Oil pickup cleaning without removing pan?

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May 29, 2020
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25
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Kentucky
I have a suspicion that my 4.7 Dodge engine may have some gunk/sludge/debris/whatever in the oil pickup tube. It may not, but I'm taking no chances. The pan is a pain to remove, especially without a lift and working in the gravel driveway. So ideally I'd like to attack this with the pan ON.

I'm going to borrow an inspection camera and have a peek at what's inside the oil pan this weekend. If all looks okay, then that's that. If not though... I need a plan to clean what I can.

I've thought of a few different ideas, I'll let the experienced wrenchers weigh in on what might be best for me. Yes, I know pulling the pan is best - but that just isn't an option right now. This is pan on.

Idea 1 - Insert a small toothbrush into the drain plug hole and attempt to scrub whatever is on the screen off.

Idea 2 - Insert the little red spray straw end of a can of brake cleaner into the drain plug hole, and spray the screen with it.

Idea 3 - Drain the oil, pour a gallon of kerosene in the oil fill, and let it sit overnight / a couple days. Drain, flush with cheap oil, refill.

Idea 4 - Drain the oil, pour a gallon of kerosene in the oil fill, disable the ignition, and crank the engine in 2 or 3 second bursts. Let sit overnight, drain, flush, refill.


I'll go ahead and mention here, that I am in the process of doing a Seafoam flush. I was about a quart low on oil, so I dumped an entire can of Seafoam down the oil fill. Started up, let it run about a minute, and shut back off. Haven't started since then.


Thoughts?
 
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I am not sure about sea foam but I would try a gunk like product or run an oil change with Red line oil. The expensive Redline oil
 
1) Do you know what the pan has in the way of baffling? You mightn't be able to reach the pick-up with a tooth brush.

2) This has crossed my mind before except with using lacquer thinner or acetone for the soak.

Actually, people progress with flushing cleaners for cooling systems so why not this application? Starting with Purple Power, then kero, then lacquer thinner.

The dollar store product, "The Works", might be good for the soak. You've nothing to lose.

Once I posted my thought somewhere and someone advised not to RUN the engine on lacquer thinner.
 
If you already have sea foam in it and it wasn't past due for an oil change I would run it 500 miles and then change it.I don't anything else you do will do much more.I would of used berrymans or diesel, kerosene, but seeing as how you have put 10.00 worth of sea foam I would run it for 500.This should of been my first question what makes you think the pick up is clogged?
 
A toothbrush poking in the drain hole is bad karma. One slip, and you're pulling the pan to get the tooth brush out.

Stick to a liquid diet.
 
What makes you suspect a clogged pickup? It would take a lot of neglect to sludge one up. If you are really sure, I like option 5. Take the pan off and do it right. I know a few who did the engine flush only to dislodge so much sludge, plugging an oil passage to a bearing and a locked up engine resulted.
 
Originally Posted by Zaedock
A toothbrush poking in the drain hole is bad karma. One slip, and you're pulling the pan to get the tooth brush out. ...
Also, even if you're able to reach the pickup from the drain opening with a toothbrush, the angle of the bristles will be wrong.
 
Originally Posted by cknight49090
This should of been my first question what makes you think the pick up is clogged?


X2

Unless I knew for sure a new-to-me vehicle had problems, I would just do an oil change and run it for a reasonable OCI. That way you can see how much it burns or leaks, and what the oil looks like after a full run. I might also cut open the filter afterward.
 
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