1999 x308 Jag Sov...

The engine is an AJ27 and while doing an oil change i would like to inspect/clean as much of the oil gallery as possible as i believe the old oil was dirty. Unfortunaltey its not so easy. One area I can easily access is the Oil Pan.
I want to take the oil pan off after draining the oil and inspect/clean that area. The oil pan is NOT leaking or anything, so will that gasket need to be replaced or can i unbolt the pan, clean and rebolt it using the correct sequence?
The Probem is that i may need to wait 2 weeks to get a hold of a new gasket if i need to place a new one in there.

.....can i clean and inspect the oil pan without replacing the gasket and just use the old one ?

Also is there any other area i can clean/flush oil out of the engine. The oil filter will obviously be replaced. I beleive the old oil was dirty and i dont want to use an engine oil flush. Any oil cooier hoses or something ?
best
Peter

 

Peter,

It's never good practice to re-use gaskets. In the case of the oil pan, I've never known one to come off completely undamaged.

Even if you do remove the pan, there will still be oil in the oil cooler and lines and interfering with those unless absolutely necessary is best avoided.

Why not do a couple of oil changes in quick succession instead?

Graham

 

I have seen the suggestion of adding a qt. of atf and driving a day or so before changing the oil, then do a second change. You might be able to search for a thread on that, or maybe Graham, Brutal, or one of the other techs can comment.

 

i may do an oil change and follow up by another one if i find gunk in the system soon after.
Its just that i read the gasket is pressed in, so i was hopng it may come out easily.
We'll see.
best
Peter

 

Pete....I think you are just making extra work for yourself when it's not really needed ;o)
Oils these days don't leave behind so much crud like the old daze becaue most of them are high detergent oils which break down contaminents and held in suspension.
the oil filter doesa a stirling job of removing most of it.
If you are really keen, just drop out the oil and replace with Rotella or othert high detergent diesil oil and run it for about 300 miles, drop it out and replace with a good quality semi or full syn 5W40 or 10W50 depending on temp., replace the filter and you're set to go.

Why distuerb the sump unecessarily when it doesn't leak ;o))

 

is using diesel oil safe?

there was a lot of gunk built up on the full load breather tube exit, so this leads me to believe the part load breather tube is indeed clogged. I think this is why the engine blows oil in the air filter.. so im thinking the engine must be clogged with gunk. Hence my desire to clean as much as i can of the oil gallet.
But i will first just drain the oil, see if it comes out easily as it should and see what i find in it.
best
Peter

 

The Shell Rotella 15W40 is absolutely safe. In addition to the diesel engine ratings it also carries a gasoline engine rating of API SJ which is the same as you will find in the owner's manual as the oil specification for the X308 series.

 

In essence, no. diesil oil is perfectly safe but unecessary to use it all the time.
Once the engine has had a good clean out and normal oil regimes are continued all will be well.
Just don't use cheap crap oil in these engines.

The blocked part load breathet and build up si caused by a lot of short running and lack of normal maintanance.
We commonly call it 'mayonese' and this does not necessarily autamatically say the engine is 'gunked' up....as i said, most modern oil unless it is really cheap crap is highly detergent in it's action.

Just follow what I sugested and the car's engine will thank you.

What it really needs is a good long run after you do the oil changes.
Too many of these fine cars end up as 'boulevard cruisers'....surely a waste ;o]