Valve cover gasket job

So today i ventured into the relm of new valve cover gaskets....2006 DC Limited 4.7L, 218000 miles.....First problem i expected was the rear most screws closest to the firewall to be a bitch to get out, but my Ridgid subcompact impact on the lowest torque setting with various extensions made it no issue. Once i got the first cover off, i was greeted to this:





How bad is this?? Is it normal, or could something be causing this to happen other than old age?? Been using synthetic 5W-30 since i owned it(105000mi)
I cleaned the valve cover up with power tune and brakleen, but what about all the gunk that is above that tray that i know must be there...would love to soak em in a parts cleaner, but i dont have one...
People have mentioned an additive to your oil before doing a change that will clean up the insides...is this safe, and will it work on this??
TIA!
Edit: Truck is a daily driver, 35-40 min ride to and from work, 20 mins of that at 80mph, so not a stop and go, never build temp issue.

 

Paging @shifty`

Also, read this

https://www.tundras.com/threads/so-you-wanna-buy-just-bought-a-1st-gen-tundra-eh.115928/

 

Have you read the community megathread? It covers this topic and you'll see links to pics of people in much worse shape, including myself. My truck had around 70k original miles on it, and it looked 4x worse than yours because the [edit] gentleman* who had my truck before me short-trip drove it to his bank and back for work every day, used cheap dino oil changes at the JiffyLube shops, and changed based on mileage instead of time. Your heads look great inside! You did the right thing by cleaning the crust out of the inside with brake cleaner.

Driver side valve cover/head is always worse, and always worst toward the firewall on cylinders 5 & 7. Why? I'm assuming it's because water steams up into the filler neck (sometimes leaving froth or foam under the cap), and when that steam cools, it sinks to the lower part of the head and sticks to it.

Do you do a lot of short-trip driving, less than 10-15 minutes, where the truck doesn't get up to full operating temp for more than 10-15 minutes?

Do you change your oil based on time, or miles? Ideally you want to be changing every 12 months, or when you hit your mileage #, whichever comes first. And if you're short-trip driving, you need to reduce your numbers, maybe every 8-9 months instead of 12.

Do you use full synthetic, or conventional oil?

Anyway, the bigger issue is:

• Make sure you're familiar with the process, including re-sealing both half-moon plugs at the back of the heads.
• Make sure you adhere to any cure times listed on the FIPG you need for sealing the half moons, and both cam tower corners on each head
• Make sure you thoroughly clear out all the little remnants of FIPG (see circle below for examples) from those locations (half moons, cam tower corners) and CHECK inside the head for chunks of it BEFORE you re-seat the head, you don't want that shit getting stuck in passages
• Make sure you do the spark plug tube gaskets
• Consider using zip ties to pull hoses out of the way, it's helpful on both sides
• All part numbers and process for this is located to (and linked from) RIGHT HERE if it helps

​

 

I see very minimal sludge-ing (kudos to the synthetic oil) but some varnishing for sure. Which oil have you been using? My valve train and valve covers were shiny silver underneath with some mild varnishing at the rear most drivers side cylinders. Pennzoil Platinum has been my oil of choice for most of the 20 years I’ve owned it. I’ve used some others due to sales etc. Mobil 1, some Valvoline full synth etc. but 90% Pennzoil, and most of that the platinum made from natural gas variety.

 

Oil changes have been every 5000 miles, which for me is about four or five months of driving, Usually use Pennzoil, or Quaker State full synthetic… planning on an oil change after doing my valve covers since I had them opened up and possibility of shit getting in there…. Any kind of engine flush that you would recommend before changing oil?

 

I'm not a big motor flush guy. Perhaps the new Restore and Protect Valvoline oil would be a good solution.

 

I don't recommend it by any means, but I often put a bottle of Sea Foam high mile/old vehicle/whatever in the crankcase about 500 miles before at least every other OC, but my motivation recently has been finding this a couple years back. Mind you that was back in March of 2022, when the truck had around 72,500 original miles. I was pretty pissed.

 

I was going to jump on this 2 weeks ago but had to end up working. My buddy has a shop, so he did it for me. VCG was original. He snapped 2 bolts and had to helicoil them. Thank god it wasn't me in the bay at work....

 

Not a 4.7, but these were mine after 312k 200 for sure run with 530syn.

https://www.tundras.com/threads/wha...-gen-tundra-today.2558/page-1913#post-3519185

 

This is great to know and thanks. I was going to use the same approach when I get to mine this year.

 

I see a little sludge, but I've seen much, much worse. I'd clean as much sludge as I could and all the mating surfaces and then put it back together.

I once changed valve cover gaskets on a truck that was originally a rental. The sludge in that thing was hard and thick, couldn't remove it unless I wanted to try to chisel it out...