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Hey - I've got oil pressure now!

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OK, ok. I should have done this first thing but since the engine oil 'looked' clean I made a bad assumption.(I only drove her a little bit before doing this and promise to never do this sort of inane thing again /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nonono.gif)

Anyway, so when I changed the oil filter tonight the inside of the filter housing and block fitting was covered in black sludge that was thick like paste. Not good.

So I cleaned it out as best I could, put the new filter in and sweet success!

My oil pressure is now at 50+ at idle and 75+ under power when semi-warm.

That is WAY up from before. Not going to make hall of fame or anything, but livable at least.
 
Sludge is bad, bad stuff.

If you're running 50+ at warm, you're dancing. My first TR, a TR-250 ran 15 when hot...it was equipped with the James Bond "smokescreen" option /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif.
 
Hi Sam - hope you have been out motoring in the good weather you have been having!

Any thoughts on using an additive like Marvel Mystery Oil or engine flush to try and make sure I got all of the sludge?
 
I would pull the pan and clean it out. Probably has sludge buildup there as well and you'll be able to see the rest of the internals, thrustwashers, etc. All this is important to an engine's health and longevity.
 
PeterK is correct. You have to pull the pan. If there was an additive that would clean all that sludge from your pan, you wouldn't want it circulating inside your engine.
You definitely don't want to pour anything in the valve cover that would clean it out since that would wash out the bearings and cause real problems.
 
The amount of sludge you describe is very bad. Have you removed the valve cover to see what the valve train looks like? My understanding is not to use any kind of engine flush where there is significant sludge. The flush may dislodge a chunk or glob that could block a small hole or passage causing oil starvation. This is based on your running the engine while the solvent circulates throughout the engine via the oiling system.
A possibility could be to remove the pan and the valve cover. Remove all sludge and gunk that you can reach. Put a large container like a plastic mortar mixing tub under the engine and pour kerosene on the head to begin disolving the sludge. Get some old tooth brushes and scrub everything you can reach on top and from underneath. Continue with the kerosene until it appears that the kerosene is no longer picking up any junk or changing color. Then switch to mineral spirits. You can either pour it or put it in a spray bottle. Flood the head and see what comes out the bottom. When the fluid is coming through clean and clear you have probably done as much as you can. Let the engine sit for several hours or even a day. The mineral spirits will evaporate. If you have an air compressor you can use a nozzle to blow some of the liquid away from areas where it will puddle.
Pour some engine oil on the bearings and down into the lifters. Reinstall the pan and a new oil filter. Pour oil over the valve train then reinstall the valve cover. Add a quart of Automatic Transmission Fluid to the oil, add engine oil until you reach the full mark on the dip stick. Start the engine and let it run until it reaches operating temp. Shut it down and change the oil and filter.
This sounds like a lot of work, but it not as much as rebuilding the engine. Of course these are my thoughts. Others may have different ideas or experiences.
 
"bobh," I'm mostly with you in your recommendations. On the other hand, I think I'd be tempted to thoroughly clean out the valve cover (and MAYBE the rocker arms/shaft) and oil pan, leave pretty much everything else alone, and continue using a quality oil with perhaps even more frequent oil and filter changes. But this assumes an engine that is still completely assembled and functioning. Anyway, that's what I'd do.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
 
Pull the pan. The PO of my TR had not changed the
oil in the 4 years he owned the car.

Before my TR died, I had the oil and filter changed,
the pan pulled and cleaned out. Thick, black gooey oil
slowly dripped out when the filter was removed.

I took the car out for a ten minute drive had the oil changed again, new filter again and had the pan pulled
a second time to wipe it clean. For good measure, I had
the pan pulled again one month later after the car had
maybe another 12 miles or so more added between break
downs on the highway.
 
Andrew. My concern is that the valve train may be caked in sludge. If so it is risky to clean it. If it's not bad then yes, my recommendations are overkill. I've seen sludge built up on a valve train that looked like stalagmites in a cave, only it was shiny black. The only open areas were where the rockers moved. I carefully reinstalled the valve cover and politely withdrew my offer to work on the car. It was an old Chevy straight 6. Whenever I hear about sludge I see that mound of gunk and can't sleep for a week.
 
I hear you! And certainly if the sludge were that bad on the valve train, I'd be tempted to dig in and deal with it properly (or walk away like you did with the Chevy /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif)!

We had a Ford Country Squire years ago, with a 390 2V. Our local gas station mechanic, apparently quite familiar with these, tried to explain to this then-teenager how to go about cleaning out all the sludge; he didn't want any part of it, either! (We traded the car in on a new Volvo instead.)

OTOH, I wish I'd had more sludge buildup in the valve covers on my old '91 Ford Explorer. Maybe it would've helped keep the LH valve cover from RUSTING OUT (honest)! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Call me crazy, but I'm taking all of this as a personal challenge to get her back on the road in a good state of health.

Now that the oil pressure is back up she runs SOOOOO much better. Happier to rev, smoother, and quieter as well. Which is scary as heck since it shows how little oil flow their previously was!

Her compression is still good however, and no smoking at all, so I'm hoping not too much damage was actually done.

Thanks again for all of the ideas, help and support.

You guys are the best!
 
TD, I would run it as is too,but I would suggest that the oil should be changed every time it starts to look the least bit dirty, even if this is every month /1000 miles. For quite a while....Modern oils will eventually clean things up a fair bit, but most importantly you wont have fixed something that wasnt broken...
MD(mad dog)
 
Thanks for the advise MD - I'll follow that and the ideas from the other guys.

I drained her oil and put a new filter in and sure enough, there was more sludge in the filter housing.

After cleaning that sludge out and putting in another round of fresh 20w/50 she is now running close to 100 PSI cold under throttle.
 
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