Does this plan with MMO sound ok?

[Fast VW]

My dad is about to purchase a 3rd car from a friend of mine. The car is 1996 Honda Civic with a 1.6 liter motor. The car is in great shape and has 97,000 miles on it. The only 2 issues with the car are it has never had a timing belt so that needs done ASAP and it just started to burn oil with in the past year.

This guy knows nothing about cars so he has been taking the car to a local garage for several years for oil changes. He recently started to take it somewhere else for the oil changes and that is approximately when it started burning oil. When I asked him how long he is going between oil changes he said he didn't know he just goes by the sticker they put on his windshield so I am guessing 3000-5000 mile changes. When I asked him how much oil is was burning he was unsure. Upon looking down the filler hole the top end looks to be pretty heavily varnished. I just can't see this motor being worn out a 97,000 miles. This car was never driven hard and was used for short trips for over half of it's life. I am hoping that with some TLC the oil burning problem will get better or perhaps stop all together.

This car specs a 5w-30 motor oil and the oil capacity is 3.5 quarts with a filter change.

My plan is as follows: Run 2 or 3 short (2000 mile) oil changes with 3 quarts of PYB and 1/2 quart of MMO. I was thinking of using a 10w-40 while using the MMO to perhaps help with the oil burning and offset any thinning the MMO may do to the oil.

After that if the oil burning is minimal I was going to continue with the PYB but switch to a 5w-30 and continue with a few more short (3000 mile) oil changes.

As soon as my Dad picks this car up I am going to take some pics of the oil filler hole and then take some after the "treatment" for comparision.

Does this plan sound solid? Does anyone have other thoughts? I appreciate any input!

 

[c3po]

Originally Posted By: Fast VW
Does this plan sound solid?


It sounds good to me, hopefully the oil burning is because you have some junk in the rings, but if they are worn, or the valve guides are worn, or the valve seals are hard as a rock, then MMO may not help.

If there is junk in the rings then MMO will probably help.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: Fast VW

My plan is as follows: Run 2 or 3 short (2000 mile) oil changes with 3 quarts of PYB and 1/2 quart of MMO. I was thinking of using a 10w-40 while using the MMO to perhaps help with the oil burning and offset any thinning the MMO may do to the oil.


Good plan and try to drive it on longer trips to get engine oil to operating temperature.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Originally Posted By: Fast VW

My plan is as follows: Run 2 or 3 short (2000 mile) oil changes with 3 quarts of PYB and 1/2 quart of MMO. I was thinking of using a 10w-40 while using the MMO to perhaps help with the oil burning and offset any thinning the MMO may do to the oil.


Good plan and try to drive it on longer trips to get engine oil to operating temperature.


+1 You could also stretch the OCI's a little longer if you want. 3000 miles won't hurt a thing.

 

[MrMeeks]

MMO caused hard red deposits to form on my trucks spark plug electrodes .The engine pinged and ran rougher. RESTORE oil treatment helped my high mileage engine use less oil and it idled smoother.I continue to use RESTORE. avoid those orange fram oil filters because they restrict oil flow.Noisy bearings at startup alerted me to Fram's restricted flow problems.Now I use the Generic purolator filter autozone sells to quick oil change shops and they work very well.That filter sells for $1.99.

 

[panthermike]

Sounds like a great plan! MMO should clean the motor up nicely.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: MrMeeks
MMO caused hard red deposits to form on my trucks spark plug electrodes .The engine pinged and ran rougher. RESTORE oil treatment helped my high mileage engine use less oil and it idled smoother.I continue to use RESTORE. avoid those orange fram oil filters because they restrict oil flow.Noisy bearings at startup alerted me to Fram's restricted flow problems.Now I use the Generic purolator filter autozone sells to quick oil change shops and they work very well.That filter sells for $1.99.


That's interesting about the red deposits. Was that from adding MMO to the gas or the oil? In over 3 decades of using it in gas and oil I've never noticed that. I've run it in every tank of gas in most of my cars for many years, and at times some pretty strong doses. Was your engine an oil burner? Thanks

 

[Fast VW]

Thanks for the input. At this point I do not know for sure if the oil burning "issue" is really an issue. But I will know once my Dad gets it and I can start working on it. When I asked this guy how long he was going between oil changes and he said he didn't know he went by the sticker I thought well ok. Then when I asked him how much oil it was using in between changes and he said well I guess all of it, I thought so we really have no idea. The car runs really well, doesn't smoke at start up or higher rpms, and sounds smooth; I just don't see it being "worn out". Or at least I am hoping. I will post pics of the "before" as soon as we pick it up, should be within a week.

 

[Scooter_man]

Sounds good to me too. I can't see a Honda being worn out that soon. Probably dirty/stick ring(s) - I had that problem in my old Toyota. A couple of MMO OC's and it quit smoking/using oil. It sure won't hurt anything and can only help clean out that engine.

You might even look into using a larger oil filter - or higher capacity to help capture any junk that the MMO loosens up. I use a 3600 oil filter in my Metro even though it only calls for a 3614. Same thread and diameter, just longer - more capacity.

Fast VW - Please post any/all results, we're curisous and will be watching.


Rob

 

[Fast VW]

I like the idea of the oversized filter. How does someone figure out what bigger filter will fit?

 

[Boss302fan]

Originally Posted By: Fast VW
My dad is about to purchase a 3rd car from a friend of mine. The car is 1996 Honda Civic with a 1.6 liter motor. The car is in great shape and has 97,000 miles on it. The only 2 issues with the car are it has never had a timing belt so that needs done ASAP and it just started to burn oil with in the past year.

This guy knows nothing about cars so he has been taking the car to a local garage for several years for oil changes. He recently started to take it somewhere else for the oil changes and that is approximately when it started burning oil. When I asked him how long he is going between oil changes he said he didn't know he just goes by the sticker they put on his windshield so I am guessing 3000-5000 mile changes. When I asked him how much oil is was burning he was unsure. Upon looking down the filler hole the top end looks to be pretty heavily varnished. I just can't see this motor being worn out a 97,000 miles. This car was never driven hard and was used for short trips for over half of it's life. I am hoping that with some TLC the oil burning problem will get better or perhaps stop all together.

This car specs a 5w-30 motor oil and the oil capacity is 3.5 quarts with a filter change.

My plan is as follows: Run 2 or 3 short (2000 mile) oil changes with 3 quarts of PYB and 1/2 quart of MMO. I was thinking of using a 10w-40 while using the MMO to perhaps help with the oil burning and offset any thinning the MMO may do to the oil.

After that if the oil burning is minimal I was going to continue with the PYB but switch to a 5w-30 and continue with a few more short (3000 mile) oil changes.

As soon as my Dad picks this car up I am going to take some pics of the oil filler hole and then take some after the "treatment" for comparision.

Does this plan sound solid? Does anyone have other thoughts? I appreciate any input!



The plan sounds good but I would use a 10W30 PYB. MMO for two OCI's of 2K miles should be all you need. Great engine and it should clean up fine. Maybe go to Maxlife blend for an OCI of 3K miles after your first two with PYB and MMO. I would not add MMO to Maxlife for the 3rd OCI...Maxlife will not need it and it will clean up any thing that could be left after PYB/MMO. Good luck.

 

[TurboJim]

Originally Posted By: Fast VW
I like the idea of the oversized filter. How does someone figure out what bigger filter will fit?


I don't think there are any for a Honda application.

 

[biodiesel]

Originally Posted By: Fast VW
I like the idea of the oversized filter. How does someone figure out what bigger filter will fit?


I would just suggest using the PureONE PL14459 filter. I've had many 1.6L Hondas over the years, including my sons current 1991 Honda Civic Si, and I've used that filter on all of them. It gets the job done and has never caused me an issue.

 

[biodiesel]

One other thing. The varnish you see is quite normal and characteristic of Honda motors in general, specifically the D and B series 1.6L motors, so don't worry yourself too much about it.

I do like your plan though and I agree with Boss302fan above. I see your reasoning behind using the 10w40 but I would just stick with 10w30 and push your OCI to 3000 for the two cleaning phases. The MMO really isn't going to thin out the oil that significantly and you'll get better gas mileage over all with the 10w30.

 

[mechtech2]

Originally Posted By: MrMeeks
MMO caused hard red deposits to form on my trucks spark plug electrodes .The engine pinged and ran rougher. RESTORE oil treatment helped my high mileage engine use less oil and it idled smoother.I continue to use RESTORE. avoid those orange fram oil filters because they restrict oil flow.Noisy bearings at startup alerted me to Fram's restricted flow problems.Now I use the Generic purolator filter autozone sells to quick oil change shops and they work very well.That filter sells for $1.99.


If your engine was in such lousy shape that RESTORE helped it, your problems were NOT from MMO.
Plus, no one else ever gets red deposits.

 

[Scooter_man]

Originally Posted By: Fast VW
I like the idea of the oversized filter. How does someone figure out what bigger filter will fit?


I learned this about my Metro on the GeoMetro forum. I'm sure that there are similar forums for Honda - that 1.6L is a common engine and not an uncommon thread/hole size. Just tryint to find one that matches but in a longer length - that's the challenge. Surely there's a way to look-up oil filters by thread/hole size.


Rob

 

[LTrippett]

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
Originally Posted By: MrMeeks
MMO caused hard red deposits to form on my trucks spark plug electrodes .The engine pinged and ran rougher. RESTORE oil treatment helped my high mileage engine use less oil and it idled smoother.I continue to use RESTORE. avoid those orange fram oil filters because they restrict oil flow.Noisy bearings at startup alerted me to Fram's restricted flow problems.Now I use the Generic purolator filter autozone sells to quick oil change shops and they work very well.That filter sells for $1.99.


If your engine was in such lousy shape that RESTORE helped it, your problems were NOT from MMO.
Plus, no one else ever gets red deposits.


MMO is Red in Color. That HAS to be it.

How it got to be a Deposit? This would require further elaboration, as oil is supposed to -flow,- as in Touch a surface and glide over it and keep going...

 

[demarpaint]

Come to think of it, I have seen when using MMO as a fogging oil a pinkish red, very slight discoloration on the porcelain part of plugs. I would not call it a deposit but a very faint staining of the porcelain. Again only when used as a fogging oil, or in extreme doses in fuel.

 

[Fast VW]

Ok so we picked this car up a couple of days ago. First order of business was to give it a tune up since it has never had one except air filter changes. The plugs where OEM NGKs that the electrode was burnt flush with the porcelain. Anyways, plugs, wires, rotor cap, rotor, air filter, redline fuel system cleaner in the tank, etc. I decided to clean the throttle body and noticed the inside of the intake manifold was soaked with oil so I pulled the PCV valve. The valve was totally clogged so it was replaced. Perhaps this has been the source of the oil burning? Oil and filter was changed using 10w-30 PYB (3 quarts) and 1/2 quart MMO.

Here is the best pic I could get:

So after completing everything I took the car for a drive, about 50 miles. Even after that short of a trip the oil is VERY dark.

 

[demarpaint]

That's going to take a little time to clean up. I'd use a little more than a pint, maybe 20 ounces, and run a few full OCI's with it. I've seen it clean up a lot worse than that, just give it some time.