Best Way To Desludge This New-To-Me Dodge Dakota w/4.7L V8?

[ofelas]

That includes the 3.7 PowerTech redheaded stepchild.
And, btw, any of the .7z aren't genuine Pentastar approved, but rather, they're off brand Daimler/FIAT/Stellantis junk.
Dropped valve seats, fallen rocker arms, bs extra long timing chains/tensioner issues and all that associated Euro-trash Celsius nonsense.
And there's no need to "take the dropped seat heads to the recycler" if one knows how to machine the new seats in but I reckon these days a smartphone app cant give someone the know-how.

I have a friend mechanic that tells me that the 4.7 and the 5.7 have similar problems with valve seats and it happen when they have been overheated and when they are revved over 5K. He works mostly Mopar as that is his specialty. He walked me through his shop and showed me the dropped seat heads that were going to the recycler.

 

[meep]

Several things have been mentioned, ill highlight my favorites. Ive had several older vehicles with various sludge states, including 3 used volvos with their infamous flame trap pcv issues.

1. Any physical cleaning you can do by hand is gold. Screwdriver, wire brush, toothbrush, shop vac.

2. Drive normally with 1/2 can of seafoam in the sump, for a couple of years.

3. Bitog went through a near religious fervor over Kreen a few years back.

4. With any agressive treatments, drop the pan after 7500 and check the oil pickup. 1/2 can of seafoam is not that aggressive.

ive done #1-2 with great results. I try not to overthink it. I did a pan drop once after 1/2 and found zero buildup on the pickup in a chrysler 3.8.

 

[2EHA]

That includes the 3.7 PowerTech redheaded stepchild. And, btw, any of the .7z aren't genuine Pentastar approved, but rather, they're off brand Daimler/FIAT/Stellantis junk.

?????

Chrysler rolled out the 4.7 in 1998, a full year before Daimler bought them. In that same year Daimler introduced the M113 V8, one of the most reliable overhead cam V8s of all time.

 

[ofelas]

Anything with them weak-a$$ exhaust manifold studs & substandard valve seats has GOT to have an East German influence.

Likely pre-sales "R&D" by Daimler.

But I jest; I'll remember to put a "laughing face" icon after my sometimes tongue-in-cheek posts.

As far as I'm concerned, the Pentastar & Direct Connection faded when the silly tribal "M" started to define Mopar.

And replacing "Dodge" with "Ram"...absolute sacrilege.

I apologize in advance if I triggered anyone.

?????

Chrysler rolled out the 4.7 in 1998, a year before Daimler bought them. In that same year Daimler introduced the M113 V8, one of the most reliable overhead cam V8s of all time.

 

[IcarusLSC]

Thanks all, hard to tell whats in jest via text and whats not at times. Especially if it can cause damages...

 

[vwmaniaman]

My 1990 Ranger had the dredded intake manifold water leak into the oil by the lifters. Everything was covered in candle wax, at least that is what it looked like. Gumout spray and kerosene in a spray bottle followed by brake parts cleaner. clean as a whistle. pulled the drain and let it drip overnight. Got it all put back together and then put in 2 quarts of kerosene and 3 of oil and a new filter. Never drove it with that mix but let it fast idle for an hour. Drain and refilled with good oil and filter. Have driven it for 2 years since that repair with no issues. After 5k between changes, oil hardly even gets dark.

 

[partspro]

ATF should NOT be to be used at all. Delete that immediately from your list.

MMO is essentially snake oil and will not clean your engine appreciably better than any name-brand oil.

Based on the pictures in the OP and the fact that you say the M1 w/ Lucas oil looks clean, I'd hold off on any harsher cleaning methods until you pull the pan and see how clean things look. The sludge you show in your pictures at the dipstick hole may just be an area where oil doesn't flow, combined with too long of an OCI. That doesn't immediately mean that I'd start a harsh cleaning, but would keep an eye out for signs of oil starvation, just in case.

I'd simply recommend that you maintain an appropriately shorter OCI and cut open the filter to see what's in there after a few thousand miles.

I'd also like to hear what you find when you replace the oil pan, as well as what your rate of oil consumption is.

Adding a quart or maybe a pint of ATF was standard at Police Garage's not long ago. Flushing oil is available, and Seafoam is ok I used it correctly
DON'T leave anything n too long. Adding a pint of diesel and running 500 miles also. I Would install cheap filter to catch gunk, and replace maybe twice, and then if the motor is looking clean, switch to Walmart full syn with a decent filter and see the results.

 

[partspro]

My 1990 Ranger had the dredded intake manifold water leak into the oil by the lifters. Everything was covered in candle wax, at least that is what it looked like. Gumout spray and kerosene in a spray bottle followed by brake parts cleaner. clean as a whistle. pulled the drain and let it drip overnight. Got it all put back together and then put in 2 quarts of kerosene and 3 of oil and a new filter. Never drove it with that mix but let it fast idle for an hour. Drain and refilled with good oil and filter. Have driven it for 2 years since that repair with no issues. After 5k between changes, oil hardly even gets dark.

Second, that gotta be creative, my post very similar except for brake parts cleaner, not a fan, bad for environment.

 

[CleanSump]

Run Hot Shot's Secret Stiction Eliminator in regular OCIs. It's a gentle ester based cleaner that will slowly dissolve the sludge and keep it suspended. The engine in the picture would probably clean up pretty well with just one 5k run.
Worked in my 4.3 V6 that the PO sludged up with too few of conventional oil changes.
Also cleaned up an old 4.0 Cherokee in two regular OCIs.
It's the ester and suspenders.

 

[ragtoplvr]

Here is a very simple unscientific test you can do on atf cleaning power vs motor oil.
Next time you work on the vehicle and you hands need cleaned, poor out atf on them and rub them together like you were using goop, then wipe off.
Next time try it with motor oil. I suspect you will discover that motor oil is pretty good at cleaning hands, and atf is only marginal.

rod

 

[kschachn]

Swamp Fox left the building almost as fast as he joined.

 

[nicholas]

Mobil 1 high mileage 5w-20.
Great cleaning esters.
Google it....
Mobil 1 high mileage clean sludge.

 

[Fahrvergnügen]

I have witnessed Mobil 1 FS 0w40 clean an engine that was super varnished. When I worked at Nissan we had a titan come in that someone ran a 5w30 blend to 10,000 miles for I wanna say about 70,000 miles. Customer complained of low low low oil pressure. We took the pan off and cleaned the screen and took the valve covers off to inspect. We stock Mobil 1 FS 0w40 for the GTR and used it. Inspected engine I think 8 months later and it was spotless.

 

[PontiacHO]

Unless you plan on tearing down the engine, I would do nothing and not use any chemical to attempt to clean the engine. It's possible to dislodge a lot of sludge, plugging an oil passage and ruining a bearing. Seen it happen several times. I would do several 2-3k oil changes and be done with it.

Agree. I’ve seen this happen. Dislodge a hard piece that gets hung and it’s done…. Better off driving it and follow standard oil change intervals.

 

[partspro]

If this was mine, i would run any sn plus or diesel spec oil and call it a day.

i see no reason in those photos to pull anything apart in that motor to clean.

Adding Seafoam to the oil for 15 mins at idle has been used for years. I like to add a cheap oil filter and use a full synthetic oil. Cnange filter only and top off oil to account for loss in filter. It's what you can't see that's the problem.

 

[nthach]

That includes the 3.7 PowerTech redheaded stepchild.
And, btw, any of the .7z aren't genuine Pentastar approved, but rather, they're off brand Daimler/FIAT/Stellantis junk.
Dropped valve seats, fallen rocker arms, bs extra long timing chains/tensioner issues and all that associated Euro-trash Celsius nonsense.
And there's no need to "take the dropped seat heads to the recycler" if one knows how to machine the new seats in but I reckon these days a smartphone app cant give someone the know-how.

I was under the impression the 3.7/4.7L PowerTech engines were developed pre-DaimlerChrysler merger and in the 3.7’s case, it was planned to replace the 3.3/3.8L Mopar and 3.0L Mitsu V6s for the minivans and the 3.5L V6 in the LH “cab-forward” cars.

 

[dishdude]

I was under the impression the 3.7/4.7L PowerTech engines were developed pre-DaimlerChrysler merger and in the 3.7’s case, it was planned to replace the 3.3/3.8L Mopar and 3.0L Mitsu V6s for the minivans and the 3.5L V6 in the LH “cab-forward” cars.

The 3.7 was a replacement for the 3.9 and the crappy 2.7 replaced the 3.3 in the LH cars and the 2.5 V6 in the cloud cars.

 

[srfdude]

Auto RX, anyone? I can donate one, still have it from the great wars!

 

[kschachn]

The Fox seems to have wandered off into the swamp.

 

[AlanCanada]

You can buy a vivida borescope on amazone for like 200 bucks. You then pull the spark plugs and use the camera in every hole you can open easily.

https://www.amazon.com/Vividia-Ablescope-VA-400-Borescope-Articulating/dp/B00GY7C9ZW/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=Vividia&qid=1690396135&sr=8-7