0 oil pressure

[flatlander]

I checked the oil on the dipstick first. It was good. (I also checked it later to see if oil was being thrown around the crankcase and it was) I assumed it was the oil sending unit. I pulled the oil line to the Unit with the truck running. No oil. So I unhooked the oil line from the oil port down low on the block by the bellhousing to see if the line was plugged. No it's not. Pulled the oil filter to see if it was plugged. No it's not. Pulled the oil drain plug to drain the oil. I figured it was time to change it anyway. very slow drip.

The oil from the filter was black and thick, but it has less that 3000 miles on it. I'm assuming my oil has completely sludged up, but how can I tell if it's sludged? If it is how do I clean it out without pulling the motor?

How can oil thicken that badly in less than 3000 miles--hell the motor has less than 3000 miles!!

 

[icanfixall]

Sounds like a lot of things are going on here. First off what kind of oil are you using ans is this the same grade and type oil used before rebuilding the motor. Whay was the motor worked on and what was done to it. Did you or a shop assemble the motor. Oil will not thicken just because your using it and at 3000 miles it should be black but pour easily. Is it cold when all this is happening.

 

[Mr_Roboto]

What oil were you running? I can see straight 30 weight being real thick in the temps we are having.

 

[flatlander]

Well, the oil finally drained out. It took about 2 hours and it is the thickest blackest oil I've ever seen. I'm going to send a sample to blackstone and figure out what's up.

It's hard to say what kind of oil it was. I drove the truck to Lisbon, OH a year and a half ago and developed a bad oil leak, so I put whatever oil I could find in it. I know that I've used Rotella as well as some Coastal AutoZone brand.

It is cold here--20's but that shouldn't affect it too badly.

I'm going to put in new oil and a filter and see if I have oil pressure now.

Is there anything I can put in with the oil to clean up the mess that's probably in my motor?

 

[Russ]

Barney is this the same oil that was used during the break in? Could be the molly lube? I've always changed my oil 500 miles after a fresh rebuild.

 

[The Warden]

Is there anything I can put in with the oil to clean up the mess that's probably in my motor?

I've had good luck with Seafoam. I put one can in the crankcase and drive around enough to get the oil warm, then for maybe another 15 minutes, then drain the oil while hot. This practice has kept my oil system surprisingly clean...

Note that I only put the can in shortly before changing the oil. Some people put in a can with fresh oil and run it all the time, but I'm uncomfortable with that. But, that's just me

 

[oldmisterbill]

My 2 bits I wouldn't use any additive to clean up the mess right now.If you can get oil pressure -run it drain it.Your last trip should have cleaned it a lot.From past experience when a motor (even is it was sludgy)is run many constant highway miles it will eventually wind up clean as a whistle.

 

[flatlander]

Barney is this the same oil that was used during the break in? Could be the molly lube? I've always changed my oil 500 miles after a fresh rebuild.

Not really. I had a couple hundred miles on the motor before Lisbon, then on the trip to and from Lisbon I put 10+ quarts in to keep up with the leak.

I have half a cup in my kitchen (my wife is so thankful for that) that I'm going to take to Blackstone on Monday. Yeah, Blackstone labs is about 2 miles from my house.

 

[sle2115]

Have you changed the oil and filter? Have you started it since changing? Is it running? Do you have oil pressure? Inquiring minds want to know!!!

 

[icanfixall]

I have opened up my motor that had either 270 or 370,000 miles on it and found no sludge buildup on anything. The pistons showed the machining marks on the shirts still. They are very clean and do not look like they have that many miles on them. My new motor with 5200 miles on it looked worse on the piston skirts than the high milegae motor did. Both motors looked the same inside but with much differant mileage on them. I usually change my oil at 3000 miles but on the old motor sometimes I went as high as 5000 miles. I always use Delo 400 ans Stanadyne in every fillup.... $ oz. per tank...

 

[Mr_Roboto]

Stay away for flushes, all they will do is break loose junk in the top of the motor and send them into the pan to get sucked into the oil pickup screen to clog it.

You CAN fill the pan with Kero etc to try to dissolve some of the junk as long as you don't run the motor. That way the junk comes out the drain plug rather than sucked into the pickup.

I've had at least one motor that died of a clogged pickup, it's not a pretty death. Oil pressure at idle, then less and less as RPM's increase.

 

[flatlander]

All right, I put everything back together and put rotella in and everything is good to go. I have 60 (high, I know and don't now why) at idle. I didn't let it warm up cuz it's Sunday night and it's cold and I have books to do and bills to pay and dinner to eat and . . .

 

[NJKen]

Strange indeed. I am curious to know what Blackstone says.
Ken

 

[Agnem]

40 or 50 at idle with real cold 15W-40 isn't unusual. Your story reminds me of the 70's when I worked at the Exxon dealer. That Arco Graphite black oil was a trendy fad back then. We had a customer come in with a Corvette that had been running that stuff for over 7000 miles. The tech pulled the drain plug and nothing came out. Stuck a screwdriver in there, and pulled out what could best be described as a "tar baby".

 

[flatlander]

I got the results from Blackstone. Turns out I have high iron, lead, and copper indicating above average bearing wear for oil with less than 3000 miles on it. This is attributable to water in th eoil. Not antifreeze, water.

I figure that when I got the motor running after I got it back from Ken, and after the obligatory first run oil changes water must have gotten in somehow. The only way I can figure is through the grommet in the valley pan where the turbo oil return line goes in. I had a lot of blowby gases under the hood which I at first blamed on a crappy chrome oil filler filter thingy I had stuffed in the oil fill in lieu of a CDR. I later figured out that I pushed the rubber grommet down into the valley pan when I pushed the return line down in.

It must have been just a little bit of water as the oil never turned into chocolate milk. That water must have also separated enough that on Saturday when it was cold it froze and didn't allow the oil to drain when I pulled the plug.

I have good pressure immediately now. I'll send in another sample in 3000 miles and see if everything is straightened out.