Cleaning the oil pick up without dropping the pan?

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toolmanmike

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This is a longshot.l 96 Dakota 3.9 v6 (just like a 318 Magnum). It's starting to get low oil pressure and in a week I am going to do a timing chain and gears. 130,000 miles and loose and very noisy. I am sure the tensioner blocks are gone and that material and sludge is partially plugging the pick up screen. Any luck flushing or cleaning without dropping the pan? It's a 4wd. and I am not looking forward to dropping the pan on a creeper in the driveway.
 
I did mechanical work for a buy here pay here car lot. There is nobody cheaper than them. When I encountered a sludged up motor, I would put hydroseal carburetor cleaner in the oil pan thru the dip stick about 3 qts. Let it sit for 2-3 days and flush it with kerosene. Worked like a charm.
 
I did mechanical work for a buy here pay here car lot. There is nobody cheaper than them. When I encountered a sludged up motor, I would put hydroseal carburetor cleaner in the oil pan thru the dip stick about 3 qts. Let it sit for 2-3 days and flush it with kerosene. Worked like a charm.
That's a good idea. As soon as I drop the oil i can look up inside with a boroscope. I wonder if I could pull the distributor and gear and run the oil pump in reverse to dislodge the pieces from the pickup screen. Just thinking out of the box here.
 
And t
I did mechanical work for a buy here pay here car lot. There is nobody cheaper than them. When I encountered a sludged up motor, I would put hydroseal carburetor cleaner in the oil pan thru the dip stick about 3 qts. Let it sit for 2-3 days and flush it with kerosene. Worked like a charm.
And the kerosene through the dipstick too?
 
And t

And the kerosene through the dipstick too?
No you can pour the kerosene in the oil fill.I would pour 3 qts of kerosene in and 2 qts of cheap oil and crank the engine. Just have to let it idle for about 5-10 minutes. Drain it and do it again till the sludge went away. These were last ditch efforts for a cure. If you ever saw the product they use to sell called engine flush/cleaner, it was basically kerosene, they would instruct you to crank the engine and let it idle to get thru out the engine.
 
No you can pour the kerosene in the oil fill.I would pour 3 qts of kerosene in and 2 qts of cheap oil and crank the engine. Just have to let it idle for about 5-10 minutes. Drain it and do it again till the sludge went away. These were last ditch efforts for a cure. If you ever saw the product they use to sell called engine flush/cleaner, it was basically kerosene, they would instruct you to crank the engine and let it idle to get thru out the engine.
Thanks. I'm trying to free up a seized oil pressure relief valve on a Chebby.
 
Not sure if this procedure will help in your case if there is a piece of foreign material wedged in the valve? If it is due to sludge it might.
Worth a try. Good info either way. I didn't think about going through the dipstick tube. Thanks again.
 
If I owned a chevy, I would drain the oil, fill it with kerosene and just drive it.

......off a cliff.
 
Good luck getting the pan off with the engine in the truck. It's a *****.
I figured as much. My buddy said "just pull the engine". Of course he has a fully equipped man cave with a lift. I have a driveway and a creeper. :BangHead::BangHead::BangHead:
 
Tool man, After doing what has been stated above,you can spray carb cleaner or brake clean thru the drain plug hole as best as you can. You will be surprised at what will flush out.
 
That's a good idea. As soon as I drop the oil i can look up inside with a boroscope. I wonder if I could pull the distributor and gear and run the oil pump in reverse to dislodge the pieces from the pickup screen. Just thinking out of the box here.
You'd run out of oil in a second or so, unless you rigged up a feed on the outer hole of the filter area into the block, or through the filter housing.
 
This is a longshot.l 96 Dakota 3.9 v6 (just like a 318 Magnum). It's starting to get low oil pressure and in a week I am going to do a timing chain and gears. 130,000 miles and loose and very noisy. I am sure the tensioner blocks are gone and that material and sludge is partially plugging the pick up screen. Any luck flushing or cleaning without dropping the pan? It's a 4wd. and I am not looking forward to dropping the pan on a creeper in the driveway.
Couple of things:
  1. I've flushed some "gunky" engines out with Diesel fuel. I drain the oil, but leave the oil filter on with the oil that's in it. Put a gallon of diesel fuel in the engine right through the oil fill in the valve cover. Start the engine, let it idle for 15-20 seconds. Drain and put clean oil/filter in it. Then change oil in about 500 miles. Also, you could try some Mystery Marvel.
  2. As far as low oil pressure, I'd start with a new oil sender switch. If it's had any care, 130,000 is nothing. I've owned a lot of magnums. My current 5.9 is ready to turn to 249,000. But I've seen 3.9/5.2/5.9 with sky-high miles without ever touching anything to do with oil pressure. Actually, without being touched at all...
  3. If you have "material" in the pick up screen, there is only one way to get it out. Same way you get the valve seals out of the screen on the old LA's, take the oil pump off, unscrew the pickup tube, and tap all the junk out.
 
Lots of great suggestions...I would drain the current oil that is in the motor and change the filter with a cheap one. Pour a gallon of cheap ATF in it and a quart of cheap 5w30 in as well. Run for about half hour, maybe drive around the neighborhood a few times. Drain it, change filter and fill with gallon of 5w30 and quart of ATF. Run it for hour or two, driving around, not beating it or running it hard. Change oil and filter again with whatever oil and filter you like best.
I did that to my Ramcharger when I got it 4 years ago. It was sludged up pretty badly, and still runs like a champ 35,000 miles later.
 
Lots of great suggestions...I would drain the current oil that is in the motor and change the filter with a cheap one. Pour a gallon of cheap ATF in it and a quart of cheap 5w30 in as well. Run for about half hour, maybe drive around the neighborhood a few times. Drain it, change filter and fill with gallon of 5w30 and quart of ATF. Run it for hour or two, driving around, not beating it or running it hard. Change oil and filter again with whatever oil and filter you like best.
I did that to my Ramcharger when I got it 4 years ago. It was sludged up pretty badly, and still runs like a champ 35,000 miles later.
I like the atf idea better than diesel fuel or kerosene. Hopefully my boroscope will tell the tale. I read that a bent coat hanger scraping the bottom of the pan can tell if flushing is needed as well.
 
If it's that slugged up just pull the engine. Probably already needs rod bearings. I had to do the samething to mine at that mileage. It now has 230000 and still going strong. Just put in a new chain and bearings and it's good to go.
 
Okay you want some out-of-the-box ideas? So how about draining your oil and leaving your plug out and pulling your oil filter and finding which one of those passages from your oil filter goes to your oil pump and blow some air down it in reverse blow the pump screen off and then do a little flush of carb cleaner through though dipstick to catch whatever crud you dislodge and send it out the drain hole? And actually blowing through their while running the pump in reverse?
 
Okay you want some out-of-the-box ideas? So how about draining your oil and leaving your plug out and pulling your oil filter in finding which one of those passages from your oil filter goes to your oil pump and blow some air down it in reverse blow the pump screen off and then do a little flush of carb cleaner through the dipstick to catch whatever cried you dislodge and send it out the drain hole? And actually blowing through their while running the pump in reverse?
That's a great idea. What I was looking for. Now which hole. Let me see if I can find a oil system diagram.
 
Heck with the timing cover off, a inch or so of the oil pan is exposed. I should be able to put some solvent or diesel in the pan and agitate it with a vacuum hose and some compressed air. Drain and repeat.
 
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Heck with the timing cover off, a inch or so of the oil pan is exposed. I should be able tp put some solvent or diesel in the pan and agitate it with a vacuum hose and some compressed air. Drain and repeat.
I like my plan best but that's just mostly because it's mine LOL
I see what you're saying though it should be like slush down the front of the pan past the problem and out the drain hole.
 
Taking a little funnel and pouring a little diesel down the holl where the oil filter is towards the oil pump and giving a blast of air behind it? Or even carburetor cleaner or better yet?
 
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