Looks like it's time to drop the oil pan!

[TR Custom Parts]

Well, looks like its time to figure out where I am getting debris in my oil filter from. Noticed some small stuff in the filter last year, believe it is aluminum, doesn't seem to stick to a magnet. Decided to hope for the best and new element, oil and ZDDP and changed again a few weeks ago. (only put about 750 miles on her last year) Debris again, changed again and now 3 weeks and 300 miles later pulled the filter and more debris.

Mobil 1 since 4700 miles. Have been using ZDDP for years. Running one of my turbo protectors and the filter has a synthetic element so at least the turbo is safe. Pull the cage apart and you can see what it is catching. Almost wished I didn't know! My GN has only 37,000 on it and motor has never been apart except for valve covers and dropped the oil pan when I got first got it to do a rear main seal. No valve springs, cam, rockers, timing chain, nothing! Just as Buick created it. Using all the stuff in my signature and alky for years always careful to watch for knock retard which is never an issue. Oil pressure is the same as always, 15-20 lbs hot idle and pressure jumps up as soon as you get on it.

No noises, not burning oil and running great. Oil sample has been sent out for analysis but obviously something is not right. Just what I wanted to do on a holiday weekend. Car is not babied and sees over 100 mph just about everytime it is out. Haven't been to a track since 2002. Maybe 100 passes down the track total in it's life.

 

[Razor]

Why not pull the pan and a look at the pickup screen. That usually tells a bigger picture of things that can of happened.

 

[TR Custom Parts]

That's the plan Razor!

 

[SS/GN]

Interested in what you find. Could it be some normal wear and tear ? Hope its not serious Mark.

 

[Scott87]

Subscribed

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk

 

[BARRACUDA1968]

Good luck with it, I know how you feel.

 

[TurboTnZ06]

I bet it's cam sensor debris. Cold starts, high pressure, those things are a wear item anyways.

 

[TR Custom Parts]

I can only hope that is what it is vs something in the rotating assembly. What is the gear made out of on cam sensor? Never been out of the motor. Still have to take off the pan to have a look / see!

 

[V6sleeper]

Don't know if this helps but,, I find little sand like grains all the time in one of my cars and it still has no problems for years so far, Hopefully yours isn't such a big deal like mine wasn't to this point...

 

[Bruce Urie]

Mark, the gear is the same as on the end of a camshaft........metal, not aluminum.........

Hope it's just some small debris from a wandering deer on the road or something like that in the pan..... just want to hear good news on it. Keep us informed.

As well as you take care of your GN I don't see how anything could be in there other than oil.......

Bruce '87 Grand National

 

[TurboTnZ06]

Pull the cam sensor cap off, see how much vertical play you have. The wear item I'm talking about isn't the gears, its the part of the sensor right above the gear.

http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/threads/cam-sensor-rebuild-service.384391/

 

[TurboBuRick]

Subscribed

 

[wiseman]

Subscribed

 

[TR Custom Parts]

Pull the cam sensor cap off, see how much vertical play you have. The wear item I'm talking about isn't the gears, its the part of the sensor right above the gear.

http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/threads/cam-sensor-rebuild-service.384391/

Is that something you would in a 37K motor?

 

[87GNSteve]

Oil pump gear housing is another possible source for aluminum.

 

[TurboTnZ06]

Would you expect bearings to be bad after 37k miles? It's easy to check the cam sensor for play up and down without having to take it out as a first step. I hate pulling the pan, and in my car I have to pull the engine I think with the girdle I have no room. The cap check is easy, pull intake tube off, 2 phillips screws and see what the sensor does. If you have lots of play, before pulling the sensor out, bring it up to 0 on #1 and mark the orientation of the cap and the opening on the sensor so it can drop right back in the same place. Being on 0 on 1, if you have to set it, then its somewhat easier to be 1.45 inches past to set the voltage drop with a voltmeter per the instructions on the web.

 

[larrym]

Fire it up and put a stethoscope on the screw holding the cap on the cam sensor you will hear it climbing up and down the gear.
I always double check the clearance on the cam sensor even the brand new one I installed needed to be shimmed with GM distributor shims the wave washer is pretty weak.

 

[Bruce Urie]

Or you can give that gorgeous GN to ME, Mark, and I will take care of it for you while you move on to other things you like to do in life....you know, restore a Yugo or something..........of course, getting it back will be hard, but if you pay me enough........

Bruce '87 Grand National

 

[Turbo6Smackdown]

Before you do anything... http://www.blackstone-labs.com/ Let the experts tell you what's going on, not guess what's going on.

 

[TR Custom Parts]

Already got an oil sample sent out. Will try to get to the car today, bunch of other projects going on.

Will check cam sensor and dropping the pan anyway, did it when I did the rear main seal 19 years ago and it was easy to do.