Sick97SS

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!.



As well as the part that is rubbing is actually thicker on the LS1 shaft. wtf?



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.


any suggestions??? thanks in advance

Sick97SS

got the original back in there now.

anyone want a perfect ls1 driveshaft?

slowride94z

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

Green96Z

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

slowride94z

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, it is usually plastic impregnated. the two shafts have intercourse

RamAir95TA

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?

Green96Z

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.

slowride94z

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

Sick97SS

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.

slowride94z

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

96m6lt1

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-lt...ing-shaft.html

Sick97SS

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.

96m6lt1

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!

Injuneer

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.

Sick97SS

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.