I have a 1994 dodge ram 1500 5.2 eng.It had been sitting a couple of years before I got it. I had to replace the fuel pump before I got it started.After I got it started sludge stopped up the oil pump.I pulled the oil pan and while I had the pan off I replaced the oil pump.I cleaned out the pan and reinstalled.Added fresh oil with one quart of lucus stabulizer.It ran great when I first started it.After it ran a while it bent a push rod.One of the lifters was stuck.I replaced all the lifters.I started it and drove around town, it done great.The next morning I went to start it and it was like the lifters had leaked down. It took several turns to build the lifters before it started.After it started there was another push rod bent.I let it sit for several days before getting back to it.All the lifters was still up.Before I replace the bent push rod, I was wondering if it was possible the lifters hadn`t built up good and everything should be OK when I replace the push rod this time?
You replaced the pump, great, but did you clean out the rest of the oil galleries? No, you’re looking for the additive to do that, right? Meanwhile, any obstruction in the oil supply to your valvetrain may be starving it of oil before the additive can get up in there to dissolve the sludge, if it can do that at all. If there’s that much sludge in the pan and pump, it’s in the rest of the engine too.
I’d never replace lifters and not the cam. They’re a matched set once they wear together. But that’s my preference so I don’t have to do the job twice. You may get lucky.
Did you drain and replace the stale gasoline?? I have seen degraded fuel leave deposits on valve stems that cause them to bind (jam) in the valve guides, bending the push rods. The valves had to be pounded out of the head. Old gasoline turns into tar. It actually changes form. When it evaporates, it leaves a tar-like varnish. Fresh gasoline is 100% volatile and evaporates completely, leaving no residue.