Let’s play a game! “Grease or engine sludge?”

[Cntymnty77]

this day started off awesome... and then went to shit real quick. I was excited when I woke up because I was going to get my new M/T Deegan 38’s today after my dr’s appt and then on my way to the tire shop, my truck stalled and died on the side of the interstate and wouldn’t start back up.. It was like I ran out of gas but I had just left the gas station from filling it up. It would crank but wouldn’t fire. Luckily with my job, I’ve nade friends with lots of tow drivers and got a free tow/ ride home.

This is where the game comes in..
After examining everything, I made the diagnosis of a bad fuel pump. I took the old one off (with my non broken hand) and noticed a think gel like goop on the arm of the fuel pump. It looked like grease but looked more like engine sludge. I’m still not sure but it had a jelly like consistency to it. I thought I’d bring the problem here.

 

[Bent77]

Well if there’s a major malfunction, you’d have no oil pressure and/or filter and oil have goo too

 

[Cntymnty77]

Well if there’s a major malfunction, you’d have no oil pressure and/or filter and oil have goo too

I’ve got pressure, so I hope it’s just grease. I’m guessing maybe years of heat just broke it down.

 

[tRustyK5]

grease IMO. Pretty common to use a glob of grease to keep the fuel pump push rod from sliding out of place whilst installing a new fuel pump.

 

[Fastereddie]

Who put the last fuel pump on? I've seen guys cob a handful of grease in there to try and hold the rod up when replacing...

 

[Fastereddie]

Too late.

 

[Bent77]

Um yep.

 

[Cntymnty77]

Who put the last fuel pump on? I've seen guys cob a handful of grease in there to try and hold the rod up when replacing...

I have no idea. The P.O. said the engine was a recent rebuild but I’m calling bullshit with all that I’ve had to do to it.

 

[Bent77]

So, that’s normal...

 

[Fastereddie]

Yep...

 

[nvrenuf]

I would think that if that was true sludge then you'd have some build up in the lifter valley and under the valve covers.

Also, what does it smell like? Grease has a very different odor than oil but I'm not sure if the burnt oil would mask over a grease odor.

 

[Fastereddie]

The important question is did the new fuel pump get it running again?

 

[Cntymnty77]

I would think that if that was true sludge then you'd have some build up in the lifter valley and under the valve covers.

Also, what does it smell like? Grease has a very different odor than oil but I'm not sure if the burnt oil would mask over a grease odor.

Honestly, I didn’t smell it. My sinuses are all jacked up right now anyway. I will say everything looked good when I changed out the intake and carb. I’m just going to say it’s old grease.

The important question is did the new fuel pump get it running again?

Not yet. I just picked it up and it’s 20* here and dark. I’ll put it on in the morning. This one will be a temporary pump. It was a cheap $20 pump from the parts store, I don’t see this one lasting very long.

 

[4X4HIGH]

Honestly, I didn’t smell it. My sinuses are all jacked up right now anyway. I will say everything looked good when I changed out the intake and carb. I’m just going to say it’s old grease.


Not yet. I just picked it up and it’s 20* here and dark. I’ll put it on in the morning. This one will be a temporary pump. It was a cheap $20 pump from the parts store, I don’t see this one lasting very long.

That is sludge 100%. Lots of engines are running with sludge in them and it's not a problem until you try to "clean it out" and then it plays hell on the oil pump pick-up screen by clogging it up and then no oil pressure. Leave it alone until you need to tear the complete engine apart THEN deal with it.

 

[sweetk30]

That is sludge 100%. Lots of engines are running with sludge in them and it's not a problem until you try to "clean it out" and then it plays hell on the oil pump pick-up screen by clogging it up and then no oil pressure. Leave it alone until you need to tear the complete engine apart THEN deal with it.

this guy should know . . .

and why has no one said to install the long bolt in the front of the block to hold the pushrod in place then swap it for the stub bolt after installed . ?

i NEVER trust anyone saying it was just rebuilt bull sh!t . . . who uses red rtv on a full rebuild when you have a master gasket set on hand ?

 

[diesel4me]

Sludge kills a lot of Chrysler engines,mostly the V6 ones ,they have had issues with it for a long time..especially here where its often cold and vehicles dont get driven far enough to fully warm up and boil off the condensation in the crank case..

One mechanic here likes to fill an engine with sludge deposits up to the valve covers with diesel fuel or kerosene after warming it up and draining the oil,and let it sit several days--what comes out when he pulls the drain plug is amazing,how the engine ever ran and didn't spin bearings from the oil passages being blocked up,or the pickup screen blocked..

Some engines don't last long after this treatment,they were run in that condition too long--but he has had better success at saving many this way,than just dumping in a can of Rislone or Marvel Mystery Oil or other "engine flush" chemicals..(which are mostly kerosene anyways)..

 

[sweetk30]

best way to pull sludge out i have been told / read / and used with 100% good results was this .

1qrt basic atf substituted for 1qrt of engine oil .atf is 5w oil grade .

drive 500-1k miles do oil change .

do the same till clean oil out the drain plug .

the atf has lots of detergents and slowly removes sludge as to not plug up stuff.

and for the love of god dont use fram oil filters .

 

[b454rat]

Even better is to change the oil on a regular basis!!!! (not saying OP doesn't) I had a 400 years ago that I got from a buddys junkyard. Thing had a shit ton of miles on it but it ran. Replaced heads, cam/lifters, chain, oil pump, blah blah. needed vise grips to get the lifters out. But the motor was disgusting on the inside. Everything was covered. I put 60k on this motor, changed oil every 3k miles or so. Only pulled motor cause I built a 468. When I tore motor apart, it was virtually spotless.

 

[diesel4me]

I have read that too,my only concern about ATF would be if it has any friction additives in it..might hurt it more instead of helping..

We used 2 quarts of Marvel Mystery Oil in some gunked up engines we pulled at the salvage yard..we'd drain the oil,add 3 qts of fresh light weight oil like 10W-30 or even thinner,and fill it the rest of the way to full with the Marvel oil and let it idle for at least a half hour,then drain it again..not every engine lived,but most of them did..

I have read the Marvel oil is pretty much the same "base" as ATF,only without any friction additives,it has good detergent and penetrating qualities..Rislone and Gunk "Engine Flush" are mostly "petroleum distallate",a fancy word for kerosene,with some oil added to it..

There is no substitute for regular oil changes--and I agree abut Fram filters,after seeing what is inside one that was cut open right out of the box--the WIX rep took several new filters off the shelf one day at one of the parts stores and cut them open,out of all of them,the Fram had the least amount of filtering media,a string tied around it to hold it in place,and a sheet metal "leaf spring" to hold the element in place against the base..

Even the cheap "Group 7" and "Lee" oil filters had better construction...the "Champ" filters were also well built..
But the Wix ones were the best,they had a coil spring inside,and more filter media,and a thicker shell too..

If your only driving short runs in cold weather,its a good idea to change your oil every 2000 miles if not sooner,oil is cheaper than another engine and labor to install it..some places reccomend as little as 500 miles per oil change under extreme cold driving and short trips..

 

[Cntymnty77]

this guy should know . . .

and why has no one said to install the long bolt in the front of the block to hold the pushrod in place then swap it for the stub bolt after installed . ?

i NEVER trust anyone saying it was just rebuilt bull sh!t . . . who uses red rtv on a full rebuild when you have a master gasket set on hand ?

The more I get into this thing the more I find the PO was full of shit about it being rebuilt. I thought the same thing when I pulled it apart. Slowly but surely, I’m replacing and repairing everything the proper way.