| jccorbin | -- 11-30-2010 @ 10:36 AM |
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I have a 38 Deluxe with 70k miles. I bought it about three years ago and have little history of the car but it appears to be all original with new paint and upholstery. It does not have an oil filter so I have been using Castrol 30W non-detergent oil and I have noticed that there is sludge in the bottom of the pan from what I can see with the drain plug removed. Oil pressure is good but drops to about 15 after being run for a while. I have taken this to my regular mechanic but he is not familiar with flatheads and is unwilling to remove the pan and clean it. What is the best (easiest) way to clean this sludge from the pan without risk of clogging the oil chanels. Thanks for your thoughts.......Jerry
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| supereal | -- 11-30-2010 @ 10:50 AM |
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Jerry: Using non-detergent oil practically guarantees sludge buildup. While pulling the pan to scr*pe out the sludge is always the best approach, try switching to a high detergent oil, such as Rotella 15-40, and make at least a couple of changes after at least two hundred miles each. This will gradually remove any sludge that is not bonded to the pan, but usually doesn't loosen chunks that will clog oil passages. I suspect that if you can detect sludge thru the drain, the valve chamber is likely nearly full of the black goo, too. I wouldn't worry about that oil pressure, as it is typical. Resist advice to use an engine "flush", as it will probably lead to an overhaul, and be sure that your engine reaches at least 160 degrees when driven to boil off moisture.
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| wrosenkrans | -- 11-30-2010 @ 12:17 PM |
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I'm trying the detergent oil route with my '42 per this board's recommendation. Planning my first oil change over the Christmas holiday and will report back on findings. Got to be an improvement over the coal tar I drained out of it when it arrived. My oil pressure starts at around 40 lbs, drops to around 30 and stays there at speed. At idle once warm it drops to around 15. Wayne & Barb '42 Super De Luxe Tudor
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| jccorbin | -- 11-30-2010 @ 12:47 PM |
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Thanks Super, That sounds like a plan. I typically use Castrol Syntec in everything but when I found that the 38 had the sludge I used to find on engines that used Quakerstate in the '60s I figured it had been using non-detergent for a while and I was not prepared to drop the pan or flush it with kerosene at that point in time. Thanks again......Jerry
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| supereal | -- 11-30-2010 @ 3:07 PM |
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People used to get the idea that detergent oil would loosen all deposits and jam the system. Actually, the purpose of the detergent is to keep the crud in suspension until it can be grabbed by the filter. Frequent draining is about as effective. Sludge is formed by mixing oil and water, plus blow by. The wide clearances in older engines tolerate dirty oil better than most. Many machines, including the Ford tractors, had a big clean out on the bottom of the pan so it could be cleaned. Flushing with kerosene was common, but did damage in worn engines.
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