester tech to get that GM Gen 3 approval.  Don't screw up what they did by adding needless methyl soyate or palm oil from Lubeguard. 

 

Lubeguard is an ester additive that is effective lubricating and solving shellac that causes the tapping you are worried about.  You are making claims like you have test data to show and guide. You won't hurt anything but you are wasting your $$ on Lubeguard when other fully formulated chemistries will do you better.  

 

Stick with Valvoline latest product and you'll be happier in the long run and spend less $$. 

 

 

[customboss]

1 hour ago, BlaineBug said:

Oh I see.  I heard the motors in the Equinox (same as Terrain) were ****** and were costly to repair.  Something about an engine-out water pump replacement or some other extreme labor B.S.?

 

I popped in a magnetic-tipped drain plug in my 5.3 last year, haven't found anything on it out of the ordinary.

Brother Blain, if you can see magnetic particles on an oil drain plug from a modern 5.3 like yours they are BIG.  They are also BAD if visible unless some contaminant like a sliver of ferritic metal is shred or introduced into engine sump circuit.  Oil analysis is handy because you can see parts per million smaller particles before they become hunks of damage that will not be able to be stopped. 

 

Check out the link on materials sizes and relative comparisons.  Most of your 5.3 contain/composed of alloys that are non ferritic.  Crank being the exception. 

 

https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/particle-sizes-d_934.html

[BlaineBug]

47 minutes ago, customboss said:

Brother Blain, if you can see magnetic particles on an oil drain plug from a modern 5.3 like yours they are BIG.  They are also BAD if visible unless some contaminant like a sliver of ferritic metal is shred or introduced into engine sump circuit.  Oil analysis is handy because you can see parts per million smaller particles before they become hunks of damage that will not be able to be stopped. 

 

Check out the link on materials sizes and relative comparisons.  Most of your 5.3 contain/composed of alloys that are non ferritic.  Crank being the exception. 

 

https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/particle-sizes-d_934.html

I haven't found any, but figured it can't hurt!  The block and head are aluminum I figured which is a soft metal.

[customboss]

9 minutes ago, BlaineBug said:

I haven't found any, but figured it can't hurt!  The block and head are aluminum I figured which is a soft metal.

No Sir it won’t hurt. 

[customboss]

9 hours ago, Big_Kahuna said:

my next oil change will be VALVOLINE EP with 15oz biotech lubegard , the valvoline is loaded with molybdenum on its own and lubegard will enhanced even more, the RAM people are in love with lubegard thy calming their hemi tick completely stops after using this and the engine is quiet over all, I will try in my gmc next oil change to see how she like it.

 

[Grumpy Bear]

1 hour ago, customboss said:

 

 

Funny they list the NOAK as <15% like they are hiding something when the Gen 3 spec is <12.5%. Not a lie but really?

[customboss]

16 minutes ago, Grumpy Bear said:

 

Funny they list the NOAK as <15% like they are hiding something when the Gen 3 spec is <12.5%. Not a lie but really?

Not disclosing proprietary info is not lying IMHO. It's less than 15%.  Just trying to keep their way to meet and exceed GEN 3 close to vest.  Called common sense in marketing.  One of the odd things about internet introduction is that just because people can find lots of info it doesn't mean I can know all.  As a matter of fact without good background in science, chemistry, materials, a lot of this stuff is gobbledy goop to the untrained or uneducated. 

Not all is patented nor can be and thats especially true in chemistry. 

[Big_Kahuna]

38 minutes ago, customboss said:

Not disclosing proprietary info is not lying IMHO. It's less than 15%.  Just trying to keep their way to meet and exceed GEN 3 close to vest.  Called common sense in marketing.  One of the odd things about internet introduction is that just because people can find lots of info it doesn't mean I can know all.  As a matter of fact without good background in science, chemistry, materials, a lot of this stuff is gobbledy goop to the untrained or uneducated. 

Not all is patented nor can be and thats especially true in chemistry. 

so do you think this valvoline EP  is a great oil, sure the additive package looks great to me but by knowledge about oil is not great , I just know basic .....