Seafoam sludge flush before and after

Joined
Oct 8, 2024
Messages
6
I bought this 2015 charger SE (133k miles) 8 months ago and have done regular and proper oil changes since. Took valve covers off for routine maintenance to discover this sludge fest (Pics 1-3).

I did 2 full Seafoam flushes with new oil running half a can into my crankcase idling for 20 minutes each. First flush came out pitch black. Second came out relatively clean. I don't want sludge buildup clogging valves so after the second I took the oil pan off to clean everything. After 2 Seafoam flushes (Pic 4), this is how clean my bottom of engine was. Oil pan was flawless. Darn near no metal, nothing abnormal for a car with 133k. Maybe 2-3 small "crumbs".

I then threw in 5qt valvo restore 1 qt MMO. Running that for about 200 miles and then checking valve covers.

What's the prediction with everyone on how dirty or clean the top will be still?

1000002975.webp


Screenshot_20241005_224739_Gallery.webp


Screenshot_20241005_224728_Gallery.webp


20241007_152154.webp
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Since the pickup screen looks good, i'd want a slow cleaning, as to not loosen to much and plug that pickup. Maybe a good syn like M1 or M1 high mileage.

Or the Valvoline restore and protect. I'd probably use this.
 
Since the pickup screen looks good, i'd want a slow cleaning, as to not loosen to much and plug that pickup. Maybe a good syn like M1 or M1 high mileage.

Or the Valvoline restore and protect. I'd probably use this.
Pickup screen was after 2 flushes. the other pics were before 2 flushes. I just put valvo restore in to go forward with
 
Predict it will look more or less the same, my experience is NOTHING works quick, or dramatically.

I could be wrong, wouldn't even mind it but as someone who likes to play around with this stuff I've tried most everything one can think of and varnish doesn't go away quickly. You will likely lose most of the gel-ish sludge and rinse some hard stuff but I doubt there will be a noticeable difference with the varnish.
 
Predict it will look more or less the same, my experience is NOTHING works quick, or dramatically.

I could be wrong, wouldn't even mind it but as someone who likes to play around with this stuff I've tried most everything one can think of and varnish doesn't go away quickly. You will likely lose most of the gel-ish sludge and rinse some hard stuff but I doubt there will be a noticeable difference with the varnish.
Varnish is varnish. I just want a reliable engine haha
 
You loosened chunks of sludge. Not really a good thing, unless you are planning some very short OCIs.
 
Short intervals is the answer and change the filter in between changes. Get some Full Synthetic SuperTech from Walmart and do 2k intervals and change the filter at 1k. Maybe do this twice.

Then do the same but add a quart of HPL's EC30 engine cleaner. Their normal oil is so robust it would clean your engine too quickly and you'd run into problems, the EC30 is meant to do it much more slowly and methodically. It is an oil that has a ton of cleaning additives, not a pure solvent.

Then take the valve cover off and look again.
 
Varnish is varnish. I just want a reliable engine haha
Nah, I get what you are saying.

My take away from this is mostly "look how spotless the bottom is" and my assumption is the top will more or less be the same as pre-flush is all. Bottom end doesn't have varnish or anything, but I don't believe this will be reflected on the top end.
 
So you have "before" on the upper valve train and "after" on the lower end? How do you know what it did or did not do? Or am I missing the before and after somehow?
Yeah, that's my question as well. Let's see an after of the valvetrain or a before of the bottom end, this is disjointed and effectively useless.
 
Everybody needs to read the post :ROFLMAO: Op acknowledged all this
Think we all read the same post.

I go paintballing. I send you a picture of my face. I then tell you a kid sprayed me with a hose, then send you a picture of my ankles and say "what's the prediction on how clean my face is?"

Is this useful information worthy of deliberation and discussion?
 
I bought this 2015 charger SE (133k miles) 8 months ago and have done regular and proper oil changes since. Took valve covers off for routine maintenance to discover this sludge fest (Pics 1-3).

I did 2 full Seafoam flushes with new oil running half a can into my crankcase idling for 20 minutes each. First flush came out pitch black. Second came out relatively clean. I don't want sludge buildup clogging valves so after the second I took the oil pan off to clean everything. After 2 Seafoam flushes (Pic 4), this is how clean my bottom of engine was. Oil pan was flawless. Darn near no metal, nothing abnormal for a car with 133k. Maybe 2-3 small "crumbs".

I then threw in 5qt valvo restore 1 qt MMO. Running that for about 200 miles and then checking valve covers.

What's the prediction with everyone on how dirty or clean the top will be still?

View attachment 244404

View attachment 244405

View attachment 244406

View attachment 244407
Just to let you know, I also use SF in all my 5 vehicles. Here's a pic of the top end at 114k miles on my '05 BMW 330ic using SF with Penzoil platinum 5W30. My '01 540i looks the same.

20200922_150333.webp
 
Back
Top