Cannot seem to change oil

[nyvoyager]

Long story short -I got stuck this fall with a overheating engine.
Ken was great in shipping me a new water pump whose impeller seized on the shaft. thank you.
It turns out the exhaust elbow was clogged and when i finally got around to checking the oil, I believe it pushed water into the crankcase.
When i try to pull the oil out, it is the consistency of a loose paste.
Obviously it helps a little if I heat the engine up but not much.

Any ideas how to pull this muck out? Any additives I can use?
Thanks All

[joe_db]

MMO maybe? Seafoam?

[ndutton]

What are you trying to pull it out with? Where from?

[lat 64]

eew, sounds like the water and oil mixed into a "mousse".

Did the water get in from the water pump seal fail?

The guy that pumps out my septic tank pumps water back in to break up the sludge so it can get sucked out better. You might have to something like that with MMO or transmission oil to clean out the crankcase.

[nyvoyager]

I've used seafoam in gasoline for cars...i'll have to look
Yes maybe MMO
The small elbow at the exhaust lift was clogged...the one which pushes hot water into the exhaust.
I have a hand pump extractor...pump and creates a vacuum

[zellerj]

I would add a couple quarts of isopropanol, otherwise known as rubbing alcohol Isopropanol will dissolve both water and oil.

[Al Schober]

Lots of stuff you can pour in then pump out, but nothings going to do much good (no circulation) until you can run the engine. I'd pour in a mix of 50/50 kerosene and motor oil (30W) and run the engine for about 10 minutes at idle - just let things circulate and slosh a bit. Too bad (or maybe good) that I can't get the wife's immersion blender in there! Pump that out, then put in a load of decent oil. Run it for a half hour and see how it looks. If you still have a mousse, some more flushing is needed.

[nyvoyager]

Zellerj wouldn't the isopropanol present a explosive danger?

Thanks everyone you give me hope. I know I need to pull this engine and was hoping it wouldn't be this year.
I'll try to get to it this weekend
Happy New Year All

[ndutton]

Are you trying to pull through the dipstick tube or the 3/4" threaded plug under the carburetor with a big bore tube? Have you tried removing the reversing gear cover and going at it through there?

[nyvoyager]

Dipstick tube but I was definitely thinking of pulling the gearbox cover.
Do you think this is a worthwhile go?
Hadn't thought about the plug under the carb - thanks

[ndutton]

I would get as much goo out of the crankcase as possible by any means available including through the gear cover, then add a thinning agent, extract and repeat several times. Once able to achieve more oil than goo I would run the engine (no load) with thinning agent added to the oil (25%?) for several oil changes. I have no experience with iso alcohol in this application so cannot comment but certainly Sea Foam and MMO are your friends here.

[zellerj]

Zellerj wouldn't the isopropanol present a explosive danger?

Keep flame and spark sources away from it and you will be fine. Isopropanol is less flammable than gas (it has a higher flash point), but more flammable than kerosene. It should be relatively safe to handle.

[thatch]

NY, The 3/4" pipe plug hole under the carb is the absolute best access point to remove fluids from an A4 crankcase. Early A4s actually had an oil pump mounted there. Removing that square headed plug can be difficult the first time and I would recommend taking it out with a 1/2" drive 3/4"-12pt socket and a long extension. It may help to use a hair dryer through the reversing gear access port to warm up that sludge to make it more pump-able.
Tom

[nyvoyager]

Ok great it looks like a plan will come together with all these options
I'll probably open the gearbox and the plug under the carb.
I am thinking the tube on my vacuum extractor is to small.
What would you recommend for a 12v oil extractor without spending the months mortgage?
Anything I could cobble together

[Marian Claire]

NY. Do you have access to the oil pan drain plug? Trying to think of a way to flush the pan without having to "pump" the stuff out.

Dan
S/V Marian Claire