Went to change my oil today. Opened the oil fill cap and noticed a bit more white sludge than is normal when I change the oil. I removed the oil fill spout to clean it. THERE WAS A LOT of black pastey sludge at the spout of the valve cover. I immidiately started to worry. When I pulled the drain plug off, about one quart of the seven in the motor came out So, I paniced. Went to the Ford garage to ask for advice, what a joke. So, went to the parts store and bought Gunk engine sludge cleaner/flush. Followed the instruction, put in a quart and ran the motor for 5 minutes. Shut down, drained. As the oil drained out I watched it. It was black and had some creamy clots that came out. After it drained, I put the drain plug back in and added 1.5 gallons of straight kerosene and let is soak for an hour. I drained the kero and it came out dirty at first, but then clean right up as if new. Once it was done draining, I put a new filter on, filled her back up with oil, added another quart of the sludge cleaner, and followed the directions again. I shut the truck down for a while and then ran another cycle with the slughe cleaner in it. Then I drained her. Again, clean like new. Another new filter, brand new fresh oil again, and started her. Checked oil after settling. Its nice and clean and up to the right level. Gonna drive it til Sunday and then change again. This time will be with Mobil 1, Always used that in the past and had no issues ever. Using the Motorcraft that Ford recomends in it now and have been.

What in the world could have caused all that sludge since the last oil change? I havent been driving the truck near as often because I picked up a beater to drive. And when I was driving it daily, it was mostly just warm it up for 5 and drive 2 miles and then shut it down til the afternoon. Could that really have caused the sludge issue? Does anyone have any other suggestions as to what I can/should due to avoid a major problem? Another thing to make note of is that there was NO engine noises, and it still carried good pressure. I just happened to want to change my oil and found the mess before anything trajic happened.

 

^^ Yep.

You Definitely qualify for the Severe Service maintenance category with that driving regime.

Don't use M1 ( it's quite unremarkable, versus MC semi-synth in it's current formulation - search for info from Labnerd) - - stick to the MC, and change often. And - try to get on thee highway for regular extended runs if you can, to at least try to help burn off the moisture, etc.

Also you may want to check out the AutoRX products, versus Gunk.

MGD

 

I figured there was a better product than the Gunk brand, but that was all I could find at my local parts store today. Wasnt really sure what was on the market for this situation since its the first time I have an encountered it. Will definately make it a point to let the vehicle get up to full temps and such each drive before shutting it back down. Even if I have to start it a little earlier.

 

Exactly what MGD posted. Nothing but "AutoRX" for the crank case. If you don't run it long enough to get rid of bi-product, then you should install a separator within the PCV system. I've had the same problem in the past, but just changed the way I ran the engine and incorporated AutoRx. I also Motor Vac every three years or so. That together WILL keep it cleaner. But, regardless of what you do, it has to have the time to burn off once in awhile.

Personally, if it's building up in an EXTREME manner, -change your oil every 2000 miles and/or run it down the e-way every so often to control contamination. I'd run it @ cruising speeds for at least 20 miles every so often. Keep in mind, this is more less a cold climate problem.

 

I totally agree with J. I have never had a sludged engine but the thing I would always be concerned with when it's sludged that bad is clogging of the pick-up screen. Every drop of oil (or anything else in that pan) HAS to go through the pick-up screen. Once it is cleaned up enough for the oil to pass through, the AutoRX will do the job from there. I did some "favor" work for the daughter of a friend once and (she) being away in college and a girl, didn't do squat in keeping this VW Rabbit maintained. I did a bunch of MUCH needed maintenance and repair and in the process, used a flush on the engine because the oil was like black tar. When i was all finished with the work I took it for a spin about 8 mi. down the freeway. I got off because the oil pressure was dropping to near zero. Set a while and started carefully back
to the shop. Had to pull off 1 more time because the pressure was dropping to zero. Made it back and pulled the pan. The engine wasn't sludged, just full of crap from not being changed. The flush (I personally don't like and don't normally ever use) had loosened the stuff enough that it had clogged the screen ALMOST COMPLETELY! Thank God it had an actual OPG or I wouldn't have noticed in time to save it. Which I must mention, yours doesn't, only a make believe "feel good" gauge, so don't count on it saving your bacon in time, in case the screen does get clogged.

 

I did the same as you code58, except, I let them have it after going thru everything. The story behind it is just to similar to yours lol. Yep, it blew alright, after I serviced it, -guess who looked guilty then? The sludge and everything else went to the pickup screen soon after. There was just to much in there from lack of maintenance in the past.



After cleaning the sludge off, it was still 75% blocked lol. I ate that one, put a new/used engine in and gave them a loaner until it was done. Lesson learned!

Btw, -when I pulled the oil filter, it was dry. I'll never forget that lol.

 

All the more reason Not to buy a used Truck!

 

Thanks for all the advice guys. Im sure that I explained my sludge a LOT worse than it really was because I was nervous about it. There wasnt any "harder" pieces in it, it was just pasty. I "believe" i got it all cleaned out. Funny how a standard oil change can turn into an all day event. I will for sure look into getting AutoRX. Do auto parts stores carry it, or is it just online?

 

PS- Was gonna share an experience of mine. I tore the engine out of a friend of mines who was gonna send it off for a rebuild and some goodies (the engine was purring like a kitten when we started). When we took the pan off, the dried up crusty sludge had an imprint in it from where the oil pump pickup was!!! The hard crusty sludge was clear to the top of the pan, there were spots in it where the crank was lobing down through the stuff and it made a pathway through it! How that could have happened Ill never know.

 

I could be wrong but I believe it can only be ordered online. If someone has different info, please post. If it were my truck, I would still be concerned about partial clogging of the pick-up screen. It doesn't have to be HARD burned on (think oven at about 900 degrees) to clog the screen. The Rabbit I mentioned was soft, just about 8000 mi past change time, which I'm sure was normal for her. The really bad part, as far as I'm concerned, is that Ford put that "feel good" oil pressure gauge on, that for the most part is utterly worthless. You don't KNOW that the pressure is dropping (for whatever reason) until it's virtually too late. They ought to have a size 12 planted in the posterior for that little trick!

 

 

That's why I change mine every 2000 miles. I know everyone thinks it's a waste of money and thinks it's a dumb idea but I drive 14 miles to work one way and lately haven't been going anywhere else. Once a week I take it for a 215 mile drive, all highway, and the white sludge on the oil cap is gone when I get back home. For 7 quarts of MC 5-20 Semi Synthetic and a MC Fl-820s it's $28 bucks. My oil always comes out clean and for $28 it's a better piece of mine (for me) that my engine is clean also.

 

I'm gonna go change mine right now

 

Reminds me of your head starting to itch if someone mentions lice! ROFLMAO

 

Right! I'm pulling the pan too...