chocolate pudding or oil?

CPACy

Member
After buying back Grandpa's H last summer, I put it in the shed and haven't had time to work on it. Now, I finally had some time so I went to pull the oil plug. First, it was hard as heck to get the plug moving and when it came out I got maybe two tablespoons of water, nothing for a second or two and then several globs of sludge that look like pudding. That was followed up by some very dark oil. I'm not thinking the previous owner had changed it in some time.
Either way, I stuck my finger up the hole in the pan and there is a 1/2 inch to inch layer of goo. Is there anyway to get that out without dropping the pan?
If I drop the pan, any hints on which gasket sealer to use? I've never done this and don't want to screw it up.
 
Dropping the pan is recommended. Not only will you be able to get the gunk off the bottom of the pan, you also can inspect/clean the oil pump pickup screen...it is likely
partially plugged with goo.

The pan is easy to take off. Remove the 16 or so 5/16"(?) cap screws around the perimeter then pry with a large screwdriver or chisel to break it free.

When reinstalling the pan I've had good luck using a new cork pan gasket with a light coat of Permatex on both sides. I've also had success going "gasketless" using a bead of red
or blue RTV sealant in place of a gasket. No matter what you use don't overtighten the pan cap screws - 10 to 12 ft-lb is plenty!
 
When you remove the pan it would be a great time to remove the inspection plate on the side of the engine and the valve cover and clean all the "chocolate pudding" from the engine using your favorite degreaser/solvent.
 
On that type of engine it is definitely best to drop the oil pan to clean things. It has a bypass type oil filter which means that NONE of the oil that goes to lubricate the engine passes through the filter on its way from the oil pump to the bearings. Any oil that passes through the filter returns directly to the oil pan.

If you are going to use RTV rather than a gasket the main thing is there must be NO oil on any of the mating parts or there will be a leak. RTV will not bond if it is in contact with oil. When properly used it will out perform the cork gasket.
 
One more cleaning step that I have found from my time in my own business; construction / renovations::
Using Naphtha / Camp fuel ,, do a final wipe with a clean rag soaked in naphtha over all the mating parts before using ""gasket maker"" this will
insure an absolutely clean surface free of any particles of oil or moisture. I have found it works wonders for making an EXCELLENT seal Wm.
 
Sounds like someone years ago used STP in the engine. We had several people back then use it and when you would pull the valve cover or pan, it would be covered with the type of goo that you have described. There were cases when we would scrap it off with a putty knife, snap it on a piece of newspaper and it would wiggle almost like jello.
 
wait till you see what is in the transmission. You will think what you just saw was good oil. Also take a look inside the belt pulley housing, it will be much worse.
 

Just dropped mine on my M. Not that hard and I replaced the gasket and then used NAPA's gasket tack to hold the gasket in place. No leaks. Also replaced the engine cover gasket a couple months ago using the same stuff and no leaks either.
 
Thanks for all the extra places to look and clean to try and get this right. While this tractor will never be used too much, I'm looking forward to getting it up and running so it can go on tractor rides and maybe run a small auger during harvest at the father in law's.
 

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