Auto-Rx Oil Use

[dbdeland]

I read this post on another forum and thought it was good post for the type oil to use with ARX.

I think that PP (and other synthetics) has gotten a lot of press on message boards inadvertently. There are a lot of folks that will not run dino oil in their motors. This may due to it being a sludge proned design. Or it may be a turbo or may be in real frigid climate. PP or any Group III has bridged a gap with these customers. Still basically a dino, but better refined. But to think PP or any group III is going to do any real cleaning of a dirty motor is false. I am still a Pennsoil Yellow bottle fan, personally. But that is mostly due to convenience.

To answer the original question, I would also recommend running a mineral oil in the proper weight and viscosity designed for your motor.
This would be for both phases, cleaning and rinse. There is likely many brands to choose from. Think cheap, think conventional oil. First of all the cleaning phase is for only 2500 miles. Why spend any more money than you have to on a 2500 mile oil change interval. When it comes to the rinse phase, another 3000 mile short OCI, I recommend the same.

It is particularly important to run a conventional oil during this 3000 mile rinse. Reason being is that for contaminants to rinse off metal surfaces a simple mineral oil with no polar properties works best. Most full synthetics and semi-synthetics contain polar ingredients. By polar meaning having an attraction to ferrous metals in particular. This does not bode as well for rinsing.

When you come right down to it, it is more important to run conventional or a group III, if you must, during the rinse, as opposed to the cleaning phase.

 

[chevrofreak]

I know that much of the varnish inside the oil fill hole on my moms 2002 H6 Outback was removed by the Valvoline Synpower I added. I would disagree that synthetic oil won't do any cleaning, but it won't do near as much cleaning as Auto RX will.

I think Frank needs to investigate the use of two shorter rinse phases instead of one long one. It might work best for people who intend to go to a synthetic once they finish with Auto RX, so they don't dirty up the synthetic right away.

Once the rinse phase oil becomes saturated with the gunk that Auto RX loosened up, it isn't going to do much more cleaning. If you dump that dirty oil and replace it with some nice fresh stuff, it will remove even more of the sludge/varnish/carbon. I'd say that two 2,000 mile rinse phases with an oil like Castrol GTX would be better than one 3,000 mile one.

 

[Rick20]

I think you are correct that a couple of shorter rinses are more effective than a single 3000 mile rinse. However, there comes some adeditional cost in the short oil change intervals. After looking at applications, this is recommended on dirty or sludged motors. On the other side of the coin, running the the normal 3000 mile rinse and then following up with fresh oil and the maintenance dose will serve you well on a well maintained unit.

With regards to varnish, it is normally formed from incomplete combustion by products blowing by the ring packs and combining with the oil. It would stand to reason that these hydrocarbons that formed the varnish in the first place are best dissolved by hydrocarbon solvents. This may explain why quick flushes and products like MMO do pretty well with varnish and not much else.

 

[moribundman]

Originally Posted By: Rick20
IThis may explain why quick flushes and products like MMO do pretty well with varnish and not much else.


Everybody has a theory.

 

[Rick20]

Thanks for your contribution, Moribundman.

What theory are you referring to? Thought that I was just adding observations from years of personal experience and research done on posts hear at BITOG.

 

[moribundman]

When I said "theory" I was being cynical.

"hear at BITOG," eh?

 

[c3po]

Pennzoil Platinum is a Group III Oil, which might be o.k. for the Clean Phase. There was an old post in here where Frank said it was o.k. to use whatever oil you want for the Clean Phase.

The Rinse Phase would work better in my opinion if you used a cheap dino oil because it does not have a robust additive package and the junk will get rinsed easier.

You could even use a Group IV oil for the Clean Phase but you would have to extend the Clean Phase if you were using 100% synthetic oil.

I have been running a Maintenance Dose of Auto-rx with Amsoil 100% Synthetic 0W-20 and when I have changed the oil it has been dark, and my oil filter's have been heavy even after draining the oil out of the filter.

Nice to see Mori here.

 

[HTSS_TR]

How do you drain oil from a filter with ODBV without destroying it?

 

[Colt45ws]

Take a hex key and put it into a hole.

 

[sprintman]

OP that's exactly what I have been saying for years. Only use an oil with zero PAO or ester content. Mucho testing has shown me that's how you get the best result but then I'm just a dumb Aussie, what would I know?.

 

[Rick20]

For the record, you are pretty darn smart Aussie, in my book.