Engine deposits

[fishead]

OK, so I picked up a cheap 350 that seemed to run nice and smooth for the 2 minutes I watched it run.  My old motor has a bad cylinder, and my truck project is somewhat financially challenged 

My plan is to replace the leaking rear main seal, valve cover gaskets, oil pan gasket, and anything else I can think of, then paint it up all nice and pretend I am not such a cheap bass turd   

Yesterday I pulled off the valve covers to find the head castings (333882) and found this muck:


It's all crumbly, and I am not sure what it is.  I cleaned it best I could, but some did fall down the holes.

Right now?  I am pretty broke.  I would LIKE to get this motor running as my old man wants to buy a camper and store it on my truck (He likes hunting near my house, about 7 hours driving plus ferries from his house, and he wants to use my truck as a hunting base camp.)

What is this muck?  Should I maybe finish my work on this engine, install it, and run some Seafoam through it?  A couple oil changes back to back?  Or is this a sign of more problems with this engine (severe blow by?) and I shouldn't waste my time with it?

I stole a rubbermade bin from my wife today to use as a solvent tank... am I maybe a bit TOO much of a redneck?

[VileZambonie]

That's what lack of oil changes sludge and carbon build up looks like. Clean up the loose stuff but don't bother flushing anything through the engine.

[joesgarage71]

 Right the in the middle of the head is where the exhaust crossover is at. it gets alittle warmer there, no biggie scrape it off suck it up with shop vac replace the gaskets like you where going to and don't worry about it. Those of us that are financially challenged just can't go out and get new everything. You did say you got it cheap right!

[fishead]

Thanks guys.

Yeah, I paid $75 for the engine, and I hope to get a couple years of light use out of it. 

[Cowboy_Customs]

Agreed with the above, but do give a treatment of "Seafoam" availble at your local parts stores. It is some nasty stuff, and will eat up all that sludge and junk, that'll help ya get some more mileage outta the ol engine. I have found the best way to do it is to put it into the motor, run/drive it for about 30 minutes, change the oil n filter. The exhaust will be rancid.
Put it in the fuel tank, or for a real good clean of the intake valves, get the motor warm, and find a vacuum line that feeds the intake for all 8, let it suck down 1/3 of the can till the motor dies on its own, then poor some more into the carb to drain down into the intake n let it sit for 15minutes to work in. start it up, it will smoke HEAVILY, just let it work itself out for a few minutes n take er for a drive to clean the rest of it out. IT WORKS!

[Captkaos]

I personally wouldn't flush it through the engine with that much build up.  You could potentially clog the oil pump and then you are back to having a non running motor.

[fishead]

Captkaos... are you saying not to do a flush with seafoam, or what?  Will seafoam increase the chance of clogging the pump?

I am going to be pulling the oil pan to replace the gasket (just for giggles) and will be rinsing the pan in solvent at some point in time.  Hopefully this will get all the majour deposits out.

Thanks for the advice.

[Blue 82]

fix that broken valve cover bolt while you're in there

[fishead]

You talking about the bottom left corner in the pic?  I think that is just debris.  I seem to remember the bolts all coming out.

I talked to my wife's grandpa (sold me the truck, I knew it had a bad cylinder before I bought it) and he said that he just put $900 into the heads hoping that would fix the problem, and strongly encouraged me to use them.  I might wind up doing that.

[GoatBeard]

Don't understand why they wouldn't have cleaned them if he paid $900?....

[Captkaos]

If you got it down that far, I would pull it apart and clean it up instead of running seafoam or cleaner though it.

If he paid $900 for those heads, he didn't get his moneys worth..

[fishead]

Nope, sorry, i's bad comunikator.

The truck has an engine in it.  This engine has brand new heads, but a bad cylinder.  I guess grandpa was hoping the problem was limited to the blown heads and replaced them.  I have not yet pulled the heads to look at the block.  These heads are perfectly clean and nice looking.

The picture is of an engine I picked up for $75.  My mechanical ability is limited.  I am a robotics technician, and have wanted a project vehicle for YEARS.

Because I have limited experience, I plan to first clean up the $75 motor, then install it.  Once I have it running, I plan to swap the heads because I probably can't get any money for them as grandpa has no receipts for them.  I know they are new, but a buyer probably wouldn't want to pay a new price if there is no way for him to verify. 

[Captkaos]

If the heads are new on the bad cylinder motor, just take the $75 motor down, clean it up and put the good heads on it.

[MudMonster85]

Yuck! I hate it when you pull the VC's off and you've got a nice build up of crap. Least you only paid $75 for it, a bit of clean up and it's good as new...good luck, have fun.

[eventhorizon66]

If the heads are new on the bad cylinder motor, just take the $75 motor down, clean it up and put the good heads on it.

My sentiments exactly.  You'll only be out the cost of a few gaskets, and end up a very decent motor.