I just bought another, nearly identical truck to mine...a '96 F250 4x4 with EOD and XLT package. Engine has 200k+ miles, but runs smooth, lacks power, but I'm sure because its tired. My question to the group is..I need to change the oil and want to get out the sludge as the previous owner wasn't the best at keeping it changed. Do I use Seafoam in the crankcase and drive maybe 100 miles or so with it then drain it or do I simply pour the same amount (1pt, I think?) of 1K Kerosene in it and do the same? Any pros/cons to doing this? Will anything be harmed by doing this? Right now the oil looks a little dark and 'sedimenty' so I really want to get on this fast. Also, do I go with 5-30 (manufact.specs) or upgrade to 10-30 ? Are there any other flushes that you'd recommend? By the way, trans fluid is the cleanest I've ever seen in a truck...must've been worked on recently...
Jay

 

i would think kerosene would eat up the seals.

 

use a quart of trans fluid for a week or so then change it with a good detergent oil and motorcraft filter.

 

I would use seafoam, as it is safe to use in the crank case and you can also put it in the gas tank and clean that side too.

 

That's what I was afraid of...I'll stay away from the Kerosene treatment. Incidently, I've always been a fan of the trans fluid in the oil for a few hundred miles or so. It's cheap and effective. I'll probably go that route..
Jay

 

Just run a fully synthetic of 5W30. It will clean the crank case without potentially harming the seals or gaskets.

Thats what Castrol means by unlock the power , it cleans the sludge out naturally.

Just watch the sludge come out after your first regular (3000 mile ) oil change of using the fully synthetic.

I run nothing but a fully synthetic , and just recently rolled the odometer over again.

I change the oil every 3000 miles even though they say you can go longer.
And I personally like the Fram XG8 filter , it says its good for 7000 miles but I still change it every 3000. And It claims to have a 96% single pass cleaning effecentcy . I only paid $500 for the truck running (it was a mess though). So I spend a little more on the maintainess today.

I'm sure others will disagree with me , but I can tell them in five years , the only problems I have had is out of the truck is a TFI Modual , and a battery.

 

I have used tranny fluid, hydrallic fluid and seafoam in crank cases to clean out the engines. My observations were that The power steering and hydr seemed to bring out congeled chunks of sediment and I was never positive that they all came out. The fear there being that it would find its way into the oil pump screen and over time clog it up.

I didn't notice that with seafoam no clue why.

Also I have used really cheap oil like wolf head, and changed it every 300-500 miles and that really pulled alot out too, just takes longer.

as far as oil goes that is up to you if the engine seems noisey go heavier if not then regular is fine.

To me synthetic on a used engine can be more expensive that it is worth, again personal opinion.

 

I use Royal Purple 5w-30 in my Mustang and 10w-30 in my Truck and the extra Hp's is nice. But when I first buy I put seafoam in the tank and in the crank case and no seal problems to date. I leave the seafoam in for a full 3000, meaning I change the oil first and add the seafoam and leave it till the next oil change. But hey each to there own whatever works for them is what I would stay with.

 

My take is uninformed as I have not seen a before and after on an engine that has been torn down. But, alot of people recommend Marvel Mystery oil. I've used it for many years with no problems on all my engines.

In my opinion, one's opinion is uniformed unless they have personally seen a before and after of an engine tear down. Clumps could simply be the product itself clumping, or darkness in the oil could be from the product itself burning up.

 

From past experiences, The trans fluid works well since it is high detergent and will break down the gunk and stuff during normal driving.
I added a full quart, Drove normally for a week and did the oil change like I normally would.

 

I would only use the Motorcraft oil filter.
regards
rikard

 

yup motorcraft filters here too-i also use trans fluid and or marvel mystery oil-have used kerosene for 30 minutes just idling in the yard-for real bad motors-like when the oil pressure is almost nothing-to clean the screen

 

i have a 90 ford f150 with i think 255 thous on the motor, it cranks up and runs good from what i am hearing but my oil pressure is almost nothing. What would be the most effective treatment for me? originally i planned to pull the pan and do a bearing job on it and new pump etc..... but if i can do it an easier way so be it!

-Randy b

 

Two options that will be fairly inexpensive and MIGHT help...

As someone mentioend, adding kerosene for a very short period of time may improve your oil pressure. Add 1 pint to the crankcase, crank the engine and let it idle for 30-45 minutes. Drain the oil immediately and replace with a synthetic oil designed to clean the engine. Castrol Syntec is a good recommnedation. Add a pint of seafoam to the engine and drive it for another 500-1,000 miles. Drain and replace with synthetic oil. This should go a long way in cleaning the engine and increasing oil pressure. You do not want to leave the kerosene in there for too long and don't want to let it sit idle as it will eat your seals and gaskets.

The other option is to do the above but not use kerosene. If you currenty have a oil leak of any size, it will likely make it a bit worse. The same is possible with Seafoam, but not as serious as kerosene.

If neither really helps, the problem may be mechanical with a bad pump or clogged screen and would warrant pulling the pan.

Good Luck!

 

I would recommend using a Motorcraft or Wix filter and I always use 10W-30 oil, even in the winter when it is cold. I also highly recommend using Quaker State High Mileage oil, it is a synthetic blend and it is less prone to being burnt or leaked out of a higher mileage motor. My 351 has only 138,000 miles on it and I use Quaker State High Mileage or Valvoline's High Mileage synthetic blend, I'm a little partial to Quaker State because thats what my dad has always used.

I would not recommend a full synthetic for these motors, especially ones with higher mileage. My motor is in great shape, it does not burn or leak any oil, but when full synthetic oil is used in it, I get leaks. My dad has always got leaks from using full synthetic in his '97 with the 460, even when it had less than 90,000 miles on it.