Took one of the rocker covers off today.....
I've never seen anything like it!
The guy before me obviously didnt change the oil frequently...and that's an understatement.
see photo
Cars done 80k miles, MB have their last record of seeing it at 30k miles.

Not sure if it's recoverable without a full rebuild - but that's just the cams. Then of course there's the Journals and the timing case.

I'll be droping the sump soon and pickout some stuff from that - but this stuff is caked on.
I'm no expert, but no "engine flush formula" could get get rid of this surely - without causing other possible issues with floating/dislodged debris. I mean Seafoam/Lubrimol etc.
Or have others seen success from such treatments in recovering from a situation like this?

Main concern I guess...and of course there are many....is all those oil holes through to bearing faces etc.

Current plan of attack



Short of an engine rebuild....Put it back together now and Plan to:

• Pull the Sump off ....check Journals and BEnd oil ports, clean (carefully) as required.
• Pull the heads off and dissamble/clean/check for spec./shave for true and reassemble.
• Possibly...continue with pulling off the timing cover and cleaning/checking (if I dont already have to do this to get the heads off).

That's just my ramblings - other suggestions/comiserations/support - appreciated.

 

I've seen worse. But not one that used synthetic oil.

That looks like conventional sludge.

 

What the filter element look like?

That is terrible even for just 50k. I'd send a sample to blackstone and see what kind of oil was actually in it. That looks like someone used conventional oil but followed the benz 10k service interval.

 

It looks like conventional oil sludge to me too. An engine flush won't clean it all out and frankly, IMO engine flushes can cause a lot of wear in a short time. I don't like them. Just change to synthetic and replace it often a few times and inspect again. At least that's what I'd do.

Les

 

thanks guys for the quick responses - my response was one of "frustration/depression - okay lets work through this....!"

Id like this motor do a sub 13 quarter eventually (with the Code 3). From what people are seeing - should I give up any hope or is the sludge (although horendous) somewhat superficial?

Brother saw it (he used to be a mechanic) and wasnt perturbed and said - put some Valvoine XLD 20-50 in it for a week and it will dissolve all the sludge.
Drop it and inspect - repeat for another week if necessary.
Dont use a flush - doesnt like em, for the reasons I suspected - makes all those fine now dissolved sludges, run through every nook and krany and you need to change and change and change to get it all out.
Personally - if they spec synthetics - I think I'd use synthetic - just in case minerals are bad for all te seals.

 

Well a bit of a clean - being careful not to drop solids into the engine/ports etc....found the solids lost integrity/shape and turned back into oil when worked, so hopefully they'll dissolve okay.

Someone said run diesel in it as an oil replacement for 10mins instead of a flush - but not going to do that. Sounds a little on the explosive side to say the least. Flash point of diesel is 130F (about 55C).

Anyway - will see how she goes -a 10minute lubrimol treatment might be an option. I was intially (and others) against a flush - but it possibly cant be any worse than what's been in it previously by the looks.

PS - engines done 80k miles, but last time MB have a record is at 30kmiles - so that's possibly a signal although the filter in it wasnt one MB would have used.

 

Same thoughts here. That's a lot of sludge! Hope you get her back to good.

 

Looks great after you cleaned it!

 

Sad the previous owner didn't take better care of her, but your on the way to restoration! I have flushed out engines with kerosene (yeah thats what engine flush actually is), maybe yours could use a double dose (two quarts) then change with synthetic and after about a month flush again and change with synthetic. If you do this twice then at the regular interval I think you'll be fine.

 

thnx for the encouragement all....

One of my neighbours suggested diesel (basically Kerosene).

I'm attracted to the Liquimol 'cause its got that whole MoS2 lube thing going on and its only $25/treatment.

I'm hearing that the deposits are possibly oxidised/carbonated mineral oil related and arent usual when running synth. Dont know how true that is.

Giving the rocker covers a clean up now, but with no new gaskets on hand (I awant planing on doing this as part of a plug change) I'm hoping permatex will suffice for now. Just gotta work out how to get those damn breather plates off to get in there and clean it up as well.
Then some spit and polish on the outside.

 

Well I pulled the sump after a lubrimol flush this weekend.

- I sucked out the 1000km Mob1_0_40W oil,
- put in some new el cheapo Castrol + lubrimol detox
- ran for 10mins
- sucked that out.
- refilled with the original 1000km oil (to suck up/dilute any remnant naptha)
- then sucked that out
- will refill with fresh + fresh filter.

Pretty clagged up - but getting there. Obviously the lubrimol wasnt as effective as I had have hoped. But you may get all those bonus MoS2 molecules.
Everything moving was cool - everything static was coated.
I was able to lookup into the first pair of cylinders - all seemed okay and clean - couldnt see any return galleries or sprays.

It would be nice to get this damn oil pump out as it would open things right up.
you need to get to a narly bolt with an elbow socket - but the one I used + T10, just wasnt short enough - damn GDR.
I couldnt even get the chain off - I could get the tensioner disengaged - but couldnt get enough slack to desprocket....ie: without removing that narly bolt.
Note - I think you might be able to get the upper sump out as well from this angle - ie: without removing the engine....well - so I think I read in WIS today.
- but that's for another thread.

Put in a new oil sensor - probably obvious why it was giving spurious readings.

Note - see the difference in the oil filters. I'm just wondering if the AutohausAZ one will be okay or not.

 

I wouldn't use either of those filters. Both are paper which is inferior to fleece.


PS Judging by the before and after pics, I'd say your flush did wonders !

 

+1 ...maybe use the paper during the flush process and fleece for final fill.

 

1/2 can of Seafoam ($10), drive 50 miles, oil change with Mobile 1. Done!

 

You cant buy it generally in Australia - but the search continues.

 

If that was my car I would not drive too much anymore and strip it, that sludge is everywhere.

I've seen worse though, a 1955 Chevy Bel Air and the valve covers were totally full of mostly dried out sludge. The only gaps were where things moved. Oil filters were an optional extra I believe.
Old and new car crashing together. Bel Air and Malibu.
http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&...UbGnpzT_lVNh2w

 

Are there many others who support this view?
I found some in Australia - as usual a little more expensive than in US - $30 delivered for a can.
I'd probably do what I did Saturday
..drain current oil...
...put in cheap oil
- run this through
....drain
....run some fresh cheap oil through
...drain
....run some 1000-5000km Mob1_0-40W
....drain
..drop sump, inspect
..clean
..new filter (fleece this time)
..refill fresh oil
..change again after discolouration.

It all sounds convoluted - but with the oil extractor - its easy.

We'll get there....As I said - car runs sweet.
I'm just concerned about the return galleries. I'll find a couple of shots and someone might be able to point them out to me so I can do some probing and proding - assuming they are straight bores and not contorted cast ins..ie: lost wax.

found some compliments of Eric....
https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...tml#post621724

 

Like others said, running synthetic will clear it up after a while. I had a similar issue on my Volvo S60R when I got it. A word of advice when getting a used car, smell the dip stick as conventional oil smells different than synthetic. Also the underside of the oil cap tells the story on most engines. On the Volvo it went from cruddy to looking brand new after 6k miles and 3 oil changes with Mobil 1.