Bent Connecting Rod - GM Top Engine Cleaner

[wwillson]

I have a friend who has been a professional mechanic for about 35 years. He decided that he would run GM's Top Engine Cleaner through his Ford 3.0L in a Ranger. 175,000 miles on the clock. First pictures show how clean the valve train area is after that many miles.








He let the motor ingest the cleaner, then shut it off per the directions. This is what happened when he started the engine:





He said he thought he would add some more cleaner after he shut it off. Kicks himself, because he knows better. It was his car and he broke it, so he fixed it. Took him about 6 hours to fix from start to finish - he knows what he doing.

Very clean piston crown after 175,000 miles:

 

[Shannow]

Ouch...

I've used top end cleaners (and water) before, but never let it stop.

 

[Astro14]

Hydrolocked it... I'm certain he's kicking himself, it looked quite good for those miles...

The GM cleaner is good, if you follow the directions. But he "added more after it stopped" and filled a cylinder enough to bend that rod. RTFD...

 

[KrisZ]

Ouch indeed!

I've used it but as a piston soak and cranked the engine with the spark plugs out before firing it up.

 

[JHZR2]

Bummer. Everyone messes up and learns sometimes. Fortunately he could remediate himself.

Great pics though!!

 

[AVB]

Originally Posted By: wwillson
I have a friend who has been a professional mechanic for about 35 years. He decided that he would run GM's Top Engine Cleaner through his Ford 3.0L in a Ranger. 175,000 miles on the clock. First pictures show how clean the valve train area is after that many miles.



Those pics have to be of the reassembled engine. They are too dry to be before pics. They also appear to be freshly painted. Look how clean the push rod holes are in the intake.

 

[wwillson]

Originally Posted By: AVB
Originally Posted By: wwillson
I have a friend who has been a professional mechanic for about 35 years. He decided that he would run GM's Top Engine Cleaner through his Ford 3.0L in a Ranger. 175,000 miles on the clock. First pictures show how clean the valve train area is after that many miles.



Those pics have to be of the reassembled engine. They are too dry to be before pics. They also appear to be freshly painted. Look how clean the push rod holes are in the intake.


Yes, the pictures are of the reassembled engine after having the intake hot-tanked and painted. The exhaust side of the heads were also painted.

 

[AVB]

Ok, the way that I read it was "look how clean the engine was at tear down". I just wanted to clarify that they weren't fresh under the valve cover pics. It does look good though.

 

[CT8]

Stuff happens.

 

[HonorAndHonesty]

GM top engine cleaner must not be compatible with Fords....

 

[daves87rs]

OUch....

 

[KGMtech]

Top marks for honesty and nice collection of photos.

 

[demarpaint]

He hydrolocked it. You could say he killed it with kindness. That was one clean valve train.

 

[Lubener]

Adding the top engine cleaner thru the air intake is not going to clean the valve train if that's what you are implying..Combustion chamber, yes. If he added it in the oil, perhaps. Give credit to frequent oil changes instead.

 

[dlundblad]

Shows his true colors being a mechanic and sharing with a friend that he messed up. Still a shame regardless..

 

[wwillson]

Originally Posted By: AVB
Ok, the way that I read it was "look how clean the engine was at tear down". I just wanted to clarify that they weren't fresh under the valve cover pics. It does look good though.


He did nothing to clean the valve train. The rockers and top of the head were that clean when he removed the covers.

 

[wwillson]

Originally Posted By: Lubener
Adding the top engine cleaner thru the air intake is not going to clean the valve train if that's what you are implying..Combustion chamber, yes. If he added it in the oil, perhaps. Give credit to frequent oil changes instead.


Certainly not going to clean the valve train. He was trying to clean the intake and combustion chamber.

 

[Kruse]

Originally Posted By: wwillson

He did nothing to clean the valve train. The rockers and top of the head were that clean when he removed the covers.


I can believe it.
I bought an '88 3.8 V6 Cougar off the show room floor and put 300K miles on it without touching the engine. Oil was conventional, many different brands, and the oil filters I used were whatever I could get on sale. At 300K miles, everything fell apart on the car except the engine. Took the engine apart and there was NO sludge of any kind. There was hardly any valve deposits on any of the 12 valves. No deposits in the oil pan and the top of the pistons looked really clean. This was the first time the valve covers came off.
Took the heads and had them freshened up. Put a new short block in my daughter's '95 Mustang and put the '88 heads on the new engine. Ran great until the car was salvaged.

 

[Trav]

I guess he will be doing this job the safer way from now on. I bet he is kicking himself for not pulling the plugs before cranking it over again. As Frank said "killed it with kindness".

 

[Vikas]

could it have ingested that much all on its own when he purposely stalled it? or was it strictly because he added extra helpings afterwards.

BUT, how did he add the extra helpings? Is the engine orientation such that it is possible to pour something in the air intake using gravity?

Or did he take out the plugs and added more and put the plugs back? That would need huge slap on the forehead!