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

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Valvoline Premium Blue RESTORE.
If you truly want to clean your engine from sludge - buy that oil. But not regular Valvoline Premium Blue. It HAS to be the Restore one. Around $75 per gallon, but it will clean your engine up in 1 OCI. Just give it full 5000 miles and top off with same Valvoline Restore oil as needed. No other oil or additive will clean as fast or as good as Valvoline Restore oil. The only thing that will get your engine cleaner than this oil is a rebuild. So either waste money on many OCIs and additives, or invest in ONE OCI with Valvoline Premium Blue Restore and see results after 5000 miles. Maybe even post them for us as well. Just change the oil filter every 1000-2000 miles as it will get filled up with trash very quick.
 
A high detergent non solvent engine flush, like Amsoil's Engine & Transmission Flush.

Follow up with a fill of Valvoline Premium Blue Restore 10w30; fresh filter every 1500 miles with top up oil until the second gallon of Restore is done.

And finally, a complete oil/filter change with in whatever flavor you prefer.

Somewhat longer term rather than immediate results, but safe.
 
an option much cheaper than VPBR is to get it hot and drain it, then fill it to the brim with diesel.
leave it overnight then drain it.
fill it with cheap supertech for 100 mile oci
fill it with whatever oil you want to use.
 
Originally Posted by Vladiator
Valvoline Premium Blue RESTORE.
If you truly want to clean your engine from sludge - buy that oil. But not regular Valvoline Premium Blue. It HAS to be the Restore one. Around $75 per gallon, but it will clean your engine up in 1 OCI. Just give it full 5000 miles and top off with same Valvoline Restore oil as needed. No other oil or additive will clean as fast or as good as Valvoline Restore oil. The only thing that will get your engine cleaner than this oil is a rebuild. So either waste money on many OCIs and additives, or invest in ONE OCI with Valvoline Premium Blue Restore and see results after 5000 miles. Maybe even post them for us as well. Just change the oil filter every 1000-2000 miles as it will get filled up with trash very quick.


Beat me to it! Was going to say, that's a perfect job for this oil
thumbsup2.gif


If it's out of the budget, M1 0w-40 is marketed as being able to clean, though I doubt at anywhere near the rate provided by PBR.
 
Engine looks awfully clean to me (and others). Seems like you read about a problem that some encounter with these engines and want to find it in yours as well. You even acknowledge that it looks clean. Just change the oil every 3000-4000 miles and stop worrying about it.
 
Some folks report favorable results using Redline oil:
Originally Posted by 330indy
based on what Redline did to clean up my preowned Z3, I consider it $$ well spent.
[Linked Image]


They claim it's the ester base that does the cleaning; I have no idea. But, given that Redline is an excellent oil, it's probably worth a try. If it were me, I'd use it for several normal interval runs and then have a look inside.
 
Liqui Moly Pro Line engine flush as directed.

As for diesel the only thing I've ever known of:

#1 drain all the oil,
#2 remove spark plugs
#3 literally fill the engine with diesel (crank case, valvetrain).
#4 let vehicle sit for a couple of 1-2 days
#5 drain diesel, turn over engine to force out any diesel in combustion chamber through spark plug holes.
#6 Add conventional 40w oil, re-install spark plugs, fire up engine and drive around for a couple of hundred miles and then change oil to whatever you intend to use for your intended OCI.
 
I'd try a couple of change intervals with some 10w30 Delo HDEO synblend, Rotella T4 or Valvoline 10w30 Premium Blue. Something with higher detergents in it.
 
Originally Posted by CT8
Just change the oil running M1 high mile for a while then inspect.

Or any high quality full synthetic of the factory recommended viscosity . Maybe 3000 - 5000 mile OCI and high quality filter . And just drive it . No point in obsessing about it .
 
Originally Posted by The_Swamp_Fox
You're on the money with this one. From what I've gathered, the 4.7L V8 SOHC is a great engine with two disclaimers — they require frequent synthetic motor oil and frequent OCI's to avoid sludge buildup resulting in a loss of oil pressure, and the heads are vulnerable to dropping valve seats if overheated.
Sorry, what makes it such a great motor? Sounds like something you wouldn't want to buy used to me. A non-turbo motor needing short OCIs on synthetic oil isn't a good sign.
Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by Vladiator
Valvoline Premium Blue RESTORE.
If you truly want to clean your engine from sludge - buy that oil. But not regular Valvoline Premium Blue. It HAS to be the Restore one. Around $75 per gallon, but it will clean your engine up in 1 OCI. Just give it full 5000 miles and top off with same Valvoline Restore oil as needed. No other oil or additive will clean as fast or as good as Valvoline Restore oil. The only thing that will get your engine cleaner than this oil is a rebuild. So either waste money on many OCIs and additives, or invest in ONE OCI with Valvoline Premium Blue Restore and see results after 5000 miles. Maybe even post them for us as well. Just change the oil filter every 1000-2000 miles as it will get filled up with trash very quick.


Beat me to it! Was going to say, that's a perfect job for this oil
thumbsup2.gif


If it's out of the budget, M1 0w-40 is marketed as being able to clean, though I doubt at anywhere near the rate provided by PBR.
BITOG holy water to the rescue! I'd also like to see a C&P of that filter.
 
Originally Posted by BMWTurboDzl
Liqui Moly Pro Line engine flush as directed.


#6 Add conventional 40w oil, re-install spark plugs, fire up engine and drive around for a couple of hundred miles and then change oil to whatever you intend to use for your intended OCI.


Why a conventional 40W? Thanks.
 
I also agree , dump the coolant , then flush with water from the Water Mill Express , or distilled water .

Replace the belts , heater hoses , radiator hoses , Tstat , radiator cap and any needed clamps . Then fill with coolant and burp the cooling system .

The service the power steering , brake , AT and differential fluids .
 
Originally Posted by maxdustington
Originally Posted by The_Swamp_Fox
You're on the money with this one. From what I've gathered, the 4.7L V8 SOHC is a great engine with two disclaimers — they require frequent synthetic motor oil and frequent OCI's to avoid sludge buildup resulting in a loss of oil pressure, and the heads are vulnerable to dropping valve seats if overheated.
Sorry, what makes it such a great motor? Sounds like something you wouldn't want to buy used to me. A non-turbo motor needing short OCIs on synthetic oil isn't a good sign.
Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by Vladiator
Valvoline Premium Blue RESTORE.
If you truly want to clean your engine from sludge - buy that oil. But not regular Valvoline Premium Blue. It HAS to be the Restore one. Around $75 per gallon, but it will clean your engine up in 1 OCI. Just give it full 5000 miles and top off with same Valvoline Restore oil as needed. No other oil or additive will clean as fast or as good as Valvoline Restore oil. The only thing that will get your engine cleaner than this oil is a rebuild. So either waste money on many OCIs and additives, or invest in ONE OCI with Valvoline Premium Blue Restore and see results after 5000 miles. Maybe even post them for us as well. Just change the oil filter every 1000-2000 miles as it will get filled up with trash very quick.


Beat me to it! Was going to say, that's a perfect job for this oil
thumbsup2.gif


If it's out of the budget, M1 0w-40 is marketed as being able to clean, though I doubt at anywhere near the rate provided by PBR.
BITOG holy water to the rescue! I'd also like to see a C&P of that filter.


For sure!!!
crazy2.gif
 
That Valvoline Premium Blue Restore is marketed to semi truck engines, right? Do they typically look this bad when needing to use the product?
 
Originally Posted by kschachn
That Valvoline Premium Blue Restore is marketed to semi truck engines, right? Do they typically look this bad when needing to use the product?
It was originally designed to clean the rings of Cummins ISBs I believe. A bunch of them started getting sludged rings so Valvoline created a mega cleaning oil as an alternative to replacing the piston rings that is approved by Cummins. OP's engine is obviously not the intended purpose but VPBR is an oil designed for cleaning, not just an oil that has cleaning properties as a byproduct of it's formulation like Redline or other group 4 and 5 synthetics.
 
Originally Posted by sloinker
Being a Mopar person I've always liked the old Dakota pickups but everyone I knew that had one got just terrible fuel mileage. I can put up with the 4-15 mpg in my 440 Fury bit not the 10-12 in a Dakota.



Yeah, they do get bad mileage. My wife had a 2003 Durango 4.7 we bought new end of the year. It really was my favorite car we ever had but the fuel mileage was horrendous. It would average 12-13 mpg and the best it ever got was 16.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by Silverado12
Originally Posted by sloinker
Being a Mopar person I've always liked the old Dakota pickups but everyone I knew that had one got just terrible fuel mileage. I can put up with the 4-15 mpg in my 440 Fury bit not the 10-12 in a Dakota.



Yeah, they do get bad mileage. My wife had a 2003 Durango 4.7 we bought new end of the year. It really was my favorite car we ever had but the fuel mileage was horrendous. It would average 12-13 mpg and the best it ever got was 16.
Every late 90s V8 SUV/truck is like that, those truly were the good old days especially for fuel prices. Those vehicles were obsolete by the end of the next decade, if they hadn't been sent to the crusher during cash for clunkers. You never see round body Explorers or Durangos from that time period anymore, only the trucks that could pay for their fuel survived.
 
Originally Posted by demarpaint
Originally Posted by BMWTurboDzl
Liqui Moly Pro Line engine flush as directed.


#6 Add conventional 40w oil, re-install spark plugs, fire up engine and drive around for a couple of hundred miles and then change oil to whatever you intend to use for your intended OCI.


Why a conventional 40W? Thanks.


Don't really remember. Perhaps to maintain viscosity in light of the residual diesel and it's cheap?
 
Originally Posted by maxdustington
Originally Posted by kschachn
That Valvoline Premium Blue Restore is marketed to semi truck engines, right? Do they typically look this bad when needing to use the product?
It was originally designed to clean the rings of Cummins ISBs I believe. A bunch of them started getting sludged rings so Valvoline created a mega cleaning oil as an alternative to replacing the piston rings that is approved by Cummins. OP's engine is obviously not the intended purpose but VPBR is an oil designed for cleaning, not just an oil that has cleaning properties as a byproduct of it's formulation like Redline or other group 4 and 5 synthetics.

Fascinating context here, thanks for the history lesson! Quite a few recommendations for the Valvoline Premium Blue Restore formulation have me putting it on my short list for further investigation.

Thanks to all for the continued responses, I appreciate everyone taking the time to weigh in! Valve Cover Gaskets are on order from Rock Auto, am waiting until they arrive to button the engine back up and move forward with whatever method of engine cleaning comes out on top after a bit more reading.
 
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