I just noticed that a v6.... there seems to be a few threads with v6's looking ugly like that on here lately... weird... I doubt the plenum gasket is much of an issue being the size and spacing between screws...

 

Since he is replacing all the gaskets anyway, probably wouldn't hurt to atleast use shorter bolts on the plenum, just my 2 cents

 

Any idea where all the crud is coming from, though? Is it just oil coming over the PCV through the intake?

 

That is oil that has been coked by being in the engine to long, and sticking to hot surfaces. Where it cokes some more. (No VW, not THAT kind of coke......) That is the sure sign of a seriously neglected engine.

I have seen MUCH worse though......

 

Coke/carbon from cooking. You are 100% correct and it will be with ANY oil, although I know there are some people who will immediately blame those tar clumps being formed from Penzoil, which is parafin based.

 

Or quaker state, or whatever else. Synthetic oil would do the same thing, when left in the engine to long.

 

I have to say, thats one, if not the worst looking interior engine pics I've seen here on DF. Do not use any kind of flushing procedure. Clean up as much as you can(as previously stated), and also remove the oil pan and do the same to it. Clean or replace the pick up tube. Put it back together and use Rislone in place of a quart of oil. It will slowly clean the motor. Do another oil change after a couple 100 miles and keep using the Rislone in place of a quart of oil. This is a couple motors that have had regular maintenance and the use of Rislone. At least since I owned them. First one is the top end of my 98 with 180K when I installed the HS rockers. As you can see, no cleaning was needed. I swapped the HS rockers to my 2000(which was just as clean up top, no pic of the top end) But the 2nd pic is the bottom end of the 2000 when I had to replace the oil pan due to rust pin holes.

 

probably not. you also probably do not need to remove the exhaust pipe.

i had to remove the braces, starter, and dust cover in order to unhook the lip of the oil pan from the dust cover.

i've seen engines that bad. just scrap it all out, flush the valley, blow out the passages with air. change oil and filter a couple of times afterwards and its ok to use the cheapest oil for those first couple of changes.

 

If the motor still runs stong wash it down with gas or krisoineon to rockers put a qt of marvel in it run it a few miles at idle and dump it change the oil with some cheap then put a whole bottle of mmo in it oil drive it for a day then change the oil filter and oil that motor has a lot of miles taken away from it it was negleceted but if it runs good you can save it

 

Um, not gasoline. Diesel or kerosene.