Detoxing my poor engine

[ChevyTruck]

Hey guys. Many years lurking here and absorbing as much information as I can from these boards. I live in Houston Texas and drive a 1990 Chevy 2500 with the 350 Sbc. The previous owner claimed to have bored the engine .030 over and rebuilt in 1998 unknown to me the mileage. It currently has 329,000 miles and is very reliable for its age. For a few years a have had a lifter tick. After getting sick of hearing it tap I took it to a mechanic who offered to bump from 10w-30 to 10w-40. Having read a lot on these boards about bumping up a weight I decided to let him swap it over. I go to pick it up yesterday and he put Lucas oil "stabilizer" in without my consent. I drove it home and it sounded awful. I get the impression on these boards this stuff is basically gear oil and causes foaming. So I had him dump it and replace with 10w-30 this morning. The last oil that was in the truck for any length of time was Mobil 1 High mileage full synthetic and the Mobil filter and I added MMO as replacement oil in an attempt to clean the lifter. Prior I ran red bottle maxlife with a non e core Delco

So my question is how do I detox my motor from that junk. The oil on the dip stick is still pretty sticky.. I was thinking a strict diet of M1 and the M1 filter.

 

[Clevy]

If you've already drained it you should be fine. Maybe do a short 3000 mile interval on the current sump fill then once you switch to M1 you can extend the interval.
Lucas is total garbage.

 

[Greasymechtech]

No detox needed. Lucas is a viscosity index improving modifier and not gear oil. All it did was thicken your oil a grade.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: ChevyTruck
Hey guys. Many years lurking here and absorbing as much information as I can from these boards. I live in Houston Texas and drive a 1990 Chevy 2500 with the 350 Sbc. The previous owner claimed to have bored the engine .030 over and rebuilt in 1998 unknown to me the mileage. It currently has 329,000 miles and is very reliable for its age. For a few years a have had a lifter tick. After getting sick of hearing it tap I took it to a mechanic who offered to bump from 10w-30 to 10w-40. Having read a lot on these boards about bumping up a weight I decided to let him swap it over. I go to pick it up yesterday and he put Lucas oil "stabilizer" in without my consent. I drove it home and it sounded awful. I get the impression on these boards this stuff is basically gear oil and causes foaming. So I had him dump it and replace with 10w-30 this morning. The last oil that was in the truck for any length of time was Mobil 1 High mileage full synthetic and the Mobil filter and I added MMO as replacement oil in an attempt to clean the lifter. Prior I ran red bottle maxlife with a non e core Delco

So my question is how do I detox my motor from that junk. The oil on the dip stick is still pretty sticky.. I was thinking a strict diet of M1 and the M1 filter.


M1 high mileage 10W30 would be fine for this engine. Forget Lucas or MMO.

Is it still the original transmission? I would go for Amsoil ATF and a Magnefine filter.

Unless you saw receipts, I would take any statement that the engine was rebuilt with a grain of salt. And rebuilding is not remanufacturing.

But however it got to 329K its got to have been taken decent care of.

 

[suspiciousmind]

For the last five years or so, every time I get a new-to-me car, I give it a change to Rotella T6 5w-40 for the first (for me) OCI.

 

[SirTanon]

Just run a good oil in the right grade.. If you already ran it with Lucas in it, and then he drained it, then most of the Lucas would be gone. What little is left shouldn't really have much, if any, of an impact.

On a side, if it were me, and I had the lifter tick you spoke of, I'd just run a standard OCI with Pennzoil Yellow Bottle, with a little MMO mixed in, to give it a solid clean-up.

.. but that's me..

 

[aquariuscsm]

If it were mine,I'd run a decent conventional oil couple day oci,then refill with fresh Mobil 1 and filter. I'd just feel really uneasy with any trace of that additive in my engine.

 

[ChevyTruck]

As far as I know its original. Transmission is in good shape. I've towed a little with it and never an issue with the transmission. TH400 I believe. The PO also mentioned a shift kit in the transmission and again I haven't verified this. Had the truck at the local Circle D transmission shop when I first got it and they said it was strong. I have a trans cooler. No clue what fluid they put in it last time I had it changed last summer.

I will be going back to a premium oil within the month that is certain.

 

[danthaman1980]

Dump your current oil after a ~2,000-3,000 mile run. If it were my truck, I'd try either Quaker State Defy 10W-30 or Shell Rotella T5 10W-30 next, see how you like that. Both those are on the thick side for a 10W-30. If that doesn't work, go a bit thicker still by trying Pennzoil conventional (yellow bottle) 10W-40.

Lots of people have observed a bit more noise on Mobil 1 vs other oils. The noise is not harmful, but can be a little annoying. No reason not to try something else!

 

[turtlevette]

Originally Posted By: ChevyTruck
It currently has 329,000 miles


And its too good for Lucas? That's exactly wheat Lucas is for. But the talking heads here surely know more than your mechanic. A bit insulting to him to take it back and demand he dump a fresh oil fill.

 

[Nick1994]

Try Mobil 1 Turbo Diesel Truck 5w40, a member on here Turk tried it in his Chevy truck after lots of other oils and it made it quiet. It is an oil that's fine in gasoline engines as well

 

[ChevyTruck]

Originally Posted By: turtlevette
Originally Posted By: ChevyTruck
It currently has 329,000 miles


And its too good for Lucas? That's exactly wheat Lucas is for. But the talking heads here surely know more than your mechanic. A bit insulting to him to take it back and demand he dump a fresh oil fill.





What is insulting is that he would dump the stuff in my engine without my consent.

 

[Merkava_4]

Is the lifter tick still there ?

 

[turtlevette]

Originally Posted By: ChevyTruck
Originally Posted By: turtlevette
Originally Posted By: ChevyTruck
It currently has 329,000 miles


And its too good for Lucas? That's exactly wheat Lucas is for. But the talking heads here surely know more than your mechanic. A bit insulting to him to take it back and demand he dump a fresh oil fill.


What is insulting is that he would dump the stuff in my engine without my consent.


You'll fit in perfect here... with the strange strange birds.

 

[ChevyTruck]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Is the lifter tick still there ?


After the third oil change in less than a week. No. Not anymore. I don't know if the Lucas loosened something up or what but after the Lucas and 10w-40 was dumped the lifter tick has dramatically been reduced if not eliminated.

 

[901Memphis]

HDEO should help, like Shell Rotella T5 10w30

 

[3800Series]

It very well might be mechanical. No amount of oil or additives will never fix it.

From personal experience lighter oils have removed my tick while heavier oils quiet the engine.

When I put Delo 400 in my regal a few months back it had a tick on cold start. Drained a quart out and threw some MMO in it to lighten up the oil and the tick was gone.

I don't think the MMO cleaned anything (instantly) just the heavier oil caused the ticking.

 

[turtlevette]

Originally Posted By: ChevyTruck
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Is the lifter tick still there ?


After the third oil change in less than a week.


3 changes in a few days? To get the evil Lucas out? You need to see a professional and not a mechanic if you know what I mean.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: turtlevette
Originally Posted By: ChevyTruck
It currently has 329,000 miles


And its too good for Lucas? That's exactly wheat Lucas is for. But the talking heads here surely know more than your mechanic. A bit insulting to him to take it back and demand he dump a fresh oil fill.





I would rather go to a thicker oil or a HM oil in an old engine than add Lucas anything.

 

[4D-56]

Just run it, or, if you want to do something that will take care of the Lucas junk and do more as well, buy a qt of Kreen, pour it in, not worrying about over-fill since the bulk of it will burn off quickly, and carry on with your life. Monitor oil level often.