[jrmunn]

AP,

You may have a big enough audience on this thread to get feedback from someone who understands where the crud would go if you were able to break it up and some fell into the engine. If it goes straight to the pan bottom (below pump pickup and moving parts) without plugging any oil channels, would there be a problem? If you go the shop vac route, the bottom will probably fall into the engine before you get it all. My luck would be that I would also drop a tool into the hole. I am really surprised that carburetor cleaner does not soften it up, because it works really well on the much smaller amounts of crud on the little screen in my tube leading from the engine to the air cleaner.

jrmunn