Off Roading Oil system flush?

[Johnstra]

I just finished cleaning a bunch of trash out of my old plow truck's (Toyota 4x4) oil pan and oil pick-up line. I'm truly amazed how much garbage was in there - no metal that I could detect, just a bunch of crud.



I'd like to give the oil passages a good flushing as I'm sure at least some of that crud got past the filter. Anyone have any suggestions for how to do that? I've heard diesel can be mixed in with the oil to clean oil passages, but I don't know how much to put in.



Thanks,

-john

 

[KevinO]

They sell a oil treatment at your local parts store that you put in and idle your motor for about 5 minutes then drain it.

 

[GBaines]

We used to clean out old VW engines by getting the engine warmed up, then draining the oil, replacing the oil with diesel, running the engine gently with the diesel in it, then stopping the engine and draining out the diesel (it is amazing how much crud comes out with the diesel!), then we put in cheep oil, ran the engine gently for a while, and finally replaced this now quite dirty oil with new fresh good oil. Remember the old VWs didn't have a oil filter so a lot of crud stayed in the engine. This worked on old loose VWs but on a newer tighter engine, I don't know if I would recommend it.

 

[Scot]

I would put good oil in it and change it often. Maybe every 2K or so if it is dirty. I have heard of quite a few engines ruined by the flushes breaking loose so much crud it blocked the oil pump intake screen.

 

[SMorneau]

I read a story about a guy who mixed diesel in his marine diesel's sump to help flush it out after he swamped it. Unfortunately he had a little blowby condition and now he was faced with a runaway diesel (getting the fuel by the rings) it was quite a story.

 

[Coalsmoke]

I have often cleaned engines by running them until they are warm, drain out a litre and add a litre (quart I guess for in the US) of good quality high-detergent ATF, like Mercon. Run engine for 10-15 minutes and then drain all oil, and fill up with new oil and filter. Recommended to me by a mechanic I used to work with, and it worked well in my vehicle.

 

[Crazy Horse]

When I was a service manager at a full line GM dealer I saw a lease vehicle come in with 35,000 miles on it with the OEM oil filter on it. When the drain plug was pulled no oil came out. You had to poke a screw driver through the hole to get anything come out. We ran 3 qts of kerosene with 2 qts of oil, twice to flush the system. Be sure if you do this change the oil filter each time. After you get done flushing run a qt of kero with 4 qts for a week (500 miles) and change the oil again again.

 

[JTroiano]

Don't flush it. Just leave it alone and change the oil. I've seen two Lexus engines ruined by this. One all the bearings were toast with using transmission fluid and the other was done with a flush attitive and that one plugged the pick-up screen and the customer just kept driving until it would not run anymore.



Jon T

 

[evldsl]

People have been useing the kerosene method since before I was born so there must be something to this method. Oh I was born in 1956.

 

[Coalsmoke]

How long was the transmission fluid in there for? It's been done many time around here, but do it at your own risk I guess. I'd hate for my passing on of someone elses "words of wisdom" to cause anyone troubles.

 

[JTroiano]

If you don't touch the stuff it will stay were it is. If it bugs you take the engine apart and clean it the correct way. There isn't much to those little engines. If you ruin the bearing surfaces in the head it will be no good any more.



Jon T

 

[ThrottleJockey]

2 bottles of Amsoil engine flush. Just follow the directions on the bottle.



Brian

 

[Diesel Gunner]

The way I see it, ya weren't worried about it before you knew it was there. And it ran OK. Fill it with oil and run it. Change the oil soon and run it some more. It's an old plow truck, it ain't like your gonna depend on it in an emergency (like to get a wife in labor to the hospital).



The only way to get it clean is to disassemble the engine and clean everything. All of the flush products, ATF, and diesel ain't gonna buy you nuthin' but problems. It's too late to start washin' your feet when the flesh is fallin' off in chunks when you take your boots off

 

[Johnstra]

I like that analagy, Diesel Gunner. Fact is, I treated the vehicle like garbage for a long time - terrible neglect - and it's taken its toll. But I'm a born again maintentence junkie and I'm going to take good care of that little truck. If taking it apart and cleaning it is the 'right' way to deal with sludge and deposits, then that's what I'll do.



Thanks for the info, all. She actually runs pretty well since I cleaned the pan and the oil pump pick-up line. At least I know she's not going to keel over any minute.

 

[JSHAW]

Amsoil engine flush works reallywell. I have 9 or 10 work trucks at any given time. Some of them I've bought in pretty rough shape. Every one gets flushed with Amsoil engine flush and then fresh oil, makes a big difference.



Jim Shaw

 

[Sled Puller]

I have an old beater Jeep, changed the valve cover gasket, and the gunk in the valve train was nasty. Just for funnys, I tried the Amsoil engine flush, with a new filter, drained it, changed the filter again, and then refilled with Amsoil 5W-30. That was a year ago, no excessive leaks, no burning oil, no loss of oil pressure.



If I get a chance, I'll pop the valve cover, see if it is still gunked, let you know.



I would avoid the kerosene, Diesel, transmission fluid. IMHO.



Safest thing would probaly be just keep changing oil/filter for a while, I suppose.