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I've been dealing with this issue for awhile now but the oil filter will gum up and restrict oil flow. I've already removed the pan and pickup tube to clean out the sludge and increased the intervals between oil changes. I'll run about a quart of Marvels Mystery Oil just prior to the oil change to help break this stuff up but you can only go about 3,000 miles before needing to change the oil again because the oil filter will start to gum up. Sometimes you notice some blue smoke on startup so the heads could use some work and it does use some engine coolant but since I've cleaned everything up and increased the oil change intervals I figured this would start to clear up by now. I have an idea of what's going on here but would like to hear from someone who's dealt with this.
Now we purchased this vehicle used and I changed the oil the first day we got it and noticed it had sludge so don't start preaching to the choir about preventive maintenance because I'm a stickler when it comes to this!
If you cleaned up the pan, you would of thought most of it was cleaned out. Anything think the heads or valve covers are caked? I used to use some trans ATF while driving and then some berrymans B-12 right before the oil change. Try those maybe. I would rather use cheap oil and a good filter, even if I change my filter every 1500 miles.
So much for waiting through summer I ended up swapping it out with another 5.3 I had on the stand about two weeks ago. Finally got around to tearing it down and I've never seen an LS so caked with sludge but all of the rod and main bearings look great. I got a lot of cleaning to do but planning on taking this block to 3.898 bore and build an iron LS1.
It was caked up in the valve covers, both front and rear covers and the oil pan pretty bad. I'll post up some pics of everything later this afternoon.
My 5.3 suburban had really low oil pressure when I got it but it drove like nothing was wrong, just had piston slap at idle. Mine turned out to be a spun cam bearing.
My 5.3 suburban had really low oil pressure when I got it but it drove like nothing was wrong, just had piston slap at idle. Mine turned out to be a spun cam bearing.
Yeah I've tried to break it down with various products and I've even had to drop the pan to clean everything in hopes of extending its life but it finally took its toll. I was having to constantly change oil and filters because they clogged up quickly. The oil pressure would be great and over a short period of time start being lower than normal. Over time it developed a pronounced lifter tick at start up on the No. 2 and I started hearing what sounded like piston slap so I decided it was time.
The top of the No.2 pushrods.
Sounds like your oil changes did what they were supposed to. The sludge was getting cleaned out, clogging the filter, but it was too much. You're doing the right thing.
When I come across cases like that (tons of sludge) I leave it alone as much as possible. It's counter intuitive but you wanna leave the sludge alone and not break it up with cleaners/flushes/atf, or it'll clog the pick up tube screen and take out the motor. Just leave it alone or tear it down and freshen it up. Breaking up sludge in an engine seems like the right thing to do, but it isn't really hurting anything just hanging out in the engine, unless you break it up..
This is worth a discussion in my opinion. To be clear here, I am the guy who changes my oil too much. I absolutely hate a dirty engine on the inside or outside, for that matter. So having said that, let’s talk oil here. The engine pics here are atrocious. Disgusting. Beyond sad. BUT..........the bearings are practically perfect. And the piston skirts from the pics look good. So the oil was doing it’s job, despite the fact that obviously it was left in way, way too long, due to sludge build up.
Pooter mentioned just leaving the sludge be, which is smart due to it becoming a blanket in the filter when it breaks loose. And after all, it isn’t hurting anything very much hanging out in there really. What are your thoughts here on protection vs. sludge build up?
This is worth a discussion in my opinion. To be clear here, I am the guy who changes my oil too much. I absolutely hate a dirty engine on the inside or outside, for that matter. So having said that, let’s talk oil here. The engine pics here are atrocious. Disgusting. Beyond sad. BUT..........the bearings are practically perfect. And the piston skirts from the pics look good. So the oil was doing it’s job, despite the fact that obviously it was left in way, way too long, due to sludge build up.
Pooter mentioned just leaving the sludge be, which is smart due to it becoming a blanket in the filter when it breaks loose. And after all, it isn’t hurting anything very much hanging out in there really. What are your thoughts here on protection vs. sludge build up?
Short of cleaning up the valve cover and top of the heads , the dry caked up oil is the worst imo .I would leave it alone .If you attack it by let's say run a quart of atf and doing many frequent oil changes it will break up the sludge and desolve ..But dirt is the biggest cause of bearing failure .the odds of winning this war is not a good one .so I agree with pooter
Its worth mentioning that there was caked on oil at the bottom of some some of the cylinders which could have contributed to the knocking noise I was hearing at start up.
Its worth mentioning that there was caked on oil at the bottom of some some of the cylinders which could have contributed to the knocking noise I was hearing at start up.
Yeah, the right thing here is tear it down, clean EVERYTHING, replace parts as needed/desired, reassemble, have fun!
This is worth a discussion in my opinion. To be clear here, I am the guy who changes my oil too much. I absolutely hate a dirty engine on the inside or outside, for that matter. So having said that, let’s talk oil here. The engine pics here are atrocious. Disgusting. Beyond sad. BUT..........the bearings are practically perfect. And the piston skirts from the pics look good. So the oil was doing it’s job, despite the fact that obviously it was left in way, way too long, due to sludge build up.
Pooter mentioned just leaving the sludge be, which is smart due to it becoming a blanket in the filter when it breaks loose. And after all, it isn’t hurting anything very much hanging out in there really. What are your thoughts here on protection vs. sludge build up?
I'm not sure I understand, what do you mean on thought on protection vs sludge build up.
Here's one thing I can add. Way back in the day of the dinosaur when I started in the automotive field (1998) sludge was much more common, and particularly bad with pennzoil. We saw it a lot even on our regular customers car. So the sludge can in some cases be due to the oil itself. If I recall correctly it was wax or parrafin.. I dunno there was an explanation and it was the reason pennzoil reformulated, which if you follow any testing pennzoil consistently tests up there with the best of oils there are.. sorry got sidetracked cause I'm a pennzoil nutswinger now.
Anyway, even back in the day the sludged up motors were lubed and in good shape, but they had cake all through them.
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Low oil pressure causes 
