48 Chrysler oil pan sludge.

[R Walling]

When I drained the oil on my 48 that had only 39,000 miles on it, I stuck my finger into the hole and notices a lot of sludge in side.

 I was surprised as the PO had taken meticulous care of it.

 I then filled the oil back up and changed the filter.

 After a long time getting it started, it ran smooth. I only ran it for about 10 minutes total.

 

 I then decided to drop the pan and clean it out.

 The oil was as black as coal.

 There was about 3/8" of sludge on the bottom and the oil pick up was right in the middle of it.

 It even left an imprint in the sludge.

 

 Moral of the story, ALWAYS drop the pan!👍

[plymouthcranbrook]

The result of either neglect from owners further in the past or years of non detergent oil.

[nickelroadster]

I learned that lesson when I changed oil in my 23 Olds.  Very little came out and it only took two quarts to bring it to full.  I dropped the oil pan and got to shoveling it out!

[c49er]

Make sure to clean the pick up screen too...

[Bryan G]

When I went to change the oil in my old Chrysler for the first time I found the last guy to turn that wrench simply left the oil filter out. Black oil but not driven enough to sludge up too much.

[Joe Cocuzza]

The sludge is a result of the use of non-detergent oil.

The sludge remains on the bottom of the pan and does not circulate through the engine.

However, as you said, the pick-up screen can get pretty clogged up.

I would also remove the filter from the housing and clean the sludge from the bottom of the housing.

Hopefully, you did not use detergent oil for the short time you ran the car. That would have allowed the sludge to circulate through the engine. But since you say you only ran it for 10 minutes maybe not too much gunk circulated. 

One other thing. I would remove the valve side cover plates and clean out the oil "wells" as they get filled with sludge just like the oil pan

[mike6024]

2 minutes ago, Joe Cocuzza said:

The sludge is a result of the use of non-detergent oil.

The sludge remains on the bottom of the pan and does not circulate through the engine.

 

That sounds like a positive.

 

[viv w]

I recently took the pans off 2 Model A motors, one was used fairly regularly and had half an inch of sludge in the bottom. The other had a rebuilt motor with zero miles but had been standing around in a collision shop workshop for 10 years, that one had about half an inch of mixed sludge with body filler dust inside it.

 If you don't use an engine often make sure that any breather pipes are taped off, to stop wasps and bugs getting into your motors.

 Finally, if you read the owners handbooks on a lot of the prewar cars, the manufacturers RECOMMENDED dropping the pan once a year, for a clean out of sludge and dirt.

 If you haven't done this to your motor in recent years, start planning on doing it soon, you will be shocked at what comes out.

[Joe Cocuzza]

7 hours ago, mike6024 said:

 

That sounds like a positive.

 

It is a positive,outside of clogging the pickup screen, until detergent oil is used and all that sludge circulates through the engine.

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

Buick pickup screens float, never touch the bottom of the pan.  UNLESS the oil level is very low.

 

  Ben

[Joe Cocuzza]

6 hours ago, Ben Bruce aka First Born said:

Buick pickup screens float, never touch the bottom of the pan.  UNLESS the oil level is very low.

 

  Ben

Ben,

The pickup screens in the Chrysler also "floats" but sometimes the sludge is so thick/deep that the screen sits in it.

I have dropped several oil pans in Chrysler built cars and the sludge has been almost one inch deep.