Best Oil for Cleaning Out Varnish?

Pennzoil motor oil
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shooter250

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When I replaced the valve cover gasket on my '97 Camry, I noticed it had a lot of varnish but no sludge. I've been using Pennzoil Ultra or Platinum, whichever Walmart had in stock.

The PP and PU may have already cleaned out a lot of varnish, I don't know. I just wondered if there was a better cleaning oil. I do 3k OCI since this engine is allegedly sludge prone.

Maybe I shouldn't be concerned about this. Any thoughts?
 
I wouldn't let varnish worry me too much.

If you're using PP or Ultra, you can easily go 5k miles OCIs, even if it's a sludger. 3k mile OCIs is a waste of good PP/Ultra. That's why you stepped up to that level of quality, to help prevent the sludge an ordinary conventional oil might produce with 5k - 7k mile OCIs.

Ultra is solid oil for cleaning, so just live with the varnish.
 
You asked for the oil that cleans the best, That would be Redline. Coupled with a stellar additive package and Ester based stocks you got the best
 
Originally Posted By: Smokefan1977
You asked for the oil that cleans the best, That would be Redline. Coupled with a stellar additive package and Ester based stocks you got the best


Says who? Based upon what?

Dont know if I believe that.

To the OP, Id say a good HDEO like Rotella T5 10w30 with Kreen would be the best shot, then move to the oil of your choice and not worry.
 
JHZR2, the "best" can be refuted, but Red Line does have a great add pack and ester base, making it a good cleaner. Just wasn't sure which part of his statement you were questioning.
 
Originally Posted By: panthermike
JHZR2, the "best" can be refuted, but Red Line does have a great add pack and ester base, making it a good cleaner. Just wasn't sure which part of his statement you were questioning.


The thing is that just because an ester is used does not mean it is inherently a great cleaner. This is an assumption that may or may not have basis.

The add pack may be great, but why? Moly (friction modification), ZDDP or equivalent (EP protection), etc.? If we're talking cleaning, then the aspect of the add pack that is good or not is the detergent or dispersant portion.

Generic statements are the issue.
 
For an additive to your oil, to clean up varnish quickly, a lot of members of this board have used KREEN with great success.

They have added 16 ounces of KREEN to a full sump of motor oil and given the cleaner a ride for 1K at the end of an OCI.

From what I've read on this MB, nothing cleans varnish and your engine better than this KREEN product. I mean NOTHING is better!

If your interested, just try and do a search on the MB for KREEN.
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: panthermike
JHZR2, the "best" can be refuted, but Red Line does have a great add pack and ester base, making it a good cleaner. Just wasn't sure which part of his statement you were questioning.


The thing is that just because an ester is used does not mean it is inherently a great cleaner. This is an assumption that may or may not have basis.

The add pack may be great, but why? Moly (friction modification), ZDDP or equivalent (EP protection), etc.? If we're talking cleaning, then the aspect of the add pack that is good or not is the detergent or dispersant portion.

Generic statements are the issue.


While Redline is a clean running oil, it's not a great cleaner.

Indeed a lot of poop in this thread.

No oil really "cleans" true varnish, although some oils over time do clean up other build up.
 
Varnish is really not an issue.
PP is about as clean as it's going to get on any engine oil.
Since I put our '97 Accord back on PP, to use some old oil from my stash, I've noted that by its third OCI on PP, things did look notably cleaner through the fill hole.
Still, the thing only had the usual Honda varnish.
Varnish by itself may look bad, but it really isn't an indication that anything worse is happening.
Finally, if you're going to part with the coin to use PP, at least run it 5K.
There is no danger of sludge on 5K, or probably 8K OCIs with either Pennzoil Platinum or Pennzoil Ultra, assuming that the Camry's PCV system is functional.
Your Camry requires API SJ oil.
Oils have improved in the intervening years.
 
IMO...sludge is like high cholesterol (bad)...varnish is like a sunburn (not so bad).
I'd use a good dino at 4 or 5K or a syn at 7 or 8K and call it good...
 
KREEN KREEN KREEN

Put it in with new oil, run it for the length of the OCI, you dont have to worry about when you put it in or how long its in there, this stuff is the real deal. If you want serious cleaning, forget esters and all that stuff....KREEN.

It has worked wonders on my old 4.3 which was used as a locksmith van....had an inverter installed and im guessing that it sat and idled a lot, its a mess under the valve covers but every time i run Kreen, the gas mileage goes up, it runs quieter, smoother, has more power, idles better....have never done compression tests....have you seen what a PITA it is to get to those plugs??!! I dont need to, i just know it works.

KREEN
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
The thing is that just because an ester is used does not mean it is inherently a great cleaner. This is an assumption that may or may not have basis.


RL has a polyol ester base, Pennzoil Ultra / Pennzoil Platinum levels of calcium, and even a little Mg. It's been noted by several posters to be a good cleaner.

OVERK1LL's Expedition pics show this pretty well.

To the OP: RL is not a solvent so it will not make a sludged or heavily varnished engine spotless over one OCI, and probably never will.
 
Originally Posted By: Ben99GT
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
The thing is that just because an ester is used does not mean it is inherently a great cleaner. This is an assumption that may or may not have basis.


RL has a polyol ester base, Pennzoil Ultra / Pennzoil Platinum levels of calcium, and even a little Mg. It's been noted by several posters to be a good cleaner.




But you understand that you give a technical basis for why you think it is. Lots of people just spout off that something is "good". Just having esters or something does not mean much.

And even in terms of add pack. Look just above and you have a comment that HDEO isnt good for cleaning. Yet what do you see? Ca, Mg, etc in those.
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Just having esters or something does not mean much.


It kind of does though, esters are going to compete with oxidation and varnish for surface area, something PAO and Group III won't do by themselves. The fact that RL has a comparatively high ester content combined with a pretty stout detergent/dispersant package should make it a good cleaner by motor oil standards.

Quote:
And even in terms of add pack. Look just above and you have a comment that HDEO isnt good for cleaning. Yet what do you see? Ca, Mg, etc in those.


But little to no ester content and lower levels of Ca for the most part.
grin.gif
 
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