The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop oil additives to clean engine yes or no

Just wondering should we add some type of oil additive to clean gunk and sludge deposits with the goal to clear passages while we drive a 66 yr engine or would that invite more trouble than what it's worth.

Rick....

I think a good high quality detergent oil already has that in it.

The biggest problem in switching from non-detergent to detergent oil is that the engine will start to leak as all the junk sealing up the gaskets is removed.

Most of our stovebolt engines have been running detergent oil for decades anyway, as this is what is most commonly available. If you are worried about it, I would take off all the covers, clean up what you can including the oil pickup screen, and run detergent oil.

Kurt

By all means do remove the valve cover and side cover for an inspection if you haven't already done so. An old trick was to drain the oil, put a qt of kerosene in the engine to bring it to the full mark and run it for a short time, perhaps 20 miles, and get it up to operating temperature and then change it again. Avoid extended high RPM's is a good idea with kerosene.

Just to clear up Dave's posting above, he means to run the engine with one quart of kerosene, and the rest of the pan full of oil. I was always taught to just idle up to temp, as the oil is so thin. Like about everything, everyone has their own procedures, and I'll bet all of them are right!


Now, the manual I had for my '49 Poncho, said to just change the oil, and run half detergent, and half plain oil, then do full detergent.

For what it's worth, the detergent oil won't take the place of pulling the pan, and cleaning out the sediment, it won't magically clean it all out at once. At least that's my experience.

Open up the bottom pan plug, pull the valve and side covers, then brush and scrub with brushes and kerosene or disel fuel. Pour plenty of it down the head and on the side passages to wash all the gunk down. Then refill with your favorite oil.....it would be nice to pull the bottom pan though!!

...and of coarse replace the gaskets. Its gonna leak at the back seal anyway!!!!

Along with all the other information, a lot depends on how it looks under the covers. Dried on crusty stuff should be scraped and scrubbed then rinsed down. Just dirty oil can be cleaned with a oil and diesel, kerosine, or ATF mixture. No driving with diluted oil. I am assuming there is no oil filter so change oil often till its clean enough for you. If you can afford to let it set ( days or weeks ) with a full block full of diesel or kerosine, that would be best, it would give it time so soften up some of the really stuck on crude. If you do let it set with a full load of cleaner, pull the spark plugs and rotate the engine every day a few turns with the starter to expose all the parts to the cleaner mixture.

Joe

" PUT A QUART OF KEROSENE IN THE ENGINE TO BRING IT TO THE FULL MARK"

Mr Lang..what is there that needs to be cleared up?

If its a early engine with troughs and dippers I would by all means remove the pan to clean it. Your asking for trouble by using chemicals to loosen sludge and varnish. It will probably make things a bigger mess when the troughs don't flow oil because they have chunks of stuff in them.

I'm not trying to be a jack [censored], I just didn't know if someone new would fill the crankcase with kerosene, after draining the oil. Just trying to help a new fella out.

You would only fill the crankcase with kerosine if you are cleaning it, its not a oil replacement and you would never run the engine with kerosine alone. One or two quarts mixed with oil would not hurt if you let it idle to warm it up, and again, you would not drive it this way.

Joe