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  #1   IP: 74.88.0.97
Old 01-03-2019, 07:03 AM
nyvoyager nyvoyager is offline
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Cannot seem to change oil

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
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Old 01-03-2019, 08:42 AM
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MMO maybe? Seafoam?
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Old 01-03-2019, 08:43 AM
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What are you trying to pull it out with? Where from?
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Old 01-03-2019, 11:55 AM
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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.
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Old 01-03-2019, 06:34 PM
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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
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Old 01-03-2019, 06:58 PM
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I would add a couple quarts of isopropanol, otherwise known as rubbing alcohol Isopropanol will dissolve both water and oil.
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  #7   IP: 32.211.28.40
Old 01-03-2019, 10:07 PM
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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.
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  #8   IP: 74.88.0.97
Old 01-03-2019, 10:58 PM
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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
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Old 01-04-2019, 12:28 AM
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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?
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Last edited by ndutton; 01-04-2019 at 12:31 AM.
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Old 01-04-2019, 01:41 AM
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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
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Old 01-04-2019, 07:39 AM
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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.
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Old 01-04-2019, 09:54 AM
zellerj zellerj is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nyvoyager View Post
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.
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Old 01-04-2019, 11:30 AM
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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
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Old 01-04-2019, 01:33 PM
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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
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Old 01-05-2019, 08:13 AM
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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
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Old 01-05-2019, 09:25 AM
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Here is the extractor I have, works great. It comes with a variety of suction tubes in different diameters.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vacuum-Oil-...LMIU:rk:1:pf:0
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Old 01-05-2019, 11:13 AM
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NY, I too recommend using the diesel fuel for a "thinner". In he old days we would often clean the engines before doing the then repetitive valve jobs. These engines that people ran non-detergent oil would sludge up something terrible. We drained the oil added a fresh filter, diesel fuel and started it. We would let it idle for an hour or so. Almost all of the sludge would be gone (emulsified into the oil). The diesel fuel is just a thin oil with a very hi lubricity rate to lube the injector pumps. Never had a problem.

When doing this add what you can and if there is water in the oil add about 2~3 ounces of dish soap as the soap will draw the water into the oil and make the flushing process easier.

Get what goo you can out then add the diesel fuel for the first flush and cleaning~it does work. I've done dozens of engines being restored in this manner. Just be sure to run in neutral with no load IE in neutral.

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Old 01-05-2019, 04:24 PM
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I used to have a magnetic block heater that just stuck to the oil pan or whatever was ferrous. It was helpful in NY winters. That might help to thin the sludge a bit.....
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  #19   IP: 137.103.82.194
Old 01-06-2019, 12:23 PM
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I would stick with diesel or MMO as a cleanser and in either case a couple cans of SeaFoam will help. Both of them have some lubricating qualities as well as solvent/cleanser ability.
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Old 01-06-2019, 12:52 PM
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I like the block heater idea but doubt there is enough room under the pan.
Besides it is literally 800 feet to any power. Water is shut down for the winter and unless I can get water I'm afraid this is going to have to wait. Definitely not ideal
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Old 01-06-2019, 12:59 PM
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Pour a gallon of MMO in the crankcase - or at least as much as you can without overflowing the front seal, and more down each spark plug hole. Leave until spring if you can't think of anything else or try and pump it out a week or two later.
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Old 01-06-2019, 09:26 PM
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I used to have good luck on other engines using Varsol to thin the oil/water "milkshake".

I use the Pella 6000 suction oil extractor:

https://www.amazon.com/Pela-PL-6000-.../dp/B002EJ2GUC

You can remove the small dipstick tube and use the larger diameter hose. I found that it just fits inside of the hose that connects my aftermarket oil filter to the large plug on the crankcase.
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