So I pulled out the cam sensor, it came out pretty easy with just a little prying but it would rotate freely. I did spray a little penetrating oil on top of the sensor since I thought it would be stuck in there, so that might explain the oil above the o-ring:

The o-ring seems to be fine, but like pooter says it may look fine and still be bad, especially if these are known to fail.

I was also surprised by how much rust, which I assume is happening since this thing isn't fully sealed and there is a machined or unprotected area of the iron block around:


I wish there was a way I could find the o-ring size and just replace that, I haven't had any codes or any other problems so I think the sensor is fine. Rock auto has an off brand new sensor for 14 dollars plus shipping that I maybe could grab the o-ring from.

 

That much oily crud right there I'd be doing oil pressure sender and valley cover gaskets too

but, my 200k+ motor is clean enough to eat oatmeal off of: so to say I am a little OCD would be an understatement

however, you're right there and the parts are only a couple bucks

 

Edit: looking closer the o ring may be okay, hard to tell





That O ring is absolutely bad. When I said it won't look bad I should have elaborated more. I mean in general it will look okay and leak.

But that o ring is flatter than **** and older than dirt. The edges should be protruding out past the body of the cam sensor and be rounded. That thing is flat as can be.

And finding the exact right size o ring can sometimes be a real pain in the ***, so just buy the whole sensor instead of jacking around wasting time trying to find the right size o ring and putting a 20 year old sensor back in. If they were several hundred dollars I would understand. But I think they are like $50, spend the money and move on with your life I'm sure you have better things to do than waste a day or more trying to get the o ring size right and doing trial and error installs to see if it leaks or not etc... just replace it man.. for the 5000th time lol.

 

Is there any way to get one without having to buy a whole new sensor? Some guy on ebay is claiming its a special size you can't find and that you should buy the one he is selling because its a better larger size than the OEM one? I'm wondering if the cheap aftermarket sensors still use good o-rings?

 

The NTK brand on rock auto is excellent, it's NGK brand, but their sensors are NTK. It's $35, the AC Delco one is $43..

 

Sorry I didn't see your reply about just buying a whole new one. Problem is I need the truck tonight and tomorrow and was trying to avoid having to put it back together and take it back apart again, I wouldn't be able to get the sensor from rockauto until later next week, I could get the $50 dollar crappy BWD one from the parts store in stock today and use the rewards things I never use (last time it let me stack 3 $10 rewards on top of each other). I don't trust the BWD o-ring and its not that hard to take the intake manifold on and off so I guess ill just order a AC delco from rock auto.

I appreciate the help.

 

Well crap man. You can always do your best to get that o ring off and compare it to one at the store. If you can get a really good match it will work.

I just didn't see the point in fooling with all that but we have different situations that I have to consider.

 

So its looking like the cam sensor o-ring was my leaking source, but I haven't been able to really drive it and put some cardboard under it to test for leaks overnight and drive again.

So about 3 or 4 really random and strange things happen when I took my manifold off and put it back on. The charging light came on which I've never seen one come on ever in any GM truck I've had, voltage is fine seems to be charging fine. Sometimes almost intermittently and randomly it will not start, it will turn over when you crank it but kind of sounds like the timing is off on an old distributor motor. If you turn the key off and then try again it always starts like normal.

I have some misfiring cylinders, but I am almost 100% positive this is due to the 200k spark plug wires that I have broken trying to take off and sloppily pieced back together. Just before I took the manifold off to check the cam sensor, I had a misfire on #4 because I am using a rigged up spark plug wire that I fixed. It's beyond me how anyone has the patients to deal with these spark plug wires with them breaking, sticking, coming out of the socket, and trying to make them click back onto the plug, but that's a whole different topic of discussion.

The way I understand the GM misfire and crank and cam location system is that it should rely first on the crank sensor signal, so in theory just swapping a cam sensor shouldn't need a CASE relearn? Then again, I believe the CASE relearn is just to figure out the slack in the timing chain between the crank and cam, so I guess it shouldn't have anything to do with it turning over but not starting. I would think you should be able to just swap sensors without any calibration or zeroing or anything? I tried a CASE relearn anyway with my EFI Live and I don't even think it did anything, I think you have to go WOT and drive around and stuff to actually do one.

Also when I started everything back up and looking at the scanner and revving it up looking at the misfire counts, I noticed my belt was squeaking (which it never squeaks). The battery light was also on so I was thinking maybe the belt was slipping or something under the tensioner but it looks fine after checking it. Also I have no power steering or power breaks (this is on a 6.0 LQ9 Escalade with hydroboost). This is completely baffling since it just stopped out of nowhere, and I had actually replaced the original stock one with this reman one about a year ago so its not old. I tried to look around and try to check the lines in case maybe a line got loose but I can't get to them since its so cramped in there I guess I'll have to take the whole front grille and maybe radiator to get some room. There is no power steering wine noise and its full of fluid but it does make some weird belt noises sometimes when its running.

I'm lucky enough I think the parts store will be open tomorrow if I need to buy a new pump, and I've got to learn, yet again, another lesson in buying cheap aftermarket/reman parts.

Has anyone ever seen a pump to stop working with no noises and no warning signs?

 

Plug wires are eeeeeezy: just put a dab of dielectric grease inside the boot before you put em on.

I'm betting the no PS and belt noise complaints are related. Might want to take the belt loose and try spinning the PS pump by hand, just to see what it's like. "Just replaced" is not the same thing as "guaranteed good".

 

Edit: Ok got ahead of myself and wasn't' even paying attention, the shaft is snapped, I can tell it wasn't a torsional fatigue failure either, so the pump got overloaded when I brake boosted it.

So the pulley is just spinning inside the pump. A little fluid was also leaking, but there is so much everywhere I can't really tell where the source is. There were drips at the bottom of the pump and reservoir, so I figure some could be leaking from the pulley shaft seal. I am pretty sure the pulley spinning on in the pump is a common issue, especially when you have hydroboost (I believe this issue happened when I was brake torqueing the motor, so I was hard on the brakes and revving it up). This also explains the belt issues and noises, maybe the shaft is too worn down and its wobbling the pulley and making belt noises as well.

I should have learned my cheap reman/aftermarket parts lesson by now, I put this pump on about a year or so ago. I also had a 2005 Duramax that I think had this exact same issue with the pulley just spinning inside the pump.

Also I believe the pulley is supposed to be pressed off another shaft? It looks like the pulley remained on the shaft its normally supposed to be pressed out of, but the internal shaft in the pump came out, which I don't think is supposed to happen or is supposed to be pulled out that way?