Cleaning the sump after Rebuild
Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 9:52 pm
I thought I'd post this since I've seen it on every engine rebuild I've done.
Despite your best efforts to clean all internal components upon reassembly, there will remain debris and fibrous material (even using paper towels instead of shop towels). That's a no-brainer, but the amount of such debris will amaze you. My suggestion is to first install a new sump screen during the rebuild - the old one will probably break when you take it off anyway. Then run the engine maybe a very few miles. Drop the oil, filter and sump cover to clean out the sump and screen. It will have a remarkable amount of debris on it.
Then repeat the process except drive maybe 50 miles. There will be more debris, but markedly less. Then again at 300 miles. You should be getting down to normal bits of this and that, but essentially by then you should have it pretty well cleaned out.
You will swear that you couldn't have left that much debris behind, but it WILL be there. I know all that oil and filters is an extra expense, but I believe it will be worth it in the long run.
Dave
Despite your best efforts to clean all internal components upon reassembly, there will remain debris and fibrous material (even using paper towels instead of shop towels). That's a no-brainer, but the amount of such debris will amaze you. My suggestion is to first install a new sump screen during the rebuild - the old one will probably break when you take it off anyway. Then run the engine maybe a very few miles. Drop the oil, filter and sump cover to clean out the sump and screen. It will have a remarkable amount of debris on it.
Then repeat the process except drive maybe 50 miles. There will be more debris, but markedly less. Then again at 300 miles. You should be getting down to normal bits of this and that, but essentially by then you should have it pretty well cleaned out.
You will swear that you couldn't have left that much debris behind, but it WILL be there. I know all that oil and filters is an extra expense, but I believe it will be worth it in the long run.
Dave