Anyone Else "Oil Flush" When Doing an OC?

[Blake1107]

Not sure of exactly how to phrase the title, so gave it my best shot!

I have watched some Lake Speed Jr. videos recently and in one video he is changing the oil in his daughter's new Toyota. What surprised me is he did a step in the OC I have never thought about doing.

Before removing the old filter, he took a quart of fresh oil and poured it through to "flush" any old oil and contaminants that may have been hanging out in the bottom of the oil pan that didn't come out in the initial drain. Normally I change my oil when warm as the oil should have the majority of anything foreign caught in suspension (thank you BITOG for teaching me that), but I guess it could be assumed not all of the old oil makes it out, too. So his idea of using a quart of fresh makes sense, too.

I have done this step the last 3 or 4 OC's as I have a small stock of jugs with 1-2qts in them that I won't be using for future OC's, so "flushing" with them doesn't really hurt.

And so really I am just curious how many other BITOGers do this step as well?
Or just your thoughts in general on it?

 

[NiwradND]

Its a waste of money. Warm the oil and dump it.

 

[demarpaint]

A horse beaten to death a few times here over the years. The general consensus in a well maintained engine is it is a prefect waste of a quart of oil.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Not sure of exactly how to phrase the title, so gave it my best shot!

I have watched some Lake Speed Jr. videos recently and in one video he is changing the oil in his daughter's new Toyota. What surprised me is he did a step in the OC I have never thought about doing.

Before removing the old filter, he took a quart of fresh oil and poured it through to "flush" any old oil and contaminants that may have been hanging out in the bottom of the oil pan that didn't come out in the initial drain. Normally I change my oil when warm as the oil should have the majority of anything foreign caught in suspension (thank you BITOG for teaching me that), but I guess it could be assumed not all of the old oil makes it out, too. So his idea of using a quart of fresh makes sense, too.

I have done this step the last 3 or 4 OC's as I have a small stock of jugs with 1-2qts in them that I won't be using for future OC's, so "flushing" with them doesn't really hurt.

And so really I am just curious how many other BITOGers do this step as well?
Or just your thoughts in general on it?

Although I question its utility this type of obsessive compulsive behavior is typically BITOG approved. Decades ago some guy in the corvette world made a big deal out of doing it. Meh. Whatever.

 

[proveitwithdata]

if you have extra thin oil like 0w16 or 0w8 just laying around, might be something you pursue, but for everyone else, why are you wasting oil?

 

[Blake1107]

Although I question its utility this type of obsessive compulsive behavior is typically BITOG approved. Decades ago some guy in the corvette world made a big deal out of doing it. Meh. Whatever.

The only other question I have about it, is rather than use the oil one is preferring to run in their engine, could a person just buy a quart of cheap conventional and pour it through instead? In his video he used a quart of the Toyota labeled oil (would assume around $10/qt) he was going to run and for me would seem to be more cost effective to use a cheapy since 99% of it is going right through.

A horse beaten to death a few times here over the years. The general consensus in a well maintained engine is it is a prefect waste of a quart of oil.

My bad. I tried searching, but I had no idea how to phrase it, and when you use the words "oil" and "flush" the majority of threads/posts come up in the search results.

 

[zzyzzx]

I sometimes do this but I don't use much, as in maybe 1/4 of a quart, if even that much. You really don't need much until you start seeing clean enough oil coming out.

 

[Blake1107]

if you have extra thin oil like 0w16 or 0w8 just laying around, might be something you pursue, but for everyone else, why are you wasting oil?

Like I said in my original post, the stuff being poured through is oil that I will not be using for future OC's. I figured rather than dump it at O'Reilly's, without it ever "serving a purpose," I could at least do this with it. I'm not doing the "flush" with what is going to be used in the engine.

 

[02zx9r rev2]

Waste of oil and time in my opinion. The minuscule amount of oil that is left in engine doesn’t do anything to the new oil

But like you said, it won’t ever be using it I guess it can’t hurt

 

[demarpaint]

My bad. I tried searching, but I had no idea how to phrase it, and when you use the words "oil" and "flush" the majority of threads/posts come up in the search results.

No problem, the search function can be challenging at times. But as I mentioned the general consensus in a well maintained engine it is a prefect waste of a quart of oil.

 

[cptbarkey]

Lake Speed says and does quite a few things which help support the various products he sells, in this case oil analysis services.

 

[I<3oil]

Nope

 

[gfh77665]

This lame idea will not make any discernable difference, ever. The flush qt. will take the most direct path of gravity down and won't touch 95+% of the internals, and it wont have enough force or volume to clean the pan.

Its just a WASTE.

 

[CarbonSteel]

Nope; no need. Whatever may be at the bottom will either be captured by the oil filter or come out with the next OC.

Unless the engine has something going on or is a bad design (aka sludger) what would be left? I, for one, would not waste a quart of M1 ESP to do a meaningless "flush".

 

[proveitwithdata]

Like I said in my original post, the stuff being poured through is oil that I will not be using for future OC's. I figured rather than dump it at O'Reilly's, without it ever "serving a purpose," I could at least do this with it. I'm not doing the "flush" with what is going to be used in the engine.

do you have a generator, an ope or someone who could use that oil?

 

[Sayjac]

Yep, LSJr did it on the very first factory oil change. 'Afaik,' not doing it subsequently. Not something I'd do or have done and seems a bit over the top, imo. But other than pouring a new quart of oil through system, doesn't hurt anything. No idea how much oil and/or particulates left in system it would remove. Again, not something I'd do. Shorten the first oci, yes.

 

[PF52]

Although I question its utility this type of obsessive compulsive behavior is typically BITOG approved.

Are you thinking of some earlier thread where this technique wasn't almost universally panned? I sure don't remember any.

 

[Blake1107]

This lame idea will not make any discernable difference, ever. The flush qt. will take the most direct path of gravity down and won't touch 95+% of the internals, and it wont have enough force or volume to clean the pan.

Its just a WASTE.

Totally understand it's not touching internals. Never mentioned that.
I did say he explains doing it to clear the oil pan and that was all I was asking about.

On a side note, arrogant and condescending responses similar to yours really make it tough for folks to want to ask questions at times. I get I don't have the same level of knowledge as you and a majority of other members here and so that is why I ask. I even use the search feature before posting. But sometimes getting talked to online like an incompetent child sure outweighs asking the question (just not this time as I thought it was a harmless question).

 

[dubber09]

Fresh oil will basically go straight into pan not 'flushing' much if anything really.
If one wants a meaningful 'flush' then they have to replace old oil with fresh, run engine for a few mins and replace oil again.

 

[Blake1107]

do you have a generator, an ope or someone who could use that oil?

No, nothing extra owned to use it in. I will probably just ask a few friends I know of that do their own maintenance too if they want it for any of their vehicles.