Best Cleaning Engine Oil ?

[bwco]

I've a 95' Honda Prelude with the H22 engine. I'm the second owner which I knew the car didn't receive proper maintainance before. Now, I know you guys' gonna tell me the answer with a flush AutoRX. But i'm looking to clean up the engine slowly.

So, OEM ask for 10W30 engine oil. Should I try 5W20 synthetic oil ? or is it the oil way around with 10W50 dino oil?

VTEC engine runs a very high pressure oil pick up and shoot it out at the top of the VTEC solenoid, or around the cam lobes.

please specify brand of oil and grade ! thanks in advance.

 

[Bulli]

go with a 5-30 im sure you are able to run that no problem.
are you going to use a synthetic?

 

[ThirdeYe]

That's the thing though, Auto-RX /will/ clean slowly. That's how it works, it's not like your typical solvent flush. If you don't want to bother with it though, I'd recommend using Pennzoil conventional 5W-30 year round.

 

[bwco]

^ I'd too many typo there.

I mean "other" way around with 10W50 dino oil

I'm running 10W40 castrol syntec HM cause it was burning oil so often.

 

[chevrofreak]

You could probably clean slower with Auto RX by using less of it and extending it over 3 or 4 oil changes.

 

[dnewton3]

Regarding your question in the title, it's hard to define "best" (too arbitrary), but we can offer some choices for a good place to start.

Any well known brand of oil has a top-tier in the product line-up that typically has a very good detergent/dispersant package. In dino's, the GTX, PZ YB, Mobil DC all come to mind with decent cleaning in mind. There are also some good Group III's that have decent cleaning packages such as PP, Synpower, Syntech, etc. In no way are your choices limited to the ones I've mentioned, but I just thought I'd give some examples. While some would nit-pick the chemistry of one brand over another, they all are blended with this task in mind. I would choose one of these over a bargin brand; the bargin brands often meet the API/ILSAC/SAE minimum standards, while top-tier choices typically go above and beyond.

Side note: if slow, methodical, assured cleaning performance is what you seek, then you've already answered your own question. ARX is the stuff! It works WITH the host oil, not against it; best complimentary chemistry package to come along that I know of. Use it by directions, and you'll get exactly what you're seeking.

 

[tsmay51]

Do some more research about ARX on this site. Read more about it on their site as well. It does sound like this is what you are looking for. I would follow the instructions for a heavy application on their website. On another note, I would change to a 5w30 in Canada just so I have a bit more cold weather protection opposed to the 10w30.

 

[salesrep]

Think about a 5-40 hdeo for a run or 2. I have heard good things about the ESSo up there. Isn't roellat around?

 

[meep]

I've run partial cans of seamfoam in the crankcase for entire OCIs. Makes a difference in gummed up motors but takes multiple oci's... not a quick process.

I've never seen an oil alone clean with any real results. Ran M1 over 40,000 and it lightened the varnish in a fairly clean honda motor, but since it was so long I can't rule out my own dreaming.

M

 

[Pablo]

Originally Posted By: bwco
Now, I know you guys' gonna tell me the answer with a flush AutoRX. But i'm looking to clean up the engine slowly.


You answered your own question. Learn how AutoRx works.

Oil is for for oil. Yes some oils will clean some sludgy type material, but oils don't really clean the rings.

 

[ericthepig]

15w40 HD oil + 12 oz Neutra 131 (from Schaeffers) - run it at least 500 miles (preferrably 1000) & drain.

 

[Saab9-3]

Originally Posted By: tsmay51
Do some more research about ARX on this site. Read more about it on their site as well. It does sound like this is what you are looking for. I would follow the instructions for a heavy application on their website. On another note, I would change to a 5w30 in Canada just so I have a bit more cold weather protection opposed to the 10w30.


its only cold up here in the winter time.... In the summer time its consistently 25C + (77F - 95F)

 

[OilGuy]

Mobil 1 EP's ~35% bump in detergents over regular Mobil 1 might be worth considering.

 

[coffee]

I agree with the AutoRx posts but if you are just looking for oils then these are my recommendations:

Maybe a few runs of MaxLife 10w40 or a good HDEO 15w40 or 5w40 as stated before.

Best of luck and keep us posted.

 

[glennc]

In my experience any modern detergent oil will do a very good job of cleaning up soft deposits that have formed due to poor maintenance. This will probably happen over the first two OCIs. I'd second the consideration of an HDEO or any of the high mileage oils from major brands.

If some of those soft deposits have turned into hard, burned-on deposits in critical areas of the engine, I don't think any oil will do much to help. Ester-based oils such as Redline, which are heavily polar, are said to be very good at "cleaning," but I don't think that even they will clean these types of deposits very well, if at all.

Auto-RX has a shot at cleaning those types of deposits. It doesn't clean everything, in fact in my car there was no noticeable difference after running it and the top end retained an unchanged fairly heavy coating of varnish when I used it - however, I'm confident that it will clean what matters, such as the often-mentioned piston ring lands and other difficult, critical spots.

On the other hand I don't think A-RX is well suited to cleaning voluminous soft deposits.

So my recommendation would be to run A-RX along with a good detergent conventional motor oil.

HTH,

 

[bwco]

Thanks everyone for the input !

I'd ran seafoam in the crank case for the last OCI, it lasted about 300 km and I'm too scared with that idea. Drained it out and changed the spark plugs, the car does feel stronger and smoother.

I'm tempted to try out lubro moly (aka Liqui Moly brand) engine flush only because it's a reputable brand in the euro scene. Anyhow, is it only special order online for the AutoRX?

 

[Tempest]

Yes and worth it.

 

[BrianWC]

Now, this is just MY experience. I am NOT saying none of this will work for you. But for my particular light sludged SAAB 9-5, I tried the following:

Things I tried (to clean a mix of hard and gooey deposits):

Neutra (at least 2 OCIs)
Redline 5W30 (1 OCI)
LC20 (32 ounce bottle added per instructions-never did a flush with it)
HDEO (Castrol Tection 15W40 dino for at least 4 short OCIs, Delvac Super 15W40 dino for one)
Berryman Chemtool-1 flush with 1/2 bottle
my own homebrew flush (acetone, toluene, MEK, and methanol)
..and I've spiked just about every OCI with a bottle of SLOB (CD-2 Street Legal Oil Boost)
-1 heavy sludge application of arx
-maintenance doses with arx
-1 2 bottle run of arx

-only OCIs I've had with visually measurable cleaning were with arx. HDEO and/or synth might clean light deposits (I think JAG had some results w/ 0W40 M1), but I can't see it doing anything major.

 

[dwendt44]

Since you are in Canada, I'm sure you'd shy away from the heavier grades.
High mileage oils generally are higher in detergents that the regular conventional oils.
I suggest a few oil changes with HM oil, 5W-30 or 5W-20 and short mileage. Say 2500 miles.

My 2¢

 

[Gary Allan]

I'll pile on with an Auto-Rx recommendation. No oil that I'm aware of can reduce/remove deposits as well ..and anything better is harsh and has unfavorable side effects (that may not be apparent for everyone - but).

..but... I imagine something like Redline ($$$$) used over enough OCI's would do some decent liberating of existing formations. The aggressive add package and chemistry lend to disrupting things a bit.

..otherwise ..I'd say that most oils are more buffered to prevent deposit formation than they are at "cleaning". They wipe up after themselves much better than in the past (visions of carrying a plastic bag when walking the dog).