Kerosene to flush engine

[mud pie]

Back in the old days, mechanics used kerosene to flush an engine of deposits.  Didn't run the engine on kero (which actually is an oil), just turned it over a few times and flushed it out.  I know my russian motorcycle manual still says to do that to the engine, tranny, final drive.

Has anyone done this to their engine ?  Mine, while still turning easily, has not run since the early 90's and has been in a somewhat climate controlled garage 24/7 since.  I'm in the process of getting it back together, and I'd like to make sure I drained all the old oil and junk out without breaking down the engine.

[Carls_jeep]

I wouldn't do it. If sludge has built up in the pan doing the kerosene thing won't get that out. Running kerosene through the oil system is not a good idea either.

Pull the pan and clean it out and put it back on.

Get some cheap 10wt oil put it in and turn the engine over with the plugs pulled until the oil pressure comes up. Maybe do that a few times and drain the oil and put your good oil in. Don't run the starter for more than 20 seconds at a time and let it rest a few minutes between spins.

[Gunslinger]

I had a problem with an old Farmall engine, it leaked anti freeze past the orings on the piston sleeves, like real bad,  I replaced the orings and put in 6 quarts of trnamission fluid and started it up and ran it for about 20 minutes.  The tranny fluid is real light but high lubricuty so it got into the lifters and drove out the anti freeze.  Don't work them when you do this kind of stuff. But at idle its ok for a while, it will clean them out, and the high levels of detergent in tranny oil will remove deposits.  Like Carl says though, get rid of the sludge first, you don't want that floating around in the motor.

[p3ferris]

I have a 58 pontiac that I had the oil changed by a gas station in 72.  They put transmission oil in it instead of regular oil.  19 miles later it put the rod through the side of the block.  They did this because they did not like my girlfriend/ now wife of 39 years.  So  watch the trans fuid thing.   I have an original but different engine in it out of another 58 pontiac.

[Gunslinger]

Glad that girlfriend thing worked out OK  8-), sorry about the motor!