![How To FIX Chevy’s LS Piston Mistake – Oil Consumption Fix In Minutes [DRILLING FOR OIL]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/mXumQLQjvBw/hqdefault.jpg "How To FIX Chevy’s LS Piston Mistake – Oil Consumption Fix In Minutes [DRILLING FOR OIL]")
While the Chevy LS Engine is one of the most popular powerplants for hotrods today, they all suffer from this same issue. On the surface, the problem signs show in the form of oil consumption, but it’s not the typical valve seals that are the only culprit. You may need to dig a little deeper.
The top two rings of the LS pistons do the hard work of sealing the combustion chamber and helping to create compression. This is how we get the big boom out of the tailpipes. However, it’s the oil ring/s that do the real dirty work. Pressurized oil lubricates the bearings, wrist pins, and even the cylinders, but this oil shouldn’t make it to the combustion chamber. It’s the oil rings job to scavenge this oil from the cylinder walls and return it back to the crankcase and oil pan. This procedure not only squeegees the oil straight down the cylinder walls, but it also collects the oil in the ring-lands of the oil ring/s. The scavenged oil in the ring-lands should, emphasis on should, drain back into the oil pan by way of reliefs.
The old small-block Chevys, back when we used to size engines in Cubic-Inches (283, 327, 350, 400, etc.), they used huge “windows” or slits manufactured into the piston oil-ring-lands. These LS pistons have 4 small notches manufactured into the bottom of the ring lands. Over time, these small notches clog up and they can’t scavenge the oil like they should. Once this happens, then oil starts getting into the combustion chamber, thus oil consumption goes up and smoke makes it out the tailpipes. Fear not, there is an easy fix. Just drill some holes. A 7/64″ drill bit will fit nicely in the width of the oil ring area.
#ls #lsx #howto
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That's a lot of work. Just drill 2 holes on each side…by eye. Absolutely no issues. Ever. Never.
I'm a Ford guy. I'll never tear down an LS and do this. But here I am paying attention like I'm in the middle of an LS build.
Because CHINA OWNS THEM!
Its pretty bad when these pukes build those engines to FAIL.
This is one of the stupidest things I've seen on Youtube recently and that is saying sometihng.
My guess is many burn oil because when installing the oil ring, many don't check to see if the expanding spacer between the two thin steel rails has not jumped from being butted up against each end of it. You just look at them and they slip past each other. I ordered eight pistons and the rings were already installed, and in all eight the spacer was not in correctly. The spacer is what exerts pressure on the rails to push against the cylinder wall.
If I have the pistons out odds are I’m not going to reuse them. Aftermarket.
They even make a 7.4L LS
I'm sure a lot of people appreciate your videos but they're just too long and drawn-out get to the point and move on
No surprise GM would not have the piston drilled. PROFIT First.
Get to the point and then ramble on about all the odds and ends. I got about three minutes in and I'm sorry dude I just can't do it.
Thank you for posting. Great info
Your positive that it can't hurt integrity or unbalance it a little. Just wondering, there known for chippy the top edge off the first ring already. There swallow pistons and a awesome idea
They did such a good job on the ls motor why would they mess with the way the pistons work they knew the old style pistons worked well why change something that's not broke they would have been smart to change things on the piston that needed it but why mess with oil passages when they were great before imo that was one of the very few mistakes they made on the ls
To help speed up the layout of the new holes, use a seamstress tape. They can be found in the sewing section of Walmart, or wherever. You now now that you need 1 3/8" from the factory slot, to the first hole, to the next hole. Start at a factory slot, make a Sharpie mark, and you are done.
Gets paid by the word. Jesus man. Get on with it
Great work but if im opening it up im putting good stuff in it. I get it budgets are a thing but alot of work when just a bit more cash gets you going with benefits.
You definitely over complicated a simple matter
I have 245k on my 04 2500 dosent burn at all.when I used to put slot of miles on it I would change oil first week of the month didn't car how many miles.never used synthetic.
The reason why they did that design is to keep the oil on the skirt of a piston you can see the drain back holes where the pin is yes in the LS engine has a poor PVC valve system it's all about how much you change the oil and you should use a good durablend or all synthetic
I've drilled out the oil hose on many Motors made him a little bit bigger especially on read ring jobs using Hastings rings or Perfect Circle
Some say it was a valve cover and then the pcv.
This is a nice easy to follow remake of my videos adding the drain back holes. To clarify, this modification doesn’t remove enough aluminum to even measure accurately on a scale, no balance issue. JD
Could it be better probably but I mean lots of these motors have over 200k and more and people take them with that many miles and make 6,7,800 hp
Please don't take apart your engine just to compromise and unbalance your pistons.
Mouse motor?
But… Now you must rebalance the piston if you are running high rpm's
the holes need to be drilled below the upper oil scraper ring to avoid oil going under the ring
Any idea if an LMF 5.3L also has these pistons that need additional drajn holes?
I have a 4.8 lr4 that I'm gonna be swapping into my 70 lemans. The original plan was to slap a btr stage 2 truck cam in it and go. But now that I've done a little bit of research on the oil cunsumption issues with these motors and how to fix the issues, it's has made me consider if I should at least take the pistons out replace the rings while I'm at it and fill those little holes that u were drilling in this video. I already have the motor down to a shortblock anyways and it wouldn't take very long to do, I'm just curious if it's worth it. The truck it came out of had 250k miles on it but the motor was super clean when u took it apart, no valve train issues, no leaking valves or seals, the pushrods were undamaged, but I think I'm gonna get new lifter while I'm at it since its apart anyways, and I was also curious on running a ls9 cam instead of the btr stage 2 v2 truck cam that I have for it. Just wanting anyone's thoughts and opinions on this.