195,000 mile Civic Valvetrain/cover pics

[650NutKase]

I did a valve cover gasket and oil pan gasket for my cousin. He's got a 1998 Civic EX 4 door, M/T, with 195,XXX miles on it. The pics show heavy varnish, but not too much sludge or burnt oil. It has a steady diet of quick lube oils and has had a sporadic OCI from 3000 - 7000 miles. Almost always has had conventional oil with some blends and synthetics here and there. When I did the gaskets, I refilled with Mobil Super 5000 with an STP filer. What do you all think?

 

[Wampahoofus]

Definitely lots of varnish, but not too bad for the mileage and OCI. As long as that's all the sludge there is I think you're doing just fine.

Typical Honda...engine on the wrong side

 

[ram_man]

Looks kinda filthy for a honda 4 cyl not bad enough to hurt anything just not pleasing too look at.
did you adjust the valves while you had the valve cover off?

 

[650NutKase]

Forgot to mention that we put 10w30 in there. Valves were fine

 

[JOD]

Originally Posted By: 2012AccentSE
It has a steady diet of quick lube oils and has had a sporadic OCI from 3000 - 7000 miles..... What do you all think?



I think that either your cousin hasn't been changing the oil as much as he or she said, or that it was consuming some and being driven without much oil in the sump.

I doubt it's really harming much, but for the OCI and mileage I think it looks terrible! I'd seen way cleaner at similar mileage with much more sporadic maintenance.

 

[jorton]

That stuff on the valve cover looks like smoke. Why is it so smokey in there? Rings? Run Mobil 1 for a year. 5w-30. Change it every 6000 miles religiously.

 

[6starprez]

That's what family is for.

Lot of varnish. What did the bottom look like?

 

[650NutKase]

Originally Posted By: 6starprez
That's what family is for.

Lot of varnish. What did the bottom look like?


About the same as the top end. Lots of varnish....

 

[650NutKase]

Originally Posted By: jorton
That stuff on the valve cover looks like smoke. Why is it so smokey in there? Rings? Run Mobil 1 for a year. 5w-30. Change it every 6000 miles religiously.


Yeah he said he may go on a regimen of synth for the next year or so...I'm thinking O'Reilly's Synthetic?

 

[650NutKase]

Originally Posted By: JOD
Originally Posted By: 2012AccentSE
It has a steady diet of quick lube oils and has had a sporadic OCI from 3000 - 7000 miles..... What do you all think?



I think that either your cousin hasn't been changing the oil as much as he or she said, or that it was consuming some and being driven without much oil in the sump.

I doubt it's really harming much, but for the OCI and mileage I think it looks terrible! I'd seen way cleaner at similar mileage with much more sporadic maintenance.


He does change it, but I think since he's been stretching his OCI's longer and longer the engine may have suffered a bit.

 

[Spetz]

Would there be any kind of additive or oil that would clean that up so the metal color shows again?