Recent content by EngineeringGeek

Originally Posted by Bullwinkle007 One way to clean the backside of the intake valves is to use carb and intake cleaner and spray it down into the intake while someone holds the throttle at 4k RPM, and spray the entire can. Then change the engine oil. That will also clean the intake manifold. I...

@Walterjay and @GMBoy, some say you can damage your catalytic converter(s) by running products like CRC through the engine. I know CRC claims when it's done per their procedures that shouldn't be a problem but modern converters can be rather fussy and expensive. Just a persistent misfire on one...

Originally Posted by SubieRubyRoo So the only way to prevent PCV vapors from contacting the backside of the intake valve is to either eliminate PCV; move to a system like a valve cover evacuator like race cars use that suck it directly into the exhaust; or to suck it out of the crankcase and...

Originally Posted by MolaKule Engine oils and fuels are hydrocarbons. A particular oil or fuel may reduce carbon deposits, but my bet is on the physcis that says anytime a hydrocarbon is burnt or subjected to high temperatures, there is no way it can eliminate or prevent carbon deposits. The...

Thanks to all for your input. I was just curious if I was missing something more conclusive. @StevieC I think manufactures are somewhat "retreating" from D.I. in that several have since gone to the expense to add back port injection. Audi, VW and Ford have all had early turbo D.I. motors with...

Most of the well conducted tests have shown all the spray cleaners, including Seafoam and CRC, don't do much with even modest carbon build up. Some dealers love to charge for these cleanings as it's yet another way for them to pad their revenue (and all the service writers work on commission)...

Has anyone seen any credible tests of Valvoline Modern Engine oil on intake valve carbon build-up? I know Valvoline "advanced" full syn was already one of the lower volatility synthetics out there and, in theory, was one of the better choices for helping prevent carbon build up. Supposedly...

Thanks JOD. I think we're mostly singing the same song. And yeah, I know stats are not black and white. I'm just talking about statistically significant trends. Often times when you apply proper analysis to a big data set what you thought was significant often isn't. Just ask the drug...

Originally Posted By: JOD It does seem that some oils, Amsoil's SSO/AZO, PZ Ultra, M1, old Edge among others all seem to hold up well over extended drains--and all of the new SN oils (dino/syn) seem to do better than the SM oils in >10K OCI's. First thanks for all the tips on what to look for...

Thanks. I spent quite a few hours with UOAs hoping to extract some meaningful data about specific oils and I finally gave up. I'm not a statistics expert, but there are just too many uncontrolled variables and the data was all over the place. I have to agree with GMorg, other factors seem to...

Originally Posted By: Y_K Are you going to perform your oil changes yourself? Yup. I've had bad experiences doing otherwise. Why do you ask?

Originally Posted By: doitmyself The only way you could know this is if you do a number of UOA's with both oils. Are you going to do this? FYI, I commend your diligence and efforts. I do this kind of investigation numerous times at my workplace. In some (many) instances, I end up where I...

Thanks JOD. That's perhaps the most helpful reply yet and I'm in agreement with most everything you said above. I plan to use my own UOAs to figure out how long I can go regardless of what oil I end up with. But, with cars under powertrain warranty, I won't exceed 3750 miles/6 months (or...

Originally Posted By: A_Harman Or are you just posting here to convince everybody that you're smarter than they are before you ignore all advice and do whatever you want? What I asked for at the start of this thread not a single person here provided. I had to find the information on my own...

Originally Posted By: Garak That, in a nutshell, is the biggest problem. Assuming that two or three different reputable oils of your choosing actually meet the specifications you need or are searching for, then how are you really going to differentiate between the two or three? That's one...