Oh, btw, Marvel Mystery Oil is great at picking up moisture in the engine/oil.
Blown Head Gasket 2.5 Years Ago...
- Thread starter 450LX
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Malleus
Far west of Siegen
FWIW, I agree with @baldilocks and @LINUS
Trying to reach the bottom end by dropping the oil pan is shadetree mechanics. You'll never get the underside of the truck clean; ask yourself if you'd rebuild an engine on a grease and dirt covered bench. This is the situation you'll have if you drop the pan and put your hands on the crank. Additionally, you can't see a bearing unless you remove it. Now you have a situation where you've removed one bearing and not the others. What are you going to do now? Even if the bearing's good, it has to be replaced. Now you've got one new bearing and, well, you get the idea.
You'll do no appreciable damage by replacing the oil (I'd second using thin oil for a few hundred miles) and running the truck (unless catastrophic failure is imminent, and then you're going to have the same situation you'd have if you'd decided to rebuild from the outset). Just watch it, and get samples at regular intervals. You also need to make sure the engine is at operating temperature, during this period. Running the truck for short hauls without warming the entire assembly is inviting condensation, which will skew your analysis.
Pay close attention to the way it sounds while it's running, both warming up and at operating temperature during this period. This will help you anticipate problems and also give you a benchmark for later operation months and years down the road.
Trying to reach the bottom end by dropping the oil pan is shadetree mechanics. You'll never get the underside of the truck clean; ask yourself if you'd rebuild an engine on a grease and dirt covered bench. This is the situation you'll have if you drop the pan and put your hands on the crank. Additionally, you can't see a bearing unless you remove it. Now you have a situation where you've removed one bearing and not the others. What are you going to do now? Even if the bearing's good, it has to be replaced. Now you've got one new bearing and, well, you get the idea.
You'll do no appreciable damage by replacing the oil (I'd second using thin oil for a few hundred miles) and running the truck (unless catastrophic failure is imminent, and then you're going to have the same situation you'd have if you'd decided to rebuild from the outset). Just watch it, and get samples at regular intervals. You also need to make sure the engine is at operating temperature, during this period. Running the truck for short hauls without warming the entire assembly is inviting condensation, which will skew your analysis.
Pay close attention to the way it sounds while it's running, both warming up and at operating temperature during this period. This will help you anticipate problems and also give you a benchmark for later operation months and years down the road.
Azca
If there is a harder way - I will find it...
2 years of sitting with coolant in the engine, I would pull the engine and rebuild it. Yes, it will cost you more but, if you replace the head and have a problem, you will pull it anyway and pay to have the HG done again anyway. Why pay a few hundred for a short term solution when you can pay a few hundred more and have a long term solution? 
I pulled my engine to do the head gasket and it was a good thing due to the pitted surface on the block. Save a bunch of time in the end. If nothing else, it was MUCH easier to work on, clean up and take care of other while you are in there items. I would highly recommend pulling the engine to do the HG. It is so much easier to do things right!
I pulled my engine to do the head gasket and it was a good thing due to the pitted surface on the block. Save a bunch of time in the end. If nothing else, it was MUCH easier to work on, clean up and take care of other while you are in there items. I would highly recommend pulling the engine to do the HG. It is so much easier to do things right!
SmokingRocks
hopelessly addicted to Cruisers
I'd just put a new head gasket on and reassemble. These engines are brutes, I bet it will clean it self right up and be fine.
And I would like to add that, a quality Diesel engine oil will do a fine job of gradually cleaning your engine up. Your original pics may be normal for gasser oil but my go to engine lube is Delo 400.
The photo shows the clean up process after only one oil change interval (OCI).
My head gasket blew about 4 years ago and I replaced it. If you didn't drive it for a long time with the head gasket blown, you should not have significant internal damage to your truck. You can't really miss it when your head gasket blows because the truck billows white smoke. I'd just pull the head gasket and look at the cylinder walls. If they look fine, replace the head gasket and enjoy your rig. It should be fine. These engines are pretty hardy!
I put delo 400 15W40 in my Dodge and my 80. The only reason I can think of not to run it would be extreme cold weather and there are block heaters for that. Plenty of Mud members run a DEO (Diesel engine oil) in their 1fz.
When we broke down my motor with 110k all the bearings were in such good shape that the builder decided not to replace any of the bearings. Lesson learned; had the fire rings not been pitted around 1/6 I would have saved a lot of money by leaving it alone.
Rivman1243
SILVER Star
Those have 110K on them?
- Thread starter
- #34
PKelly72, what happened to your motor for the fire rings to become pitted?
The motor I bought with 110k had been sitting for a few years. I had the head pulled because I wanted to put a new head gasket on since I was supercharging and already had all the parts for HG job. When pulled found pitting around 1/6 and need to deck the block. Talking to some of the experts, this wasn't the first they had seen/heard of this. I'll do a write up when motor is in and running.
Finished
Polished
Decked
- Thread starter
- #36
I finally got around to pulling the head. Everything that I can see looks good. I can still see the factory cross hatching and the cylinders pass the finger nail ridge test. I still need to look at the cylinder wall on the #6 cylinder, but Im nervous to turn the motor with the timing chain the way it is. Maybe 
could hold the cam gear up with a wooden dowel through cam gear bolt hole while i turn the motor. Anyway, Ill try to keep the thread updated through the process.
Any recommendations on cleaning the block deck? I was thinking just a razor blade, but now I'm thinking sand paper on a flat board. Thoughts? Im just nervous about keeping everything clean, especially the oil galley and oil returns...
could hold the cam gear up with a wooden dowel through cam gear bolt hole while i turn the motor. Anyway, Ill try to keep the thread updated through the process.Any recommendations on cleaning the block deck? I was thinking just a razor blade, but now I'm thinking sand paper on a flat board. Thoughts? Im just nervous about keeping everything clean, especially the oil galley and oil returns...
SmokingRocks
hopelessly addicted to Cruisers
this is the method I used.
Rivman1243
SILVER Star
Razor blade in one hand, shop vac in the other. DO NOT USE SANDPAPER! NO ABRASIVES!I finally got around to pulling the head. Everything that I can see looks good. I can still see the factory cross hatching and the cylinders pass the finger nail ridge test. I still need to look at the cylinder wall on the #6 cylinder, but Im nervous to turn the motor with the timing chain the way it is. Maybe
Any recommendations on cleaning the block deck? I was thinking just a razor blade, but now I'm thinking sand paper on a flat board. Thoughts? Im just nervous about keeping everything clean, especially the oil galley and oil returns...
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My mains were also in very good shape when I rebuilt at 230k.
I know coolant will have water also, but if well maintained, shouldn't coolant also prevent any corrosion? Well maintained might be the key.
Engine looks good so far otherwise though.
I know coolant will have water also, but if well maintained, shouldn't coolant also prevent any corrosion? Well maintained might be the key.
Engine looks good so far otherwise though.
- Thread starter
- #40
Yeah I think this is the way I will go.
