I don't know about the ATF, but what I'd do is get a case or two of the cheapest oil I could find and three or four filters. Then drain the
oil, put on a new filter, run the engine just til it starts to warm up, drain the oil, change the filter, as many times as needed to have it
come out clean. Then use a new filter and your normal oil. Hope this helps.

Gary

 

ATF is fine.......really cleans things up. I've usually used it for a "put it in on Thursday ......change it Saturday" type thingie....I haven't had to do it too much in recent years since somewhere along the line I've managed to have a fairly long run of new vehicles and have "kept up" on them. I think your main water retention (after an oil change..or oil changes) is going to be the areas of the engine that get "incidental" oil contact (the top of the valve cover ....upper pan area, etc.) where emulsified oil/water can congeil and won't drip back to the pan. You find this type of build up on engines that never warm up .....(2-10 miles at a time) year round and never really purge any moisture in the crankcase........it condenses and forms the stuff you're describing. The diesel fuel thingie is probably a twist on the "MotorFlush" stuff .....which I think is a quart of kero w/instructions......you definitely don't want to run under load with that stuff in the engine ......(although I've known those who have for a few miles w/o problems). I'm not sure how much either of them will effectively remove the stuff that I'm talking about......but neither will hurt or cost alot.

Fix your back valve cover vent.

GeeAea

 

so I just pour ATF in the engine and let it sit there, do I need to let it idle for a while or...?

 

I think i would flush with diesel first. Not run the motor just flush with
the diesel then go to the cheap oil thing.
Do not worry about the ATF. I know of one guy that ran a quart of ATF per oil
change in a Nova and it had like 150,000 or 200,000 can not remember.
GM even had a service sheet on running ATF for stickie lifters.
A good frind of mine that worked at Pan Canal told me if they had a
tug or any other motor go under water they would flush them with
diesel.

 

Ditto on the diesel flush. I've done and its works pretty good -dont crank it with the diesel, just pour in couple of quarts at a time and then drain it. I like the ATF idea too. I'd probably follow up with it, then run cheap oil and filters and change 2-3 times in the next few days. I got water in mine a year or two ago and went through the diesel and cheap oil. Its still runnin' today.
Shain

 

I used to own a shrimp boat with a 350 in it. One day I checked the oil and guess what, salt water in the motor. After I fixed the manifold leak I drained all the oil/water mix and filled the motor to the top with deasel. I let it sit for a couple of hours then drained it. After that I replaced the oil filter and added oil, ran it for one night and did anouther oil change. Ran it for two nights and changed the oil and filter again. After that I didn't have a problem with the motor. I would check my oil regularly and change the oil and filter often for about a month. If no damage occured on the ride home I think you will be in the clear.
Let us know how it turns out.
Kiley
94YJ

 

I would not go over a pan full first time,just to wash out bottom of the pan.
then I would load her up with the diesel to get a washing effect as it drains
out.
Just a thought.
good luck

 

There are a lot of misguided people out there.
NEVER PUT DIESEL FUEL IN AN ENGINE. Diesel fuel is an astringent, and will remove the oil film from bearings, and IT WILL CAUSE DAMAGE.

These are the same people that use gasoline to clean parts, and ATF in an engine instead of one of the many engine cleaners formulated for just that job, and ATF is for automatic transmissions, and not engines.

Just keep changing the oil and filter until it comes out clean.
The damage, if any was done, was done on the drive home. If you put solvents into the engine, you will cause further damage.
Your engine operates at very close to the vapor point of water, so most of the incidental trapped moisture will be drawn out as vapor through the PCV,
so don't worry about that.
Don't forget to check the diffs, trans and gas tank for water contamination also.
If the trans is contaminated, do the same as the engine, and continue to change the oil until clean.
If the diffs are contaminated, you can use mineral spirits to clean parts, but remember to let the stuff evaporate before putting the covers back on.
If water got into the gas tank, you can drain the tank, or if it is a small amount, use a fuel conditioner, like 'HEET' to dry the water.
Good luck.

 

Just got an OPINION from an "old salt" of a marine engine mechanic. He said that the diesel fuel thingie as a "fill and drain" type thingie is a technique for ridding the engine of water contamination. He said that the water will allegedly "sink" when submerged in diesel fuel allowing it to be removed from the engine.

I have never used diesel in this way.......but I don't think that diesel fuel will do any real damage to the internals of the engine ..........every diesel that I've ever owned or driven had soooooooooooooo much diesel fuel contamination in the oil ........that it would combust freely upon contact with an open flame. Heck .......I knew one jacka$$ that took the drained crankcase oil and poured it in the tank (Benz).........really smoked......but ran fine. I think that you're expressing more of an neo-educated (not in the removal of water contamination) opinion ........than in real world experienced facts. That is not to say that your wrong .........just shooting from the hip.

GeeAea

 

I sank my jeep three times before i realized water was with in my oil. The Milky foamy stuff that poured out of all the gaskets in my engine. I wnt to wall mart and bout a case of cheap crap, scrounged all the loose bottle of oil in the garage, a few filter and have fun playing in oil. It took about 4 hours , but i got the water out. It isn't fun, but hey that is the choice for playing in water. I have a question to throw out, Couldn't you use old oil that usually accumulates in those milk jugs that stay in the garage? I am not saying use the thickest blckest oldest oils, but maybe some that was changes 3 moths earlier?? Would this do any harm to the engine, oh hell it would be cheaper to sacrifice the older crud to the water gods to get some more cleaning into the enigine?
Dan Stewart 1963 CJ5 "Caloosa Jeeper" Member