What's a good brand of engine flush?

[cwest]

I've got an all familiar and annoying tick coming from the driver side valve cover/manifold area on my 86' 350.  Before I go searching for an exhaust or manifold gasket leak I want to try an engine flush and make sure it's not a lifter.  I figure it couldn't hurt to clean things out a little too.  Has anyone had good luck with a particular brand of engine flush?

[Irish_Alley]

never understood engine flushes. you break down the oil which is the lube for the engine. mythbusters did a show on blowing up a motor and the quickest way to do it was to add bleach in the oil. i would tear into the engine first before risking its life with a detergent. thats just my honest opinion, sure others will chime in but even when i worked at autozone i wouldnt sell it unless they insisted on it after i broke it down for them.

[timthescarrd]

I'm partial to seafoam, use about 1/3rd of a can in the crankcase and run it 50-75 miles normally, then do an oil change and don't put any cleaners back in, just fresh oil.

[bake74]

     Irish has a good point as far as newer engines go.  The 2000 and up EFI engines I would never do a engine flush in.  That could harm the newer componets. 
     Now older engines without newer technology, should not need a flush if the engine oil is changed on a regular basis.   But things happen.  So here is a great article to read on engine flushes.
     Timthescarrd mentioned seafoam, which is not a chemical flush for engines (it is purely oil based), though used regularly it will help keep carbon from building up and from all accounts should not harm engines.
     When I got my parts truck 74 K10 (that was sitting in a field on a farm that was used and abused, lol), it had a knock like you are describing, I did a chemical flush (the one I used was sitting around for awhile and they no longer make it), I did per manufacture directions, then changed my oil, drove for 100 miles and then changed both oil and spark plugs.  (spark plugs can become fouled from the chemical).  Then I added Sea Foam as a treatment additive and drove my truck to Idaho from California to pick up a boat.  When I got back I changed the oil again for good measure and still no ticking .
     I would suggest you do some research first and then follow the directions.  I do know that it worked in my case because that is all I did to my engine to get rid of the ticking sound.

[cwest]

According to the previous owner it sat around for a while before I bought it, and it still only gets driven by me maybe once a week during the warm months.  So I imagine there's some gunk in there that need be dissolved.  Thanks for the insight, gents!  I'll let you know how it goes.     

[thirsty]

Before I go searching for an exhaust or manifold gasket leak

Do this first. It's easy and free diagnostics. I wouldn't add any type of flush unless it was a last ditch effort. If your engine is full of carbon then any that dislodges won't magically disappear. It will just be in another place in your engine, like the oil pump pick up screen.
If it were mine I would make sure it wasn't exhaust noise (sometimes it can sound similar).
Then if I still thought it was valve train I would narrow it down to which side and pull the valve cover to see what is up.

[Irish_Alley]

i can see an exhaust leak from sitting. of the metal starts to rust, it will separate and cause a gap. had header bolt come loose once thought for sure i blew the engine. dont know how safe it is but when i was younger i poured a little bit of oil in the intake. when it burns off it should leak out the exhaust leak if you have any

[thefarmboy21]

All the old timers and the guys I worked with at Autozone, swear by kerosene. I'm thinking like 1/2 quart for a couple of minutes. BUT I'd research the procedure a little. I'd use kerosene before off the shelf stuff though. That's if you decide you want to do any of that.

[bake74]

All the old timers and the guys I worked with at Autozone, swear by kerosene. I'm thinking like 1/2 quart for a couple of minutes. BUT I'd research the procedure a little. I'd use kerosene before off the shelf stuff though. That's if you decide you want to do any of that.

     My father swears by Kerosene, but I have always been to scared to do it.  The difference between their generation technology and ours is quite different.

[Captkaos]

Kerosene works used it on a 454 that I had.  My brother had a Cobalt recently that has serious oil problems (previous owner never changed it) We filled it with Kerosene and ran it for 30 minutes.  A lot came out but not enough.  He also drove it on a 70% transmission/30% oil mixture for a week as it was making serious top end noise with all oil.  He eventually pulled it down and it was nasty.  Traded it in a new car...