Cleaning the oil pickup

[clazar]

Is it possible to clean the oil pickup while it's still in the pan on the car. By that, I mean can I take the oil filter off & force air back thru the system to clean any dirt or obstructions that may be clogging the pickup. Not that mine is clogged. I've always wondered that.

 

[pnora]

No. And if you try it you may cause the pump to lose its prime.

 

[clazar]

So if I take the distributor out & re-prime. Can the pickup be cleaned ??

 

[dvw]

Why not unscrew it and then clean it?
Doug

 

[Daliant]

Anything you manage to dislodge from the pickup will just be sucked back in as soon as you start the engine, even if you flush the pan and change the oil, it won't help.
I've tried cleaning pickup tubes before while removed from the engine and you wouldn't believe all the bits of broken plastic timing gear teeth and chunks of hardend valve guide seals, old rtv, pieces of old gasket material, pieces of foil seals from oil cans, and all the general sludge that builds up over the course of the engines life.
you'll never get it clean without dropping the oil pan and pulling it out of the engine and if you have to go through all that you might as well replace it.

 

[ruffcut]

If it aint broke, don't fix it! ruffcut

 

[Runner 68]

That part is an aorta to the oiling system. Why **** around trying to clean it.
Replace it with a quality part and be done with it.

 

[Orig69]

Yes it can be done if you take it out, I have successfully removed all the little pieces of plastic from the camshaft timing gear all the little pieces of the valve seals and the sludge .