Sludge under valve covers...how do I clean that?

[Laser145]

I'm working through the engine on my 87. Pulled off the valve covers and there is sludge everywhere!!! Black,oily, messy, sludge!

Whats the best way to clean this out? I'll use a spoon and screwdriver along with my 10 dirty fingers to get a lot of it... but eventually I'll want some solvent.

What is safe to use? I don't want to damage anything below when it runs down the galleys at each end of the block.

Cheers
Taylor

[kelsfine69]

Spray a rag with brake clean or any cleaner like that. You dont want to be running the sludge down..if you get 90% of it then a few good oil changes should get the rest. Just a FYI...If you have that kinda sludge under the Valve Covers then the lifter gallery and the bottom of the oil pan will have some too. Its from a lack of oil Changes

[Laser145]

I figured it was from neglect... I'll remove the oil pan too...

Will I be able to get most of that out?

Originally Posted by kelsfine69

Spray a rag with brake clean or any cleaner like that. You dont want to be running the sludge down..if you get 90% of it then a few good oil changes should get the rest. Just a FYI...If you have that kinda sludge under the Valve Covers then the lifter gallery and the bottom of the oil pan will have some too. Its from a lack of oil Changes

[kelsfine69]

Yea with the pan off its easy to clean out...Still gonna take a couple oil changes.

[bowtiemanchevyman]

a easy way to clean all that out is to add a qt of ATF to your oil and run the truck for about a hour then drain the oil do that evry time your change the oil for a while untill it come out clean. The ATF cleans out all that slugand crap from your motor. trust me it work great.

[tinydb84]

Originally Posted by bowtiemanchevyman

a easy way to clean all that out is to add a qt of ATF to your oil and run the truck for about a hour then drain the oil do that evry time your change the oil for a while untill it come out clean. The ATF cleans out all that slugand crap from your motor. trust me it work great.

I always did this with any used car/truck I bought for the first few changes

[broey]

type 2 diesel works good too. if you go to the store and buy sludge cleaner thats what its gonna be anyways.

[KQQL IT]

Could also be a coolant leak. My brothers burb was serviced regulary ... the pan had so much sludge in the pan. Looked like jelly.
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[xrcr]

X2 on the #2 Diesel

[BigBlocksRule]

I'm with the guys with the ATF, it works good.
If you have time and a couple of gaskets, pull the intake, too. You'll be surprised at the amount of sludge in the lifter valley. With the pan off, you can use naphtha, diesel, whatever you want to dissolve this crud and drain it through the lifter valley and out the bottom of the block. Same thing with the heads. While you have the pan off, use a flashlight to see if there's any that's accumulated in the bottom of the block - it's doubtful that there's anything there. Use cheap Brake Parts Cleaner to wash everything down. Button it back up, run the ATF for the first change (I wouldn't go more than about 500 miles on this change) and it should be good and clean.

If you do remove the pan and have a torque wrench, pull a main cap or two and the same with a couple of rod caps - do the back ones, they're the last to get oil. If they look worn but have no scratches, etc., you're probably fine - torque 'em back down and button it up.

[INSIDIOUS '86]

Originally Posted by BigBlocksRule

If you do remove the pan and have a torque wrench, pull a main cap or two and the same with a couple of rod caps - do the back ones, they're the last to get oil. If they look worn but have no scratches, etc., you're probably fine - torque 'em back down and button it up.

Pull the caps farthest from the oil pump. They get oil last
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[BigBlocksRule]

Last time I checked, the main oil galley runs from the oil filter to the front of the block inside that pan rail, then to the center of the block, then front to back. This is small, big and LS block except late generation big blocks and LS have priority main oiling. That's why the rear rods nearly always go first with contaminated or oil starvation problems.

[KQQL IT]

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[Malo83]

Does it look like this not mine just a pic I found on the net


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[Laser145]

Looks like my truck!

Originally Posted by Malo83

Does it look like this not mine just a pic I found on the net


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

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[BigBlocksRule]

Well, boy, I say, boy, give me that pointed hat, it's my turn to wear it for a while.

BIG blocks have the main oil galley running down the driver's side pan rail. Gen 5/6 relocated it to the cam tunnel and gave these blocks priority main oiling.

[shok]

i had a motor that looked like that long ago. when i cracked a head the junkyard head looked 10 times cleaner, sad....

[Desert1957]

Be advised this engine if it looks as bad as the picture, is going to start having problems. noises or tapping.

I know you guys think you can flush this this stuff. I have seen a hammer and screwdriver needed. NO amount of oil changing can remove it. Any stuff you start scrapping a digging at will just start circulating causing more problems.

IMO drop the oil pan and replace the oil pump and pickup, this engine if sludge up will start restricting the oil pump inlet which can lead to no oil pressure and total engine failure.

Not that bad of a job , Oil pan can be removed in the truck. parts are reasonable, may extend the life a while longer.

Desert

[Laser145]

That's the other question... Do I keep this motor or find a fresh one?

Around my shop we're debating what it's worth throwing at this motor when a replacement isn't terribly expensive. I've never swapped a motor before, but I'm willing to learn.

If this motor has been neglected for so long, how much time and money should I throw at it? Of course, it runs as is... So there's that, too...

Originally Posted by Desert1957

Be advised this engine if it looks as bad as the picture, is going to start having problems. noises or tapping.

I know you guys think you can flush this this stuff. I have seen a hammer and screwdriver needed. NO amount of oil changing can remove it. Any stuff you start scrapping a digging at will just start circulating causing more problems.

IMO drop the oil pan and replace the oil pump and pickup, this engine if sludge up will start restricting the oil pump inlet which can lead to no oil pressure and total engine failure.

Not that bad of a job , Oil pan can be removed in the truck. parts are reasonable, may extend the life a while longer.

Desert

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[N2TRUX]

My Daddy used to tell me "Son, If it aint broke, don't fix it till it is.". If the motor is running good now, you might be better off resealing it and running it like it is. Yes, there are many ways to flush a motor, but there is a high probability that some of that grunge is going to stay inside unless you blow it apart.

[Laser145]

Part of me feels the same way.

The truck smokes at startup a good bit, then it calms down but always smokes just a little... If I let it idle for awhile at my shop the smoke gets worse and worse...

I'm also chasing down a hesitation issue when you get down hard on the throttle...

So it's not perfect, but idles nice and moves to and fro.
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[kelsfine69]

Yea clean what you can, change oil a few good times and take it from there...If it gets worse then you have time to look for an engine, untill then drive her

[shok]

I agree that cleaning what you can might just get other gunk in the motor for the oil pump to pick up. I would just be good about oil changes and that's that, leave it alone. Dropping the pan and cleaning loose gunk there and changing the pick up is as far as i would go.

The hesitation is most likely just a tuning issue that could be fixed.
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[Laser145]

Today I changed the oil/filter and added 1 qt of ATF (also 1/2 pint of seafoam I had lying around. I'll drive it a bit then change it again.

I also replaced my rear tranny seal that was leaking. The seal I managed to remove, but I couldn't get out the sleeve that lives inside...we'll see if the seal holds.

After that my U-joint was squeaking at me, so I'll buy another tomorrow (mine doesn't have a grease port).

[74 stepside]

I worked on an F150 for a friend that had this problem. I broke loose all the sludge that looked like coal with a pick and used my shop vac to suck out all the junk. Then flushed out the engine. Did a oil change and adjusted the valves. That truck had 310,000 miles on it with a inline 6. Still running now.