'Black Gunck' under valve cover?? Need Help!

[93vtecklr]

I wonder if the oil passages are clogged with oil?!? Looks like it just sat there and baked.

[mitmaks]

how much would we be looking at roughly for engine flush/clean?

http://shop.oreillyauto.com/ProductDeta ... umber=EF30" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
$4 at parts store, you add it before oil change, turn on engine, let it idle for 5-6 min (it dissolves that varnish) and then dump everything. Change oil and filter. It probably won't get every single bit in one time but it works great.

[lowflyinmx3]

Yeah thats pretty rough. I say buy two thing of seafoam and flush it twice. Can you chip any of it off? I'd say get something soft to take some of that off and try and suck it away with a vacuum so it doesn't go back into your block. I wouldn't give up on it just yet. Maybe try some seafoam directly to it and scrub it with a tooth brush or something.

[wytbishop]

It can be cleaned. It's not good, but it's not the worst I've seen. the engine is probably prematurely worn but not necessarily a write off. The seafoam will soften it though it may take more than one flush to get it clean.

[TMP39]

drain the oil in it and refill it with new oil and a bit of deisel fuel. like a quart or so run it for a bit than drain ALL of it out and than put new oil and filter on again. its what i've been told to do if you get alot of engine gunk. but since i havent had that problem i havent done it yet

[wytbishop]

NO!!!!

I urge you NOT to do that!

If you don't want to use an engine cleaner type additive, use some HEavy Duty grade motor oil. Older deisel engines used engine oil with high detergent content because the sulfur in old deisel fuel tends to stay behind and dirty up the engine. On used engines I always do my first start up with 20W50 HD oil. I will usually run an engine on that for the first hour or so then change it out. It comes out black after an hour. In your case I don't think that would be enough to clean what you have going there.

Putting solvent in the oil is a very very bad idea. Just don't do it.

[lowflyinmx3]

I wonder what have would have caused that to build up so bad. Maybe someone used a stop leak additive or something?

[TMP39]

I wonder what have would have caused that to build up so bad. Maybe someone used a stop leak additive or something?

changing the oil like once a year.

[Flyer]

I wonder what have would have caused that to build up so bad. Maybe someone used a stop leak additive or something?

changing the oil like once a decade.

There, fixed.

[TMP39]

I wonder what have would have caused that to build up so bad. Maybe someone used a stop leak additive or something?

changing the oil like once a decade.

There, fixed.

k if you could get a car to run after a decade of not changing the oil. thats some damn good oil lol

[Stonefly]

#1 rule... dont let the fat kid eat fudge near an open valve cover... look at all that fudge everywhere....

[Ryan]

what really freaks me out is that its STUCK TO THE CAMS! those things spin faster at idle than your tires do at highway speed... and there is never mud on tires afterhighway speed.

Wow.

[solo_ryder]

Here's what you gotta do:

Part 1, find out your motor is awesome:



Part 2, BE awesome and use a air compressor to blow out the crap, all over your car:



Part 3, Good as new my friend:



Ok, well I am not sure that is a good idea at all haha. I just seen it once and decided to post it up

[SuperK]

to be honest it's not stuck to the cams. The cams are just discolored but there's not really buildup on them. Just on the cam caps.

I would also go ahead and throw it out there:
When you've got a bad head gasket (was the car smoking previously?)
and you're throwing coolant and water in the oil, and running the heck out of it while doing so, this makes the oil build up and/or "congeal" like it looks in the picture.

But this would also open up another can of problems. So if they symptoms aren't there, it prolly isn't that.

Be awesome and fix it!

[Stonefly]

another common problem is mixing oils... regular and synthetic dont always work the best together and you end up with a gelatinous blob in the oil pan... that mistake nearly toasted my old civic