cleaning sludge from inside engine

C

cb ndrhsr

Junior Member
Good morning, I am now ready to install my alum. heads and 2x2 intake that I learned to polish here on the site. Uncle Max did his magic on a couple of carbs for me also. Yesterday I pulled off the old heads and intake in preparation of installing the new parts. Before I do I would like to clean the sludge out of the engine,so my question is : can I use a solvent or carb cleaner along with brushes and elbow grease and get after it without tearing it down and hot tanking it. I plan on removing the inspection plate on the oil pan, and letting the gunk come out. My concern is plugging an oil galley or something. I could keep rinsing till I felt good about what is coming out. Can I do what I am proposing ? The engine is a good runner and I'm not in a position to tear it down and hot tank it. I just wanted to add some bolt on goodies and in the process do a little clean out. Thanks in advance ! CBN
 
It would be best to leave it alone unless you are willing to drop the oil pan. Disturbing the sludge can free dirt and other contaminants to move around and do damage.
 
With the first engine in my A-V8, I took the pan and intake off and used a small pump to recirculate solvent, removed all kinds of sludge... Put it back together, ran it and changed the oil... Would not do this without the pan off... Worked real well...
Karl
 
The baffles in the pan will prevent a full flush. As the others have advised, do this only if the pan is removed.
 
I just put my engine on end and washed out the valve chamber with diesel and a parts brush. I then dropped the pan and did the same.
 
Ok, sounds like i'll drop the pan. Whats the best way to reinstall pan when I'm done.I'm a rookie, and don't want to cause a leak or open a can of worms in duing this.Also what solvent would you use, kerosine,deisel,etc, or should I leave well enough alone and install my parts. I think that it would just bug me by leaving it as is though.
 
Drop the pan and remove and clean the screen. Replace the screen if it's falling apart.

Make sure you get that rear main seal in right and don't knock it losse when you reinstall the pan.

A leak free engine is a beatiful thing.
 
What is the best place or book on installing the rear main and pan gasket? I've had no experience on any of this,but I'm willing to learn.Please explain it in laymans terms as if you were maybe telling you wife how to do this ? The last thing I want is a leaking can of worms. Thanks again, CBN
 
Tell us what car or truck you have. They are all a little different. I assume you're dropping the pan without pulling the engine right? Get a good set of jackstands or two. You are going to have to move stuff around down there and you don't want the thing falling on you.

Remove the starter after you disconnect the battery. You will also need to unfasten the exhaust at the manifolds. Unfasten the front wishbone and wedge it down a few inches. Unfasten the pan bolts leaving one at the front and one at the rear, then remove those and let the pan come down. Carefully turn the engine over til you can get the pan past the counterweights...
 
Last edited:
@46ford, my engine is bolted to an engine test stand that I built this winter, so its accessability is not an issue.I will mount it on an engine stand so I can roll it over. I believe it to be 1950 ? truck engine. It has the truck oil pan on it. The heads say 8BA. It is a running engine. I'm putting it in my '40 2dr. Standard Sedan. I've never torn into an engine before thats why I'm alittle anxious about it. I've always paid someone else to do my work. Thats got to change. No spring chicken,63. Are there a front and rear oil seal plus the pan gasket involved ? do the main seals need the crank loosened to install them, or how do you go about this. All my books that I'm reading assume that you're assembling the engine from scratch, so the top half of the seal goes in before the crank. Thats not my case here. Thanks again ! CBN
 
The stand should make things easy. My engine didn't leak at front or rear seal, so I just did the lower seals. Soak the rope in oil and press the front one in the channel in the oil pan. I'm not sure whether the truck engine has the cork rear seal or rope. If it's cork, that goes in the slot behind the main bearing cap on the motor. I used permatex to hold mine in place. I've never encountered the rope rear main seal. Mine is a 59A-B motor.

Check the rails on the pan where the gasket sits; you may want to dolly those flat if the bolt holes are puckered. I used the brown Permatex to tack my gasket to the pan, then put it up. My thinking is if I ever pull the pan I want the gasket to stay with the pan. Be especially careful of the portions of the gasket that go between the rear main and the flywheel, they are flimsy.

I used Phillips screw drivers in a couple of the holes to make sure the pan goes on straight. Slide it on and install the pan bolts starting at the mains and work in. Gently tighten. Over torquing just warps the pan and causes leaks.

Now get a soda or cold one and admire your work.
 
Thanks a heap ! It might be next weekend before I get a chance to work on it again. I'll take a big breath and enjoy it and learn from it. Wish I knew how to post pictures, oh well thats another days problem. If I have any more questions, I hope that I can lean on you again. Thanks, CBN
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top