Cleaning up Sludge on Cylinder Heads?

[tbryanh]

The 97 4R I bought a couple of months ago has sludge build up on the cylinder heads underneath the valve covers. I can see it through the oil fill cap. I want to clean this up.

Is it safe to put seafoam in the oil a couple of hundred miles before an oil change is due and continue to do this before each oil change until the sludge is gone?

 

[SilverRidgeRunner1]

Cleaning sludge is slow process if there bad... The best trick I know to clean sludge is changing the oil on a routine bases with Rotella diesel oil, The fastest route to cleaning sludge would be pulling the actual heads and have them cleaned in a parts washer.

 

[jjf8]

Give this thread a read. Having the same issue, Hope yours is not as bad as mine. Going to go the slow road on this, see what happens. Getting whining noise now on start up that goes away after a few minutes, then she runs great. The noise seems to be getting shorter in duration as I drive it more, usually just in the morning. Ran it with out belts so its not that, Dealer and 4 of their mechanics suggested the slow road and drive it more as did some of the posts in the thread. Best to you.
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/218803-valve-coverjob-sludge-call.html