My Sludge Adventure

[Skylarking]

You can of course flush your system of all coolant, then change to the older style green coolant and replace every year after

Maybe or maybe not better than the plastic/seal softening OAT red coolant that lasts for 5 years

There has been other threads that have gone into this OAT coolant issue so search may be your friend

 

[VS_Pete]

Wow - that is just insane. Thats the worst sludge I've seen. Buying a second hand car....you cant exactly pull down the engine and check it ey. But its your car now, your fixing it yourself, and thats a win in my head.

I've had my LLT SV6 since new in 4/10. Done well over and above what the book says in terms of its 15***km oil changes. I done it at 10***km upto 100***km. Now Im at every 5***km now that she's done 160***km.
Oil filter every change.
K&N air filter cleaned and oiled every service
Coolant change every year
Brake fluid change every year
Diff oil every year
Trans fluid change every 2 years
Pwr steering oil every 2 years

Got 2 catch cans with 1/2 inch hoses from both the PCV and CCV. Factory recirc piping is 1/4 inch (I think). So I think and I hope that the larger piping helps it breath a lot better into and from the catch cans. I get about 40ml in the PCV catch can, and just about **** all in the CCV catch can over 2 services.

Have run on 95octane since new.

Out of curiosity I bought a little endoscope camera of amazon ($11) and took a look inside the intake manifold and piston chamber and I'm happy to report, its absolutely squeaky clean, not one piece of carbon on any of the pistons, no oil, **** or sludge in the intake either.

I run a live OBD reader to an old ipod with Car Scanner app. I watch Oil and Coolant temps, intake temps, outside air temp as my primary sensors.
Oil temp sits between 90 - 97 degrees
Coolant temp - 90 - 97 degrees
Intake temps - with in +5 degrees of outside air temp (at speed), can rise to 50+ stationary.
Have set alarms at 105 degrees for oil and coolant. Only time it really gets that high is climbing the freeway at 100kmh in Adelaide hills, **** thats a steep, quick climb. And it still only gets that high when its 38 degrees outside.

I know I have the benefit of having the car since new, so I know exactly what has happened to it.

My opinion, if I WAS buying a second hand car, it wouldn't have 200***km on it. Simply to much margin for error in my opinion. Also if its missed one service, walk away. The only time I'd even consider a car that high Km's, is if it was a full grandpa spec car.

Pics of engine bay with catch cans please

 

[LittleRed]

@LittleRed, your last post #52 was October 2018 so assuming it’s all back together by now and all went well

How did the first start and drive go?

How did you go with the repeated oil flush post the big clean?

At the end of the day was it worth the trouble going down the big clean path or would you do it different given your time over?

Actually, I haven't progressed at all. Still exactly where I left it at my last post. Life just got too busy I'm afraid. I plan to get back into it next weekend as I need to get the car on the road again. Will update with progress as I go.

 

[LittleRed]

My opinion, if I WAS buying a second hand car, it wouldn't have 200***km on it. Simply to much margin for error in my opinion. Also if its missed one service, walk away. The only time I'd even consider a car that high Km's, is if it was a full grandpa spec car.

I do agree to a point, however, there are a lot of people out there that simply cannot afford the outlay for a vehicle with low kms. A lot of young people simply do not have the benefit of large savings, but need transport to acquire meaningful employment. The obvious downside is that a cheap second hand car will always need more repairing in the short term. Having a vehicle (or vehicles) on the market that have a tendency to become unusable simply because they missed a couple of services does not help their plight. Some vehicles are simply much better in this regard, Toyota and Nissan both have very good reputations for resilient motors (it's just a shame they're not particularly inspiring cars). I'll admit, I'm a little disappointed (and surprised) that this engine is so fickle.
Realistically, I bought this car because it was really cheap, like half the market value. Not having had a Commodore before I had no idea that this was something to look for. Normally, I would be very suspicious if a car is going cheap, but this was at an auction, and I just got lucky as there was no interest in the moment. As always with this type of purchase, you win some, you lose some. I'm actually not that unhappy though, even with the issues, it's been a really good (and pleasant) car. Next time though, I'll know what to look for. I'll just put it down to gaining experience.

 

[Blackdavo83]

Hay ladies and gentlemen.....
My name is dave and i have a vz wagon with the same problems as little red is having bit mine is not so bad.....
Just had a quick question would it be ok to clean the rockers and under the timing cover with say break cleaner while the sump is off would all the sludge and crap just fall through......
I have the oil pressure problem and i think the passenger side rockers are not getting oil.
I will be fitting a timing chain kit and oil pump after i get it cleaned up.
Regards
Dave

 

[_R_J_K_]

Just had a quick question would it be ok to clean the rockers and under the timing cover with say break cleaner while the sump is off would all the sludge and crap just fall through......

Dissolving sludge to that degree isn't really what brake cleaner is designed for. You'll run the risk of clogging up oil galleries if you do that as you can't really verify if all the crap it's dislodged will have dissolved. Letting an engine flush run through would be safe(er).

 

[Blackdavo83]

So i shouldnt try and clean anything just fit new timing chain and guides, fit new oil pump and put it back together.......? Oh i will clean timing cover and rocker covers but not rocker gear..... I am only really putting the new oil pump in because a friend gave it to me as he had sold hes vz.....

 

[_R_J_K_]

So i shouldnt try and clean anything just fit new timing chain and guides, fit new oil pump and put it back together.......? Oh i will clean timing cover and rocker covers but not rocker gear..... I am only really putting the new oil pump in because a friend gave it to me as he had sold hes vz.....

Sure, get out as much as you can (operative word here being out), just make sure it isn't falling back into the head and engine. Look at your PCV valve too.

 

[Immortality]

Borrow the wifes vacuum cleaner, works wonders sucking up crap as you scrape it out....

It worked so well for me it actually sucked coolant out of the head cross-over passage port

 

[1985VK]

Another tip is a leaking oil drain plug gasket can also be changed with a vacuum cleaner ...