Want to know if your engine has sludge in it?.....
Just cut your Oil Filter Open, a possible a answer for the elusive engine sludging question..... quick and easy AND you woulden't have to tear apart your engine to inspect for "engine sludge" .Here is the deal: looking down the oil cap opening is not a good way and is inconclusive as oil only splashes up there, and can be cooked.... and that can mislead you...

MY TESTER: take your oil filter off the truck engine, and cut it open to look for sludge....If your engine is "sludged", the OIL FILTER will likely have some sludge in it.....i.e some of the "sludge" can temperarily melt and break apart under heavy engine temps and get caught in the filter this can be proof of a problem.
Just cut the oil filter open and tell us what you find, post your pics, I'll post mine very soon. No question In my mind that a Mobil 1 oil filters will surely trap engine sludge in it....btw the pictures below arnt pictures of my filter, just something I pulled off the internet... a severly sludged engine will show signs of sludge in the oil filter.


FYI: Use a "dremel tool" with a metal cutting blade to cut the base off of the filter. A Word of caution.... Carefull now, the filter will be slippery, wipe off the filter good, use a VISE, and wear eye protection when cutting metal!!! AND if you slip those small dremel spinning blades at 35,ooo RPM's will do some damage to your body as diamond blades can take a finger off with one careless slip up.....trust me, I know.. KIDS DONT TRY THIS AT HOME...
good luck & God speed
steady...steady... steady now.....

 

what that looks to me (though the pics are too damn small) is that the oil filter was left in service way way too long. not necassarily sludge

 

You are right about that. these pictures looked close enough and i just wanted to give an expamle as some might not know what i'm talking about.AND I Know, the small pictures suck.... i couldent get the full size pictures in there, the system wouldent allow me something about 48K size limit? How come others can post full size pictures?


Now during a 3K Oil change interval, the oil filter should NOT look like the one on the right...

 

upload your pics on Photobucket.com and when you have it loaded, click on the bottom description line(forgot what its called) and it will say "copied" come back to this site and hit (control V) or paste. same thing... btw you wont really be able to tell too much as far as oil filters and sludge..

 

Use photobucket to host your pics. then copy the image code and past into the post.

 

Why not just pop open the oil cap and take a peak at a couple of the valves.

 

Can you reuse the filter after cutting it? BTW did any of you catch that video?!

 

PLEASE do not use a dremmel tool for this.

Dremmel + metal = sparks

Sparks + oil = not a good idea

Yes... motor oil has a higher flash point than gasoline. Irregardless, is it flammable?

Hacksaw it off.

 

Did you really just ask that question?

 

I really did, but I really didn't mean it, so please refrain from chainsawing my brain matter. I am literally waiting for the paint to dry on my truck. I def. have to check this out on my Civic.

 

Ok....good to know

 

Sure, that's what duct tape is for

 

true that, duct tape can be used for anything... hell you cut your arm off, you can fix it with a roll of duct tape.

 

damn i just did an oil change and threw out the oil filter... i guess il have to do it next time.. il take pics because i know for a FACT that my engine is full of sludge. The oil cap has like a 2" thick wall of sludge at the top.

 

Nice!

 

through all the cars i have seen, owners or worked on, i have never seen this infamous "sludge"

its always been a myth to me.

 

ohh its real alright, thats what happens when a PO does less than ?3? oil changes in 16 years of ownership (not a lie).