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Post Info TOPIC: My experience with my Camaro LS1
KP1


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My experience with my Camaro LS1
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I have a 2002 Camaro LS1 with only 35K on the odometer and after I did some performance upgrades it started to put out oil smoke and was eating oil at high RPMs.

I had been running full synthetic oils but to try to reduce the oil consumption I tried dino oil in thicker viscosities without success.

I was resigned to having to rebuild/replace my shortblock but then I found the website for Auto RX and figured, what the heck, I'll try this stuff before I spend $5 to $6K replacing and upgrading my shortblock.

Anyhow, I changed my oil with Castrol GT and put the Auto RX in and I drove the car.  I took some day trips and some high RPM runs and after about 1100 miles I noticed my oil pressure was down from 60 psi at cruising speed to 40 psi.  Finally, at 1200 miles, it dawned on me that my oil filter was probably full of junk. 

I pulled the filter yesterday and cut the top off and the filter media was packed with carbon deposits.  With the new filter, my oil pressure is back to 60 psi.

Now, I have had my engine apart and I had nothing but a little varnish stain on my valve covers and heads.  I was told that a problem with the LS1 is carbon buildup in the ringlands, and that causes oil consumption. 

Anyhow, I am still using a bit of oil - nothing compared to before - but I am no longer putting out clouds of oil smoke on hard acceleration. 

I was a skeptic before I used this stuff, but I ordered another 10 bottles of Auto RX and it's going in all of my cars.

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Ken,

Thank you for purchasing ARX. I would recommend the maintenance dose I use 3oz at every oil change.

Daryl

-- Edited by dbdeland on Wednesday 13th of May 2009 08:59:07 AM

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KP1


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I still have to finish the cleaning phase and then the rinse. Then I do plan to use the maintenance dose. Thus far, I haven't used any other product that works like Auto RX.

Thanks.

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If your car is eating oil at high rpm's then you may need to put on a Catch Can. It would be a good idea to check your PCV hoses, the PCV Valve and your breather. PM me if you have anymore questions.

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KP1


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Thanks. I have a catch can and the pcv system is the upgraded LS6. That's the first area I worked on when I started seeing oil smoke after I upgraded heads and cam. That didn't solve the problem. I do see some oil in the catch can, but not a lot.

At this point I can push it to 6600 rpms w/o any oil smoke.

I know it sounds a lot like I'm a paid advertiser, but I am amazed and happy with my results from the Auto RX so far. It does what it claims to do, at least in my case.



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KP1,

Nice ride. Did you have any issues before the HP upgrades? My guess is that you installed a cam that would provide for higher duration. With that comes more demand on the ring packs and crankcase breathing apparatus. Normally to create more horse power one needs to force more fuel and air into the combustion chamber. If you don't mind my asking, what full synthetic and visc. grade did you run in this now modified LS1?

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KP1


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Richone,

Thanks.It's a fun car to drive.

I did not have any oil consumption issues prior to the upgrades. I might have used 1/2 qt in 3K miles. Of course, the engine didn'twant to go past 5500 rpms in stock config. After the upgrades, we set the rev limiter at 6800 rpms and it wasn't tough to bounce it off the rev limiter. That's a big difference in the demands on the engine. The better it ran, the more spirited my driving. One thing feeds off the other.

I guess technically maybe it was not full synthetic even though the containers said otherwise.

I was not particular to which oil I used and I tried the all. 5 w 30 is the recommended visc, so that's what I ran. I started with Mobil 1 and I thought that the valve train was noisey with that, so when that ran out I tried Royal Purple, then I believe I tried the Castrol 0 w 30, then I tried Penzoil.

When the consumption was getting even worse, I tried dino 20 w 50 Castrol GT. It didn't seem to help.

Right now I have Castrol GT 10 w 30 in it with the Auto RX. Today I took it out and ran it up to 6400 rpms 8 times through 3rd gear from a stop trying to get the A/F where I want it and I probably used 1/4 qt of oil.

The guy who did some of the work on the car told me that he had actually taken a few LS1s apart and cleaned all of the carbon from the pistons/rings, & put 'em back together and they were fine. The factory ecm setting had the cars running very rich. That may have been part of the problem too. I don't know. I guess this stuff must be cleaning the carbon and that's helping make some improvement.

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I was wondering if you were using any kind of fuel injection cleaner, I usually run a bottle of Amsoil PI or Redline Fuel Injection Cleaner once a year.

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KP1


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I have not used any injector cleaner. I only use tier 1 gasolines like Shell & BP. I have new larger injectors that went in over the winter.

On another note, I went to a local track last night with a local F-Body group and did the 1/4 a couple of times. No oil smoke.

I do notice my oil pressure is dropping again, so I'm going to stick another filter on today.

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KP1,

Great perhaps thats what it needed a good 1/4 mile run. What was your ET and speed?

Daryl

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KP1


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I've been running it hard anyhow hoping to help the Auto Rx work.

Turned a 13.08 @ 111 mph. Very poor 60 ft time of 2.1 seconds. The guys I went with said they were running 3 - 4 tenths slower than normal due to weather conditions.

I don't know that much about it but one of the guys who runs all of the time said with that trap speed I should be able to get into the 11s. It doesn't matter. It's all just for good clean fun. We all made it home w/o breaking anything and that's what counts.



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KP1,

You are right it feels good to mat the gas and hold it for 1/4 mile. Back in the day I had a Ford Coberjet with the 428 engine and I belive the C6 transmission this was in 1969 telling my age now but this car would move the good part was Ford rated the HP at 300 and the insurance was great but the car had over 400HP wish I still had it.

Daryl

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KP1


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You're telling me you are about my age. I bought this car about 4 years ago after a long hiatus from performance/muscle cars.

I had a nice 1970 Ram Air IV GTO. Lunati one off cam and headers. Did the 1/4 in 12.2. I wish I had that still too. Sold it when I got drafted.

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