Need Advice On How To Clear Severe Sludge F250 7.3

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kevincolby650

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Hi There,

I have a 2000 Ford F250 With 106,000 Miles on it. My Brother bought it new and I bought it from him about 4 years ago. He maintained the truck very well, I have been so so on it. I would change oil every 5-7 months and not pay attention to the mileage since I don't drive it before the return mileage. So last year I decided to switch the amsoil since I don't drive it very much(aprx 6000 Miles a year)and just change it every year. A few weeks ago I decided to change all the fluids myself since its at a 100k miles on it. When I changed the amsoil with new amsoil 5w30, I over filled it. I installed a quick valve on the oil pan so it was easy to drain. When I drained it, it was pure black. Driven with no miles, I only ran the engine for about 5 min before I checked levels. I was shocked about how black it was, it was as black as the old oil. I did use the amsoil flush as I have always done too.

When I took the oil to Orileys to dump it the guy even commented on how sludgy it was since I had it in a 5 gallon bucket. He said it looks like it just came out of the earth. The sludge stayed on the bottom.

I don't think this is normal and I don't know how to go about to help clear it up. I don't want to mess anything up by trying to clear it up.

I was thinking of changing it every 2,000 miles for awhile with regular oil.
or
Add in Auto-RX.
or
Add in Marvel Mystery Oil
or
other?

any help will be greatly appreciated.

thank you!
 
Make sure when you change the oil, that the oil is HOT, preferably after a hard run or towing. That way you'll get more of the soot out. Just being black isn't necessarily bad, but black & chunky is (like my old 300D was when I bought it)!
 
I would not worry with black oil almost immediately in a diesel. Only a UOA will tell about the engine and only pulling a valve cover will tell you about sludge.

I will run 18K on Rotella T6. Due to be changed this month.
 
Diesel oil needs to suspend a lot of soot, so just being black doesnt mean as much as it does with a gas engine. That said, the sludge in the bucket would bother me. I'd be worried about the oil in the turbo! And there is a LOT of oil in that engine - talking gallons not quarts. So as long as it's not chunky you are probably ok. I would get the engine hot just before the changes and monitor the sludge issue. Might run a decent dino oil for a week and drain it to see how things look. Great truck, BTW. If its like one (4wd) my friend has, you can fit a 4 gallon bucket under it to drain the oil.
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
oh btw is the 5w30 a diesel oil? ive never seen one if it is


Amsoil, Castrol, Liqui Moly, Chevron (Delo), Pennzoil (Ultra Euro L) all make diesel approved/recommended 5w30 oils. There are others, especially from Euro manufacturers. I ran Amsoil HDD 5w30 last winter in my Jetta TDI with good results.
 
Diesel oil will be black as soon as you turn the key so don't pay attention to that. What oil did your brother use in it? If it didn't have diesel oil in it before then it may be heavily sludged up and probably needs a few short change intervals even with cheap dino to flush out the garbage that may be in it if it is leaving sludge in the drain pan. You may also want to double check on what oil is required by the owners manual. 15w40 sounds more like it than 5w30 or even 5w40 would be more appropriate since those engines are tough on oil.
 
Quote:
the amsoil since I don't drive it very much(aprx 6000 Miles a year)
Tell us more about your driving? A few long trips, or just some short trips with no weight in the truck? Does the engine get a chance to get fully warmed. A long, heavy drive is better for a diesel than a short cool trip. Idling is the worst. And, while Amsoil is very good, it does not seem worth the money in your case. Any name brand diesel engine oil will work well. If you're in a moderate climate, any 15w40. If you drive it in cold mountain winters, a 5W-40 is better.

Also, there is a chance that the injection system needs work. Poor atomization of the fuel will increase the carbon in the oil. And, don't waste your time asking the untrained counter clerks at any auto parts store about your oil or anything else. Find an expert--they're worth the money.
 
I wouldn't necessarily jump to injection problems-unless the oil level increases by itself, or if it's blowing clouds of black smoke (hot), or gray smoke (cold), indicating that fuel isn't getting fully burned. My company still has an '03 E-350, original 7.3, 700K on it now-120K is barely broken in!
 
thank you all for your responses. Here are some answers to your questions.

Owners manual recommends 15w40.

My brother used Delo 15w40 the entire time he owned it. I also continued using it.

1 years ago I switched to Amsoil 15w40.
The Amsoil dealer recommended the 5w30 so I used that this time when I changed it myself.

I was thinking of changing the oil more frequently for now to help clean it up with Shell Rotella.

Thank you for the tip to drain it hot, and will be easy since I have the quick valve.

If I need to dump the amsoil out on an early cycle I am willing to do it.

Would an additive like Sea Foam or Mystery Oil be any beneficial, or would frequent changes be the best option?

currently the oil level stays at the same point all year. I have never needed to add anything or notice the level go higher.

Or is the answer to just leave it alone?

thank you all!
 
Opps; forgot driving habits.

usually short trips. running errands, 1 or 2 trips a year about 3 hours away is about it. Towing some construction trailers here and there. that's about it.
 
Welcome Aboard !!!
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What part of the state are you located in ? I am in the Northern part.


Cheers
B
 
Just let the oil clean your engine out slowly and naturally, if you use a harsh flush you can release big lumps of sludge around your engine and block an oil way if you're unlucky, this is obviously seriously bad for engine.

Use the Shell Rotella, synthetic would be best if you can afford it/get it cheap enough and short change it

Diesel engines will turn the oil black immediately as a rule but after a while it will start get clean in there and you will see the oil start to be grey after a change rather than black

The sludge you saw in the bucket would have been from when you flushed it with the engine flush and released a load into the oil.
 
Originally Posted By: riggaz
Just let the oil clean your engine out slowly and naturally, if you use a harsh flush you can release big lumps of sludge around your engine and block an oil way if you're unlucky, this is obviously seriously bad for engine.

Use the Shell Rotella, synthetic would be best if you can afford it/get it cheap enough and short change it

Diesel engines will turn the oil black immediately as a rule but after a while it will start get clean in there and you will see the oil start to be grey after a change rather than black

The sludge you saw in the bucket would have been from when you flushed it with the engine flush and released a load into the oil.

I agree, you may also want to change the oil in your HPOP, this is located on top of the engine right above the pulleys. To gain access to this you need to loosen the small hex plug, I used a hand held pump to remove the fluid, re-filled it, and then repeated three times.

There's more detailed instruction on this at powerstroke help.com

Hope this helps

Amir
 
Kevin, the short trips are tough on a diesel engine. Diesels need to work. Don't let it idle except at stop lights. There might be some less-than-perfect injection of the fuel, and it would take a huge problem to raise the oil level, but your short, cool trips are likely the main problem.

The Delo 400 is an excellent oil. Shell Rotella is equally excellent, but nothing special. Use either, or any other top brand...76, Valvoline, etc., etc.

The 15w40 is just right for your engine. Amsoil claims that their diesel 5w30 oil is fine in the engine, but until International (the engine maker) says this, I wouldn't do it. There is no advantage to you, with your service, of a synthetic 5W-40. Don't worry about the black color--that's a diesel, especially one with an earlier injection system. The oil is designed to keep a lot of soot in suspension. Chevron sez:
"Delo 400 LE SAE 15w40 helps keep rings clean and free for maximum combustion pressure and minimal wear. Delo 400 LE SAE 15w40 minimizes valve and piston crown land deposits, leading to minimal oil consumption. Its high level of ashless dispersants keeps fuel soot in suspension and helps avoid filter plugging, heavy cylinder head sludge, abrasive polishing wear, high viscosity increase, and oil gelling. These problems can result in excessive engine wear and bearing failure on startup, without prior indication to the operator. Specially selected oxidation inhibitors control oxidation, sludge, and undue thickening during oil drain periods."
https://cglapps.chevron.com/msdspds/PDSDetailPage.aspx?docDataId=339444&docFormat=PDF
(And all the other oil makers say something very similar.)
 
Without pulling valve cover to tell your really shooting in the dark saying its sludged up.

These engines hold a couple quarts in the HPOP and high pressure oil rails. This oil won't get drained during a normal oil change. Only takes a little bit of carbon to make the oil all black so that's probably where your instant black came from.

Have the oil analyzed before you start spending more money on oil. Would be a shame to drain 15 quarts of perfectly good amsoil!
 
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