5L: black filthy sludge coating valve springs, rockers etc...

[savage1987]

Took my oil filler cap off and shone a torch around there just a minute ago, everything looked grimy and black. I thought it might be just old age but no, I wiped a bit with my finger and it came away, a good couple of mm deep on the rocker cover itself. This can't be healthy. What do I do about it??

Couple of ideas I've had include

Take everything apart up there and clean it all up - not really sure what I'm doing there though..
Run a healthy dose of that engine flush stuff.. I never do this before oil changes, should I??


What do I do about this issue?? Nothing seems wrong with the car, it pulled more power than stockers usually do and has been regularly serviced since I've owned it..

In case it matters, it's got 290,000km on the clock.

All advice appreciated
Sam

[88GreenVN]

I ran engine flush throu a few times and got my finger slapped by some JC members for doing so.

I just took all the rocker covers off and cleaned them. All the valves had been cleaned up by the engine flush by this time. Changed the oil every 1000kms for the first 6 months or so. The oil turned black with in days after each change - but has settled down now after 5 oil changes. My engine was very VERY grotty inside.

[VS_Pete_1]

Get a carbon clean (flush) $150-$200.
More likely a carbon build up.
I had a handful of **** in the sump which clogged the pickup.
All go now.
What oil you using?
5000k oil changes.

[savage1987]

I always change every 5000km. Valvoline XLD Premium.

Hmm so I have one person saying don't use engine flush and one saying I should...

Help!!

Also I really don't want to take the sump off - don't you have to lift the motor up for that??

[VS_Pete_1]

The flush I`m talking about is done by a machine they put **** in **** comes out talk to your mechanic about it .
Not a additive that you put in before oil change.
I didn`t say take the sump off I just told you what happened to my car carbon buildup.

[savage1987]

Thanks Pete
Yeah I know you didn't say I had to take the sump off, but I think I probably should .. in both cars.... After the number of km they've done there is probably a decent amount of goop in the bottom that really shouldn't be there :s

I'll have to speak to a mechanic about that engine flush you mentioned..

Still interested in other suggestions though

[VS_Pete_1]

All good mate. Other suggestions would be good mate.
I`ll post the pic of the pickup if I have still got it.

[hako]

At 290,000km you'd expect the insides to look a bit crappy....but so what - all the grime and carbon deposits are not doing any harm.....and they won't if you don't put an engine flush thru it. Thats like putting a dose of salts through yourself.
My 2 cents worth says just leave it alone and don't open a can of worms.

[savage1987]

Hmm. That's always an option, just wait until I decide to put a cam in or otherwise rebuild the heads... might be in the next couple of years.


So this gunk deposit doesn't definitely mean the car's been neglected at some point in history?? It can just be from old age?

Sam

[jazzawithvg38]

it doesnt matter how often you service the vechile if the person before has neglected to. blackness due to old oil and no amounts of oil channg going to fix it. however with that many km i wouldnt worrry too much as there are probally others things that require attention. just keep driving till it stops then fix it all at once.

[greenfoam]

The sludge is cause by long periods of time whithout a oil change. My VP has/had more sludge than any other 5 litre I've seen, I'd say its gone at least 50,000ks without an oil change and just been toped up with cheap oil somewhere between 80,000ks (last service in the book) and 150,000 (when I got it). Mine was realllllly close to dying from a clogged pickup when I got it. My first ever trip to 5000 revs gave me a oil light. My plan was to just keep changing oil at 5000 ks and assume that in another 100,000 is would be clean . It didnt clean but the pickup and any high flow areas like that did. My boss used to tell me to run diesel grade oil in it and said that would make it sparkly clean inside but I worried that oil like that would dislodge too much crap at once and block the pickup. In the end I pulled the rocker covers and intake manifold off and spent the best part of 2 days with everything covered up removing and cleaning the top half of the engine by hand, it was a BIG job and I had a bucket and abit full of tissues and sludge to prove it and a few cans of carby cleaner too . The most interesting part of the story is that with a clean manifold my car isn't as fast as it was before. They only explaination I have is that the near on 1cm thick sludge under the manifold insulated it and also kept heat in the engine from the huge sludge deposits that were in the valley and made my car faster than it would have been with a clean engine. Sludge is definatly a small performance cheat and so long as it doesnt fall off it's no problem

[KRUPTD]

You can try using this type of oil it is a semi detergent that we use at work and is very good,Mobil XHP plus 15w 40,this oil will help clean those buildup deposits in your engine.You can use a diesel oil if you want like a mobil DELVAC 15w40 50/50 of each of these 2 and then run that oil for no more than 2000km then change the oil and filter and then run the XHP plus by itself and just keep using this oil,it is a good oil in cooler weather conditions but when summer comes around runn a 15w 50 or 20w 50 grade.When you change oils you tend to use/burn oil but this is common,so dont be scared if you use oil after the first 2 to 3 oil changes it will be fine.At the moment i am running Mobil XHP plus 15w 40 but when summer comes i will run a thicker grade of oil like a 15w 50.I also change my oil anf filter every 5000kms.Instead of using that crap engine flush use abit of DEXRON 3 ATF oil,just add about 500ml to the engine oil and do this about 500km before the next oil/filter change this also helps the breakdown of some sludge deposits.

We also have a carbon machine at work.Problems of carbon build up is from using bad fuels such as using just unleaded fuel or ethanol.Using premium fuel will prevent carbon build ups also getting regular oil services will help too.But all the carbon cleans we have done to customers cars there was a noticable different in fuel economy and a little performance/and engine running smoother.A carbon clean also cleans your injectors/fuel rail/intake plenum chamber/throttle body/back of the valves.I will be doing a carbon clean on my car soon once i get a new starter for it.