oil pressure and sludge in a 3.8

My girlfriends '98 Mustang 3.8 (175k) ran hot (but not yet pegged) after it blew a head gasket.

Afterwards I noticed that the oil pressure would sometimes fall instantly, or quiver. At first I thought this had to be the gauge or sensor because it moved so quickly, and looking into oil filler, you could see oil flowing. But after a short while you could hear the valves tapping (and turning off the car and back on would restore pressure). It appears to me that the sensor is at the pump, instead of at the end of the oiling line.

There was a great deal of sludge in the motor, a cup or two that I removed by hand. I'm thinking the hot engine must have loosened some up and this is clogging the oil intake.

So, I've run a can of quick flush and cycled some used filtered oil back through. It's much much better, but now and then I still see a drop sometimes.

The pan appears to be a tough job to get off.

Suggestions? Or do I have this wrong.

Jeff

Reply to
jeff
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How serious is the relationship?

Probably a PITA to take the pan off, but do you really think that sludge is sitting in it? We used to find the heads full of crap when I lived in cold climates.

What kind of oil did she use?

Reply to
Scott

I got other work to do. I've been shuttling her back and forth to work while changed the gaskets. Not hard work, but a lot of it!

I'm in Atlanta. The car was a fleet maintained rental up to about when she bought it a couple years ago. It was actually the cleanest looking engine of the mustangs we perused. I remember watching one run, the vibration damper was shaking, and she turned to me and said "I love this car".

Whatever Jiffy Lube uses. An interesting question!

I almost bought something that was supposed to dissolve sludge. It was keep in the engine treatment. But I thought another oil change in a few days might be better.

Jeff

Reply to
jeff

Aren't you worried that the oil was contaminated with anti-freeze when the head gasket blew?

Ed

Reply to
C. E. White

I'd be equally concerned that Jiffy Lube had touched it.

Reply to
Tim J.

It's a Ford 3.8 engine. You got antifreeze into the oil. The 3.8 Ford is EXTREMELY intolerant of antifreeze in the oil. Chances are exceptionally high that the engine will start to knock within 500 miles.

You have now been forwarned.

Reply to
clare

The first thing I did was flush the antifreeze. The oil has been changed

3 times.

Jeff

Reply to
jeff

The oil looked normal. But I flushed the antifreeze first thing, it is still running water. The oil has been changed 3 times. I've seen contaminated oil, and this did not show any signs I could see.

With that said, I didn't realize 3.8's were so sensitive.

My thinking is to flush it once more (in a few) and then add antifreeze back in.

Jeff

Reply to
jeff

I know little about them. You can enlighten me. I'm pleased the car has had regular oil changes, but have noticed that they miss obvious things, like bad battery terminals and a shredding serpentine belt.

Does Jiffy use Quaker State, and did QS ever fix their sludge problem?

Jeff

Reply to
jeff

Do a Google and/or Youtube search for "Jiffy Lube scam" and see for yourself. They are notorious for billing customers for work not performed.

Don't know. I don't go there.

Reportedly, yes, but I still use Castrol synthetic.

Reply to
Tim J.

If they don't use Quaker State they use Pennzoil. Both, to my knowledge, are parafin base, yeah like wax. They buy it in such bulk quantities that they can't afford to use anything else is my guess.

I have seen both used by people that swore by them, then you work on the engine at 150,000 or so and find that the oil returns are nearly plugged with sludge that feels like the wax they are made from.

Reply to
Scott

Jiffy Lube is owned by Penzoil/Quaker State IIRC. Penzoil and Quaker are under the same corporate umbrella now.

Reply to
clare

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