Just ordered another qt of EC to run in the mothers 2008 Dodge grand caravan with the 4.0 v6, she’s right around 100k miles so I plan to run the EC with 5 qts of M1 FS 0w40 since @OVERKILL states it’s cleaning abilities, I figured they would pair nicely together. Up until I took over the maintenance on it I couldn’t tell you what it was always filled with, likely the cheapest option but it’s always had a consumption problem roughly a qt every 1.5k miles so we shall see if maybe this helps lessen the issue. Will report in at 1k miles with any updates.
High Performance Lubricants Engine Cleaner
- Thread starter High Performance Lubricants
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Is there a Dealer in Germany for HPL or a shipping option?
Update on the oil burning Kia. We’ve got about 1,000 miles on the 2.4L with 1 quart of HPL EC and the rest PP HM 5W-20. During this time the oil level has dropped maybe 1/8” on the dip stick! It was burning about .5-.75 quart per 1,000 miles before, and that was HM 10W-30. It’s doing something for sure! The oil is a weird grayish color that it’s never been before. I plan on pulling the Wix filter at 2,000 miles and replacing it with the Kia OEM and topping off the oil with more PP HM 5W-20. I’m going to go ahead and run it 2-3,000 miles more too. I’ll also post some pics of the filter when I cut it open. I’m interested to see what’s in there!
Four oil changes on my equipment so far. Two engines - cleaning up nicely and very happy with the product! Thank you HPL for the great product - it says what it does and does what it says.
No BS, No hype. Works like it says it does!
No BS, No hype. Works like it says it does!
I used HPL EC30 and thought it was a great product. Will be doing the valve adjustment and plugs here shortly so I hope to have some pictures for my 200,000 mile service.
More details please...
Please list your questions and I will answer as best I can.
I'm using it in my truck. I have 2qts in the sump with VPBE 5W-40. I have about 1,000 miles so far. I changed the oil filter today. There was nothing different or abnormal that I could tell from cutting the filter and inspecting it with my eyes and a flashlight. I plan to run this cleaner for 6,000 miles IF the fuel dilution stays low enough. The reason I'm using it is to hopefully clean the piston rings in the engine as I have a fuel dilution problem. I will be sending in a sample to OAI at 2,000 miles to check fuel dilution.
Here's the oil filter carrier video.
I posted this elsewhere but that thread was locked, so I thought I'd post here on a more active discussion
Here's the oil filter carrier video.
I posted this elsewhere but that thread was locked, so I thought I'd post here on a more active discussion
I had originally put the engine cleaner in a few locations. One was moved here. And has become the dominant thread. The others probably should have been deleted. With respect to your comments the cleaner is safe to leave in and as others have noted sometimes it take a little while to get things dissolved. We want to clean in a controlled fashion. There is no future in plugging filters.
Thank you for being a customer.
David
Thank you for being a customer.
David
I'm using it in my truck. I have 2qts in the sump with VPBE 5W-40. I have about 1,000 miles so far. I changed the oil filter today. There was nothing different or abnormal that I could tell from cutting the filter and inspecting it with my eyes and a flashlight. I plan to run this cleaner for 6,000 miles IF the fuel dilution stays low enough. The reason I'm using it is to hopefully clean the piston rings in the engine as I have a fuel dilution problem. I will be sending in a sample to OAI at 2,000 miles to check fuel dilution.
Here's the oil filter carrier video.
I posted this elsewhere but that thread was locked, so I thought I'd post here on a more active discussion
Is the oil color different, not talking about what was in the oil filter. Lets say you did a normal oil change and checked the dipstick at 1000 miles versus checking the dipstick with 1000 miles of the HPL Engine Cleaner being in there?
Well, I mean, it's a diesel with EGR so it's black by 1,000 miles normally and it looks the same with HPL.
Here's how my cleaning is going
Fill is 1qt of HPL EC + 3.5qt Maxlife 5w30 in Project xB
Exactly 2000 miles on it
A little on the dark side for 2000 miles IMO, but maybe that's a sign that cleaning is taking place
I'll run it to 3000 or when it needs a full 1qt added, then maybe I'll change it out
Is there a time/mileage limitation for the HPL Engine Cleaner?
Or can it be used just like straight oil for a full OCI?
How about some details, please? What % EC was in the oil? How many miles did you run the cleaner? How do you know it "does what it says?" Did you remove the valve covers before/after running the EC? Did you check the filter for debris and gunk?
Thanks!
Just a few posts above yours the following was mentioned. Hopefully that answers the question.
1. Per HPL recommendations
2. 2,000 miles oil and filter change first run with HPL EC. Refill with oil and HPL EC at recomended ratio. After another 2,000 miles changed oil and filter and used HPL EC at recommended ratio. Next change is scheduled for 3,000 miles with the next after planned for the usual 5,000 miles.
3. First change at 2,000 miles had "fine" grit (most likely built up sludge breaking down in the short block assembly) in the drained oil. Second change had no grit, but still very dark oil for 2,000 miles. It is obvious to me that it is removing varnish/sludge build up from the short block.
4. Yes before adding it. I posted pictures on another thread. I had "new" heads (I have two sets of heads for the 3.8L) that had just come from the machine shop. I am not trying to clean the heads or the valve train as much as I am the short block assembly as it did not get removed or cleaned. I don't suspect there is anything to see at this point on the heads anyway as they have less than 10,000 miles on them.
5. Yes.
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Here's my case study: 2007 Toyota 4Runner 1GR-FE V6, bought used in 2017 with 162K miles and poor maintenance with OCIs at 20-30K miles by the original owner. Main timing chain was worn and elongated causing P0016 bank 1 camshaft timing correlation error. I bought it cheap as a project assuming the engine would need replacement, ended up just replacing the timing components at 182K miles after a year of long highway work commutes and short OCIs with various synthetics including Rotella T6, Valvoline High Mileage, Pennzoil Platinum HM, QSUD, and M1 0W40. Occasionally added MMO toward the end of a few OCIs as a flush. When I pulled the bank 1 valve cover to check timing manually back in 2017, there wasn't significant sludge accumulation other than small clumps on bolt caps and other non-washed areas...just varnish everywhere.
Since the timing chain replacement 89K miles and 4 years ago, I've been running 5K mile OCIs with various high mileage synthetics (and a few runs of Valvoline MaxLife blend) and flushing the oil pan every other oil change, put the passenger side on ramps which places the drain plug low and dipstick high as shown in the pics. Placing a paper towel across the drain pan prior to pushing flush oil down the dipstick tube shows sludge flakes every time, the dirty paper towel pic attached is the pan wash at oil change just prior to this fill at 269K miles. This is what I've been seeing each time for the past 4 years...not sure if I'm pushing a channel through a bed of sludge on the pan floor, or it's old sludge breaking loose and washing into the pan.
The engine runs fine, but uses ~0.5 quart of oil by 5K miles and I suspect oil control rings may be stuck and/or piston drain holes clogged. Goal of the experiment is to see if the oil consumption can be mitigated by reducing sludge.
I bought 2 quarts of HPL Engine Cleaner, and added it to the Valvoline High Mileage Synthetic 10W30 at 270,118 miles at the prescribed ratio. Just drained it at 270,686 miles (568 miles on the additive, 1732 miles on the oil) and the pics tell the story. The oil had gone from light amber on the dipstick when the EC was added, to dark brown. The Fram XG3614 filter cut pics show just a few specks of solids (I usually see much more sludge particles in filter cuts), and the usual gray outlines of the FilterMag bars.
I collected a sample to send to Blackstone & will post results. Also poured the drained oil+EC through a coffee filter as shown in the pic after washing with isopropyl alcohol, just to see what else came out (drain pan was cleaned prior to drain). This took hours to finish one small pour into the funnel + filter at a time.
Observations:
1) During the EC run, I had two instances of startup clatter for ~1 second after the first 100 miles or so, then no further issue for the remainder of the 568 mile run. Heard this previously with defective oil filter ADBVs, but this XG3614 filter had been quiet for the first ~1200 miles prior to the EC. Possibly a lump of sludge broke loose inside the cylinder head passages and caused #2 timing chain tensioner(s) to bleed down, or a VVT actuator lock pin to temporarily malfunction. No further noise for the remaining ~300 miles.
2) This is the least amount of sludge I've seen in the oil filter can. The coffee filter from the drainage is remarkably clean with just a few flecks of sludge, I'll get another pic after the alcohol evaporates. EC seems to have dissolved much more sludge than HM synthetics, driving it into solution as the oil got really black really soon in the OCI.
3) I want to avoid/minimize timing chain pin & bushing wear due to the dissolved abrasive particles, so I shortened the run and sacrificed the oil + EC earlier than the 2K mile goal. Still have another 1qt bottle of EC, plus the remaining ~1/3 of the first bottle, so there will be another EC run in the future.
Since the timing chain replacement 89K miles and 4 years ago, I've been running 5K mile OCIs with various high mileage synthetics (and a few runs of Valvoline MaxLife blend) and flushing the oil pan every other oil change, put the passenger side on ramps which places the drain plug low and dipstick high as shown in the pics. Placing a paper towel across the drain pan prior to pushing flush oil down the dipstick tube shows sludge flakes every time, the dirty paper towel pic attached is the pan wash at oil change just prior to this fill at 269K miles. This is what I've been seeing each time for the past 4 years...not sure if I'm pushing a channel through a bed of sludge on the pan floor, or it's old sludge breaking loose and washing into the pan.
The engine runs fine, but uses ~0.5 quart of oil by 5K miles and I suspect oil control rings may be stuck and/or piston drain holes clogged. Goal of the experiment is to see if the oil consumption can be mitigated by reducing sludge.
I bought 2 quarts of HPL Engine Cleaner, and added it to the Valvoline High Mileage Synthetic 10W30 at 270,118 miles at the prescribed ratio. Just drained it at 270,686 miles (568 miles on the additive, 1732 miles on the oil) and the pics tell the story. The oil had gone from light amber on the dipstick when the EC was added, to dark brown. The Fram XG3614 filter cut pics show just a few specks of solids (I usually see much more sludge particles in filter cuts), and the usual gray outlines of the FilterMag bars.
I collected a sample to send to Blackstone & will post results. Also poured the drained oil+EC through a coffee filter as shown in the pic after washing with isopropyl alcohol, just to see what else came out (drain pan was cleaned prior to drain). This took hours to finish one small pour into the funnel + filter at a time.
Observations:
1) During the EC run, I had two instances of startup clatter for ~1 second after the first 100 miles or so, then no further issue for the remainder of the 568 mile run. Heard this previously with defective oil filter ADBVs, but this XG3614 filter had been quiet for the first ~1200 miles prior to the EC. Possibly a lump of sludge broke loose inside the cylinder head passages and caused #2 timing chain tensioner(s) to bleed down, or a VVT actuator lock pin to temporarily malfunction. No further noise for the remaining ~300 miles.
2) This is the least amount of sludge I've seen in the oil filter can. The coffee filter from the drainage is remarkably clean with just a few flecks of sludge, I'll get another pic after the alcohol evaporates. EC seems to have dissolved much more sludge than HM synthetics, driving it into solution as the oil got really black really soon in the OCI.
3) I want to avoid/minimize timing chain pin & bushing wear due to the dissolved abrasive particles, so I shortened the run and sacrificed the oil + EC earlier than the 2K mile goal. Still have another 1qt bottle of EC, plus the remaining ~1/3 of the first bottle, so there will be another EC run in the future.
Attachments
Condition of the engine during the timing parts replacement, after 1 year and 20k miles of 2K mile OCIs with various synthetics:
For comparison, here’s a filter from last year after 80K miles of various synthetics and a few MMO adds, similar to what I’ve been seeing which made the EC filter can’s cleanness surprising:
For comparison, here’s a filter from last year after 80K miles of various synthetics and a few MMO adds, similar to what I’ve been seeing which made the EC filter can’s cleanness surprising:
20K of 2K synthetic OCI's didn't to much to help clean that up. It reminds me of my 2000 Century run on dino oil and meticulously maintained since new. The Buick had no sludge but tons of varnish.