Any way to clean engine sludge without doing a complete teardown? Are there any additives I can put in my oil that'll clean the gunk out? Took off my valve covers today to paint em and get new gaskets on. The pass side had all sorts of thick goo and lots of oil spilled out when I removed it. Help me!

 

I have been in the auto repair business for 30 years. I have seen the results of the oil additives and it is not good. The sludge goes into the pan and some can be removed by draining the oil but some will get sucked up into the oil pickup and starve the engine for oil . Hope this helps.

 

+1.

As someone used to say somewhere: "Don't stir up $#^*."

If you feel that it is interfering with the flow of oil, you can scrape off bits of it, but trying to dissolve or completely clean it often results in trouble down the line.

- Eric

 

I have a similar take on sludge. Try to prevent it from showing up in the first place, but once it's there, let it be. Change the oil a little more frequently if you'd like with good oil with sufficient ZDDP, but that's about it.

 

well dang... I try not to let it build up but I just bought this car and it doesn't look like the oil was changed enough. I'll give it the old oil in oil out a couple times and see what happens. Thanx

 

Changing oil will help, but it will take a few changes to get it all out.
If there was that much oil that spilled out when you took off the valve cover, you will have to make sure you clean out the oil return holes back down to the oil pan, other wise it will stay on top of the motor instead of draining back to the pan.
I use Rislone with every oil change and it really helps to keep the sludge from forming.
If this is a high mileage engine problem, too much cleaning may be a problem and cause leaks. So , be careful how you clean it up.

stetzie

 

What should I use to clean out the return lines?

 

I have used a shop vac and a coat hanger, crude but it will work.

 

Cool I'll see what I can do

 

Use coat hangers and a shop vac to clean the big chunks. Drain the oil, fill the engine with trans fluid. Trans fluid has lots of detergents to keep the valves in the valve body clean. Don't run the engine hard, trans fluid is also much thinner than engine oil. Drain the crankcase again, change the filter, then refill with a quality oil.

Keep in mind, this is a band aid, as much crap is in the valve covers you can be sure there is twice as much under the intake manifold. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Remove the valve cover if they are leaking, clean and reseal.

 

Clean out the oil returns as advised with a coat hanger and remove any sludge that you can get out but don't disturb sludge that you won't be able to get out. Sludge that isn't broken loose isn't harming much, sludge that is free to move around can block the oil pick-up and starve the engine for oil. Other than a complete cleaning through a teardown, slowly is the answer to how to remove sludge.

My suggestion is to use a high quality 15W-40 or a 10W-30 diesel motor oil with "C" instead of "S" ratings and the best oil filter you can find, drive the car at full operating temperature doing short interval changes (500 miles?) on a warm, not hot engine. Wear gloves that will protect you from oil burns. I believe "C" diesel oils are higher in ZDDP and detergents.

 

x2

I had good success with this method too but I ran the engine with half trans fluid and half motor oil. Drove it around the neighborhood for 15 minutes and then drained. Came out black and got out a lot of goopy crap too. Did not have any issues. Every motor is different so be prepared that it may not work and potentially clog the oil pick up assembly. If the car does not have an aftermarket oil pressure gauge in it, throw one in there to be on the safe side before doing this.

 

I'll have to try it this week. Thanks for all the help.

 

x3

 

All very valid suggestions. I've found generally with a sludged up engine the lifters are usually shot with concave bottoms, as with some of the rocker arms as well. It usually has valve train noise. I would pull the valve covers and the intake, clean the whole top end of the engine carefully, wipe it down with solvent soaked rags, and replace the worn parts and a timing set at a minimum. Then do some short changes with a diesel oil of your choice as it is a high detergent oil.

 

The bottom line is that there is not much you can do. Look at the age of the car. There is no telling of the maintenance history. Most of the suggestions are good but are band aids. Eventually it will need a full rebuild. Hopefully you can nurse it along for the time being. I have never done it but I have heard from people I trust about adding automatic transmission fluid to the motor oil due the the detergent it has in it. I would change oil and add maybe a quart or no more than two quarts. Drive it a little and then change it. If an engine is in good shape additive are usually not requred. Changing oil often and using good oil and filters is cheap insurance. I have a 99 Expedition with 161,000 miles on it. I have never used anything but Mobil 1 and changed it every 5,000 miles. It runs as good as it did in 1999. Good luck on this.

 

I knew of a dingbat from N. GA who had a new Japanese car which she drove for several years. After complaining to a mechanic that it wasn't running well, he asked her how long had it been since she changed the engine oil. Her response was: changed the what? When he removed the drain plug, nothing came out. I guess that the moral of the story is that oil changes aren't really necessary as long as you change your engine every 30K miles or so.

 

Members have provided some great advice throughout.

Have seen over 22,000 miles IIRC on a car that never had the oil filter and I guess the oil changed. That oil filter weighed a few pounds!

Had a friends car that would not start cold because it cranked too slowly, after awhile found the problem. The oil was so thick and gooey that the oil would not come out with the drain plug removed.

Seen family's car with the screen at the bottom of the oil fill tube so plugged it was difficult to add oil. Amazingly this ran strong for a long time afterwards!

Bottom line if it runs ok now, start changing the oil and filter very frequently and you will probably be fine. Clean the returns, they are critical.

 

Copy that.

 

Clean out your oil returns as mentioned and use a good oil. Try Kendall if you can get it. Change the oil and filter and drive it a bit. When the oil looks dirty, change the filter and add another quart of oil to top it off. As the engine cleans, the oil filter will clog and by-pass all the sludge anyway so just change the filter. You can also add a quart of regular trans fluid to your oil to help clean.

 

No matter what you do to try to clean it up. The true is, it is time to rebuild the motor. This problem is a start of many others. I would recommend you take advantage of the time of year. Pull the motor and do a complete overhaul. I have seen sludge build up hide serious problems like bad bearings, and bad lifters. If you plan to drive the car at all, you need to be able to rely on it. Even if all you do is a basic rebuild, reusing the pistons, and all other engine components shy of the cam, lifters, timing chain and gears. You would end up way ahead. I have had Quaker State and Pennzoil in long term use cause exactly what you have descibed. I used to own a company that we put very high miles on cars and we used Delo in everyting and changed every 5000 miles. After over 200k they looked great inside everytime.

 

There are brushes of varying diameters for cleaning the oil passages, you should be able to get them at an auto parts store.

 

What ever you do, do NOT buy or use "Engine Flush".

 

x2

 

Thats all I use in my vette and soon to be my nova so I guess now my olds too

 

Back in the day we simply did not have the quality lubricants we have today. That sludge was caused by driving short distances with a cold engine... many owners removed the t-stat every spring to keep the engine cool and that made things worse.

We used to change the oil every 1,000 miles but some cars still got sludged up...

You don't need to "fix" the problem... it's more of an eyesore than anything. You have a 50 year old car... drive it and enjoy it. Change the oil more often... sooner or later some of theat nasty gunk will go bye-bye.

You would be best off if you pulled the oil pan and cleaned out the sludge in the bottom of the pan... and clean the oil filter screen. But it will be OK as long as you have good oil pressure... if the engine starts to clatter you may be well advised to clean the pan. Cleaning the sludge out of the pan was called routine maintenance thru the 50's...

 

[QUOTE=Kid64;489920]Thats all I use in my vette and soon to be my nova so I guess now my olds too[/QUOT
I would not use Mobile 1 in a high mileage engine. I haven't done it but from what I have read (mostly on here), it is not recommended.

 

Yea I've heard that before too

 

[QUOTE=redoldsman;491429]
X2 Never switch to a synthetic after many years of mineral based oils. In my experience you will have the Niagra Falls of oil leaks from every seal in the engine.

 

In 1998 I bought a 63 Dynamic 88 Holiday out of my brother in law's back yard. It had over 100,000 mi. I got it running in short order and took it to Conn. state inspection. One of the reasons it failed the first insp. was that the oil pan was leaking.
I removed the pan and cleaned it up. Then I installed a new gasket.
I filled it with Mobil-1.
I drove the car as a daily driver for the next four years . I ran Mobil-1 exclusively, and changed oil every 5 to 10 thousand miles. I had to add a little once in a while, since the rocker covers leaked a little and I just didn't have time to fix them.
Then one day in 2002, after the car had logged over 40,000 miles for me, the old Olds "slim jim" tranny went "poof".
Long story made short, the car was parted out. The engine was sold to a buyer in Ohio and is presumably still powering his 63 station wagon.

 

Nice mr jones. I hope to make this my daily driver also. Shame you had to part it out

 

Yeah, I know, But the frame was badly rusted. The rear quarter was bent. And I lost my place to keep It. Don't worry though. Parts of it still live on in other cars.

 

Never done this before. The oil return lines location? How far should the hanger go?