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justinf89

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Well today was a [censored] day. At about 5pm, I decided to take out my upstream o2 sensors on my safari only to find they were on pretty tight. One happened to be right by the oil filter so take a guess what happened. The end of the wrench/fingers smashed into the filter and poked a hole in it. Luckily the oil had about 2k miles on it already. So instead of just changing the filter, I decided to go ahead and change the oil too.

Now I was about to pour the oil in and the filler neck was loose from the valve cover. Of course to get to it to push it back in, half of the inner dash has to come off and the doghouse to get to the valve cover. The only thing left in the cover was the pcv so I said what the heck, mine as well check it out. Took the valve cover off and this is what I find.

I'm looking for advice on what to do. I've read about auto-rx, kreen, marvel mystery oil, and seafoam. I have a bottle of seafoam but if not, I would like to get something local so I can get this done. What's the best way to clean this motor?

The oil I'm using this change from my stash is gtx hm 5w30 and a puro basic filter. These filters are pretty small so I imagine they could fill up pretty quick. As of now, I probably have a good hour or two (9pm now) before I can pour the oil in and be finished. I drive this van all the time, every day, long, short, whatever but the motor always warms up, maybe not the oil.

Anyway thanks guys in advance.

DSC04820.jpg
 
It's a 4.3.I wouldn't panic.


Just throw in some PP or PYB and a really good filter (like a P1) to catch the mess. It will take some time (and a few OCIs), but you should be fine.

I've seen 4.3 much worse than that still running...
 
If it runs OK don't do anything. Does that Safari have the 4.3L engine? If so, just leave it be. You'll never kill it.

I'm pretty sure even after a nuclear apocalypse the cockroaches would be driving GM 4.3L powered vehicles.

Wanna know what the engine can take? Read my first ever post on this board:

GM 4.3L, no oil change for 2+ years
 
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Originally Posted By: daves87rs
It's a 4.3.I wouldn't panic.


Just throw in some PP or PYB and a really good filter (like a P1) to catch the mess. It will take some time (and a few OCIs), but you should be fine.

I've seen 4.3 much worse than that still running...


That's really all you need to do. Keep the OCIs fairly short and take some long trips.
 
Ok quick update. I've had the 4.3 since about 150k miles with 3k changes so thats 10 changes in like 2 years. With the valve cover, in my haste to clean it I guess I stretched the o-ring gasket a bit and it looked like a v8 gasket lol. So of course I had to cut the once continuous gasket to get it to fit. I probably should have held it on with sealer but the valve cover is back on now. The oil looked baked on the inside and it mostly knocked off with a good tap in the trash can.

I guess I'd like to try some kind of cleaner since i've had it for a while now with short oci's. How about mmo? I don't want the crud to all fall off at once and clog everything up either though. Thanks guys for the thoughts. I'm going to cut open the filter that came off in a bit. I cut open the last one and it was sludged up. Since I've owned the van, I can't imagine the motor has sludged up any more because I take really good care of it, trying to take long trips to offset the short ones, short oci's, etc.

Thanks for the help guys.


Edit: the motor runs great now with the occasional lifter tap and rough idle but my next project is to clean the throttle body. I hope to keep this van for a while since everything else on it is great, including the trans.
 
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I gotta be honest, I don't think that looks all that bad. It isn't showroom clean but I wouldn't say it is sludged...maybe heavy varnish, slight deposit buildup but all in all I don't think its looking too bad.

Just watch your OCIs and you'll be fine.
 
MMO for one 3000 oci, than Kreen for 1000 mile oci, than 3000mile. And change filter like every 500-1000 miles. Combine with PYB or diesel oil, should be winning combo.
 
MMO for 1 OCI, do that once a year, I prefer during the winter months. Those 4.3L engines are one tough engine.
 
If all the little oil passages looked like that there it must be oil restriction somewhere inside the engine. I'd use MMO with T5.
 
I have a very dirty 4.3 too!...its worse than yours. and it runs.

personally from the different things i have tried, the ONLY thing i would use is Kreen.

Why?.... because you could put it in with T5, (good idea i say) and just run it for a full OCI....with kreen you dont have to worry about leaving it in for 3K and it will dissolve the [censored], not leave any "chunks" that could block anything.....

MMO will take a long, long time to make any impression on that stuff

I have seen pretty major improvements in my van with Kreen in both oil and gas, that stuff is the bomb!!

the only other thing i could say, is that you might just be as well running some cheap Supertec 10w30, if you buy 2 qts of Kreen, you could do 4 2000 mile OCIs with a pint of Kreen each time??

let us know how it goes...
 
Originally Posted By: RamFan
I gotta be honest, I don't think that looks all that bad. It isn't showroom clean but I wouldn't say it is sludged...maybe heavy varnish, slight deposit buildup but all in all I don't think its looking too bad.

Just watch your OCIs and you'll be fine.


That is definitely sludge, not varnish.
 
Just replace 1 quart of oil with 1 quart of MMO. MMO only cost a bit more than oil (buy it at WM), and it will clean your engine, within a few thousand miles.
It lubricates very well, too.
I have started to use it in the fuel, too(3-4 oz a gallon).
It fixed a stuck fuel gauge in 13 days, and it had been stuck for more than 3 years.

It also fixed a small leak from the valve cover, in another car.

It will lubricate your fuel pump, and clean up the fuel system and valve seats.

It's a good product, and completely safe to use.
 
Originally Posted By: jonny-b
It fixed a stuck fuel gauge in 13 days, and it had been stuck for more than 3 years.

It also fixed a small leak from the valve cover, in another car.

It will lubricate your fuel pump, and clean up the fuel system and valve seats.

It's a good product, and completely safe to use.


+1 I had similar results with it fixing a stuck fuel gauge many years ago. Several people said that it was impossible, not so. I'm glad there's another person here who had similar results. MMO can and will clean that engine up. It took time for that sludge to build up, it might take an OCI or two to clean it up. For faster results Kreen is the way to go. The only problem I see with Kreen is it isn't something you can pick up locally, otherwise either product is GTG.
 
If I can make a suggestion, change the oil to PYB, PP, PU or something like LongLife Gold/Rotella or Delvac, without any additives. After about 3,000 miles, add a bottle of Amsoil Engine Flush or Liqui-Moly Pro-Line Engine Flush, allow the engine to idle for a maximum of 15-20 minutes (anything more is pushing it) and refill with fresh PYB, PP or PU and repeat.

Some will say the filter will "filter better" once it gets dirtier, so I will leave the recommendation to replace the oil filter during the 3,000 mile interval to someone with more knowledge.
thumbsup2.gif
 
Since you have it on hand, toss the bottle of Seafaom you have into the next fill of oil. Run it for 1k, and change it.

Add 1 quart of MMO to all futire oil fills, keep changing oil at 3k, and all will be well. It will clean it self out slowly but surely!
 
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