I really struggle with this kind of thing b/c now you are really looking for it vs. before and with no before/baseline, tough to say much. I'm not sure you would have seen it if it was there which it could have been all along. Who knows. Good stuff either way.
Filter pictures HPL 0W30 6,000 miles, 2002 Volvo XC70
- Thread starter Astro14
- Start date
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
Just as a counter-point, I cut all my filters and my back to back of M1 EP 0W-20 and HPL 0W-20 showed a dramatic difference.
I was wondering the same thing. HPL Engine Cleaner to be exact.
No engine cleaner used.
Just a straight switch to HPL.
The engine had been run on quality synthetic oils, most of which meet A3/B4, since we bought it with 90,000 miles on it in 2007.
When I did a pan drop, at about 180,000 miles to clean up the PCV system, there was some varnish, but no sludge.
Knowing that, and the history of oil changes, I didn’t think I needed the engine cleaner first, I just switched over.
Dave has said that the oil itself has more of an aggressive cleaning effect than the EC.
4WD
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Yes. And I knew that before the switch.
Knowing that the engine was relatively clean, I jumped right in.
There is nothing excessive or concerning in the filter, but I do find the carbon interesting.
4WD
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My WIX filter had this same color after 5000 miles of HPL Euro 5w30, but, without the specks. Pennzoil LX 0w30 turns the same WIX filter material an obvious reddish color. Perhaps some cleaning causing the change in color with the HPL? I wouldn't be surprised if extra cleaning is the reason, but, that's only conjecture. I'll be headed back to HPL in about 10,000 miles (two OCI's of LX in my stash to use up).
You should find an excuse to go into SFO and see if the TechOps guys have any connections for a UOA.
Well, it turns out that my memory is off. I never did drop the sump on this engine, so I actually had no idea on the condition inside.
So, I drained the oil, dropped the sump, cut the filter.
I was surprised at what I found. Despite good quality synthetic oil, meeting ACEA A3/B4 and often MB229.5, this engine had quite a bit of carbon in it.
So did the filter.
So, I drained the oil, dropped the sump, cut the filter.
I was surprised at what I found. Despite good quality synthetic oil, meeting ACEA A3/B4 and often MB229.5, this engine had quite a bit of carbon in it.
So did the filter.
Moving on to the engine itself, here is how the sump and the block looked when I took it apart. If you zoom in, you’ll see it clinging to the walls of the the sump and the walls of the block, especially around the bolts.
Frankly, I was shocked. I bought the car in 2007 with 90,000 miles. Now, despite 200,000 miles of really good oils, at normal intervals, the engine still had a bunch of carbon.
I cleaned it with solvent, and a bronze brush. Painstaking, and I was careful to pack towels around the bores, rods and crank so that no bits of stray stuff got in them.
Much better.
You’ll see that nearly all of the carbon is gone. I wasn’t willing to scrub too far into the block but the upper part had only light varnish.
The all-important PCV passages, which are cast into the block and sump, were open, but had “carbon atherosclerosis”. They were carefully cleaned as well. Turns out that an Otis bronze brush fits perfectly.
I cleaned it with solvent, and a bronze brush. Painstaking, and I was careful to pack towels around the bores, rods and crank so that no bits of stray stuff got in them.
Much better.
You’ll see that nearly all of the carbon is gone. I wasn’t willing to scrub too far into the block but the upper part had only light varnish.
The all-important PCV passages, which are cast into the block and sump, were open, but had “carbon atherosclerosis”. They were carefully cleaned as well. Turns out that an Otis bronze brush fits perfectly.
Now, the big question - how will the filter look in a year?
It got a new filter, and HPL 0W30 Euro. Knowing what I know, now, I will pull the filter at 5,000 miles and see how it looks.
It got a new filter, and HPL 0W30 Euro. Knowing what I know, now, I will pull the filter at 5,000 miles and see how it looks.
FWIIW - my old 2001 V70XC ran really clean with good UOAs up until about 250K miles. After that it went downhill rapidly, and then the transmission went at 278K. That was it's second transmission. I loved that car, but it went to the scrapyard last November.
Everyone can make their own conclusions... But mine is this: 3000-mile OCI is not dead yet... Even with A3/B4 or better oils.
This isn't the first post recently that clearly shows that 5k-7.5k OCIs with premium oils isn't always the answer. Engines aren't staying spotless with 5k OCI and 229.5/A40 oils, despite what many (including myself until recently) preach online.
I'll see what my engine looks like when I replace the oil pan gasket soon, but given the unknown maintenance history for first 200k miles - going forward it will be on 3000-mile OCIs with either HDEO or Euro rated oils only.
Even after the impressive clean up job you did, I'd probably drop the oil too at the 5K mark, then follow the regime you intended for the oil and filter combo at that time. I'm sure opinions will vary.
