In getting my 46 Chevy 1/2 ton (w/ original 216) running, a good amout of water drained from the bottom of the oil pan. I decided it would be a good idea to change the oil since it had been sitting for more than a decade without being run. When I went to pull the accessory oil filter media out, it basically disintegrated in my hand. I use rags and cleaned all of the pieces/oil I could out of the canister. I had just prior replaced the line from the bottom of the canister to the engine since it was rotted off. My question is, since the filter probably disintegrated before the pieces could pass into the engine, do I have anything to worry about? Should I mix some diesel with my oil and run for a while before doing an oil change? This is not something I've experienced before and would appreciate some expertise.
If you didn't run the engine the filter media wouldn't have gone anywhere. If you run diesel oil or other high detergent in an old engine that probably has a lot of sludge & cake, the crap (would Edit: might) come loose later & plug up the oil pick up.
That's what I was worred about is plugging the oil pick up. I've had two old head mechanics tell me to do the diesel, but I'm leary of it for the same reasons you said. This is along the same lines as people telling me to upgrade to 10w30 instead of running SAE 30. It seems a lot safer to run 30 weight in an old engine like this.
On an old probably tired engine you might not have to worry about the zinc controversy either. or be safe & find who makes pre SM in what you want. Wal-Mart has SF rated "Accel" brand 10W-40, SF has the zinc, wasn't being stocked by wal-Mart for a while, but is back now. Makes for easy nation wide source if you went out of town with it & needed oil
The filter media probably fell apart from old age. I'd run 30 wt non detergent in that engine if it were me. Over the years there probably have been more old engines killed after they had sat for years by dumping high detergent oil in them and then running down the road while the pan filled with the sludge that washed out of the engine into the pan.
really not a big deal to get a gasket set and, drop the pan, side covers valve covers, etc.. start clean, and paint everything.
216'' Chev relies on oil flow, not pressure. Using heavy oil is a quick death for a tired engine, and the colder your climate, the more likely a rod bearing failure. Stick with the light stuff. Forget the diesel fuel. The mush in your filter canister may be toilet paper - some filters were designed to use it.
Diesel fuel belongs in the fuel tank on a diesel. Don't put that crap in the crankcase. If you have the filter canister clean, and have replaced the return line you are half way there. That filter is a bleed or bypass type filter. This means it takes a little oil from the system, runs it through the filter & returns it to the sump. The drain line sees no pressure. The line that feeds the canister from the oil pump does, and you should replace it before you start driving it. I had a line let go that "looked ok" on my 55 pickup. Emptied the crankcase on the freeway before I noticed it. The loud rattle was a poor way to find out... As far as oils go, the debate will run forever. A few facts go a long way. I spent an entire day at SEMA grilling the engineers and tribologists for all of the big players regarding zinc content of newer oils. They all agreed on one point. Any engine oil rated for diesel service CD-4 CJ-4 or CI-4 must have 1000 ppm of zinc. That is the specification, and it will not change. That zinc level is high enough to protect any flat tappet camshaft out there. The oils that meet that spec would include Rotella T, Delo 400, Mystik JT8, and others so marked. Viscosity. Very misunderstood. Oils all thin out as they get warm. NONE of them get thicker. A single grade oil is just thicker when cold than a multi grade oil. Oils are graded at two temperatures. 40c & 100c . The measurements are taken in centistokes, abbreviated cSt Now, let's look at some common oils: At 40c or 104f first: 5W30 47 -52 cSt 5W40 85 - 89 cSt 15W40 102 - 108 cSt 20W50 129 - 166 cSt 30W 98 - 110 cSt 40W 130-150 cSt A pretty big spread right? Now remember, the higher the number, the harder your oil pump works to move that stuff around. And those numbers go up more as the temperature drops. Now let's look at 100c or 212f : 5W30 10 -12 cSt 5W40 13.50 - 15.5 cSt 15W40 14 - 16 cSt 20W50 16.5 - 20 cSt 30W 11.5 - 12.5 cst 40W 14.5 - 15.5 cSt Much thinner at operating temps. a 5W30 oil is still as "thick" at 100c as your straight 30. But on a cold morning it puts 1/3 the stress on the oil pump drive, and is more likely to splash where it needs to be during cranking. On a engine where zinc is not an issue I will run 0W40 synthetic - no reason to beat on the oil pump, and I get more flow to everything at startup. For older stuff, I have been using Rotella T for decades. I ran Mystik JT8 when I had a farm store nearby. They make a 15W50 if you want it a little thicker, still flows as well cold as 30W. Since you found water in that pan, I would replace the feed line to the filter, and fill the sump with whatever oil you choose. Then let it idle after starting, and monitor the temperature & oil pressure. At least for an hour. Keep checking for oil or water leaks. Shut it down, and check the oil for water. If the oil does not look like mayonnaise, take it for a drive. Keep an eye on the oil pressure. B.
"a good amout of water drained from the bottom of the oil pan." I'd advise you to slow down and take your time, water in the pan is not a good thing to find. Like tb said, Drop the pan and pull the sidecovers and pull the valvecover too. You want to see what that water did in there and at the very minimum clean the pan before you go any further. When you clean out the crap and your satisfied that it's ok to start, pull the dizzy and spin the oil pump with an old screwdriver bit fitted in your drill until you get oil to the rockers. Start the engine, run it 10 minutes and let it get hot to chase the moisture and change the oil & filter. Drive it and change the oil again when you get home. Good luck. Terry
the problem here is...CI is the old oil & CJ is the new oil. I have a qt of oil marked SF(or SH)/CI. It has the zinc. There is oil out now marked CJ/SM either the CJ has as little zinc as SM, or there's a zinc compatibility failure with a CJ/SM rating.
Unless you have a quart of something marked only CJ, it must meet the earlier specs as well. HD diesel users still need the zinc for older off-road equipment. The oil companies will maintain this spec for a long time. Just loook for CD on the label if you are concerned. B.
Under the circumstances it would be wise to take off the oil pan and clean out the old sludge and grunge. If you are concerned about the filter take off the feed lines and blow them out with compressed air. You say you cleaned out the filter and put in a new filter element. When you have the pan off be careful not to disturb the oil squirters that feed oil to the rods. They must be "aimed". If they get bent away the rods will not get oil.
I think I'll start with dropping the pan and seeing what it looks like. I appreciate all of the good advice and it's good to know that all my instincts weren't wrong.
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