Carbon Busting with Berryman's ChemDip: "The Proof is in The Pudding"

[mrrsm]

A while back, I made a suggestion to those of us who discover the problem of suffering from EXTREMELY Low Oil Pressure in our GM 4.2L VHME (Very High Mileage Engines) that suddenly present with the Horrible Sounds of Clattering Rotating Assembly Components ...signalling the impending Death Of The Motor just the like this GMTN Member experienced:

The argument I was making back then was that there WAS an Alternative Way to attempt to deal with this issue instead of having to go through the enormous effort to either Pull the Engine Out and Stand Mount it to be able to R&R the Oil Pan ...or perform the same "In The Vehicle Work".

Cavet Emptor:

However... If the Oil Pump Pick-Up Tube "O"-Ring was either Cut or Compromised... The end results of this effort would prove moot.

Ordinarily, all of this work is necessary in order to access the likely suspect of having a COMPLETELY CLOGGED OIL PICK UP TUBE or a Damaged "O" Ring. My suggestion back then was to consider trying out this "Passive-Aggressive Chemical Approach" as a Last Ditch - Desperation Effort by first Draining the Old Motor Oil, then Replacing the Old Oil Filter and then Over-Filling The Crankcase with Berryman's Chem-Dip for an extended period of Passive Soaking.

THIS Before and After Captured Image from the Video above shows just how effective this Berryman's ChemDip Passive Chemical Cleaning Solvent is and the Suggested Procedures for its copious use follow on:



(1) Drain-Remove the Old Motor Oil and Oil Filter and replace the Filter after Pre-Filling a Cheap One with Cheap 5W-30 Organic Motor OIl .

(2) Use a sufficient quantity of Berryman's ChemDip to OVER-Fill the Crankcase with this LOW VOC Carbon-Gas-Gum Lacquer Busting Chemical and allow the Vehicle to SIT for UNDER Four Hours and allow the Chemistry to reach the entire vacant spaces from the Bottom of the Crankcase to the area just above the Crankshaft Cradle.

(3) DO NOT START THE ENGINE OR ROTATE THE CRANKSHAFT... The Berryman's ChemDip Requires NO AGITATION OR SCRUBBING... PERIOD.

(4) Within a Four Hour Period... The Use of Berryman's ChemDip will NOT Harm ANY of the Various Components or Various Metal Types within. Even when being temporarily in an Over-Filled Condition... the Chemical Bath will be WELL BELOW THE POSITIONS OF THE FRONT AND REAR CRANKSHAFT PTFE TEFLON OIL SEALS AND IT WILL NOT DISSOLVE THE ACDELO OEM SILICONE GASKET SEALING THE ALUMINUM CRANKCASE TO THE BASE OF THE ALUMINUM ENGINE BLOCK.

(5) After a considerable period of time... Use a VERY Capacious Drain Pan... and allow the Berryman's ChemDip with all of the Dissolved Black Carbon Mung to Gravity Drain for 30 Minutes. If you want to... You can also use a Garden Pump Hand Sprayer Filled with either Kerosene or Diesel Fuel to follow up by guiding the Wand into the Drain Hole in the Crankcase and spraying upwards with enough of the Fuel Spraying around inside to wash out the remaining residue of the Berryman's ChemDip off of the Lower Rotating Assembly and drain clear of the Crankcase. It is NOT absolutely necessary to perform this latter step.

(6) Once the Draining process has been completed, re-install the Drain Plug (Remember ... the Pre-Filled Cheap Oil Filter is already installed) and Fill the Crankcase with (6) Quarts of Cheap Organic 5W-30 Motor Oil. Pull the Fuel Pump Relay and Turn the Ignition on to rotate the Engine over for 3 X 15 Seconds segments with 30 seconds in between each of the three cycles.

(7) Re-Install the Fuel Pump relay and Start the Vehicle out of doors. Allow the Motor to Idle for 10-15 Minutes and remain inside the Cab of the SUV to monitor the Gauges for Oil Pressure and Coolant Temperature rising and remaining within limits. Note Whether or NOT the "Clattering Sounds" are present. If they remain or have increased... SHUT DOWN THE MOTOR IMMEDIATELY. At this point... You must assume that the Engine is about to Fail and take appropriate actions NOT to cause any further damage by elevating the RPM or by driving the SUV.

(8) If the LL8 Engine responds properly with Good Oil Pressure and proper Dial Gauge readings... after 10-15 Minutes... Shut Off the Motor and while STILL WARM... Perform another Oil Change and Oil Filter R&R using either a Mobil1 or K&N Oil Filter. Drain the Crankcase for the second time of the USED Cheap Organic 5W-30 and remove the Used Crap-Filled Motor Oil then RE-FILL the Crankcase with Mobil1 5W-30 FULL Synthetic Motor Oil.

Keep the Cheap Oil Filter on hand to perform an Autopsy on it later in order to see what if any Additional Carbon Trash Material may have been dissolved loose and collected out from inside the Engine's Innards.

(9) Monitor the Vehicle while performing a 10 Minute Idle with the Final Oil Change and ensure that your Oil Pressure Gauge Readings are NOMINAL. Take the SUV for a SHORT, Local Test Drive with the Two Front Door Windows rolled down and LISTEN carefully for any sounds of untoward engine behavior. If things look and sound good... Take the Vehicle out onto the Freeway and Drive in a NORMAL manner to achieve gradual 4L60E shifts up to legal Highway Speed and Continue to Watch Those Gauges.

(10) If this Berryman's ChemDip Treatment proves successful... Keep the follow-on Consecutive Oil and Oil Filter Changes to Right at 3,000 Miles and Use A High Quality, FULL Synthetic Motor Oil and High Quality Oil Filters.

For "The Doubters" who can't imagine that 'mere chemistry' would actually be capable of bringing back the "Factory New" State of Cleanliness... Just observe what is covered in THIS Video:

...and View the VOP's prior post about Cleaning Pistons using the Same Method of extended submergence in Berryman's ChemDip:

 

[TJBaker57]

Using a sufficient quantity

And what might that be? What if one was intending to fill just enough to address a potentially dirty pickup screen?

 

[mrrsm]

That's an EZ One.... Ordinarily, GM (and Melling, too) recommends keeping a Distance of the Width of a 3/8" Drill Bit Taped across the very bottom of the Oil Pick-Up Tube and then pre-positioned parallel and even with the very bottom of the inner Crankcase - Oil Pan Reservoir.

However... having such a small quantity of the Berryman's ChemDip working to dissolve away on the Concentrated Carbon Mung stuck to, in and upon on the Oil Pump Pick Up Tube Screen might NOT be enough Solvent to get into all of those Nooks and Cranny areas with enough Concentration and Weight for them to to become completely soaked Open, Patent and Clean again.

If you look closely below at Kevin Nadeau's Side By Side Image...you'll see that Actual Large Chunks of Carbon Blow-By matter that have previously congealed and collected have vibrated loose and Fallen into the Bottom of the Reservoir. This Junk is just waiting for the eventuality of getting Sucked Into the Screen and eventually get much of it collected within the Fan-Folds of the Average Oil Filter. The Largest Pieces can form a sort of "Log Jam" for other Goopy Debris to stick to, aided by the presence of the Blow-By Gas Gum and Black Carbon to act upon that screen and adhere like "Glue":

Take Special Notice of the various "Cleaned Off" spots along the Bottom Rail Edges of the Crankshaft Cradle... THOSE Long Pieces of Carbon Mung Fell OFF and dropped down inside of the Crank Case:



THIS is the Hardened Carbon Debris you'll occasionally see if you Open Up your own Oil Filter and wash out in between the Fan-Fold Crevices ...it often looks like Black Coffee Grounds. So without allowing the Berryman's to actually fill up the entire space inside that reaches from the upper edges of the Oil Pan on down to the Very Bottom, then dissolving that Awful Collection of Black Carbon Mung... becomes quite impossible.

As you can see from this image of the SAME Oil Pan that the depicted Oil Pick Up Tube was removed from how this Black Junk collects and then Flakes Off ...dropping down into the bottom of the Reservoir to do its Mischief:



So instead, I'm suggesting that to get the FULL Benefit of having Passive Soaking it will probably take about 10-12 Quarts of Berryman's ChemDip to reach ALL of the entire inner surface areas the Crankcase-Oil Pan. Then in just around 3-4 Hours Later... Drain Out the Stuff Completely and just "Follow The Bouncing Ball" of all the Items listed above ...from 1 through 10.

Incidentally... Berryman's ChemDip is completely RE-USEABLE.

 

[TJBaker57]

Now what about the 2002 that has the oil level and temperature parts in there? Might those items be adversely affected by the chem dip?

 

[Machoman]

Billy Mays here with another fantastic product...Berryman's ChemDip !

 

[mrrsm]

It's quite possible... The only way to know for certain would be to submerge a Used One in a Plastic Pan filled with the Stuff for about 4 Hours and see what gives.... If the item emerges intact... your back in business. But Hell... it might just be a good time to replace the 18 Year Old OEM Sensor as well. :>)

The other option would be to unscrew it and fill the Crankcase with Berryman's until you can see the Brown Solvent starting to leak out... and STOP. If I knew what the Metric Thread Count and Pitch was... I'd plug it up nicely with the proper sized fore-shortened fastener using a Copper Gasket to seal up the Oil Pan for the Four Hour Soaking Period.

EDIT:

@TJBaker57... Actually... Pulling the Oil Level Sensor on the Early Model GMT360s is a Good Idea for Four Reasons:

(1) Removing the Oil Level Sensor will prevent any possible damage or changes to its function by NOT being exposed to Berryman's ChemDip.

(2) Removing the Oil Level Sensor Opens up a Fill Port in the side of the Crankcase and allows for the chance to Pump in the Berryman's ChemDip.

(3) Removing the Oil Level Sensor Prevents OVER-FILLING the Crankcase with the Solvent... especially if the SUV is Parked on an Incline.

(4) With the Oil Level Sensor removed... it provides a Port through which the Garden Pressure Sprayer Nozzle can enter to spray around the Wash Out Diesel Fuel or Kerosene inside of the Crankcase and clean and out any residual Berryman's ChemDip after Draining the Oil Pan.

Thanks for posing those Thought Provoking Questions, Tom.

 

[mrrsm]

Say what you will @Machoman ... But if YOU were on the receiving end of this problem... laying on your back under your own SUV and looking up at THIS Scene:



...as Shakespeare once said,

"Your Jest Will Savor of Shallow WIT...
When Thousands WEEP...
More than Did Laugh at IT"

 

[Mooseman]

You know what, the first time you brought this idea up, I thought it was just a shortcut for something that should be done by taking it apart. Now, I'm facing this same dilemma. My Avalanche with its 6.0L L76 has low'ish pressure, running at about 20psi while cruising at 2000 rpm. I'm gonna start by replacing the sensor and cleaning the DOD screen just under it but if that doesn't do it, I may just try this Chem Dip scheme to see if the pickup is jammed up with black carbon MUNG. If that doesn't do it, I'm probably gonna replace the oil pump with a high pressure and volume pump.

BUT, looking in the specifications in GM-SI, minimum oil pressure specs are 18psi at 2000 RPM and 24psi at 4000 RPM. So, am I low? The unknown oil that's in there is new'ish at about 80% OLM and still has a medium golden colour. I might try a regular engine flush, drain, refill with a good quality oil and see what happens.

 

[mrrsm]

As long as the Berryman's ChemDip is held level inside of the Crankcase from the Edge of the Crankcase Oil-Pan on down into the Depths of the Reservoir... For under Four Hours... I cannot see any reason why this would NOT work.

The problem with having a Clogged Oil Pick Up Screen also has a DIRECT Effect upon the Sealing Grommet or "O" Ring as the RPM rises IF Oil Starvation is present and MAY be part of the reason why some of the Sketchy "O" Rings Fail to Seal.

The Gerotor Oil Pump suctioning pulls inexorably inwards on the Motor Oil in the Reservoir... But if either nothing or a limited amount of Motor Oil can pass through the Oil Pick Up Tube Screen... then the Vacuum will begin to work on the next weakest point: The "O" Ring. This is especially true at Higher RPM.

So one can conclude that if any or all of the obstruction down there is cleared away from the Screen then THAT Action just has to help things out. I hope it does and that the Engines receiving this Treatment will Respond in Kind.

 

[TequilaWarrior]

I have used this same exact product many times.... to dissolve gum/varnish/carbon on/in carburetor parts including jets, floats, bowls, crossovers, etc...
Its reusability when utilized for that purpose is legendary.

 

[mrrsm]

One Special Caution worth mentioning here is that with the recent spate of Threads concerning "De-Carbonizing the Compression Rings and Upper Combustion Chambers" for BOTH the LL8 and LS Motors... and with an emphasis placed upon always using the recommended ACDelco Top Engine Cleaner as "The Solvent of Choice:...

Don't be Tempted to Use Berryman's ChemDip for THIS Purpose.

The Reason for this avoidance is because unlike Standard Cast or Forged Aluminum Pistons... the GM Atlas LL8 Engine Mahle OEM Pistons have their Skirts IMPREGNATED WITH GRAPHITE.

As we all know, Graphite is in the same Family of Carbon that has a Slippery, Flat Plane Molecular Structure (...think Pencil Lead here) created from PURE CARBON. As such, any contact with the Berryman's ChemDip WILL Dissolve the Graphite Carbon Coating Right Off of the Sides of the Pistons.

Word to The Wise...

LIMIT THE EXPOSURE FOR USED PISTONS WHEN SOAKING THEM IN BERRYMAN'S CHEMDIP TO A DEPTH OF JUST BELOW THE LAST LANDS AND GROOVES AND FOR CARBON-BUSTING THE PISTON HEADS AND FOR CLEANING OUT THE RING-LANDS-GROOVES ...TO AVOID THE PISTON SKIRT AREAS.

 

[mrrsm]

I'm hoping that @Mooseman's efforts along THESE lines pre-empts the need for the use of the "Berryman's ChemDip Crankcase Oil-Pan Treatment":

For many others of us owning the GM and GMC Full Size Trucks with the LS Motors... for the Second Part of what @Mooseman intends to do... THIS Video is (PDG) Pretty Damned Good as a "LS Engine Low Oil Pressure Repair Road Map" worth following:

 

[mrrsm]

Before I forget to mention this... For those of us who have their LS Swap Engines mounted on their Engine Stands... Please note that if you want to take the opportunity of De-Carbonizing the Piston Heads (One Bank of Four Cylinders at a Time) AND likewise... Free Up the Carbon-Frozen Piston Compression Rings ...then simply Rotate the Motor by 45 Degrees in either Direction on the Stand to do this Job... One Bank at a Time.

When the Engine is set into the proper place, remove the Spark Plugs and Pour in enough*** ACDelco TEC (Top Engine Cleaner) into each Cylinder sufficient to allow the Pistons to have a Deep Soak for no longer than Three (3) Hours.

Once the Black Carbon Mung has completely dissolved.... Rotate the Engine to allow the Open Spark Plug Holes pointing Downwards into a Plastic Tub and "Drain Out The Carbon Mung Soup " One Bank at a Time. Then simply "Wash, Rinse...Repeat" for the OTHER Bank.

Don't Skip This Part...

Take that "Mung Tray" right outside of any closed in space or Garage immediately...or the Toxic Fumes will overwhelm you.

Later on, you will NOT regret being able to Start the Swap Motor with a "Clean Slate" of NOT having Carbon Clogging up the works within each cylinder.The Engine should look like THIS when it is in the Correct Position to Pour in the ACDelco TEC Solvent:

Please Remember... Do NOT get confused and Pour in the Berryman's ChemDip Solvent.



***
If you need to be frugal with the ACDelco TEC Solvent, use this Formula...

326 Cubic Inches X 0.01638706 = 5.34218156 Liters
5.34218156 / 8 = 0.667772695 Liters
0.667772695 / 3 = 0.222590898 Liters
0.222590898 Liters = 7.8340940622 Fluid Ounces
Use 8 Fluid Ounces per Cylinder Soaking for Under 3 Hours

2 X ACDelco 10-3015 Top Engine and Fuel Injector Cleaner 32 oz. @ $35.07 per Can Will Do This Job Nicely!:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CZ17LK3/?tag=gmtnation-20

There MUST be a sufficient amount of the Fluid in each Cylinder for the sheer WEIGHT of the Stuff to work its way down and around the Compression Rings as well as Dissolve the Carbon on top of those Pistons.

Do NOT be Tempted to Pour the Old, Mung Laden ACDelco TEC Solvent back into your Fuel Tank, as this stuff may be Strong Enough to Damage the Fuel Pump, Seals and perhaps any Synthetic Fluid Lines as as well. Either Recover or Discard this Stuff in a Responsible Manner

 

[mrrsm]

After reviewing the First Video describing the Use of the Berryman's ChemDip on the Upper Combustion Chambers.... I was thinking that if the Engine Head(s) were positioned with the Exhaust Ports facing upwards... this would allow for the De-carbonizing by pouring in the Berryman's Solvent to deeply flood the areas inside leading from the Outer Edges of the Closed Exhaust Valves, upwards and through the full extent at the top edges of the Exhaust Ports.

This might be done as well if the Mechanic has no intentions of either Re-Conditioning the Valve Guides and-or Re-Lapping the Valves vs. the installed Steel Valve Seats ...but still wanted to passively remove THIS Crap from around the Valve Stems-to Flange areas. Most High Mileage Engine have Valves and Exhaust Ports that probably look very much like THESE do as yet another set of places ripe for the obstruction of the out-flow of the Exhaust Stream. This Berryman's ChemDip soaking action of course must be Limited to UNDER Four Hours: