Queens94z28

Regarding the engine in my sig, this motor was put together last year and has about a 1500 miles on it. The car is only used on summer weekends for some fun so it does not run a lot. Over the winter, I have been doing some suspension mods and installed the racetronix kit.

I have a few questions. Please keep in mind that the motor holds excellent oil pressure at all rpms and runs very strong. Passed emissions last year easily,

I did my first oil change of the season and noticed some metal dust in the oil. This is the cars fourth oil change. Did the first after 20 minutes run time, then the second after 200 miles, then third after another 200 miles. The car was then used all summer last year. Is this still normal?

I cut the filter open and its clean. Using a K&N filter.

Second, when I opened the oil filler cap, there was white sludge in the cap and filler tube. The car did some very short trips in the past week where it didnt warm up 100%. 10-15 minute trips to road test the car after my work.
There were also water droplets in the cap. Clear water, no green. Oil has no signs of water in it. Its been cold here so wondering if this is just condensation and the start and stop accumulated some milk under the cap.

Concerned this could be a head gasket leak so wanted some opinions. The coolant is perfectly clean in the radiator and tank and none of it is missing.

Third, I was under the car taking a look around and noticed a very small amount of green dampness on the back of the drivers side head where the head meets the block. Just enough to leave a trace on my finger. After I changed the oil, I took the car out for a half hour spirited drive where it warmed up really good. Put it back in the garage, and the dampness by the head is gone. Looked a day later and then two days later and no sign of anything. Its dry. Should I be worried or is this just a result of the aluminum heads expanding and contracting during my short test runs?

Your opinions are greatly appreciated.

By the way using ARP bolts and impala head gaskets. Heads were torqued using the step up method in the route referred to in the GM service manual. Exhaust looks normal with no white smoke to indicate water in the cylinders.

Thank You very much!

grabbem88

i had a problem like that..ended up being the intake,and the gasket some how shifted enough to block one of the passages..

have you ever smelled any coolant?..

other possibility you have enough blow bye and when that hot air mixed with oil hits cooler dense air it creates that white film...btdt

Queens94z28

No coolant smell. I put my hand over the oil fill hole in the valvecover and there was no air puffing out. Although probably not the best way to check for blow by.

Compression test shows normal cylinder pressures.

grabbem88

could of been some on initial break in and you never noticed...

all you can do is babysit it for awhile until you trust the engine and yourself..could very well be nothing but some "growing pains"..

the only thing left to do is a coolant pressure test...

btw i just remembered one of my heater core hoses had a cut and dripped on the back of my head...

Injuneer

The white sludge under the oil cap (and probably on the valve covers as well) is normal if you don't run an engine long enough in cold whether to fully warm up the oil. It takes at least 10 minutes of driving for the oil to get hot enough, and if you're running your coolant temps way low, its going to take even longer. That's the downside of running the engine too cool.

You can't leak coolant with an LT1 intake problem - unlike the Gen 1 SBC manifold, its dry, with no exposed water passages. A more likely possibility would be the seals for the steam pipe on the back of the heads. I'd keep an eye on that area (using a mirror).