871 sludge in oil

[Downthehaul]

I had a leaking egr cooler just pouring coolant into the cylinders. About two gallons per 500 miles. I changed it out but now there is sludge all in the oil. Analysis revealed these numbers. I put the recommended value in parenthises after the actual value.

Potassium 8571 (3)
Sodium 4509 (7)
Iron. 100. (23)
Copper. 106. (2)
Lead. 29. (5)
Silicon. 34. (6)

Blackstone said potassium and sodium indicate antifreeze and that it would thicken oil.
I took the valve cover off and there is some wear on the rollers but not catastrophic. However there was terribly thick sludge on top of the rockers, coating the valve cover, in the oil drain plug, in the breather filter, seems like it accumulates in places the oil isn’t always circulating. This is after changing the oil, which I did right after raplacing egr cooler.

I think the oil pan must be coated with that sludge, and it’s probably in the oil lines and/or sensors. I want to get it out of there.
Should I flush the engine? What to use? Liquimoly? What’s the procedure?
Need I remove the oil pan?
I’ve seen diesel fuel in the crankcase recommended, and also condemned as madness.

[Nostalgic]

Based off your copper and lead, dropping the pan and inspecting a couple mains and rods would be a start. You are more than likely ready for a rebuild. Running it that long with coolant in the oil ate away at all of your bearings like sandpaper. I'm kind of surprised you didn't spin one and lock it up.

I typed this BEFORE I saw your copper and lead #'s.

I'd determine how and what to use based off of the sludge I could see on top of the head. Does it dissolve when you pour diesel on it? What about motor oil? Or does it stay chunky? Is it liquid feeling between your fingers, or more like grease, or clay?

No matter what method you use, you risk spinning a bearing somewhere if it starts to break up and plugs a bearing galley unless you find something that instantly dissolves it.

[Bengy88]

Before I cleaned anything my first step would be to find out where the coolant is coming from. I would recommend dropping the pan and pressurizing the coolant system and see if you can locate a drip after a little while of keeping pressure on it, rotate the engine a little every so often. If you don’t find the source then it’s pointless to clean anything.

[Nostalgic]

(05-28-2023 )Bengy88 Wrote:  Before I cleaned anything my first step would be to find out where the coolant is coming from. I would recommend dropping the pan and pressurizing the coolant system and see if you can locate a drip after a little while of keeping pressure on it, rotate the engine a little every so often. If you don’t find the source then it’s pointless to clean anything.

True, I guess I viewed it as the EGR cooler was bad, replaced, now dealing with sludge. Could also have meant EGR cooler bad, replaced, still pumping coolant into oil. Little clarification OP?

[Downthehaul]

The egr cooler was leaking, it has been replaced. Now I’m dealing with the sludge after the fact. It’s not grainy it’s just thick. I put some in a cup and mineral spirits dissolved it right away, no sand like particles. I think diesel would also dissolve it but I’m not sure if flushing the oil system with diesel is a good idea or not

[Rawze]

Don't know what anyone else would .. but i would not have driven the damn thing 50 miles, nonetheless long enough to let it get into the oil system that badly with it leaking coolant like mad like before finding out EXACTLY where the stuff was going!!!>....

However, not sure about any one else... but this is what I would do if suddenly faced with an ISX full of sludge in the oil system ...

* I would drain the oil,,... ..leaving some buckets under pan with drain plug removed.

* I would cover the hole in the top of the head, front drivers side, that drains into the gear train best I could, and then use a paint brush and diesel fuel and/or charcoal lighter fluid to brush and wash away (using a garden pump sprayer + paint brushes) all the sludge in the top end as best I can... use lots of diesel fuel to wash the rest down to the bottom ... clean the top end all up without taking anything apart. use a vacuum oil sucker to get as much of the the remains/oil/fuel out of the oil catch pockets, etc.

* Then soak everything down in the top end with clean engine oil when all done to wash down the diesel, etc. + do the same for rear drain hole.

* I would pull the top gear train cover and flush the gear train with diesel, followed by oil to help wash things downwards while someone turned engine by hand. - I would ALSO clean out the breather screen on the back side of the gear cover.. it is likely is full of sludge too! .. and will cause turbocharger and/or overhead cam failures if it is internally blocked with sludge, or has become restrictive at all.

* I would then drop the pan and spray everything underside with some diesel or charcoal lighter fluid, using a garden pump sprayer... use a paint brush (and zip-tie paint brush on a stick so that I didn't have to get too close to things) on any deposits, etc... clean out the underside really well.

* Then drop a main bearing and inspect it .. see how much progressive damage was done and make decisions from there.

* Pressurize the coolant system and let it sit over night with 20-psi on it... have someone else turn engine by hand the next day and look/listen for a gurgling cylinder.. see if there is any coolant intrusion into a cylinder, bad head gasket.. etc. while the pan is off it.. even if you don't suspect it, just for good measure.

* Bad head gasket or not ... bad bearing or not ... put it all back together and run it about 50 miles or so with about 20% diesel-to cheap-o engine oil mix to flush out the sludge and the insides really good ... get out all the contaminants I could... even if the engine had to come apart for an inframe. - No sense on tearing into engine that is full of sludge still.

* Even with NO head gasket issues, If there was a lot of copper showing on the main bearing .. then it needs an inframe + rods (or bushings) replaced any ways. =- Otherwise, it is a time-bomb waiting to send a piston thru the block without any warning due to excessive wrist pin wear too.

-= (best case scenario) - If the engine does not need to come apart due to too much accelerated wear (after inspecting that main bearing) .. then after runing it 50 miles with a diesel-oil mix as stated above ... run it about 1500 miles or so with just fresh oil .. and do another oil change.. then again an oil change at about 3,000 miles... and then at regular intervals after that (oil changed based on fuel mileage) ... and making plans to at least replace all the the rod/main bearings in about 3 more oil changes or so regardless + re-inspect the top end + valve adjustment ... to remove any unforeseen accelerated wear from the bottom end, etc. that might have been missed.

-= Otherwise, its inframe time, and a good opportunity to do all the extra things to it to make it another million mile engine again like mentioned here:
ref: http://rawze.com/forums/showthread.php?t...6#pid70606

just some thoughts.. and how I would face such a situation any ways.