Extended OCI? You decide....

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Geoff

Geoff

Joined
May 16, 2004
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Location
Austin, TX
Engine is Land Rover 3.9L v-8 130K miles. It looked like this through the oil filler at around 88K when I bought it. Engine runs ok. The bearing shells were pretty worn when I changed them at 104K.

The previous owner maintained the car at the dealer with roughly 7.5K OCIs. The dealer used Quaker State 10w-40 (the recommended grade for this engine).

I used mostly Mobil 1 from 88K-on at 3K OCIs. Lately I have used Delo 15w-40 with good results in terms of reduced lifter noise and good mpg.

Also, the thermostat was stuck open when I bought it. Don't know for how long.

Head - right side

Another pic of head right side

Inside valve cover
 
Those pictures make me wanna barf! Yuck!

I guess that's good ol' dino juice for ya'! Heck, the previous owner probably brags how it's perfectly okay to take dino oil to 7500-mile OCIs because *he* hasn't had any problems. Of course not, because he sold the vehicle first.
smile.gif
 
An open thermostat? Any other issues?

I Can't even fathom the fact that it needed bearings so young. Like it had some kind of other issues, too.

That's just nasty. 10W-40 dino and 7.5K mile OCI's?.....no thanks.
 
My bet is that most of the "gunk" showing in the valve train is from the thermostat not closing and the engine running too cool. I know I am in the minority but I would leave the crap in there and run it. The gunk won't hurt anything and the are probably 100,000 cars going up and down the roads just as caked up as this one. AS long as it runs well and gets decent MPG leave it alone.
 
427z06: these pictures are *after* 34K miles of Mobil 1 and 6K of Delo 400. I used Mobil 1 in all cars bought new and had similar results to your pics.

Pablo: The PCV system was completely clogged up when I got it. This combined with the open thermostat could have caused a lot of fuel vapor getting stuck in the engine. Also, the fuel pressure regulator was on its way out (vacuum operated diaphram) causing the engine to run somewhat rich, particularly at idle. I cleaned the valve cover but left the head alone.

While it looks bad, the oil passages are clear from what I can tell. The areas on the head where the oil pools are free of sludge. It does not burn oil. I think the motor will give me a couple of more years until I replace it.
 
I must apologize...it's become apparent to me that my cat pooped into your filler cap opening. She tends to do things like that if her litter box is full...Sorry!

Do you have receipts or other doc's proving regular oil changes by the prior owner?
 
So here we go with the M1 and HDEO cleaning debate.....NOT (in this case at least).

I guess I'm curious why you haven't done the Auto-Rx thing???

TC - good one, but it's more like ALL the neighborhood cats and the raccoons had the squirts for a month....
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pablo:
So here we go with the M1 and HDEO cleaning debate.....NOT (in this case at least).
Click to expand...
I don't think there's a debate among knowledgeable people. But when you got pictures, let's fill in the blanks and inform the neophytes.
cool.gif
 
I agree...doesn't seem like much cleaning went on with M-1 at all
dunno.gif


I would go to Delvac 1 asap....or use auto-rx...
 
There was no before Mobil1 picture. I won't judge the ineffective cleaning of Mobil1 here.
Due to the poor maintenance, faulty thermostat/pcv,..... I am glad to see that the engine even runs.

Stick with the HDEO and shorter OCIs since its cost effective. Toss in a bottle of Rislone or MarvelMysteryOil if you want start some cleaning. I'd also grab a bottle of 10 minute flush at your next oil change.

I should add this to the list of my "why I use synthetic oil" favorite links folder since there are many threads questioning synthetics cost/benefits.
 
"There was no before Mobil 1 picture." Yes! It may have looked much worse before adding M-1 and Delo (or not). He also mentions "reduced lifter noise" after using Delo, which may or may not relate to a cleaning effect. One thing I noted was how relatively "dry" the deposits look, one possibility being that some truly "wet" sludge was once present, with much of this subsequently removed, leaving behind a drier carbon film. Purely speculative. The only things we know for sure are:

1. The thermostat was stuck open; and
2. At least one or two small mammals pooped into the filler cap opening.
 
quote:
At least one or two small mammals pooped into the filler cap opening.
Click to expand...
lol.gif


I think people have been quick to condemn the oil in this case...

Questions I'd like to know:

1) How long did it take the previous owner to rack up each 7500 miles? Lots of short trips (ie did it truly merit the 'severe service interval'?)

2) What year is the vehicle?

3) And the unanswerable...how long was the thermostat jacked up?

Until we know this, it might be a bit hasty to say that dino oil is going to do this to your engine just because you run it 7,500 miles....
 
Well I don't have all of the answers to your questions since I bought the car used but here is more info:

1) the car is a 1993 model. I purchased it in November 2001 with 88K miles.

2) Not sure how long the thermostat was stuck. The car sat for a while prior to me purchasing it and that could have caused the thermostat to freeze up due to rust. I changed the thermostat out within a week or two.

3) I had some mild ticking when warm (you had to get close to the valve cover). This went away around 3K miles ago after 3K of Delo 400. Previously had been using Mobil 1 (10w-30) for 34K miles. This engine likes heavier oil (recommended 10w-40) The engine was originally a Buick design from the '64 Wildcat. Typical for Buick and unchanged by Rover, this is a high volume/low pressure engine - never will get higher than 55 psi due to bypass valving.

4) The previous owner used the car fairly often for towing.

5) In the maintenance records, the head gaskets were replaced at around 60K.

6) I haven't tested compression, but I don't think any oil is burned during 3K OCIs, as I am down just a 1/2 quart with a slight rear engine drip. The engine revs smoothly under load, so I suspect compression is fairly even.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Geoff:
Engine is Land Rover 3.9L v-8 130K miles. It looked like this through the oil filler at around 88K when I bought it. Engine runs ok. The bearing shells were pretty worn when I changed them at 104K.

The previous owner maintained the car at the dealer with roughly 7.5K OCIs. The dealer used Quaker State 10w-40 (the recommended grade for this engine).

I used mostly Mobil 1 from 88K-on at 3K OCIs. Lately I have used Delo 15w-40 with good results in terms of reduced lifter noise and good mpg.

Also, the thermostat was stuck open when I bought it. Don't know for how long.
Click to expand...
At some time in its life there was quite a bit of moisture under the valve covers. I expect that was the result of the thermostat being stuck open.

It also looks from the flaking that the Mobil 1 has loosened up some of the gunk.

It's probably just as well these deposits weren't dissolved. The wearing surfaces are probably okay, and dissolving this much gunk and routing it to the bearings and through the oil passages could be the cure that's worse than the disease.

If you do decided for some reason to loosen this up with something like Auto-Rx to enter the engine in a beauty contest, be prepared to do a lot of filter changes in a hurry.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Mickey_M:
If you do decided for some reason...to enter the engine in a beauty contest, be prepared to do a lot of filter changes in a hurry.
Click to expand...
I'm thinking this engine looks more like a crack whore that will have to learn how to earn it's keep on the street.
cool.gif
 
This strikes me as a glaring example of why to avoid used cars.

I wonder if a used car dealer would take notice of someone unbolting the valve covers of every car on the lot
grin.gif
...
 
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