Technical Sludge ,sludge, and more Sludge

Took large panel off oil pan, ya about an inch thick, I can get most out of there but is there a trick to drop the pick up screen to clean it

 

Need more info?what vehicle . which engine?

 

Flathead with the big truck-style cleanout cover? There's a wire clip that runs from one side of the pickup, over the screen, and sticks into the other side. Should be able to bend the wire spring in the middle (pull downward) and it will come loose on one end. Then pry the sludgey screen out. Might find it best to pull the whole pan off and clean it all though. And a cleaning of everything else you can see as well.

 

Alchemy is right on. With sludge that thick I’d also pull the heads and intake and clean the top side at the same time.
That will be a perfect time to view the valve fit and cylinder wall condition and push rod slop.
Normally it’s a non detergent oil that was used in that engine. Clean it up good and run some valvoline racing oil 20-50 in it.

 

Woner IF....filling the pan up with AT fluid and diesel fuel mixed and let it sit/or turn the engine with the coil wire off to slosh that mix around

 

Time to flush that whole engine out. You certainly don't need that crap blocking essential oil passages to bearings and such...

 

This sounds like a job just waiting to morph into a major case of "while I'm at it". Since sludge is mostly formed by contaminates sedimenting out of the oil I would also pull the intake and clean under it. If it is an OHV I would also pull the valve covers. On an inline pull the side cover if any. Make sure all the drain back holes are clear. I could be wrong but I don't believe oil under pressure is as likely to sludge up its passages. As a check I would inspect the edges of all the bearing caps for any that look drier than the rest. (If OHV also the rockers, their balls or shafts.) Remember the more you look the more you will find. It sounds like you were doing a little clean up/maintenance, not looking for an excuse to do a major overhaul.

 

Ive got to where I pull the oil pans of setting and rotting engines before I attempt a first start. Pictured is a tractor oil pan. However its typical of the sludge you commonly find. I certainly do not want to flush crap like this thru the oiling system. sludge forms because of several things. lots of cold starts and not being drove enuf to get the engine up to proper normalized temps. non detergent oil and infrequent oil changes. Quaker state and Pennzoil are black oils that seem to create sludge more often. Running without a thermostat. A retrofit PCV will help prevent sludge from forming.

 

The trick we used years ago, bearing in mind we have a fairly mild climate with no real extremes of temperature, was to replace the thermostat with the hottest one available for that particular engine.The main dealers could get thermostats in a range of opening temperatures, whilst the motor factors would only carry a mid range stat. The benefit was a faster warm up, better heater/demister, and less or no sludge or the "black death" as we referred to it. I would assume that with the US having such a range of climates that a range of thermostats would be available.