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Help cleaning engine of coolant/water/oil sludge.


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MortTheBeast
New User

May 30, 2014, 11:20 AM

Post #1 of 7 (1456 views)
Help cleaning engine of coolant/water/oil sludge. Sign In

2000 Ford Winstar with 160k miles... 3.8L V6

My van blew a head gasket the other day and I figured I would tear down the top of the engine, clean it up, have the heads machined and toss it back together with a gasket kit...

Well to my surprise I got as far as taking off the air cleaner assembly and when I popped the one end off the throttle body a thick brownish mayonnaise came oozing out. I popped off the oil cap on the valve cover and its a complete mess... like literally just filled with this thick gunk.

It's so thick that I don't think I have gotten but maybe 4 quarts of it, but there is probably at least 3 more gallons of this stuff inside the entire engine, because I was forced to drive it and kept stopping and adding water... till it finally died on me a few blocks from home in a billow of whitish blue smoke.

So far I have tried running almost boiling water down into the valve cover with the oil pan plug removed, figuring it might help somewhat liquefy the stuff but didn't help at all and then I tried getting a heavy duty heatgun that goes up to 1100 degrees but that didn't help either... so Im kind of stumped what I can do to remove this stuff.

I have to work on the van in the parking lot of my apartment, so I can't just disassemble it without first cleaning out this sludge or it will end up all over the ground.

Anyone have a brainstorm as to what other options I could attempt?


Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Discretesignals profile image

May 30, 2014, 12:04 PM

Post #2 of 7 (1443 views)
Re: Help cleaning engine of coolant/water/oil sludge. Sign In

Your going to have to take the entire engine apart down to the block and have it hot tanked to clean all that out. If you drove it around with coolant in the oil, more than likely your engine's bearings are damaged.

If you overheated the snot out of it till it quit running, you might as well look for another engine.





Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.

(This post was edited by Discretesignals on May 30, 2014, 12:06 PM)


MortTheBeast
New User

May 31, 2014, 3:44 AM

Post #3 of 7 (1409 views)
Re: Help cleaning engine of coolant/water/oil sludge. Sign In

I'm praying there is no other damage but we shall see. Anyway I cannot open this up till I get a good majority of the sludge is out first...

So I wonder if anyone knows much fluid is need to fill the engine up with diesel fuel? I want to pour it into the valve cover port and fill it all the up to inside the valve covers and then let it sit for 2 hour or so.

Any know?


(This post was edited by MortTheBeast on May 31, 2014, 3:44 AM)


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

May 31, 2014, 3:55 AM

Post #4 of 7 (1405 views)
Re: Help cleaning engine of coolant/water/oil sludge. Sign In

That is the stupidiest idea I ever heard.

I know, I invented a new word.



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Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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May 31, 2014, 3:57 AM

Post #5 of 7 (1404 views)
Re: Help cleaning engine of coolant/water/oil sludge. Sign In

Your just going to make a bigger mess than you already have. The engine needs to be torn down, cleaned, and bearings inspected. In my opinion it would be better to just install a reman engine.

The time you waste tearing it all down, buying parts, having machine shop work done, and then getting it back together, you could have a fresh engine installed that has a warranty.
You need to find a place you can work on your van if you want to do this. Parking lot rebuilds really don't have a high success rate.





Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.

(This post was edited by Discretesignals on May 31, 2014, 4:00 AM)


MortTheBeast
New User

May 31, 2014, 4:15 AM

Post #6 of 7 (1398 views)
Re: Help cleaning engine of coolant/water/oil sludge. Sign In

Why is it a stupid idea to fill it with diesel fuel? I have read countless posts about diesel's ability to break down sludge and that the properties of most engine flush treatments is diesel... so it only stands to reason that filling it with diesel and letting it sit for a few hours would break up a majority of the mess inside the engine and allow it too drain.. versus the mess I have now that won't move at all.

Then once drained I can tear it all down, have the heads machined, install the gasket set I got, put it all back together and then use cheap oil and filter along with plain water and run it for a few miles, come back and drain all the fluids and do it a second time and run it for a few more miles then drain it all and refill with higher quality fluids because at this point any remaining sludge and diesel remnants should be removed.

And I considered an engine from a junkyard, but I don't have that kind of money. I mean I have enough to get a junkyard engine, but not enough for the install. I am on disability and very limited financially so I am kind of between a rock and a rock with what I can do. All I know is I need a vehicle to get around because I make too much to be eligible for transportation assistance and between my disabilities and the cost of public transportation... I cannot use it.

So basically all I can do is try and come up with the easiest way to do this job thats not going to create a mess on the ground and hope the bearings, pistons etc are all ok.


(This post was edited by MortTheBeast on May 31, 2014, 4:18 AM)


Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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May 31, 2014, 4:23 AM

Post #7 of 7 (1394 views)
Re: Help cleaning engine of coolant/water/oil sludge. Sign In

You have yourself a huge mess. The diesel fuel isn't going to magically clean the inside of the crankcase along with all the oil ports including the spaces in the hydraulic lifters and push rods.

If you really want to try your luck, the best thing you can do is drop the oil pan and remove the oil pump. Get a new oil pump. Try to clean the inside of the crankcase and the lifter valley the best you can using parts cleaner while the pan is off. Clean as much as you can using parts cleaner, brushes, and scrapers. Don't use gasoline or diesel fuel to clean engine parts.

Send the heads, oil pan, oil pump screen, push rods, rockers, valve covers, and lower intake to the machine shop and have them tanked. Dissemble the lifters and clean them out or install a set of new lifters.

Then put it back together and have it towed to a repair shop that has an engine flush machine. Have it flushed out really good. Then let the praying begin.

Cleanliness is next to Godliness when doing engine work. The better you have it cleaned out, the higher your chances it might live longer.





Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.

(This post was edited by Discretesignals on May 31, 2014, 4:48 AM)






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