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Posted by: r_towle Aug 2 2006, 09:13 PM

So,
I have a Eurovan, 2.5 liter water cooled motor..
Overall it runs great..but there is a ticking that just wont go away..and it seems to be getting worse with age..

I was thinking..
I remember that I did this once before..

Remove all the oil, get a fresh oil filter, and fill the case with Kerosene...
Let it run for a few minutes, till warm..
Then dump it all out...new filter...new oil
run for a day
new oil and filter again...

Does that sound right?
My goal is to clean out the sludge...

Rich

Posted by: LowGT Aug 2 2006, 11:59 PM

Yup, I used to do that to my old car too. Pretty good results, except some people experienced leaks afterwards if a sludge deposit was plugging a potential leak.

When I did it, I used one quart oil and 4 quarts kerosene.

In older cars, my father used to put a quart of trans fluid in with the oil every now and then. Same idea, detergent in the trans fluid cleans it out. I'm not sure how newer cars with O2 sensors and stuff would respond to that though.

Posted by: Rand Aug 3 2006, 12:09 AM

Sounds like a bunch of madness to me.

Posted by: JOHNMAN Aug 3 2006, 12:14 AM

Just wait until they tell you that they have WITNESSED dear old dad pour a quart of water down the carburetor of a running V8 while holding the throttle open to keep it running.....

Posted by: So.Cal.914 Aug 3 2006, 12:18 AM

Posted by: trekkor Aug 3 2006, 12:25 AM

This thread is worthless without video...


KT

Posted by: pfierb Aug 3 2006, 05:29 AM

The gasoline in the dishwasher is really looking for trouble.....hope you have your homeowners insurance up to date and have a clear escape route out of the house.
The kerosene in the engine should do wonders for the bearings,but at least you will have a clean engine to work on for the overhaul.

Posted by: SLITS Aug 3 2006, 06:52 AM

Water in the carb....old trick....makes steam, knocks carbon outta the cylinders if you are experiencing detonation /run on from deposits.

Kerosene, Diesel fuel, etc in the oil to clean an engine....what the hell do you think those engine cleaners they sell in the FLAPS are - rocket science?

As long as the filter is working and you don't put a load on the engine, your bearings will be fine.

Posted by: Brian Mifsud Aug 3 2006, 08:11 AM

Stuck hydraulic lifters come nicely unstuck if you add ATF to the engine oil. A fellow engineer and car builder suggested this when my 3.8 Buick powered El Camino started making the death knell. 50 miles of driving unstuck it nicely...
ATF contains a much higher percentage of detergents apparently. I'd try that before Kerosene on any engine I valued. The lubricating qualities (or lack there of) of Kerosene conjure up images of finger nails on blackboards when the steel internal parts start touching......

Posted by: drewvw Aug 3 2006, 08:21 AM

along the lines of the "water down the carb" trick...anybody ever try the "Uncle Ben's" method?


You get a box of uncle bens rice and pour it down the carb with the throttle open. The idea is that when you pour it in ,the rice is dehydrated and hard so its like sandblasting the carbon deposits but once its in there is gets soft and easily passes out the exhaust.

Posted by: fitsbain Aug 3 2006, 08:58 AM

Water in the carb will indeed clean out all the crap that is in the engine. You will get clouds of steam and black stuff out. I had a 250 6 in a chevy that wouldn't run right. A pump sprayer into the carb and you pump as fast as possible and keep opening the throttle to keep it running. After word it ran great.

ATF in the oil will do the same thing. Add a quart, drive 100 miles. Wash rinse but don't repeat.


No more oil sludge or build up.


Want a few more?

brake fluid in an auto trans to clean it up

ATF in the fuel to clean injectors.

Posted by: pfierb Aug 3 2006, 09:45 AM

You didn't read the message right he was talking about draining all the oil out of the engine and then refilling it with kerosene. Do it on your engine and see what you have left.
I'll bet all the automotive engine designers are busy writing down all these remedies especially the steamed rice recipe.

Posted by: r_towle Aug 3 2006, 10:01 AM

So please..offer up a good solution...
half oil, half kerosene?
Buy an engine flush solution from FLAPS and follow the suggestions?

Im looking to eliminate what sounds like a stuck lifter..or two that are not getting enough oil...so I want to clean the oil feeds going to the lifters..

I would prefer a solution that is done in the garage, no driving...looking to pour it in,,,run it for x amount of time...then flush it out...

Rich

Posted by: fitsbain Aug 3 2006, 10:09 AM

A quart of ATF and 100 miles and then change the oil. You old oil stays in with the ATF.

Alternatly put it in cold and run until good an hot. Run 30 more minutes and then change the oil and filter.

Posted by: mharrison Aug 3 2006, 10:24 AM

You need SeaFoam Engine Cleaner

http://www.seafoamsales.com/motorTuneUp.htm
This stuff is GREAT! It is the holy grail as far as my old Yamaha group is concerned. It has definitely pepped up my cars. MUCH more responsive after a treatment.

Warning: If you engine is really dirty, there may be enough smoke to alarm neighbors! It can create quite the smoke screen when you use it!

Posted by: Rotten Robby Aug 3 2006, 10:25 AM

Wow... You are getting in to the old time shadetree stuff.

I have never heard of kerosene but it was common to use automatic transmission fluid to top off just before the oil change interval in the '60's and '70's. It is a highly detergent oil and it apparently would clean things up really well.

As for you doubters who think this is a joke thread, read the Grapes of Wrath. In the '40's and certainly before I am sure they would pull the car under a tree and change the main bearings without pulling the motor.

Back to your ticking, I doubt this would take care of the ticking. That is probably a flat lifter or something like that. But hey... it might

Posted by: LowGT Aug 3 2006, 10:39 AM

Exactly. Some of you guys should go read the back of one of those in the store.

Posted by: chilli Aug 3 2006, 10:42 AM

Use Marval Mystery Oil,

Stuff works great.

mike

Posted by: r_towle Aug 3 2006, 10:44 AM

Hi,
i read the how to section...
In the throttle body I get...easy enough...
In the oil...it says how much to put in, but it does not say if and when it needs to come out...
So, am I to assume that I will leave it in till the next scheduled oil change?

Rich

Posted by: SLITS Aug 3 2006, 10:47 AM

Nope, I read it and understood what he was saying. It will wash all the residual oil off the metals and would eventually lead to metal failure (galling), but a short run of it shouldn't kill the engine. I would prefer diesel fuel, but.....

Then again, running straight ATF for a few minutes might do the trick too! There were racers who ran 5 & 10 wt oils in their engines (less drag = more hp).

In all cases I assume the car is doing nothing but idling...no high rpm, no load, etc. An engine will run for a period of time (10 mins?) at idle if you drain all the oil out before it siezes. Oil is tenacious in adherance to metals.

And no one has mentioned yet the use of Borax to reseat rings.

Posted by: mharrison Aug 3 2006, 12:47 PM

When you add SeaFoam to the crankcase, you need to drain the oil shortly after running the car long enough to achieve operating temperature. If you leave it in and allow it to sit while not running, large particles that may come off engine parts can clog your oil galleys, and pump (supposedly).

So, put it in cold. Fire it up and run it to temperature. Give it 5-10 minutes at temperature. Shut it down. Drain it.

OR

Put it in cold. Drive to the Quick Lube place, let them change it.

Also put some in your gas tank. It'll clean carbs or injection systems pretty well!

It's also recommended (and alot of fun) to run it through a vacuum line like the large vacuum line on the brake booster while the car is running. That's what causes the smokescreen and cleans the intake and valves.

Posted by: pfierb Aug 3 2006, 01:10 PM

If your car is the victim of around town driving at low speeds combined with stop and go driving causing a stuck lifter or two sometimes just taking the vehicle out on the highway and driving it at highway speeds for a long period of time will clear up the problem.There might be some nostrum in a can that can help also.

Posted by: byndbad914 Aug 3 2006, 02:35 PM

without reading all the replies, this is what I was going to say. Old mechanics trick. Do not run 100% kerosene - though I have heard of it done before - I have also heard of running diesel fuel thru it (a little "oilier"). I wouldn't do it.

I had a 64 Galaxie given to me that sat in a field for 10yrs. We poured a little gas in the carb and it fired right up, but a couple of the lifters ticked from varnishing up. We just dumped 1qt ATF in the oil (a little over full was okay) and ran it for a little bit and sho' nuf the tick went away. As soon as it did I changed over to straight oil and the car was fine. Didn't go 100 miles - maybe 20, but the 100 mile thing I have heard numerous times.

BTW, POURING a quart of water down the carb will get you some bent rods. The right way to do it is get the rpm up and use a spray bottle to "mist" water into the carb. It will work and you will see the steam in the exhaust. Did it on a motor we were going to tear down and I was surprised how clean the chambers were.

Posted by: tat2dphreak Aug 3 2006, 03:45 PM

WTF? we used to use it on chebbies and VWs alike

Posted by: chilli Aug 3 2006, 04:06 PM

AND you do not have to do anything special just add a quart or little less depending on crankcase capacity. Drive for awhile. Clicking should go away rapidly.

I have used this on my 85 carrera and it stopped the rear main leak and push rod tubes leak as well. It was either this or tear down engine. AND did not hurt the running of the engine at all. Of course this was not a daily driver so that is one reason had the leaks in the first place.

GEEEE maybe porsche should use this on the new engines to stop the dreaded rear main seal leaks.

Posted by: r_towle Oct 4 2006, 07:21 PM

ok,
I finally had the time to do this after replacing all the ball joints and two axles...

I used SeaFoam, pouring it into the throttle body via the PCV valve hose.

It worked wonders...It really did blow out all the crud. built up carbon, and small critters.

I also used Dextron 3 tranny fluid in the crankcase, that cleaned and shut up the lifter clicking...

The car runs much better now, and has more throttle response.
the Sea foam guys are not lying about the throttle reponse, cleaner running (after the smoke bomb) and overall more power...

It now does a burn out, never did that before...much quicker.

So, I strongly reccomend this product. SeaFoam!!!
The tranny fluid shut up a simple lifter tick that had been bugging me for a long time...
R

Posted by: Bartlett 914 Oct 4 2006, 07:50 PM

I remember that. Early Chevys (mid 50's) had a problem burning oil. GM had dealers using Bon Ami of some such stuff to break the glaze on the cylinder walls. Dump it down the carb with the motor running (or trying to run).

Posted by: 914fan Oct 4 2006, 08:12 PM

I've been using Shell Rotella in my hydro 914. It has kept the heads clean, and the lifters running nice. When they do start to have issues its usually cause I went to long on the oil. I have used the same in other hydro cars (fords, chevys, suzukis) Every few changes I use rotella and it keeps everything clean. Whe I do this I run the synthetic rotella and change the oil at 3k instead of 10K as usual. SO either the rotella cleans ans holds the dirt, or its getting beter just due to new oil changes sooner, or both.


Either way enjoy