Oil cleaner

[wade.edwards]

Just had an idea
I drive an older Ford F150 pickup with a big V8 that has cam phasers fed by very narrow oil passageways.
Because it is already high mileage it gets SeaFoam engine treatment at every oil change.
Until the SeaFoam was initiated, the phasers would occasionally rattle. This is very common with high mileage engines of this type, because the passages narrow and starve the phasers, sometimes completely wiping them out. Very expensive to replace.
This suddenly reminded me of the similar problem with SQ4 passageways.
Anyone ever tried running such a product in a SQ or any other Ariel?

[nevhunter]

I wouldn't be game to try that. Not sure Moving sludge once it forms is a good move in a plain bearing motor. Nev

[Bob.Murphy]

Where would the liberated sludge go -apart from the centrifugal sludge traps??
These then fill up and block the oil ways to the big ends !!

I used to change the oil every 1,000 miles and strip the motor annually (c. 20,000 miles PA back then).

Bob.

[wade.edwards]

Why would anyone run a SQ4 without a filter?
For authenticity? An ounce of prevention….

Obviously sludge is collected in a filter and changed at each oil change.

Probably wouldn’t work anyway. The F150 runs on SAE 5-20.
I withdraw the idea.

[RayBlack]

If the oilways clog up and the valve gear stops working in the Ford engine would that be a case of 'phasers on stun'?

[Bob.Murphy]

Why would anyone run a SQ4 without a filter?

If I had a Square Four today, it would have a filter.

But, back in 1968 when I started restoring the £10 basket case I had bought such things were not the norm.

Oils were different as well. I ran it on Castrol Grand Prix - straight 50. That got pretty thin when in traffic, despite the Triumph-3 oil cooler.

Bob.

[JohnnyBeckett]

hi, i would Give the F150 a good engine flush and use a good 10/50 or 20/50 oil i been running F150 and F250 for years now we are running ford rangers 3.2 5 cyls and use 5/40 oil

[david.anderson]

Bob
Regarding your 20,000smile engine strip to clean the sludge traps.
When I first built my 4 I fitted an oil filter, ran the bike and at 5,000 miles I purchased a set of club conrods so I stripped the engine to fit them. I initially thought don’t worry with the sludge traps due to the low mileage however I decided to have a look. They were at least ¼ full in spite of the filter (from a Daihatsu Charade fitted to my own filter holder). My engine build included reground cranks and new slippers and mains, new pistons and liners, new valves and guides, reground cam and lifters, so I thought there would be some initial bedding in, but after seeing that amount of sludge I also decided that 20,000 miles would be the most that I would run before the next sludge trap clean. I mentioned this to another forum member who was also of the opinion that 20,000 miles was the maximum for the sludge traps. Can you let us know how full your sludge traps were at 20,000 miles, thanks.
David

[nevhunter]

The set-up in the singles works well. nev

[Bob.Murphy]

From memory (it was a long time ago), the sludge traps had something in them but were nowhere full.

The motor was spotless inside when I started and with regular oil changes it stayed that way.

It had new 7.2:1 pistons in new liners, so minimal blow-by.

I sold it in 1973 after moving from my parents house in a Somerset village to a top-floor flat in Edinburgh, with nowhere to keep bikes. A great bike, I still miss it.

Bob.