SLUDGEFEST 2012

[Jarlaxle]

Hmm...might a synthetic HDEO (something like Mobil 1 or Rotella T 15W-40) clean that out a bit? Do the oil change, change the filter then, and again like every 500 miles for 3K? Not a whole lot to lose!

The scary thing: the top end on my Caddy's original 425 looked much worse than that.

The oil pan was even worse. (I took the sludge off with a paint scraper!)

I wonder how scary the results would be from Blackstone Labs.

 

[pzev]

Originally Posted By: Will2742
I can't say what her OCIs were but I'm sure they were much too long. The PCV swap looks like a PITA but it is a good idea do do it. I know I have to pull the intake manifold to get at it. I think I'll start off with a few good synthetic oil/short OCI cycles and see if it looks like I am making a difference. If not, then I'll get more aggressive with the Kreen. Thanks everyone for all the awesome feedback! I'll keep you posted on my progress.



I have heard of people using long angled needle nose pliers to get at the PCV, all you have to do is remove the upper intake hose and go at the PCV valve from the side. I tried this on my 2003 with the 2.3L, and I didn't have long enough pliers, but on the later models the manifold was redesigned and there is more room. Might be worth trying before you commit to removing the entire manifold.
Some Ford dealers actually do it this way...

 

[Klutch9]

Originally Posted By: tig1
Compared to my pic, it's easy to see why OCI abuse can lead to engine sludge and failure. Here's another view of my Focus.

Both our Duratecs look just like this. My Mom's 2.3 in her Mazda6 also looks just like this at 180,000 miles using conventional oil at 6/7,000 mile OCI's.

To the OP: try some HDEO in that motor, and change the oil and filter often. This should clean it up nicely without having to use any solvents or additives. Please keep us updated!

 

[Johnoh]

Originally Posted By: Will2742
HELP! While changing the valve cover gasket on my new wife's 2005 Ford Focus ZX3 2.0L
I'm still trying to figure out which is new, the car or the wife.

 

[yonyon]

Must be the wife is new. The focus is old and busted.

 

[Tros]

I would suggest saving up for a new motor in the instance that attempting to clean out the motor plugs up an oil passage and ruins the motor.

If I was in that situation, I would drop the oil pan; clean it out; either get some cheap synthetic oil, or a cheap conventional oil with an oil additive like MMO; and drive it for a a couple hundred miles of a good distance driving (nothing less than half an hour); repeat a few times and see if there is any noticeable change in cleanliness. Since you are not familiar with this vehicles past maintenance, I think it's fair to assume you need to treat the car as completely neglected, and work accordingly.

Personally, I've only ever dealt with one personal vehicle that was fairly sludge-covered. After two 500 mile oci with supertech's synthetic I came away with a much cleaner motor and a new found respect for "cheap" motor oil brands.

 

[hardcore302]

Originally Posted By: Johnoh
Originally Posted By: Will2742
HELP! While changing the valve cover gasket on my new wife's 2005 Ford Focus ZX3 2.0L
I'm still trying to figure out which is new, the car or the wife.


lol.

 

[ltslimjim]

Originally Posted By: electrolover
Originally Posted By: bustednutz
Heres my take.
YOu're in it pretty deep as it is. Sludge, oil consumption, possibly a stuck PCV, etc... So heres what I'd do. Kreen the motor. Change the oil and filter. Add the Kreen and drive her balls out for several hundred miles at a time. Take some long weekend road trips for a month straight and see what happens. At this stage of the game you have nothing to lose.
I bet you'll see results. Good ones.



dont forget to change that PCV

xInfinity!

 

[Zaedock]

Originally Posted By: yonyon
Must be the wife is new. The focus is old and busted.


Now that he has a wife, the Focus sludge just became his fault.

In all seriousness, there are a lot of good recommendations here. Any would be a good start. I would pull the cover again and mechanically remove the valvetrain sludge, change the PCV, complete a tune up (plugs, etc) and I would probably run some Pennzoil conventional. If I added MMO, I would probably choose the PYB in 5W30 as the MMO will thin it out closer to the spec'd viscosity.

 

[Will2742]

Actually both the wife and the car are relatively new to me. I knew her oil consumption was excessive and she had neglected to employ good oil/filters/OICs so yes this has become my problem.

Again, thank you for all the feedback and I will post results to this thread as I come through this issue by replacing the plugs, PCV, using synthetics and short OICs and if necessary, flushing compounds.

 

[accent2012]

Physically remove as much sludge as you can from below the valve cover and the oil pan... then run the car with clean oil with MMO or Kreen.

Chances are, the big chunks of sludge that would cause damage would have already been removed when physically removing them.

Also, you are likely to end up with an engine that burns even more oil.... consider a rebuild or replacing the engine with a junky...

 

[circuitsmith]

I'll bet there's major piston and cylinder wear.
I would get a remanufactured motor or a low mileage junk yard motor and call it a day.

 

[JOD]

Originally Posted By: circuitsmith
I'll bet there's major piston and cylinder wear.
I would get a remanufactured motor or a low mileage junk yard motor and call it a day.


Yeah, and add in the fact that it's a chain-driving engine, so you have all of the timing gear to consider as well. Honestly, it seems that even engine flush products are just throwing good money (and time) after bad in this situation. I'd just keep feeding it inexpensive dino, change the filter regularly and nothing else--and prepare for an engine sway.

 

[lexus114]

For the heck of it, I would do a piston soak, and run some PU through it a few oci`s.

 

[Klutch9]

Originally Posted By: accent2012
Also, you are likely to end up with an engine that burns even more oil.... consider a rebuild or replacing the engine with a junky...


Not necessarily. One of the reasons this engine may be burning oil is because the oil control rings are gummed and gunked up with sludge and deposits. If these get cleaned out, the engine may in fact burn less oil than before. But other things could be causing the oil burning as well. Only time will tell.

 

[Will2742]

How does one perform a piston soak?

 

[lexus114]

I personally never did one (never had to) but from what I read on here (and correct me if I`m wrong fella`s) You pull the plug`s, fill the cylinders with mmo, let soak a few hour`s, or overnight. Might need to do this more than once though.

 

[Bladecutter]

If you're really anal about it, you go slightly more overboard:

Warm up car.
Park in level surface (your own garage is best).
Drain engine oil into clean pan.
Remove oil drain pan, and replace with a different empty pan.
Remove all 4 spark plugs, plus anything else needed to remove them.
Insert 4 equal length long thin rods (I prefer long fireplace matches) one into each cylinder, and rotate engine by hand until all 4 rods indicate that the 4 pistons are at the same point in cylinder bore travel.
Pour an equal amount of cleaning product in each spark plug hole.
Let soak for as long as you can stand, or until you see the cleaning fluid having poured all into the drain pan under the engine.

One thing you should know before doing this is if your engine has domed, flat, or dished pistons.

If you have dished pistons, you risk having a pool of cleaner fluid not get down to the oil control rings, and you will need to suck this fluid out of the combustion chamber before you try to start the engine after you reinstall the spark plugs, and fill the oil.

BC.

 

[bustednutz]

What about this....tell me if this would work...........

Get up to operating temp, drain oil, pull off filter.
Don't replace either yet.

Remove valve cover.
Remove by hand and brush all the crud you can possibly get out.
Then after that....take a couple cans of brake cleaner and blast the top half of the engine till it sparkles.
Allow all the brake cleaner to drain out of pan.
Maybe then take off oil pan and blast that till its spotless as well.
Refill with the cheapest oil and filter. Run for 15-20 minutes after all is put back together.

Drain oil and replace filter with a higher quality name brand oil and filter.

Drive it clean.

 

[Trav]

The oil return holes are possibly plugged up with sludge, was there a lot of oil in the valve cover area when you took it off?
This engine will need to be taken apart and cleaned which will cost more than a good used one. Personally i would just go with a used engine, same day in and out.