ATF flush for the crankcase??

[Cranky]

I've heard of people doing this over the years but is it good, bad or indifferent? Thinking about trying it in the beater 95 Dakota....no better test mule than this thing. It developed a lifter tic a couple of days ago that came on a bit slow and got louder the next time I fired it up but so far it's not getting any louder. Still seems to be hitting ok on all 6. Can't remember the last time to change oil but it's purdy dirty.

 

[zyzzyx]

Trans fluid is the same as oil except that it has more detergent properties in it. Can't hurt!

 

[RemCharger]

I'd use seafoam. It's made for whatever you're trying to do.

 

[toolmanmike]

I've heard of people doing this over the years but is it good, bad or indifferent? Thinking about trying it in the beater 95 Dakota....no better test mule than this thing. It developed a lifter tic a couple of days ago that came on a bit slow and got louder the next time I fired it up but so far it's not getting any louder. Still seems to be hitting ok on all 6. Can't remember the last time to change oil but it's purdy dirty.

I had a little tick on my 96 V6 truck as well. It would come and go. I put some STP like stuff in one day and it seemed to help. It did for a while. Give it a try.

 

[68-500]

Please do some reading on the amount of detergent in ATF. Transmissions don’t have a combustion process taking place, not much need for very much detergent. I think you’ll find your better off just changing the oil.

 

[Cranky]

Please do some reading on the amount of detergent in ATF. Transmissions don’t have a combustion process taking place, not much need for very much detergent. I think you’ll find your better off just changing the oil.

Well, have plenty of ATF laying around so may as well put it to use.....can't hurt 'rinsing' things out some.

 

[68-500]

It wont hurt anything. I’m just saying it might not result in your intended outcome.

 

[R413]

I'd rather find the one noisy lifter out of 12, then take it out, take it apart and clean it. You may do more harm that good rinsing out the engine.

How many miles on this V6? How clean or dirty is it inside?

 

[PurpleBeeper]

Trans fluid works GREAT at removing sludge from an engine, just maybe too good. If the engine is very dirty, it can free up so much sludge that it blocks the oil pickup. Don’t rev the engine and don’t leave it in more than 5 min or so

 

[Don Frelier]

I'd rather find the one noisy lifter out of 12, then take it out, take it apart and clean it. You may do more harm that good rinsing out the engine.

How many miles on this V6? How clean or dirty is it inside?

You do need to pull the intake on a magnum to get the lifters out so it's a little more involved than an LA.

 

[DeltaV]

I've heard of people doing this over the years but is it good, bad or indifferent? Thinking about trying it in the beater 95 Dakota....no better test mule than this thing. It developed a lifter tic a couple of days ago that came on a bit slow and got louder the next time I fired it up but so far it's not getting any louder. Still seems to be hitting ok on all 6. Can't remember the last time to change oil but it's purdy dirty.

Change your engine oil and filter more frequently!

 

[Cranky]

Change your engine oil and filter more frequently!

Why, it's a beater LOL! Thing is, I figured this truck would be done over 10 years ago.....it's like an old Dodge Dart....it just won't quit. Everything on it works including the AC but nothing works very good lol

 

[Under Pressure]

I’ll be banished for this but here goes, when learning cars and engines from my dad in 1972, I had done this to 2 engines that were sludged up, a 260 Ford and a 327 Chevy.
Dad instructed me to drain off 2 qts of oil and put in 2 qts of Kerosene, and let it idle for an hour, and he said “DO NOT REV THE MOTOR KID”!
Well at the time it worked and the crap that came out was unbelievable, reminds me of now if you ever took Fleet before a colonoscopy.
Took 3 or 4 oil changes till it came out clean.
The 327 is what we then stuffed into a 71 crap Vega, but it never failed and ran strong.
Can’t attest to its trial in an engine today, just an old time experience.

 

[Don Frelier]

1st gen Dakota's are cool.
Mine was originally a 3.9L

 

[Lefty71]

Glad you're the guinea pig lol.

Sounds like a solid plan....just dont shake so much loose that the oil pickup plugs with crap.

 

[Jeff Peterson]

From “Bob the oil guy”

“ATF doesn't need too much detergents, but need a lot of dispersants, to keep the dirt to accumulate at crannies and valves. People often confound detergents with dispersants. ATF have dispersants to lift and spread the particles avoiding accumulation in narrow passages. That is helpfull in the cleaning process of an engine. Dispersants doesn't show up in uoas, since they're succinimides and has no metalic elements like Ca, Na, Bo or Mg on it.“

 

[Lefty71]

I’ll be banished for this but here goes,

2 qts of oil and put in 2 qts of Kerosene, and let it idle for an hour, and he said “DO NOT REV THE MOTOR KID”!

My dad, who was not a motor mechanic used to say the same thing. Kersoene will certainly break oil crust down. Personally, I'd still be afraid of big chunks falling down from the pan sides and valve covers and plugging the oil pickup tho.

 

[R413]

Why, it's a beater LOL! Thing is, I figured this truck would be done over 10 years ago

If it's not worth changing oil then turn up the tunes and don't worry about the lifter tick

 

[Cranky]

I’ll be banished for this but here goes, when learning cars and engines from my dad in 1972, I had done this to 2 engines that were sludged up, a 260 Ford and a 327 Chevy.
Dad instructed me to drain off 2 qts of oil and put in 2 qts of Kerosene, and let it idle for an hour, and he said “DO NOT REV THE MOTOR KID”!
Well at the time it worked and the crap that came out was unbelievable, reminds me of now if you ever took Fleet before a colonoscopy.
Took 3 or 4 oil changes till it came out clean.
The 327 is what we then stuffed into a 71 crap Vega, but it never failed and ran strong.
Can’t attest to its trial in an engine today, just an old time experience.

I've heard of using kero too but didn't have any.....and didnt rev the engine up much. Maybe 1300-1400 and watched the oil gauge

Glad you're the guinea pig lol.

Sounds like a solid plan....just dont shake so much loose that the oil pickup plugs with crap.

Don't mind using this thing as a guinea pig since it has surpassed my expectations by a very long ways!

If it's not worth changing oil then turn up the tunes and don't worry about the lifter tick

Weelllll, figure I'd try to get another year out of it lol

 

[j-c-c-62]

Motor Medic Motor Flush, almost found on every auto parts store in quarts, I have used probably a hundred times. I have never used it to clean out a motor, more to keep it clean.
I suspect it is primarily off road red dye diesel fuel, that costs more that 4 times what I pay for it at the pump. No matter what detergents it might or may not have, it is relative to motor oil a solvent. and that alone is useful at oil drains.
You want to flush a motor out of dirty oil, after a long open drain plug period, dump in a gallon of new thin mixed cheap oil with some diesel fuel, and then let that wash out any left-over oil and allow to fully drain.