Robert Scalchi
Thread starter
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2021
- Messages
- 53
Wow! Minimal carbon on piston crown and very smooth cylinders with no scuffing. Hmm 640:1 Will have to reconsider that. Thank you for that picture and testament.
Wait? Is that a Honda CR500 2 stroke piston? If so? You ran that on 640:1?
For fun and because I believe you have unrealistic expectations of a vehicle that now has +200k miles AND for which it spent +100k miles in someone else’s possession with a completely unknown service record. How can you conclude Toyota is at fault?That's great! Im happy for you that you are having such a good experience in the newer Lexus. It's a great vehicle IMO. But if you don't care about another older Lexus owner posting questions for possible solutions on how to mitigate better durability and driveability and performance, than why are you here posting on this threa
Ok so you are saying 500:1 is not 1 ounce to every 5 gallon of gas? When I first read that also on other forums, I thought that the ratio to ounces didn't seem right either and questioned it. Will look into it further. But it is emphasized as rule of thumb on other forums that 1oz. to every 5 gallons is what's to be followed. Oh wait? I see I wrote it backwards in my previous post. 5 ounces of oil to 5 gallons of gas. My bad.
Wait? Is that a Honda CR500 2 stroke piston? If so? You ran that on 640:1?
A gallon is 128 ounces of fluid.Ok so you are saying 500:1 is not 1 ounce to every 5 gallon of gas? When I first read that also on other forums, I thought that the ratio to ounces didn't seem right either and questioned it. Will look into it further. But it is emphasized as rule of thumb on other forums that 1oz. to every 5 gallons is what's to be followed. Oh wait? I see I wrote it backwards in my previous post. 5 ounces of oil to 5 gallons of gas. My bad.
Well? Im not expecting miracles in a bottle to correct a mechanical design flaw on a vehicle with 200k mi abd expecting it to perform like new without cracking open the engine and mechanically fixing the issues. Whether it be worn timing chain, cam, clogged pickup screens on VVTI Design flaws. Piston flaws or whatever? Just attempting to exhaust all options, trying everything I can try, and looking for opinions and possible simpler solutions and experiences before doing so as a last resort. That's all. As far as prior service records. I know they exist. I have seen them first hand. All dealer maintained. I just forgot to ask for them on closing of deal. Ill email sales rep fro, a year ago. Maybe they retained them?For fun and because I believe you have unrealistic expectations of a vehicle that now has +200k miles AND for which it spent +100k miles in someone else’s possession with a completely unknown service record. How can you conclude Toyota is at fault?
Will consider. I agree about dropping oil additives all together. Unfortunately can't afford top tier gas at the amount of miles I travel a week and rate I top off tank at. I go through about 1/2 a tank daily. I actually have been saving an 1/8 tank of gas daily with the 2 stroke TCW3 method I have been utilizing in the gas. Only change in performance has been beneficial. Easier starts. Smoother idle in vibrations (Despite the intermittent clacking on startup below 50 degrees.) Intermittently more bottom end power. Better gas mileage. So I don't really see a reason to discontinue that regiment at this time. I am running 5k OCI'SA gallon is 128 ounces of fluid.
Drop all additives including to the fuel. Buy top tier. Run 5k interval and see where it is.
Ahh ok thanks. Nice 4x4 BTW. I miss the Hondas of old. I have a few Honda Trikes from the 1980's 85 ATC 70. 86 250r 84 110m. And BIG RED.2007 Honda TRX500 Rubicon 4 stroke.
I figured I would write the OP a novel as well, and be as detailed as possible.Ahh ok thanks
Google: https://www.google.com/search?q=what+is+top+tier+gas&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safariWill consider. I agree about dropping oil additives all together. Unfortunately can't afford top tier gas at the amount of miles I travel a week and rate I top off tank at. I go through about 1/2 a tank daily. I actually have been saving an 1/8 tank of gas daily with the 2 stroke TCW3 method I have been utilizing in the gas. Only change in performance has been beneficial. Easier starts. Smoother idle in vibrations (Despite the intermittent clacking on startup below 50 degrees.) Intermittently more bottom end power. Better gas mileage. So I don't really see a reason to discontinue that regiment at this time. I am running 5k OCI'S
(When you say top tier. You do mean brand? Correct? Like Sunoco. Shell. BP. Or are you referring to 93 octane rating as top tier?)
Oh.. I never would have thought Valero was a top tier gasoline. Always thought their product was 10% ethanol. As for the rest? I kind of figured.
Thanks. I will try that in the future. I've heard good things from users with the 2GR-FE motor with PUP that remediated some noises. As well as PHM.From what SOPUS told me,PHM 10W-30 contains 200-250 ppm of moly. Maybe that will smooth your engine out.
My 98 3000GT sounded horrible on startup with synthetics. But it was silent on dinos.
1 oz to 5 gallons is 1/640 ...1oz in 5 gallons is pretty close to the 500:1 ratio. The best way of course is to calculate using the same measurement across the equation. Ounces to ounces or milliliter to milliliter.
"I do not currently rebuild engines but I know what neglected or proper oil change maintenance can do to a Toyota engine as I have torn apart many of them."I figured I would write the OP a novel as well, and be as detailed as possible.
My personal experience was 3 years rebuilding Toyota 4 cylinder engines and I got up to 99 engine rebuilds before I called it quits and went ahead and finished my higher education after I got my wife through pharmacy college rebuilding engines. I do not currently rebuild engines but I know what neglected or proper oil change maintenance can do to a Toyota engine as I have torn apart many of them.
2014 Avalon with a 2GR-FE bought at 58k miles, original owner took it to Toyota dealership for all oil changes before I got.
original spec 0w20
40k miles on this 2GR-FE in 2 years
Engine oil changes:
1) 1st oil change at 61k miles with Mobil 0w20 AFE and ran that for 14k OCI in the next 8 month with 13.9K miles being pure highway driving
2) 2nd oil change at 75K with Mobil 0w20 AFE again and ran that for 12k OCI in the next 8 month with 11k miles being pure highway driving
3) 3rd oil change at 87k with Mobil 0w20 EP 5 Qtz and 1.5 Qtz of AFE, that has 12k miles and again 11k miles on highway car now has 98.4k miles, and at 100k miles it will get Napa FS 0w20 for 10k OCI going forward.
2008 Lexus ES350 with 2GR-FE bought at 54k miles, original owner took it Lexus for everything, amazing maintenance history
original spec 5w30
I saw the last oil change sticker and it stated "5w30 Syn" which I now doubt as when I changed the VVT-i oil line for the rear cylinder bank to an all metal line from the 2011+ models to prevent the rubber section from bursting later on, at 60F in a garage the old oil was too thick, it had about 8k miles on at that point according to the oil sticker, and it was just too thick, I know what used oil looks like especially a synthetic oil which I have used a lot myself, which many many more miles. I feel because it was spec'd for 5w30 the maintenance on this vehicle before my ownership was done using Dino oil which from my engine rebuilding experience on Toyotas, I personally won't recommend as their piston run way too hot and cook up oil and you get carbon build up primarily on the oil return holes.
The above maintenance was performed at 59k miles along with various other needs as the ATF filter and complete fluid change using the oil cooler line, and the vehicle shifts better then before.
I now have 400 miles on the oil change using Rotella Gas Truck 5w20 Full Synthetic (only because it was $5.25 for a jug) and at the beginning on the oil change there was a slight valve train noise (intake VVT-i gear according to TSBs and 3 Toyota Techs) that went away within 1-2 second of a cold start, which now seems to be getting better and better as there in no noise on cold starts 9/10 times, this is in fact a common issue on neglected 2GR-FEs or when the maintenance is performed using Dino or bulk dealer oil, someone people have reported with engine flushes (which I don't believe or won't do myself, I rather drop the engine and change the VVT-i gears before "flushing" my engine) and Full Synthetic short oil changes to have cleaned up VVT-i gears enough to reduce or eliminate the noise. If I heard this noise on every single start up, the intake VVT-i gear would be considered bad and it would have to be changed, no oil changes or flushes will help.
I have read enough on these 2GR-FE engines to tell you that the so called piston slap is not a "common" issue, it is an issue that exist but not "common", I suspect bad maintenance history before your ownership, and other people being overly anal and calling something a piston slap from their own person diagnosis unless they got Toyota/Lexus to confirm this diagnosis.
my two 2GR-FEs have no piston slaps of any sort and the 14 Avalon sounds perfect from start up to driving, I have driven the Avalon very hard on high speeds for extended hours driving 110-130 mph, neither engine are burning any oil that can be seen on the dipstick, its always full.
2GR-FEs are very reliable engines, with 400k+ miles on many of them, I have looked into buying another one for a new driver. Also they spec'd the 2GR-FEs with 0w20 without really changing the tolerances, I haven't read that anywhere and sounds like speculation as it would cost too much redesign an engine just to change the oil spec, I believe the engine runs perfectly fine on 20/30 weights, that's it.
My recommendation is actually to diagnose maybe professionally or upload an video with audio of your so called piston slap that sounds like a diesel, are you burning any oil between oil changes? does your oil look like it has very obvious shavings (I have seen this before) if not, and your getting recommended mpg and have good power, I would just drive the car and change your oil using Full Synthetic oil with a Fram Ultra (change it every other oil change) at 5K OCIs until you get your vehicle properly diagnosed.
if you run any 20/30 weight you will be fine, I'm running 20 weight in the 08 Lexus, if you want I can report back as I put on mile quick, I doubt it's gonna really care.This is where the confusion begins for me since I suspect that ALL 2GR-FE motors even as old as '09-'07 should be back spec'd to 0W-20 oil. But I cannot deny or confirm, and not sure I don't want to run the risk of running that thin regularly unless I have confirmation.
Fram Ultra has the highest efficiency at 20 microns and its affordable from Walmart, and if you look at the media, its very robust, I have used it for 30k miles many times on many different engines, you could run the full 20k miles as recommended by Fram, and with these cartridges' filter, it came out as it went in but with old oil on it, the media didn't look beat up or even wavy. it isn't restrictive at all, also if your oil filter getting loaded up with insolubles is an issue, then you have real engine issues that aren't connected to the oil filter, and your engine is going towards failure very soon, my point is your oil filter having robust media filter and a higher efficiency is all that matters.Is there any filtration benefit to the Fram Ultra? Is it a tighter media? I have read conflicting info across multiple threads from users with using Fram Ultra on this engine as the media may be too tight, causing pressure surges and inadequate delivery of oil to top end.