De-sludging a 2000 Corolla with a PP/MaxLife blend

[Gary Allan]

I keep seeing a recurring theme here with doing short OCI's. While there would certainly be cause not to extend any OCI too long, I don't think super short OCI's are going to clean anything up any more than moderate OCI's. I think all that you're doing is processing more new oil through the engine and dumping it before it's required.

As long as there is ANY liberation of embedded/resident material, then the time to clean is just a matter of so many OCI's. The condition has been arrested and, in fact, is in remediation.

That is, let's assume you remove something like 10gms of material per OCI (a number pulled out of my behind)..and that's it. Then it's just XX number of OCI's until it's clean. X number of OCI's is going to cost XY$.

That is, with all things regarding "cleaning" being equal, you might as well get your money's worth out of the oil where it makes no difference otherwise.

I would not use an M1 filter for this task. It surely fits your annual mileage profile, but you're not using it in that capacity. If you're doing short or moderate length OCI's, just use your cheaper Fram or whatever. What they don't grab, the oil can hold in suspension just fine. It's not like an oil is going to suspend and then redeposit the same crud unless it's left in service too long.

I also attribute very little severity to your Canadian climate. @ 30000km a year (with reductions for winter driving), cold starts are hardly a major factor in your operational variable. You're spending more than most do in the post warm up part of the driving cycle. ..in my opinion..


Edit: My take would be altered if you were using some agent that would remove a substantial amount of material in a short time/mileage span. My view is based on you just using the cleaning properties of the oil ..which will be limited.

 

[Spyder7]

`Shortened` OCIs might be the better way to put it. The next is planned for 3,500 km (arbitrary number), then I want to start extending them out gradually along the lines of 5,000 km, then 1,000 km increments until I hit my target of 10,000 km OCIs (which would then be 3 oil changes per year at the roughly 30,000 km a year I drive).

I agree that sticking with Mobil-1 filters is silly on these short OCIs. I won`t use Fram, but I can get Quaker State filters for the same price as Fram. And as I get closer to the 10,000 km OCI mark I can switch to Toyota OEM tall filters (standard on the Celica but fit the Corolla as well and they can hold more gunk). Those are cheaper than the Mobil-1 filters and only a bit more than the Quaker State filter.

Regarding the PCV hose: I only had time to do a quick check by shining a light down the end of hose I removed (had to get cleaned up and do my 12 hour night shift right after I finished). It looked okay. Ideally I should remove and flush it at some point.

As an aside this also cured a cold start problem I`d been having. The PCV was mentioned on another forum along with some other things to try. On that list I`d already cleaned the MAF O2 sensor contacts with CRC contact cleaner, cleaned the throttle body and butterfly valve with throttle body cleaner, and cleaning the IAC valve was to have been next. The culprit was the PCV. The other stuff was still worth doing though; and every time I do one project I learn how to do it faster and more efficiently next time.

-Spyder

Originally Posted By: Gary Allan
I keep seeing a recurring theme here with doing short OCI's. While there would certainly be cause not to extend any OCI too long, I don't think super short OCI's are going to clean anything up any more than moderate OCI's. I think all that you're doing is processing more new oil through the engine and dumping it before it's required.

As long as there is ANY liberation of embedded/resident material, then the time to clean is just a matter of so many OCI's. The condition has been arrested and, in fact, is in remediation.

That is, let's assume you remove something like 10gms of material per OCI (a number pulled out of my behind)..and that's it. Then it's just XX number of OCI's until it's clean. X number of OCI's is going to cost XY$.

That is, with all things regarding "cleaning" being equal, you might as well get your money's worth out of the oil where it makes no difference otherwise.

I would not use an M1 filter for this task. It surely fits your annual mileage profile, but you're not using it in that capacity. If you're doing short or moderate length OCI's, just use your cheaper Fram or whatever. What they don't grab, the oil can hold in suspension just fine. It's not like an oil is going to suspend and then redeposit the same crud unless it's left in service too long.

I also attribute very little severity to your Canadian climate. @ 30000km a year (with reductions for winter driving), cold starts are hardly a major factor in your operational variable. You're spending more than most do in the post warm up part of the driving cycle. ..in my opinion..


Edit: My take would be altered if you were using some agent that would remove a substantial amount of material in a short time/mileage span. My view is based on you just using the cleaning properties of the oil ..which will be limited.

 

[Spyder7]

Gary, in thinking over what you wrote further, after changing out the current oil & filter at whatever arbitrary number I come up with, I could skip the incremental increases and go for the 10,000 km OCI interval I`m aiming for right away.

Spending the extra few bucks to use Toyota tall OEM filters (just to trap any extra gunk and avoid the risk, however minimal, of the filter going into bypass) this should be achievable and risk free. Its also a mix of being reasonably economical and safe. I could go higher than 10,000 km, but unless I push it to 15,000 km (which I`m not going to do), its still 3 oil changes per year based on my 30,000 km per year driving pattern. That`s the goal: 3 changes per year.

With the PCV replaced, and the condition in, as you pointed out, remediation, why not. As I think on it more and more I don`t see a `not`. I see instead a `just go for it`.

-Spyder