Hello all I'm new to this forum. I've always came here to learn what oil is best for my particular vehicles for a while now though. I just bought a 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee with a 4.0. It has 162,000 miles on it. I immediately upon buying came here and found that Rotella T-5 10w-30 and a Motocraft FL1A filter was a good combo to go with so I changed to that. Then I found a freeze plug leak.
I ordered new freeze plugs(5) for the side of the block and started disassembly for the job. I figured while I had the intake off I would go ahead and change the valve cover gasket since it would be easy to get to. Yesterday I removed the valve cover to find the worst case of sludge I have ever seen. The previous owner must have never changed the oil. Here is a cell phone picture.
After posting about it on a jeep enthusiast forum I started cleaning up the valve train with a shop vac and screwdriver to dislodge the sludge and suck it up. I sprayed some brakleen on it to try to free it up better but it didn't really help. Here is some pics after todays clean up.
Tomorrow I'm gonna pull the rocker arms and give them a wire brush diesel fuel bath one cylinder at a time so I don't mix them up. It will help me clean the head a little bit more too. Have you guys ever seen sludge this bad?
I am worried about the little bit of junk that has fallen down the push rod holes as I cleaned and I'm interested in a diesel fuel flush or something to that effect that can help get all the junk down to the oil pan for a post work oil change. How would you guys recommend I proceed at this point? I've heard of doing multiple short interval oil changes after completing the job. I've had recommendations of using diesel oil for awhile. This site has been very helpful for my research in that past, thats why I wanted to get the opinion of the members here on what I should do next.
Before I started all this work the engine was a smooth runner, granted I've only had it for about two weeks and maybe drove it 20 miles. Thanks for any info you might have for me.
I ordered new freeze plugs(5) for the side of the block and started disassembly for the job. I figured while I had the intake off I would go ahead and change the valve cover gasket since it would be easy to get to. Yesterday I removed the valve cover to find the worst case of sludge I have ever seen. The previous owner must have never changed the oil. Here is a cell phone picture.
After posting about it on a jeep enthusiast forum I started cleaning up the valve train with a shop vac and screwdriver to dislodge the sludge and suck it up. I sprayed some brakleen on it to try to free it up better but it didn't really help. Here is some pics after todays clean up.
Tomorrow I'm gonna pull the rocker arms and give them a wire brush diesel fuel bath one cylinder at a time so I don't mix them up. It will help me clean the head a little bit more too. Have you guys ever seen sludge this bad?
I am worried about the little bit of junk that has fallen down the push rod holes as I cleaned and I'm interested in a diesel fuel flush or something to that effect that can help get all the junk down to the oil pan for a post work oil change. How would you guys recommend I proceed at this point? I've heard of doing multiple short interval oil changes after completing the job. I've had recommendations of using diesel oil for awhile. This site has been very helpful for my research in that past, thats why I wanted to get the opinion of the members here on what I should do next.
Before I started all this work the engine was a smooth runner, granted I've only had it for about two weeks and maybe drove it 20 miles. Thanks for any info you might have for me.