We had the same Civic and sold it with 228K miles.
Any brand name Dino oil is more than adequate for these engines.
Any brand name Dino oil is more than adequate for these engines.
105k civic r18 valvetrain pics
- Thread starter Firehawk409
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Originally Posted by demarpaint
Seems like a lot of varnish and buildup under the valve cover, especially for a first rate boutique oil. I'd check the PCV valve and shorten the OCI. I would also do a UOA to determine how well the oil is doing for your OCI, should you decide to stick with that interval.
This.
Seems like a lot of varnish and buildup under the valve cover, especially for a first rate boutique oil. I'd check the PCV valve and shorten the OCI. I would also do a UOA to determine how well the oil is doing for your OCI, should you decide to stick with that interval.
This.
Originally Posted by gathermewool
Originally Posted by LeoStrop
Varnish will eventually become sludge.
Where did you read this? Not here, I hope.
Not that it will become, but although varnish and sludge are two different things, they can be the consequence of the same problem, one of them being lubricant degradation.
For me that the OCI + oil + driving habit of that engine is not optimum by looking at that picture, i would reduce the intervals. But that is just my opinion.
Originally Posted by LeoStrop
Varnish will eventually become sludge.
Where did you read this? Not here, I hope.
Not that it will become, but although varnish and sludge are two different things, they can be the consequence of the same problem, one of them being lubricant degradation.
For me that the OCI + oil + driving habit of that engine is not optimum by looking at that picture, i would reduce the intervals. But that is just my opinion.
Wife drove it for the majority of ownership. 20miles round trip for work....few longer trips here and there to visit family. She drives very slow and not aggressive at all. Ihave been driving it the past 6months. Lots of city driving... Uber eat delivery. Running errands and what not. I drive it a bit more aggressively.
Amsoil recommendeds no more then 15k interval for the civic. I change the oil and filter once a year and thats about 10 to 12k. The pcv I just changed at few months ago. I have to admit that I forgot all about it.
Valves are now adjusted and cleaned out egr.
Amsoil recommendeds no more then 15k interval for the civic. I change the oil and filter once a year and thats about 10 to 12k. The pcv I just changed at few months ago. I have to admit that I forgot all about it.
Valves are now adjusted and cleaned out egr.
I hope you also performed a valve adjust while the cover was removed.
I had two r18's opened up - both with about the same mileage as yours. Both were significantly cleaner. Once received Mobil 1 EP at shorter intervals. The other one used conventional at 5-7K intervals.
https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/foru...civic-1-8-valve-cover-photos#Post4984112
https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/foru...vic-1-8-valve-cover-pictures#Post4989137
I had two r18's opened up - both with about the same mileage as yours. Both were significantly cleaner. Once received Mobil 1 EP at shorter intervals. The other one used conventional at 5-7K intervals.
https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/foru...civic-1-8-valve-cover-photos#Post4984112
https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/foru...vic-1-8-valve-cover-pictures#Post4989137
I stated in my OP and last post that I did the adjustment. I had a 94 Lt1 fbody that used m1 and it looked much better then this.
Idk.. This is the 2nd engine. The 1st one developed the weeping block and it was replaced at 65k. Honda said it was a brand new engine that it was replaced with.
Idk.. This is the 2nd engine. The 1st one developed the weeping block and it was replaced at 65k. Honda said it was a brand new engine that it was replaced with.
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Originally Posted by demarpaint
Seems like a lot of varnish and buildup under the valve cover, especially for a first rate boutique oil. I'd check the PCV valve and shorten the OCI. I would also do a UOA to determine how well the oil is doing for your OCI, should you decide to stick with that interval.
This.
Seems like a lot of varnish and buildup under the valve cover, especially for a first rate boutique oil. I'd check the PCV valve and shorten the OCI. I would also do a UOA to determine how well the oil is doing for your OCI, should you decide to stick with that interval.
This.
Would it be worth sending a sample of this oil off? It's time for an oil change. My only concern is I sprayed parts cleaner on the valvetrain but then wiped it. I would think some still got in the oil.
I have to say that after the valve adj it drives much better. Better then when this engine was first put in. The original engine also consistently got better mpg then this one.
I have to say that after the valve adj it drives much better. Better then when this engine was first put in. The original engine also consistently got better mpg then this one.
Originally Posted by gathermewool
No one should care about the varnish. It means NOTHING. Stop listening to any poster who tells you to do this or that to fix the varnish.
I've never heard that and this 👇 article by a gentleman who has extensive experience with lubricants and serves as a U.S. delegate to the ISO tribology and oil analysis working groups, seems to disagree with your assertion that varnish is "nothing" to worry about.
https://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/268/oil-sludge-varnish
My understanding is that varnish and sludge are the product of oil degradation, so in just my lay observation seems the OP's running that Amsoil too long. I don't use high end oils at all and when I did my valve covers i didn't have nearly that much varnish. I had some but not that much. But hey, every car and every driver and their habits are different so maybe that's considered a somewhat "normal" amount of varnish for a Honda engine with that many miles. Dunno... just seems odd to me to see that amount of varnish given how expensive and supposedly how high quality Amsoil is but that's purely a subjective observation on my part and I could be way off.
No one should care about the varnish. It means NOTHING. Stop listening to any poster who tells you to do this or that to fix the varnish.
I've never heard that and this 👇 article by a gentleman who has extensive experience with lubricants and serves as a U.S. delegate to the ISO tribology and oil analysis working groups, seems to disagree with your assertion that varnish is "nothing" to worry about.
https://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/268/oil-sludge-varnish
My understanding is that varnish and sludge are the product of oil degradation, so in just my lay observation seems the OP's running that Amsoil too long. I don't use high end oils at all and when I did my valve covers i didn't have nearly that much varnish. I had some but not that much. But hey, every car and every driver and their habits are different so maybe that's considered a somewhat "normal" amount of varnish for a Honda engine with that many miles. Dunno... just seems odd to me to see that amount of varnish given how expensive and supposedly how high quality Amsoil is but that's purely a subjective observation on my part and I could be way off.
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Triple_Se7en
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Good post Mad Hatter
I do not think this is normal. I gave amsoil a try in this civic and my gto. I'm not super happy with how the civic looks under the valve cover. Indeed this is a replacement engine and as I have said... I never felt it ran as good as the first one. So who knows. Being I have amsoil stock left I'm going to go ahead and use it. I plan on shortening the interval.
I don't have a need to but when the weather cools off I think ill pull the valve covers off the gto.
Now for our brand new 2018 CRV it uses 0w20 and i dont think I'll be using a amsoil.
I don't have a need to but when the weather cools off I think ill pull the valve covers off the gto.
Now for our brand new 2018 CRV it uses 0w20 and i dont think I'll be using a amsoil.
Now the cam looked pretty good. It had wear mark but no gashes or scratches. Looked nice and shiney. The timing chain looked brand new as well.
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Originally Posted by Firehawk409
Now for our brand new 2018 CRV it uses 0w20 and i dont think I'll be using a amsoil.
There are plenty of off the shelf 0w20's that will treat your CRV just right. I'm admittedly partial to Chevron products but I think the ProDS full syn Dex1Gen2 in the 6qt box is a tremendous value on a great oil at just$19.99..and it's not hard to find, just have it shipped to home or store.
![[Linked Image]](https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/attachments/usergals/2019/06/full-85545-33812-8bbb109c_178f_490c_b657_617133687271_1.99369d9f92f2aba74afff5e3f88b2333.jpeg "[Linked Image]")
Now for our brand new 2018 CRV it uses 0w20 and i dont think I'll be using a amsoil.
There are plenty of off the shelf 0w20's that will treat your CRV just right. I'm admittedly partial to Chevron products but I think the ProDS full syn Dex1Gen2 in the 6qt box is a tremendous value on a great oil at just$19.99..and it's not hard to find, just have it shipped to home or store.
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Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
Good post Mad Hatter
Thanks, sometimes the neurons fire in the right order and spit out something worthwhile....‚
Good post Mad Hatter
Thanks, sometimes the neurons fire in the right order and spit out something worthwhile....‚
I remember when I got the civic and gto I looked over the oil samples that were posted on each. They all seemed pretty good at the time. I'm just sitting trying to come up with a reason as to why it looks the way it would. Would the cam have varnish on it too?
Now there was a point where amsoil came out and said to it not do the 25k interval. They changed the filter from a 25k to 15k. Don't remember the reason as to why. It didn't affect me because we only did a bit over 10k a year.
Now there was a point where amsoil came out and said to it not do the 25k interval. They changed the filter from a 25k to 15k. Don't remember the reason as to why. It didn't affect me because we only did a bit over 10k a year.
Originally Posted by Firehawk409
I remember when I got the civic and gto I looked over the oil samples that were posted on each. They all seemed pretty good at the time. I'm just sitting trying to come up with a reason as to why it looks the way it would. Would the cam have varnish on it too?
Now there was a point where amsoil came out and said to it not do the 25k interval. They changed the filter from a 25k to 15k. Don't remember the reason as to why. It didn't affect me because we only did a bit over 10k a year.
I ya haven't already, read the article to the link I posted. From what I glean is while there are areas in the engine where varnish is typically problematic (like hot spots), varnish has a reputation (don't know if that's the right way to put it) for forming or not forming in strange unusual places. The article I linked to seems high level on the topic of sludge and varnish, so I'm sure there's more scholarly papers on Google written on the subject of varnish/sludge.
LSS.. just be glad that the cam looks as good as it does and not like some of the other areas.
I remember when I got the civic and gto I looked over the oil samples that were posted on each. They all seemed pretty good at the time. I'm just sitting trying to come up with a reason as to why it looks the way it would. Would the cam have varnish on it too?
Now there was a point where amsoil came out and said to it not do the 25k interval. They changed the filter from a 25k to 15k. Don't remember the reason as to why. It didn't affect me because we only did a bit over 10k a year.
I ya haven't already, read the article to the link I posted. From what I glean is while there are areas in the engine where varnish is typically problematic (like hot spots), varnish has a reputation (don't know if that's the right way to put it) for forming or not forming in strange unusual places. The article I linked to seems high level on the topic of sludge and varnish, so I'm sure there's more scholarly papers on Google written on the subject of varnish/sludge.
LSS.. just be glad that the cam looks as good as it does and not like some of the other areas.
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That looks bad for an engine that only has 100k.
At work, trucks that really get worked and mistreated by the drivers dont even look like that and thats with engines well over 300k with lots of idle and towing. Im no expert in oil like some of these guys here or if that varnish is to worry about, but my worthless .02 says change oil brands and shorten the OCI.
At work, trucks that really get worked and mistreated by the drivers dont even look like that and thats with engines well over 300k with lots of idle and towing. Im no expert in oil like some of these guys here or if that varnish is to worry about, but my worthless .02 says change oil brands and shorten the OCI.
Well idk.. It isn't great but it only seems the rocker arms are varnishes and the valve cover. Cam, timing chain, gear, and valve springs are shiney. Even the rocker roller tip and here it contacts the spring looked good. I
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