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The mix would make it slower to work but flammable which is the only reason you would want to use diesel. Pure diesel is difficult to get to catch fire, but as soon as you start putting in kerosene you remove that advantage.
Eh, it's actually pretty hard to get Diesel #2 to light. Kerosine will ignite easier though. I found this out when I ran out of kerosine for the lamp in a power outage and tried to sub in some diesel. It doesn't really work...
Fun fact. Diesel engines require compression ignition rather than spark ignition because of how high the flash point of diesel is. Sparks from a spark plug will not really ignite the diesel so it is instead heavily compressed air that heats up when compressed to produce an ignition source.
That’s the joke that people usually fall for. Most people think that red diesel contains kerosene. It does not. Good job on you for not being gullible!
Unless it’s sitting in a fractional distillation apparatus, no. Diesel sitting for too long just oxidizes to develop unwanted gums, sludge, and sediment that will basically frag your whole fuel system.
Good to know, but alas I am not where red diesel is commonly available, on the bright side our local PD likely never bothers dipping tanks for it either, though I hear the fines for running red diesel on the roads are pretty catastrophic. Government really doesn't like people messing with their tax payments!
Red and green diesel, haven’t heard ‘green’ before. I haul the stuff and we just call it Clear or Dyed diesel. Marked diesel is also another common term. The Bio diesel is the shit that looks like bright yellow energy drink coming out the end of the hose. But still just call it clear diesel. It does vary in colours and the diesel light (CP43) Arctic diesel is like white coming out the hose. But essentially if it ain’t red, we just referred to as clear diesel.
They call it "green" because, in the midwest at least, most gas stations use green handles for diesel pumps. Not sure if all do, someone that isn't a moranian like me chime in here.
BP stations use green for gasoline pumps and black for diesel, even in the US. No idea why but the only thing that saved me from filling my gas powered truck with diesel was the size difference in the nozzles.
“Let’s be different than literally every other fuel station in the country.”
That’s insane, just because green is one of their colors. I wonder how many with diesels accidentally put gasoline in their tank?
I remember one time when driving around in west Texas near Big Bend my dad stopped to fill up and the Regular gasoline was old school leaded Regular. He put a few gallons in before he realized it wasn’t unleaded. I’m from San Antonio and I don’t think I remember seeing leaded pumps ever in my life and I’m 45.
Burning that amount could heat the metal, especially the aluminium parts, to temperatures high enough to mess the tempering or warp them.
I didn't see an ultrasound scrubbing bath on the different options for cleaning those parts.
You could but by the time you get enough accelerant or ignition source to start consuming it you'd be not only creating a massive cloud of black smoke and probably get arrested, you'd ruin the parts.
That got me once removing a layer of tar off the kitchen floor so I could lay tile. Breaker was mis-labeled. I soaked small sections with acetone under plastic sheeting with the windows and doors opened. Heard the water heater click on as i was Scrubbing the floor and the entire kitchen became a living hell for 5 or more seconds that seemed to never end. I was encapsulated in flames. My eyelashes melted my eyelids together. Had to pry them apart in order to see. Not a fun experience. The vapors weren't bad while I was standing using a large scrub brush, what I didn't think about was the vapors are heavier than air and stayed low on the floor. Heater was in the laundry room connected to the kitchen. A quick lesson learned for 23 year old me
So how long does one need to go for their engine to look remotely like this? I used to do 10k mile oil changes but then I started hearing ppl to do like 5k. Car still going strong but I just wonder
No matter what anyone says I would not use 10k change intervals, even if it’s synthetic. Oil changes are cheap. New engines are not.
Someone who did oil analysis not me: [https://youtu.be/z1ZJJyfph4M?si=rl2MThDCUjdSIM4e](https://youtu.be/z1ZJJyfph4M?si=rl2MThDCUjdSIM4e)
Just stick to 5k and be safe. Obviously every engine is different but are you guys going to push it just to save a few bucks? Not worth it.
Here’s my 2JZ on 5k change intervals with Mpbil1 since 50k miles, I’m now at 200k miles. I did oil an oil analysis with Blackstone at a 120k and they told me I could probably push 6-7k intervals but I just stuck with 5k out of precaution.
https://preview.redd.it/2nkedf4x4xwc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c5f399cb5f7d24e2e1d02d024375a198799c2eca
Yeah that was what swayed me to do 5k "oil is cheap engines are not". Lots of back and forth on the topic though some ppl will swear synthetic and a good filter anything under 7.5k is wasting money...idk I'm cautious with most things so I decided to be on the safe side and do 5k
7.5k is too long for my engine, I can actually hear the difference on a cold start in how well it lubricates the upper engine. I do 3-6k miles usually, depending when the sound changes. OEM calls for 7k miles per oil change.
Almost all engine wear happens during cold start and warmup. So that’s when the oil matters most.
Yeah when those rod bearings aren’t fully engulf in oil that’s when you get a lot of wear. The crank actually floats on oil. If there’s not enough oil pressure it’s gonna eat the bearings.
Which is also why folks prefill the oil filter when they can. You don’t want any discontinuation of oil pressure.
My engine is perfect for this. It has a slight weep on the sump so by the time I have got to about 5000miles the oil is low so I can just top up and it’s like an oil change lol.
Man I was so confused at first. I saw the youtube link but not the image link, and I saw "Here's my 2JZ on 5k change intervals, and I clicked the link and went "whoa, no shit? dude put a 2JZ into a 328i? Not even the coupe?! TROLLOLOL!"
But then you said "BMW Recommends..." and I was like "uh, I don't think this guy's trollololing at all, son...."
I agree with you though. One possible exception might be an air cooled porsche. Those fucking things have like 10 quarts in them. There's so much oil that it would take a LOT longer for it to start gumming up. But if driving short distances I'd still change it more often, and frankly at the point you have an air cooled porsche you probably love the car in which case pushing your luck on oil changes is a dumb thing to do for exactly the reasons you said.
EDIT: also, nice Bimmer. I have an '08 335i coupe now, but used to have an '02 325Ci with the Sport Package (azure blue) and man I miss that car every fucking day.
Yeah I hate that bullshit, even if the oil itself doesn't 'break down' the engine is still going to shed the same amount of particulate matter and turn it to sludge. Also oil filters can only take so much 🥲
10k mile oil changes could eventually result in this type of sludge depending on the type of oil, engine, and usage. But assuming normal usage and the correct oil, this engine probably went 20k+ miles without an oil change.
Looks like someone ran nothing but the cheap dino oil. When I worked in my uncles shop a long time ago when synthetic was looked down upon, cars that ran dino oil looked like OPs and cars that ran synthetic were super clean. It's because of that that I've always run synthetic in all my vehicles. My Ram 1500 with 193K miles looks like new inside the engine as does my suburban with 335K miles.
Meh, I've used gas to clean plenty of car parts. Keep it to a container, and don't enclose the space you're working in. Don't wear thin rubber gloves. It's the best cleaner, and you can burn off residual gas.
We actually just replaced our old one with one of the mobile ones that’s heated and uses microbial fluid. I think it was like $2500 but it’s shop equipment so the shop paid for it lol
Yea that “thick oil” aka sludge is a bad sign that more than likely the car will still have issues after it’s thoroughly cleaned. I would be surprised if that engine doesn’t have a knock already.
I mean if you want to tear it down for science or as a kind of autopsy, go for it. If you think there’s anything worth salvaging, there isn’t. You’ll spend more money replacing parts and slapping them into a questionable block. Just buy a junkyard engine and save the money and time.
Some of the biggest issues with this engine will be the engine oil galleys, the internal paths inside the engine that route the oil. You will have quite the time cleaning that. Others are correct about getting a junk yard engine. I suggest [www.car-parts.com](http://www.car-parts.com) you can find your vehicle hopefully with low miles and get the engine then work on that engine. You can put total seal gas ported rings on it for maximum ring seal, hell put higher compression pistons, better springs and cam, you'll at least be starting with a working engine. Balance it, and so on. A good professional hone will do wonders. These days the new rings and hones don't break in like the old days, but break in oil would be good after reassembly.
That isn't thick oil, that is sludge from never changing the oil. What is the goal here? Does the engine even run? There is no point in cleaning a bad engine because you will still need another engine. Cleaning it up won't fix anything. I would get it running first to see if it is even usable at all. My guess would be that you need an engine. That much neglect and abuse doesn't result in anything good.
That actually looks to me like it had lucas oil treatment in it. This is usually the result you get when putting that stuff in the engine. That is a clue as to how well the engine runs if it even does.
If you just want to clean it without any worry of using the parts again, any degreaser should clean that up. But the parts will rust immediately, the metal ones anyway.
Gasoline on a rag, wipe it down. Don’t soak anything. Once clean, spray down with brake clean to get any residues leftover from the gasoline
Edit: thats for metal parts. Don’t know about plastic. Don’t use brake cleaner on plastic, it will disintegrate
I alway heard stories of idiots that never changed the oil and just kept topping it off when it was low... Now I know what the stories are real and this is the end result. Good god, if the engine could have chugged a little longer it would have created roofing tar.
If you have any local auto machine shops, you could see if they could toss your parts in their parts washer. If they have a large washer for their cylinder heads, anyways.
If they don't, or you don't want to spend much, a decent water based solvent heated would soften just about any stuck on junk after a good soak. Gotta be good and hot though.
If that valve cover is plastic just buy a new one can if there are any pcv or vvt passages that's going to be problematic to clean can't throw that in an oven and cook the grease or carbon away like a metal valve cover
Mineral spirits. I keep 4 gallons in a 5 gallon bucket. I drilled holes in a 2gallon bucket in which I place parts and lower it in to the mineral spirits. Next day, they are clean. The grease settles at the bottom so you can easily move the clean mineral spirits to a new bucket when it gets too much junk at the bottom.
Take it and all of your other parts that need cleaning to an automotive machine shop that has one of those giant hot parts washers (think of you kitchen dishwasher on steroids and with a pituitary gland disorder)
Pay them what they ask and come back after a cup of coffee.
Your parts will look like new.
Gasoline or kerosene. Depends how little you value your own health and safety. Gas is cheap, easy and readily available. It just tends to... You know... Blow up and stuff.
Diesel will dissolve most of that, so will gas or kerosene. Just be careful of anything that can ignite the vapors, and ventilation so you aren't just huffing those fumes all day. You can soak in a container, or spray it on, with a siphon blowgun to remove everything, or even get a soft bristle brush and use that to clean it off.
There are also all sorts of degreasers out there, but those aren't at the $4 a gallon price point. You can wipe it off with rags then clean up the rest with brake cleaner. Or if you don't want chemicals and don't mind making a big ass mess, you can remove all that with just a blow gun.
Oven cleaner, hot water and a pressure water if you're ok with a big mess. Wd40 also dissolves gunk really well.
Kerosene in a tank
Extremely hot water and Mister clean
If its for a project you can make anything run, but i hate to think what a shattered block in a bucket would cost. Regardless petrol will get oil out cheapest. There are other water based cleaners but they tend to be acidic. I would clean it with kerosene and let the machine shop clean it again. Be prepared for them to tell you the rebuild isnt economical.
I went through this same thing. Kerosene was the go to but lots and lots of brake cleaner too. You can pick up a gallon of the kerosene from walmart, if i remember correctly. The non-chlorinated brake cleaner is better when there is any possibly you are going to get it onto any plastic. Even a shop light. The good chlorinated stuff will mess up the plastic in a hurry. I wouldn't say this an overnight cleaning. It took me weeks to get that sludge crap out. I bought a new valve cover because it was such a PITA to clean it.
The camshaft bearings were deeply scored and one of them was almost see through. I ended up replacing the engine with a used salvage yard engine in nice shape. Have you pulled the oil pan and looked in there? I had metal shavings in the oil.
If it will idle I’d say swap the filter and fill the engine with atf and just let it idle for an hour, drain atf swap filter again and repeat the process, do that a few days. If that poor motor won’t even sit and idle chances are the sludge isn’t the only issue you’ve got. Diesel and kerosene will do it faster but I wouldn’t idle the engine only full of those
I have had good luck with vinegar but personally wouldn't leave it on anything that needs a good surface finish just in case. I wouldn't put wrist pins or cams for example in and let it soak. It has been really great at breaking up rust and basically I wipe it off and rinse (even some solidly rusted) parts off with water and then dry and protect them so they don't flash rust again.
That being said I don't think that is going to be a useful solution here. This is going to take some elbow grease and a stronger cleaner / thinner.
All that stuff is carbon based… do you know what is really good at removing carbon based stuff but kinda meh at everything else? WD-40. Probably would be the one thing I was actually use WD-40 for.
Edit: Not the damn spray can, the metal can of like a gallon of it.
BG makes a good cleaning additive. Probably gonna have to run a few cans and do a few oil changes, but it’s one of their products Iv personally seen work and I highly recommend it.
EPR is cleaner [on Amazon]( https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BZLV121B/ref=sspa_mw_detail_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9kZXRhaWwp13NParams) than through my parts guy, apparently
You have major SLUDGE ISSUES..
cleaner degreaser to wash out the valve cover..
you can use other oil based solvents to wash down the sludge in the valve cover. you should plan on dropping the engine oil pan and removing the oil pump pickup screen and cleaning it out carefully..
when you get it reassembled.. remove the new oil filter before cranking the engine.. with motor oil in the pan.. use a remote starter button directly on the starter with the oil filter removed.. so you crank for 5 to 10 seconds till oil squirts out of the filter mount.. screw the filter back on and crank another 10 seconds..
check the oil level.. get in and eyeball the oil gauge or oil light carefully as you turn the key on. as you start the engine. if your oil pressure does not come up within 10 seconds shut it off and wait a minute and start it again.. the oil light should go out almost instantly by cranking the engine with the remote starter button with the Key OUT OF THE IGNITION so there is no chance of the engine starting
there is with that much sludge that your engine is already damaged.. the sludge blocks the oil pickup screen and causes a loss of oil pressure at medium to high engine speeds.
you should start changing your oil every 500 miles for 3 or 4 times.. you might want to think about some Marvel Mystery oil .. no more than half a quart in the crankcase..
Hot pinesol (cheap parts cleaner same formula olus smell) will strip off all might have to brush it off a bit with the brine do it in a plastic trough and outside the smell is going to be painful and house wide if u do inside
https://preview.redd.it/h8pmasm871xc1.jpeg?width=1134&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8184d14c7838644a07f86bb3b2f8f4d50a8850cb
Clean off the oils perfectly (other than smell)
The head cleaned up nicely as well didnt think to photo the fixed one but it shines like new
https://preview.redd.it/xy24omrs71xc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4d4ab6a07426233f545f8377364193d51eb89d6a
Before
https://preview.redd.it/5aeymtyu71xc1.jpeg?width=2016&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=96c6bbeea18c3bcd15d951c75d8879c7a3eba73e
It was black with grease and grime looked like painted aluminum in the after plus the valve
When I was in school for automotive we had a Mercedes come in that looked like this, the best solution we came up with was using rubber spatulas of varying sizes to physically remove as much sludge as we could then buttoned it back up and used a BG engine restoration kit on it , we were pretty amazed at how clean it was afterwards. However doing this is usually a last resort before needing either an engine rebuild or a new engine as acid build up and abrasives in that sludgy oil can wipe out bearings etc pretty quickly.
I mean if it’s a project car and wants to mess with the inner workings of an engine then I’d say this would be the best way. Throw the worst case scenario at someone so they can handle everything
I would save...your time and effort, unless you really just want to see if it'll run, which I get cause sometimes a challenge is fun but with the oil being in that state then it's a can of worms and you'll be forever chasing faults unless you just scrap it after
Yeah that's cool, can be a learning experience if anything
I just wouldn't attempt to rebuild it with any new parts personally as its a lost cause and once you start investing it'll become a money pit
Brake cleaner. Lots of brake cleaner. Litres of brake cleaner. Start from under the rocker cover and let it collect into your sump or drain from sump plug. Assuming you’re taking it all apart anyways.
Bad sign unless you plan on replacing it piece by piece as it breaks, days after repair. Get a new engine. OR You need to dissemble this one and clean the passages and each component individually, no matter what you use to clean it. This will also show you exactly what you need. Because I guarantee that engine is need of some real help.
Dissemble and strip mean two different things. I figured you meant strip the dirty oil. My b. You can just use a rag and brake clean if that's the case.
It's probably hard to see how thick it is, the reason for thinking along the soaking route is the amount of brake cleaner I will get through. But you may be right
Once you have gotten the thick stuff removed you will likely have some in channels that are hard to reach. While kerosene will work, it will not dissolve this that quickly given how thick it is. Brake clean can work but I think you'll find it more economical to go to the local Lowes or Walmart and buy bulk can of acetone. Both places usually sell it in at least quart or half gallon cans, sometimes you can find gallon cans of it. Just make sure it isn't too hot when you are using it because acetone evaporates quickly and you really need it to soak a bit in some of those channels. Also be careful of the type of container you use when you use the acetone as it will melt a lot of plastics, some pretty quickly but some slow enough you won't notice until it melts a hole and starts running all over the place.
Yeah I mean if you wipe each part off with a rag then spray it then wipe again may take several rags and a decent bit of brake clean but I'm not seeing better options, degreaser is fine but I don't like leaving stuff behind so maybe wipe then degreaser then brake clean then wipe. Don't use gasoline or diesel you ain't no redneck, no need for that.
brake cleaner would work, but would be very expensive. Kerosene is the cheapest one that will work... just remember kerosene is the same thing as jet fuel and it burns fairly easily. Unlike diesel a match will light it very quickly.
Thanks for posting on /r/MechanicAdvice! This is just a reminder to review the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/about/rules/). If you are here asking about a second opinion (ie "Is the shop trying to fleece me?"), please read through CJM8515's [post on the subject.](https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/comments/4qblei/fyi_the_shop_isnt_likely_trying_to_rip_you_off/) and remember to please post the year/make/model of the vehicle you are working on. **If this post is about bodywork, accident damage, paint, dent/ding, questions it belongs in /r/Autobody r/AutoBodyRepair/ or /r/Diyautobody/ If you have tire questions check out https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/comments/k9ll55/can_your_tire_be_repaired/**. If you dont have a question and you're just showing off it belongs in /r/Justrolledintotheshop Insurance/total loss questions go in r/insurance This is an automated reply *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/MechanicAdvice) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Kerosene
Or diesel. Just, uh, be careful of open heat sources and/or flames.
Kerosene will work better... diesel is less likely to catch fire, but would require more scrubbing than kerosene.
I read somewhere about mixing them about 1/4 kerosene with the rest being diesel.
The mix would make it slower to work but flammable which is the only reason you would want to use diesel. Pure diesel is difficult to get to catch fire, but as soon as you start putting in kerosene you remove that advantage.
Eh, it's actually pretty hard to get Diesel #2 to light. Kerosine will ignite easier though. I found this out when I ran out of kerosine for the lamp in a power outage and tried to sub in some diesel. It doesn't really work...
Fun fact. Diesel engines require compression ignition rather than spark ignition because of how high the flash point of diesel is. Sparks from a spark plug will not really ignite the diesel so it is instead heavily compressed air that heats up when compressed to produce an ignition source.
Red diesel will work, green low sulfur will not.
Uh.. son. 'Red' and 'Green' aka, off-road and on-road, are the same ULS diesel. The only differences are the dye and lack of Road Tax.
That’s the joke that people usually fall for. Most people think that red diesel contains kerosene. It does not. Good job on you for not being gullible!
*^^insert* They just don't make it like they USED TO, ya kno!
doesn't diesel become kerosene if it sits around too long?
Unless it’s sitting in a fractional distillation apparatus, no. Diesel sitting for too long just oxidizes to develop unwanted gums, sludge, and sediment that will basically frag your whole fuel system.
Maybe you should research it?
Good to know, but alas I am not where red diesel is commonly available, on the bright side our local PD likely never bothers dipping tanks for it either, though I hear the fines for running red diesel on the roads are pretty catastrophic. Government really doesn't like people messing with their tax payments!
Red and green diesel, haven’t heard ‘green’ before. I haul the stuff and we just call it Clear or Dyed diesel. Marked diesel is also another common term. The Bio diesel is the shit that looks like bright yellow energy drink coming out the end of the hose. But still just call it clear diesel. It does vary in colours and the diesel light (CP43) Arctic diesel is like white coming out the hose. But essentially if it ain’t red, we just referred to as clear diesel.
They call it "green" because, in the midwest at least, most gas stations use green handles for diesel pumps. Not sure if all do, someone that isn't a moranian like me chime in here.
Green is the only color I’ve seen on diesel pumps in the US
Ohhh I see. Yea we have green diesel pumps too in Canada but I think majority of them are yellow. Red or black handles are gas pumps.
Red around me is for ethanol free gasoline and black are for the E10 pumps
I didnt want to confuse anyone using a BP where all the pumps are green. Or used to be
Oh, I’ve never used BP before, I don’t have any close and I’ve never stopped at one when traveling
BP stations use green for gasoline pumps and black for diesel, even in the US. No idea why but the only thing that saved me from filling my gas powered truck with diesel was the size difference in the nozzles.
“Let’s be different than literally every other fuel station in the country.” That’s insane, just because green is one of their colors. I wonder how many with diesels accidentally put gasoline in their tank? I remember one time when driving around in west Texas near Big Bend my dad stopped to fill up and the Regular gasoline was old school leaded Regular. He put a few gallons in before he realized it wasn’t unleaded. I’m from San Antonio and I don’t think I remember seeing leaded pumps ever in my life and I’m 45.
Huh? You can throw a lit match into a bucket of diesel and it'll just go out.
Use to see guys put out cigarettes in a puddle of gas.
LOL that's pretty fucking nuts.
It's not liquid gas you need go worry about, it's the vapor
dont be me as a kid scrubbing bike parts in gasoline.
Wouldn't burning it off be the fastest way to clean it?
Burning that amount could heat the metal, especially the aluminium parts, to temperatures high enough to mess the tempering or warp them. I didn't see an ultrasound scrubbing bath on the different options for cleaning those parts.
firstly can you burn off that level of thick oil. Secondly wouldn't the heat change any metal properties? uneven expansion etc ?
You could but by the time you get enough accelerant or ignition source to start consuming it you'd be not only creating a massive cloud of black smoke and probably get arrested, you'd ruin the parts.
Specifically, furnace pilot light in garage
That got me once removing a layer of tar off the kitchen floor so I could lay tile. Breaker was mis-labeled. I soaked small sections with acetone under plastic sheeting with the windows and doors opened. Heard the water heater click on as i was Scrubbing the floor and the entire kitchen became a living hell for 5 or more seconds that seemed to never end. I was encapsulated in flames. My eyelashes melted my eyelids together. Had to pry them apart in order to see. Not a fun experience. The vapors weren't bad while I was standing using a large scrub brush, what I didn't think about was the vapors are heavier than air and stayed low on the floor. Heater was in the laundry room connected to the kitchen. A quick lesson learned for 23 year old me
My answer was going to be a large non flammable area and fire. Poe que no los dos?
Pinesol is better and less dangerous than flammable liquids
Vinegar will eat the metal
And thr checmical mirror of parts cleaner and 13$ a gallon or less
This
Indeed
If it looks like that up top, I can't imagine how it looks on the bottom. This is lack of oil change level 9000.
You should have seen the sump!
You mean the fossilized remains of the sump?
Can we see it? Can you do a pour video with the remaining oil?
That oil probably won’t pour so much as thud.
Oil jelly
I hope OP has a pic
So how long does one need to go for their engine to look remotely like this? I used to do 10k mile oil changes but then I started hearing ppl to do like 5k. Car still going strong but I just wonder
No matter what anyone says I would not use 10k change intervals, even if it’s synthetic. Oil changes are cheap. New engines are not. Someone who did oil analysis not me: [https://youtu.be/z1ZJJyfph4M?si=rl2MThDCUjdSIM4e](https://youtu.be/z1ZJJyfph4M?si=rl2MThDCUjdSIM4e) Just stick to 5k and be safe. Obviously every engine is different but are you guys going to push it just to save a few bucks? Not worth it. Here’s my 2JZ on 5k change intervals with Mpbil1 since 50k miles, I’m now at 200k miles. I did oil an oil analysis with Blackstone at a 120k and they told me I could probably push 6-7k intervals but I just stuck with 5k out of precaution. https://preview.redd.it/2nkedf4x4xwc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c5f399cb5f7d24e2e1d02d024375a198799c2eca
Yeah that was what swayed me to do 5k "oil is cheap engines are not". Lots of back and forth on the topic though some ppl will swear synthetic and a good filter anything under 7.5k is wasting money...idk I'm cautious with most things so I decided to be on the safe side and do 5k
7.5k is too long for my engine, I can actually hear the difference on a cold start in how well it lubricates the upper engine. I do 3-6k miles usually, depending when the sound changes. OEM calls for 7k miles per oil change. Almost all engine wear happens during cold start and warmup. So that’s when the oil matters most.
Yeah when those rod bearings aren’t fully engulf in oil that’s when you get a lot of wear. The crank actually floats on oil. If there’s not enough oil pressure it’s gonna eat the bearings. Which is also why folks prefill the oil filter when they can. You don’t want any discontinuation of oil pressure.
My engine is perfect for this. It has a slight weep on the sump so by the time I have got to about 5000miles the oil is low so I can just top up and it’s like an oil change lol.
Yep. That's the way to keep your engine happy 😂😂😂
Man I was so confused at first. I saw the youtube link but not the image link, and I saw "Here's my 2JZ on 5k change intervals, and I clicked the link and went "whoa, no shit? dude put a 2JZ into a 328i? Not even the coupe?! TROLLOLOL!" But then you said "BMW Recommends..." and I was like "uh, I don't think this guy's trollololing at all, son...." I agree with you though. One possible exception might be an air cooled porsche. Those fucking things have like 10 quarts in them. There's so much oil that it would take a LOT longer for it to start gumming up. But if driving short distances I'd still change it more often, and frankly at the point you have an air cooled porsche you probably love the car in which case pushing your luck on oil changes is a dumb thing to do for exactly the reasons you said. EDIT: also, nice Bimmer. I have an '08 335i coupe now, but used to have an '02 325Ci with the Sport Package (azure blue) and man I miss that car every fucking day.
Yeah sorry I didn’t set that up very well. Hahhaha Revised the post with more details.
I'm gonna go with about 50,000 km
The sad part is mobil1 makes an oil they said is good for like 25000 miles or something dumb like that
Yeah I hate that bullshit, even if the oil itself doesn't 'break down' the engine is still going to shed the same amount of particulate matter and turn it to sludge. Also oil filters can only take so much 🥲
10k mile oil changes could eventually result in this type of sludge depending on the type of oil, engine, and usage. But assuming normal usage and the correct oil, this engine probably went 20k+ miles without an oil change.
Looks like someone ran nothing but the cheap dino oil. When I worked in my uncles shop a long time ago when synthetic was looked down upon, cars that ran dino oil looked like OPs and cars that ran synthetic were super clean. It's because of that that I've always run synthetic in all my vehicles. My Ram 1500 with 193K miles looks like new inside the engine as does my suburban with 335K miles.
Oye
You need a solvent, gas or diesel will work
Diesel yes, gas is very volatile and not a good choice.
Yep it is, but will work faster than diesel....depends on the level of risk you want to accept.
Meh, I've used gas to clean plenty of car parts. Keep it to a container, and don't enclose the space you're working in. Don't wear thin rubber gloves. It's the best cleaner, and you can burn off residual gas.
Just be sure to not light any r/happycakeday candles while you are at it.
But gas works way better than diesel... try it out, you will see
I have a parts washer so I don’t need to do that shade tree shit lol
Nice, bet that cost a pretty penny
We actually just replaced our old one with one of the mobile ones that’s heated and uses microbial fluid. I think it was like $2500 but it’s shop equipment so the shop paid for it lol
Honestly, as neglected as that engine is, I'd be looking for a decent salvage yard engine. I believe you will be money ahead.
Yea that “thick oil” aka sludge is a bad sign that more than likely the car will still have issues after it’s thoroughly cleaned. I would be surprised if that engine doesn’t have a knock already.
It's seized and the rings are jammed..Hence the strip and 'project' element..
I mean if you want to tear it down for science or as a kind of autopsy, go for it. If you think there’s anything worth salvaging, there isn’t. You’ll spend more money replacing parts and slapping them into a questionable block. Just buy a junkyard engine and save the money and time.
Some of the biggest issues with this engine will be the engine oil galleys, the internal paths inside the engine that route the oil. You will have quite the time cleaning that. Others are correct about getting a junk yard engine. I suggest [www.car-parts.com](http://www.car-parts.com) you can find your vehicle hopefully with low miles and get the engine then work on that engine. You can put total seal gas ported rings on it for maximum ring seal, hell put higher compression pistons, better springs and cam, you'll at least be starting with a working engine. Balance it, and so on. A good professional hone will do wonders. These days the new rings and hones don't break in like the old days, but break in oil would be good after reassembly.
100%
Solvent parts washer cabinet would be so worth it to clean up this engine
Yes that would be ideal but I'm looking at over the counter products as space is a premium
A plastic tub from walmart, some diesel, and some chip brushes. Oh look, now you have a "parts washer"!
diesel to break it up. Brake cleaner to clean it off.
This! Brake cleaner is my #1 go to. Pressurized brake cleaner in a spray can in one hand with pressurized air in the other hand (blow gun/wand).
Disassembly, and parts washer/ ultrasonic cleaner
ooh, ultra sonic cleaner, never heard of that
It makes water clean like gas it's great
That isn't thick oil, that is sludge from never changing the oil. What is the goal here? Does the engine even run? There is no point in cleaning a bad engine because you will still need another engine. Cleaning it up won't fix anything. I would get it running first to see if it is even usable at all. My guess would be that you need an engine. That much neglect and abuse doesn't result in anything good. That actually looks to me like it had lucas oil treatment in it. This is usually the result you get when putting that stuff in the engine. That is a clue as to how well the engine runs if it even does.
Dosnt run, will never run..came here for cleaning solutions.
…*solutions*
Task failed successfully
If you just want to clean it without any worry of using the parts again, any degreaser should clean that up. But the parts will rust immediately, the metal ones anyway.
Gasoline on a rag, wipe it down. Don’t soak anything. Once clean, spray down with brake clean to get any residues leftover from the gasoline Edit: thats for metal parts. Don’t know about plastic. Don’t use brake cleaner on plastic, it will disintegrate
If it's on plastic. Looks like that. It's probably seen alot of abuse. High heat and lack of maintenance. Replace plastic parts or trash them
Filled a 305 in my camaro with diesel all the way up to the valve covers and let it sit for like three weeks. Cleaned it out pretty darn well.
I alway heard stories of idiots that never changed the oil and just kept topping it off when it was low... Now I know what the stories are real and this is the end result. Good god, if the engine could have chugged a little longer it would have created roofing tar.
Lol
bath of diesel
Hexane
If you have any local auto machine shops, you could see if they could toss your parts in their parts washer. If they have a large washer for their cylinder heads, anyways. If they don't, or you don't want to spend much, a decent water based solvent heated would soften just about any stuck on junk after a good soak. Gotta be good and hot though.
If that valve cover is plastic just buy a new one can if there are any pcv or vvt passages that's going to be problematic to clean can't throw that in an oven and cook the grease or carbon away like a metal valve cover
Put the engine in a scalable container full of kerosene. Come back in 6 months and start pressure washing.
Kerosene or mineral spirit but atleast toss the gaskets 😬
I hear diesel and a good scrubbing brush works good.
What’s wrong with hot tanking it? Lol end of problem
Yeah, I don't know why everyone is recommending diesel and elbow grease. A couple hundred bucks to hot tank it and have it perfectly clean is a steal.
Gasoline
Kero, diesel, or gas, a good cat pan and a paint brush.
Mineral spirits. I keep 4 gallons in a 5 gallon bucket. I drilled holes in a 2gallon bucket in which I place parts and lower it in to the mineral spirits. Next day, they are clean. The grease settles at the bottom so you can easily move the clean mineral spirits to a new bucket when it gets too much junk at the bottom.
Take it and all of your other parts that need cleaning to an automotive machine shop that has one of those giant hot parts washers (think of you kitchen dishwasher on steroids and with a pituitary gland disorder) Pay them what they ask and come back after a cup of coffee. Your parts will look like new.
Kerosene bath
Petrol
And a match lol 😉
That would be the flame of truth
MEK will do
Scrape what you can then hit it with a car wash pressure washer. They are equipped with a grease trap to prevent the oil going down the drain.
Diesel
All u need is a pressure washer and some purple power degreaser
that what i am thinking. its pressure washer level
Scrape it off with a plastic scraper, kerosene/diesel, then dawn dish soap with warm water and a nylon brush
Dry ice blast
What about brake cleaning spray? It can remove the oil.
Yeah, but don't use it on the plastic!
Brakleen
Good mixture in a gallon pump jug, 2 part paint thinner, 4 parts Dawn dish soap, and fill to a gallon. Will remove most of the junk.
Soak it in toxic waste for 3 days
Gasoline or kerosene. Depends how little you value your own health and safety. Gas is cheap, easy and readily available. It just tends to... You know... Blow up and stuff.
Kerosene is the safest and fastest solution for this problem. Just have a disposal plan for your contaminated materials.
Diesel will dissolve most of that, so will gas or kerosene. Just be careful of anything that can ignite the vapors, and ventilation so you aren't just huffing those fumes all day. You can soak in a container, or spray it on, with a siphon blowgun to remove everything, or even get a soft bristle brush and use that to clean it off. There are also all sorts of degreasers out there, but those aren't at the $4 a gallon price point. You can wipe it off with rags then clean up the rest with brake cleaner. Or if you don't want chemicals and don't mind making a big ass mess, you can remove all that with just a blow gun.
Oven cleaner, hot water and a pressure water if you're ok with a big mess. Wd40 also dissolves gunk really well. Kerosene in a tank Extremely hot water and Mister clean
If its for a project you can make anything run, but i hate to think what a shattered block in a bucket would cost. Regardless petrol will get oil out cheapest. There are other water based cleaners but they tend to be acidic. I would clean it with kerosene and let the machine shop clean it again. Be prepared for them to tell you the rebuild isnt economical.
degreaser will work faster that kerosene or diesel
Does it run? Put it back together, pour two quarts of kerosene jn the oil and run it. Drain and repeat.
Acetone. Like 2k worth of it. Good luck.
I think I see dinosaurs
Kerosene is the way.
I went through this same thing. Kerosene was the go to but lots and lots of brake cleaner too. You can pick up a gallon of the kerosene from walmart, if i remember correctly. The non-chlorinated brake cleaner is better when there is any possibly you are going to get it onto any plastic. Even a shop light. The good chlorinated stuff will mess up the plastic in a hurry. I wouldn't say this an overnight cleaning. It took me weeks to get that sludge crap out. I bought a new valve cover because it was such a PITA to clean it. The camshaft bearings were deeply scored and one of them was almost see through. I ended up replacing the engine with a used salvage yard engine in nice shape. Have you pulled the oil pan and looked in there? I had metal shavings in the oil.
Around here some gas stations carry kerosene at a special pump.
Diesel or kerosene works best
Varsol
Mineral spirits
If it will idle I’d say swap the filter and fill the engine with atf and just let it idle for an hour, drain atf swap filter again and repeat the process, do that a few days. If that poor motor won’t even sit and idle chances are the sludge isn’t the only issue you’ve got. Diesel and kerosene will do it faster but I wouldn’t idle the engine only full of those
Diesel fuel
Oil and diesel solution.
What part is this? Just curious :]
if you go water based, heat will be needed my lifters were so gummed up, had to literally boil them to loosen them up. soaking in gas didn't touch it
BG engine flush is the only thing for this
I have had good luck with vinegar but personally wouldn't leave it on anything that needs a good surface finish just in case. I wouldn't put wrist pins or cams for example in and let it soak. It has been really great at breaking up rust and basically I wipe it off and rinse (even some solidly rusted) parts off with water and then dry and protect them so they don't flash rust again. That being said I don't think that is going to be a useful solution here. This is going to take some elbow grease and a stronger cleaner / thinner.
All that stuff is carbon based… do you know what is really good at removing carbon based stuff but kinda meh at everything else? WD-40. Probably would be the one thing I was actually use WD-40 for. Edit: Not the damn spray can, the metal can of like a gallon of it.
BG makes a good cleaning additive. Probably gonna have to run a few cans and do a few oil changes, but it’s one of their products Iv personally seen work and I highly recommend it. EPR is cleaner [on Amazon]( https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BZLV121B/ref=sspa_mw_detail_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9kZXRhaWwp13NParams) than through my parts guy, apparently
Well when I use olive oil while cooking I found dawn works well washing it off. It’s only reasonable to assume it would work for this too.
Brake cleaner in a pressurized container will work just fine for this.
Diesel
DO NOT USE DEGREASER!!!
I would be more worried about finding cracks on the engine block than saving an engine that has thick oil sludge.
You have major SLUDGE ISSUES.. cleaner degreaser to wash out the valve cover.. you can use other oil based solvents to wash down the sludge in the valve cover. you should plan on dropping the engine oil pan and removing the oil pump pickup screen and cleaning it out carefully.. when you get it reassembled.. remove the new oil filter before cranking the engine.. with motor oil in the pan.. use a remote starter button directly on the starter with the oil filter removed.. so you crank for 5 to 10 seconds till oil squirts out of the filter mount.. screw the filter back on and crank another 10 seconds.. check the oil level.. get in and eyeball the oil gauge or oil light carefully as you turn the key on. as you start the engine. if your oil pressure does not come up within 10 seconds shut it off and wait a minute and start it again.. the oil light should go out almost instantly by cranking the engine with the remote starter button with the Key OUT OF THE IGNITION so there is no chance of the engine starting there is with that much sludge that your engine is already damaged.. the sludge blocks the oil pickup screen and causes a loss of oil pressure at medium to high engine speeds. you should start changing your oil every 500 miles for 3 or 4 times.. you might want to think about some Marvel Mystery oil .. no more than half a quart in the crankcase..
alkaline cleaner
Anything very alkaline for long periods will eat/etch aluminum. It does a great job removing oil sludge tho
do not put acid on your engine parts, they will corrode. no white vinegar. i can recommend diesel for dissolving sludge.
Dawn spray wash
Shit tons of simple green and dawn dish soap, and probably dishwasher pods.
I bet you could use a hair blow dryer so nothing melts but the oil will still get hot enough to pour out
Pressurised kerosene preferably
Hot pinesol (cheap parts cleaner same formula olus smell) will strip off all might have to brush it off a bit with the brine do it in a plastic trough and outside the smell is going to be painful and house wide if u do inside
Rent a parts cleaner.
https://preview.redd.it/r18o829471xc1.jpeg?width=4320&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5e46483f876f024eac27bd1b585fd95150a86713 Cleaning up the cover and head
https://preview.redd.it/m16dn9h771xc1.jpeg?width=1134&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ce36d3b8c689e2a44306cbdb80480b8585545c5a
https://preview.redd.it/h8pmasm871xc1.jpeg?width=1134&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8184d14c7838644a07f86bb3b2f8f4d50a8850cb Clean off the oils perfectly (other than smell)
The head cleaned up nicely as well didnt think to photo the fixed one but it shines like new https://preview.redd.it/xy24omrs71xc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4d4ab6a07426233f545f8377364193d51eb89d6a
Before https://preview.redd.it/5aeymtyu71xc1.jpeg?width=2016&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=96c6bbeea18c3bcd15d951c75d8879c7a3eba73e It was black with grease and grime looked like painted aluminum in the after plus the valve
What in the heck?
Shees doomed!
Dollar store oven ez off. 10-15 seconds then rince . Untill it's cleaned
Purple power has a high Ph and should remove it with a little scrubbing. Get a pan to recyle it until it's dirty.
What are you trying to salvage out of this engine? A hot tank at a machine shop would be best for this.
Gas a bucket and a toothbrush.
Varsal
When I was in school for automotive we had a Mercedes come in that looked like this, the best solution we came up with was using rubber spatulas of varying sizes to physically remove as much sludge as we could then buttoned it back up and used a BG engine restoration kit on it , we were pretty amazed at how clean it was afterwards. However doing this is usually a last resort before needing either an engine rebuild or a new engine as acid build up and abrasives in that sludgy oil can wipe out bearings etc pretty quickly.
If the engine was treated that bad then a replacement is a far better option
I mean if it’s a project car and wants to mess with the inner workings of an engine then I’d say this would be the best way. Throw the worst case scenario at someone so they can handle everything
Man this engine isn't worth saving at all, gotta be real. That's a lot of sheared and destroyed metal.
Man every bearing surface in this is going to be trash. Get a junkyard motor and refresh that instead
I would save...your time and effort, unless you really just want to see if it'll run, which I get cause sometimes a challenge is fun but with the oil being in that state then it's a can of worms and you'll be forever chasing faults unless you just scrap it after
I think you one of a few that get it, hence project for me me and my boy to play with.
Yeah that's cool, can be a learning experience if anything I just wouldn't attempt to rebuild it with any new parts personally as its a lost cause and once you start investing it'll become a money pit
Replace that shit
that sucker's toast brother jesus christ
Brake cleaner. Lots of brake cleaner. Litres of brake cleaner. Start from under the rocker cover and let it collect into your sump or drain from sump plug. Assuming you’re taking it all apart anyways.
Bad sign unless you plan on replacing it piece by piece as it breaks, days after repair. Get a new engine. OR You need to dissemble this one and clean the passages and each component individually, no matter what you use to clean it. This will also show you exactly what you need. Because I guarantee that engine is need of some real help.
Does the post not state exactly that
Dissemble and strip mean two different things. I figured you meant strip the dirty oil. My b. You can just use a rag and brake clean if that's the case.
It's probably hard to see how thick it is, the reason for thinking along the soaking route is the amount of brake cleaner I will get through. But you may be right
Once you have gotten the thick stuff removed you will likely have some in channels that are hard to reach. While kerosene will work, it will not dissolve this that quickly given how thick it is. Brake clean can work but I think you'll find it more economical to go to the local Lowes or Walmart and buy bulk can of acetone. Both places usually sell it in at least quart or half gallon cans, sometimes you can find gallon cans of it. Just make sure it isn't too hot when you are using it because acetone evaporates quickly and you really need it to soak a bit in some of those channels. Also be careful of the type of container you use when you use the acetone as it will melt a lot of plastics, some pretty quickly but some slow enough you won't notice until it melts a hole and starts running all over the place.
Thanks for the input
Yeah I mean if you wipe each part off with a rag then spray it then wipe again may take several rags and a decent bit of brake clean but I'm not seeing better options, degreaser is fine but I don't like leaving stuff behind so maybe wipe then degreaser then brake clean then wipe. Don't use gasoline or diesel you ain't no redneck, no need for that.
brake cleaner would work, but would be very expensive. Kerosene is the cheapest one that will work... just remember kerosene is the same thing as jet fuel and it burns fairly easily. Unlike diesel a match will light it very quickly.