toolmanmike said

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.

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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.