Engine flushing

MMO or Rislone, or a purpose-produced engine flush.

Or the "tried and true" stove oil or Kerosene mixed with engine oil. Whatever you use, don't run the engine hard. A good fast idle for an hour is aften enough. If it's bad, you will want to do it in several stages. Used to run 25% kero in the old "flat crank special" chrysler six for half an hour before each oil change - and drain it hot.

I've always favored MMO, and continue to use it in my air tools to this day, too.

Ditto the "do it in stages" sentiment. I've seen huge chunks of metal-infused grease/scum fall off the inside of old Chebby engines and tear up the filter, resulting in total engine failure.

The bigest risk is all the excrement plugging the oil pickup screen.

Did in a "leaning tower of power" 225 in a valiant that way once - not using solvent - just chiseling the crap off the rockers to adjust the valves. We drained and changed the oil after, but didn't get enough of the crap out. Brother had bought the car - don't think it EVER had an oil change - - -

If you really want to only have to do it once, drain the oil and replace it with sodium silicate solution (60% ss/water), then let the engine run at a high idle for about five minutes.

Lloyd

Ha!

That's probably a lot more common than actual tearing of the filter. But the plug up results in a complete bypass, so that crap gets into the bearings either way.

Excellent old motor. Ditto the 300cid Ford I-6. (But I loved my Ford

That's the history of the smallblocks I'd seen early on in my career. "Oil change? What's that? I fill when it drops down on the stick. Isn't that enough?"

Nope, with the filter screen plugged NOTHING gets to the bearings - almost certain, instant, catastrophic failure.

The rocker cover was like a gravel pit. I wasn't there when he bought it. We put in another used engine, and he drove it for a while. Then my younger brother got it, redid the engine with split exhaust, big 2 bbl carb, planed head, port job etc. Did his best to beat what I had done with my 170 a few years earlier. I was out of the country so never saw it run.

Bypass is no longer made in the filter or housing? (It has been many years since I've rebuilt an engine...)

Oh! You meant the sump filter screen. Nevermind...

The bypass is still there, but nothing to bypass if the pump can't suck up any oil. The bypass allows oil to bypass a plugged filter (on the pressure side) It can't do squat for a plugged inlet.

yup!!!

Worst I ever had was the '57 272ci