My Valvetrain is Incredibly Filthy - What to do? (1 Viewer)

[ccslider]

Thats not bad but I've seen people run 1 qt of transfluid with their oil and then change the oil after a week or so. Be prepared for a smoke show

 

[Railwelder93]

Thats not bad but I've seen people run 1 qt of transfluid with their oil and then change the oil after a week or so. Be prepared for a smoke show

That’s known as a Cummins colonic.

 

[musthave]

Looks like average valve cover. Install as others has said and go drive it. Don't overthink it, it's fine.

 

[iptman]

Also, be sure to look up the torque spec on those VC bolts. It's very low and it's easy to snap them off.

 

[baldilocks]

Close it up and run Diesel engine oil from now on. Will clean it up in time.

 

[93yotasr5]

I can’t find pics,
But when I cracked open my valve cover the insides looked every clean. At the time I had about 300k. I have been running Rotella 5-40 for the last 10 years and will run a can of sea foam in the oil a few days before I drain it.

 

[Rwhat]

I can’t find pics,
But when I cracked open my valve cover the insides looked every clean. At the time I had about 300k. I have been running Rotella 5-40 for the last 10 years and will run a can of sea foam in the oil a few days before I drain it.

I forgot to mention I used seafoam in the oil before some oil changes. Some say it’s “Snake oil” but works great on everything I used it on.

 

[93yotasr5]

I feel it that it actually works. I don’t think it’s a “fix anything fluid” but it has its purpose and it always works for what I use it for.

 

[TriaxialBulls]

As people mentioned that a higher detergent oil helps. I think it does.
15-40 Rotella. I however do think at some point the HG was previously done due to paint marks on the timing gear. I could be wrong.

172,000 with last 25,000 miles on with Rotella

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Do you mean the HG was done on your motor or on mine? Because I'm fairly certain it hasn't ever been done on mine.

 

[TriaxialBulls]

Also, be sure to look up the torque spec on those VC bolts. It's very low and it's easy to snap them off.

So I couldn't find any consensus on what they should be torqued to; apparently the FSM is ambiguous as well. So what I did was I actually used a torque wrench to take mine out and see what they were torqued to; my torque wrench has increments of .5lb-ft. They seemed to all be somewhere between 12-8lb-ft, although some of them were alarmingly low; I actually took 2 of them out with my fingers and there were another 2 that I did with ratchet but I probably could have gotten with my fingers as well. This probably explains my massive oil leaks (the gasket was also totally solid, along with the distributor o-ing). I torqued them all to 10lb-ft at first, but that felt just a hair on the light side while I was doing it so then I went back and set them all to 12lb-ft. I think that's where I'm going to leave them.

I also had 6 bolts left over (they sold them in packs of 10 and I needed 14, so I bought 2 packs. 20-14=6), so if anyone needs them, lmk and I'll send them to you as long as you pay for the shipping.

 

[TriaxialBulls]

Close it up and run Diesel engine oil from now on. Will clean it up in time.

Yep that's the plan. I'm also going to use a filter that has a drainback valve, as the current one doesn't have one and I'm pretty sure it's the cause of my engine rattle on startup. Also probably why the valvetrain looked pretty dry in my pictures (although it has also been sitting for a couple weeks).

 

[BILT4ME]

So I couldn't find any consensus on what they should be torqued to; apparently the FSM is ambiguous as well. So what I did was I actually used a torque wrench to take mine out and see what they were torqued to; my torque wrench has increments of .5lb-ft. They seemed to all be somewhere between 12-8lb-ft, although some of them were alarmingly low; I actually took 2 of them out with my fingers and there were another 2 that I did with ratchet but I probably could have gotten with my fingers as well. This probably explains my massive oil leaks (the gasket was also totally solid, along with the distributor o-ing). I torqued them all to 10lb-ft at first, but that felt just a hair on the light side while I was doing it so then I went back and set them all to 12lb-ft. I think that's where I'm going to leave them.

I also had 6 bolts left over (they sold them in packs of 10 and I needed 14, so I bought 2 packs. 20-14=6), so if anyone needs them, lmk and I'll send them to you as long as you pay for the shipping.

I would not go any tighter than that.

The VC gasket does not "compress" in the joint like most. The VC has stops on the head where it stops compressing and the bolts are clamping hard parts together. Tighter does not equal more compression.

I stripped a bolt on mine at 15 LB-FT.

 

[iptman]

Yep that's the plan. I'm also going to use a filter that has a drainback valve, as the current one doesn't have one and I'm pretty sure it's the cause of my engine rattle on startup. Also probably why the valvetrain looked pretty dry in my pictures (although it has also been sitting for a couple weeks).

OEM filters only. Best quality for the cheapest amount.

 

[mikedamageinc]

Yours isn't bad but you can always do a seafoam treatment and follow up with a cleaner oil change. Redline oil has good detergents in it. It's expensive and the TLC doesn't care so I only run it in some cars but it keeps the internals super clean. Here is a pic of my track car, engine has about 80k.

 

[azngarage]

I just wonder if seaform will clean this one

 

[TriaxialBulls]

I would not go any tighter than that.

The VC gasket does not "compress" in the joint like most. The VC has stops on the head where it stops compressing and the bolts are clamping hard parts together. Tighter does not equal more compression.

I stripped a bolt on mine at 15 LB-FT.

Yeah 15lb-ft definitely seems like too much. I think 12 is the sweet spot. It was tight enough that it felt solid, but I also didn’t ever feel like I was going to snap one off.

 

[davidp14]

Pretty sure I remember finding 8lbs for VC bolts. Basically just past finger tight.

 

[davidp14]

The last page of the introduction has "STANDARD BOLT TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS"

6mm bolts range between 48 inch-pounds and 9 foot-pounds, depending on the markings on the bolt head.

Ok. 9

 

[ZackR]

Yours looks almost exactly like mine, which is plenty clean.

 

[TriaxialBulls]

I just wonder if seaform will clean this one
View attachment 2271143

"Yes hello, EPA? I'd like to suggest a new superfund site..."