Steering Shaft LS1 vs LT1 Issues. *pics* + bonus goo in oil

I was having some major steering shaft rubbing on header issues, even with new poly motor mounts. Loosened steering bolts above pedals which gave me about a 1/5 inch of clearance but still get rubbing when braking.

Someone (on here) told me to pickup an LS1 shaft because it solves the LT1 shaft rubbing issues. Well i just pulled my LT1 shaft out and compared to find a big difference.. 90 degrees off alignment, Ls1 shaft is 1/4 inch shorter, and thicker, all of which would make the rubbing the the header WORSE!.
http://home.comcast.net/~nstama/shafts1.jpg


As well as the part that is rubbing is actually thicker on the LS1 shaft. wtf?
http://home.comcast.net/~nstama/shafts.jpg


Oh and here's the bonus weirdness, yellow goo on my oil? i know the change of seasons can cause condensation but this more than just condensation.
http://home.comcast.net/~nstama/oilgoo1.jpg

any suggestions??? thanks in advance

got the original back in there now.

anyone want a perfect ls1 driveshaft?

it doesn't look like they were intending for those to collapse in a wreck

it doesn't look like they were intending for those to collapse in a wreck

The column collapses, not the linkage. The ragjoint is meant to break though, IIRC.

The column collapses, not the linkage. The ragjoint is meant to break though, IIRC.

I disagree sir, the rag joint is to isolate vibrations through the column and the shaft is meant to collapse, where he has the bolt in the circle:lol:, it is usually plastic impregnated. the two shafts have intercourse:yes:

:lol:

The goo in your oil looks like that insulation-in-a-can stuff. :)

Anyway, that's coolant mixing with your oil. Possible blown head gasket. Does your exhaust smell sweet?

I disagree sir, the rag joint is to isolate vibrations through the column and the shaft is meant to collapse, where he has the bolt in the circle:lol:, it is usually plastic impregnated. the two shafts have intercourse:yes:

Oops, my mistake, I think I read Shoebox's site wrong. After reading it again I see what you're saying. But then how does the LS1 shaft in the OP's pic collapse?

Sorry, didn't mean to hijack. But the white stuff in your oil looks like coolant made its way in there.

looks like it might collapse across from the rag joint on the old shaft

to the op, how does the oil look? is it close to oil change time? how long did it set? are you losing water? do you drive the car much at the time? do you have a thermostat?
is the car inside or outside?


if its just in the cap you might not be getting the engine hot enough to burn off the condensation. some buildings sweat and hold moisture, this in turn can get into everything, but that's a lot of moisture in that cap

to the op, how does the oil look? is it close to oil change time? how long did it set? are you losing water? do you drive the car much at the time? do you have a thermostat?
is the car inside or outside?



It IS close to oil change time. Car never sits more than a day, (daily driver/ commuter) My commute is about 25 miles each way, and i DO have a 160 thermostat with a fan tune from madz28. the car never get about 175-180 even on the hot days.. and its never been in a garage.

I hope its not a head gasket problem, i cant afford a job like that.:no:

well I moved mine today, and looked in the tube and saw almost the same thing . just not as much.
I haven't driven mine for almost a month,,,,,trans is almost out,
and my oil change is due, if the oil looks fine when you change it dont worry

i swapped my steering shaft to the Ls1 style a few weeks ago and it makes such a difference my steering is way more responsive the steering wheel does not try to yank from my hand on grooved roads here is the post on Ls1tech http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/lt1-lt4-modifications/1027480-ls1-steering-shaft.html

96m6LT1...i believe you had success, but even your link says that the steering wheel would be crooked. However the Ls1 shaft i have in my posession will not work in any way in my car. Maybe its just luck if you get a LS1 shaft that has the same alignment as the LT1 shaft... who knows.

thanks for the replies.

i think you may have mis-read something...i removed the top knuckle where it mates to the steering column,re-clocked the knuckle to meet the Lt1 position and slid it back onto the splines. my steering wheel is in the factory position. works like a champ for 15 min. of work!

The light tan oil/water emulsion could be from the engine oil not getting hot enough to drive off the contaminants during your 25-minute drive. In very cold weather, it takes a lot longer for the oil to heat up, at least that's what I see from watching my oil temp guage. The fill tube is going to be the coldest part of the system.

You might also want to check the condition of the PCV valve to make sure it is not clogged up. That's what removes the water vapor from the crankcase while the engine is running. Might also want to check for signs of excessive piston ring blowby, which would tend to overload the PCV system and leave a lot of water in the crankcase.

i think you may have mis-read something...i removed the top knuckle where it mates to the steering column,re-clocked the knuckle to meet the Lt1 position and slid it back onto the splines. my steering wheel is in the factory position. works like a champ for 15 min. of work!

I thought the splines were permanently attached or something, because i definitetly tried this and could not gets the splines to budge. maybe it just needs some more hammer wacks. thanks for proving that they DO come apart.

Injuneer, you might have nailed it.
I checked the PCV valve and i swear there used to be a click sound when i put my thumb over the hole (w/ engine running). But there is no suction or click at all, even after a few revs.

I need to put up a picture of my pcv valve because i dont think its right anyways, the end that goes into the valve cover grommet is just a 90 degree plastic elbow. no clicker or "valve", just a hole the size of my pinky. usually you can jiggle it and hear it click when the engine is off right?

EDIT: damnit i was looking at the CCV hose the whole time, must be this 12 degree weather freezing my brain from working correctly. still there is no vacuum. i will check the pcv as soon as i can.

i swapped my steering shaft to the Ls1 style a few weeks ago and it makes such a difference my steering is way more responsive the steering wheel does not try to yank from my hand on grooved roads here is the post on Ls1tech http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/lt1-lt4-modifications/1027480-ls1-steering-shaft.html

By this statement, I will assume that your old LT1 shaft must have had severly worn out u-joint bearings, in other words a ton of slop and play. That said , I dont see how switching from the LT1 to the LS1 shaft can be "way more responsive and not want to yank" the way you describe. If the worn shaft was replaced with an unworn shaft, it should drive a lot better.

Aside from the more "buff" construction of the LS1 shaft, the only advantage is the removal of the rag joint which is intended to dampen and reduce vibes to some extent.

I ended up stretching my LT1 shaft by 3/4" in order to better clearance my headers, looks like this might not be doable on the LS1 shaft. I was concerned that when I welded the shaft back at its new length, I might have impeded the telescoping mechanism in the event of a crash. Seeing the solid NON telescoping construction of the LS1 shaft, I now know that this is not a problem on my longer steering shaft.

yes, my ragjoint was tired but i have had the car for a long time and the steering way surpasses what it ever was...i also like the fact that the Ls1 shaft does not have that bulky ragjoint on the end more room......
you are correct about the replacement of a new joint,new ragjoint= problem will occur again. ragjoint elim. kit that would have solved the problem aswell and was just about to order the part until i started working on the Ls1 shaft so now problem solved 15min and 5.00 spent

I work in a shop and we see "butter" on the oil caps all the time. Just a result of cold weather combined w/ short trips. Do oil changes more often and it will help...

I work in a shop and we see "butter" on the oil caps all the time. Just a result of cold weather combined w/ short trips. Do oil changes more often and it will help...

I agree. If its just a bit in the cap, its from moisture and not a big deal.

Im still trying to minimize this "butter" issue. Replaced the PCV valve and even after a fresh oil change it still shows up in the oil cap after a few hundred miles.

My CCV hose on the passenger valve cover seems pretty old and needing replacement soon. however there is no vacuum comming from the line at all. when should i be feeling suction? at idle? at rpm? even if i remove the hose from the TB leaving the valve cover end still attached in the grommet, and stick my finger on the hose hole there is no vacuum at all. meaning the pcv is not pulling vacuum right?? also the same ccv hose is full of the nasty yellow butter as well, meaning that there is no vacuum and that crap is getting into or comming from my TB somehow.

There is no blowby that i can tell from the listening to the oil cap, and the pcv hose IS pulling a good bit of vacuum. where else can the pcv vacuum be getting lost?