My LS1 engine is out of the car because the 4L60e is going to be rebuilt. The engine has lots of sludge in the back of the oil pan, so I want to take one of the rod caps off and one of the crankshaft caps to see if the bearings are damaged.
Are those bolts TTY? Which of the rod caps and which of the crankshaft caps would be the best ones to test?
The sludge is very soft, and feels like snot. Maybe they used the wrong grade oil, or maybe they did not change oil on schedule. I don't know. But if it blocked the oil filter there could be damage. Right or wrong?

 

Most likely the oil wasn't changed often enough, or the car did a lot of short runs, and the engine never got hot enough to burn off moisture. The oil filter can clog, but is has a bypass which allows the oil to still circulates.The problem with sludge is that it collects in the oil passages, and causes oil starvation.
The rod and main cap bolts are standard torque to spec type: 77 lb. ft. for the mains, and 45 lb. ft. for the rod nuts. I know of no really good method for cleaning up a sludged engine without doing a full disassembly, boiling out the block, and cleaning out all individual parts and oil passages.

 

^ +1

But if you want to chean out the sludge with out rebuilding the engine you can but it will be very costly. Oil detergents are available to assist in cleaning the oil passages and also the galleys and pans but you will be changing the oil every 1000 miles or so for about 5K miles to get the engine really nice and clean. This will cost you oil, filter and more detergent every time.

Massey

 

are those really safe on these motors?