Taking my heads off to get rebuilt

[775stepside]

There's a local machine shop that is going to sell me a pair of heads for 480 or so. So I started taking it apart and I removed the valve covers and holy **** sludge. Couldn't imagine how it runs. Pretty sure the heads are the issue after diagnosis the smoke out the exhaust. I'm not a genius but I know there should be any oil sitting on the heads, should flow down to the pan. Never have I seen heads like this, lack of oil changes.

[rickpilgrim]

I would be tempted to pull the complete engine and sending it into the machinist after seeing all that sludge in the heads. If your smoking blue at idle and light throttle then definitely valve guide/seal problem. If smoking blue under load then it's normally rings. Because we keep our trucks u till they are scrap I would rebuild/replace the engine if any of mine look like that. Hopefully it just the valve seals.

[BigBlocksRule]

If the heads look like that, so does the lifter valley. And there's probably some of that sludge and goo in the oil passages.
Lack of oil changes will do that for sure.

[775stepside]

Yea I should have the intake and heads pulled today, I'm gonna clean as much as possible and pull the pan as well, I'll do multiple oil changed after it's done too.

[sntrym95]

Run some kerosene or Seafoam through it. That will clean out all the passages nicely. Let me know if you need specific instructions.

[BigBlocksRule]

^ I've used engine flush plus one quart of tranny fluid. The tranny fluid helps since it's such high detergent.
IF YOU DO THIS, DO NOT DRIVE WHILE THIS IS IN THE ENGINE!!!

If you manage to get enough out of the way to wash the internals, use a pump-up sprayer with mineral spirits. First, though, dig as much as you can out of the lifter valley, saves time and fluid. Heads, lifter valley and oil pan are where most of it will probably be concentrated. Double check the oil pump pickup to make sure it's clean and clear before you button it up.

[piecesparts]

You are going to laugh, scream, or choke on this one. Drain the oil out, put the drain plug back in and put 5 quarts of diesel fuel in the engine crankcase. Start the engine and idle for 10 to 15 minutes and drain the sludge out. I could not believe the difference after I saw the old fellow do that and guess what the engine ran fine on diesel fuel as a lubricant.

I also believe that a good rebuild is in the works, How many miles on the engine? Good time to do it and make some upgrades while you are at it.

[775stepside]

Well I got the heads back in and I have torqued the heads and cleaned the lifter valley, adjusted valves, just need to bolt up the exhaust manifold and put the I take on and the rest of the stuff. Almost done.

[775stepside]

[775stepside]

Just about done, just need to put my plug wires on, add oil, coolant, hook up 2 ground wires, put the fan shroud on and start it up. Excited