Honda J35 V6 (J35Z4) Sludge and Cam Scoring

Accuracy and relevance of that study has been heavily debated.
I’d seen it discussed enough times around here in agreement that I figured it was more or less understood knowledge at this point. I’d be interested to read anything to the contrary. I’m certainly willing to change if the data shows it.
 
Front Cylinder Head was removed due to a broken spark plug on #4. The owner tried to remove the broken plug, but broke the ez-out. Prior to this incident, the front bank had an audible knock/tick.

After disassembly, two scored cam lobes were found on #5. All of the rollers on the rocker were in perfect shape, so maybe we caught it just in time?

Service intervals were “annually” with Amsoil Signature Series 5W-20 and Amsoil filter. Since this was a 2009 Pilot with 180K, I would estimate the annual interval to be around 15K. Driving conditions were a mix of city and highway.

Note: this is a J35Z4 with VCM.
I hope you’re not blaming the Amsoil here, as people like this are the reason why “*Never exceed the manufacturer’s recommended oil change mileage” disclaimers have to exist.

I don’t know of too many engines I’d place above the J35s on engines nobody should ever go past 7.5k on unless they’re trying to use its demise to buy a new car. All of the ones that come to mind (excepting H/K for obvious reasons) have some form of VCM/MDS/AFM.

What’s more destructive to the environment? About 0.1mpg when the vehicle is brand new, or the rapid death of an ICE which will more often than not be repaired at the cost of more raw materials?
 
Honda recommends a 7500 Mile OCI for this Vehicle, what jumps out at me is according to Amsoil this engine only holds 4.5 quarts of oil!

That amount of oil tells me to not go past a 5000-mile OCI.
 
My oil alone is $50+ for one change. That doesn’t include my Amsoil filter or my new drain plug washer. Changing it every 5k would mean I’m changing it and a filter once a quarter which is a waste of my time, money, and oil with life left in it. I ride often enough that I’d rather be in the wind than I would be under my bike.

SuperTech Motorcycle 20w-50 is $8.72/qt.
A FRAM PH6065B filter is $11.84.
Bike takes 4qts, so the math comes out to be:
$8.72 x 4 = $34.88 for the oil alone. Now add the filter.
$34.88 + $11.84 = $46.72 per 5k mile oil change for my bike.

My HPL V-Twin oil is $48 for 4 quarts after tax and shipping.
My Amsoil EaOM134 filter is $10.40.
Total cost: $48 + $10.40 = $58.40
If I run this oil to 20k miles as it has proven to be capable of, I will use 2 oil filters, bringing the total cost of my 20k oil change to $68.80. I’ll even do you one better and add the analysis kit costs of $32.75 each.
$32.75 x 2 = $65.50 + $58.40 = $123.90

5k miles cheapo cost: $46.72
5k miles HPL & Amsoil Filters cost: $30.97

I’ll do you one better, this oil will likely be able to do 30k (though analysis needs to bear this out, I’ll admit) and will use 3 filters to the tune of $31.20 worth of filters for a total 30k mile cost of $79.20. Your cheapo change cost for the same mileage is $276.72 and you’ve put 6 gallons of waste oil into the recycling stream versus my 1.
3 analyses plus the oil and filters: $98.25 + $79.20 = $177.45

5k miles HPL & Amsoil Cost for 30k interval: $29.57

I don’t love spending time under my bike, I love spending time ON it. Less time spent doing maintenance while also providing higher level protection for my bike is a win win for me.

THAT is why I do extended drain intervals.

Also, wear is significantly increased after an oil change. As a BITOGer I figure you would understand this.
I’ve seen more engines damaged from doing extended oil services. 1 leaks. A UOA does not show you what’s left in the oil for seal conditioners. Amsoil oil filters are a waste. Hop on YouTube. Plenty cut open, they’re made by champion labs. Amsoil and RP are the exact same one. I have one vehicle that is DI, you can’t control fuel dilution. Long OCI will destroy the internals, holds 5.7qts. So 37 for M1 ESP 0/30. Purolator Boss filter 10 bucks. Check out the car care nut and sees what happens when you follow the 10k oil change as Toyota recommends. You create an oil burner before it even gets to 100k. Now in the US they want you to run 0/8. I don’t own a Toyota. But makes sense and 10/30 is recommended in AUS. I would try HPL , it’s not available locally. I only use RL gear and transmission fluids. Never have had a failure. I change it every 15k. Honda/Acura does not have the best track record. An AWD trans is not cheap at 5k not including labor.
 
I’ve seen more engines damaged from doing extended oil services. 1 leaks. A UOA does not show you what’s left in the oil for seal conditioners. Amsoil oil filters are a waste. Hop on YouTube. Plenty cut open, they’re made by champion labs. Amsoil and RP are the exact same one. I have one vehicle that is DI, you can’t control fuel dilution. Long OCI will destroy the internals, holds 5.7qts. So 37 for M1 ESP 0/30. Purolator Boss filter 10 bucks. Check out the car care nut and sees what happens when you follow the 10k oil change as Toyota recommends. You create an oil burner before it even gets to 100k. Now in the US they want you to run 0/8. I don’t own a Toyota. But makes sense and 10/30 is recommended in AUS. I would try HPL , it’s not available locally. I only use RL gear and transmission fluids. Never have had a failure. I change it every 15k. Honda/Acura does not have the best track record. An AWD trans is not cheap at 5k not including labor.
Personally, none of my engines when scoped or having their valve covers or timing systems open have shown any symptoms of damage, but I’m a sample of 1 so 🤷‍♂️.

I don’t put a lot of stock into generic car folks on YouTube, or many on YouTube period. FordTechMakuloco has given a lot of good advice for my Ford 5.4 engine, but then you’ve got whackjobs like Scotty Kilmer who people listen to en masse.

I’m guessing you live in Aus? Sucks you can’t get HPL, but Redline is great stuff as well, I’d have no qualms running it, but you change your tranny and gear oil every 15k? Man that’s half of the severe duty schedules I’ve seen for my trucks and SUVs. Doing that with Redline has got to be expensive.

Speaking of DI engines, here is a sample from 10k miles on a Honda J35Y7 3.5 V6 running Amsoil 0w-20 that was in an Odyssey that got totaled by a Class A motorhome while it was parked roadside in a snowstorm. It only had this one analysis done before it was bent into a rainbow shape.

IMG_6886.webp
 
I’ve seen more engines damaged from doing extended oil services. 1 leaks. A UOA does not show you what’s left in the oil for seal conditioners. Amsoil oil filters are a waste. Hop on YouTube. Plenty cut open, they’re made by champion labs. Amsoil and RP are the exact same one. I have one vehicle that is DI, you can’t control fuel dilution. Long OCI will destroy the internals, holds 5.7qts. So 37 for M1 ESP 0/30. Purolator Boss filter 10 bucks. Check out the car care nut and sees what happens when you follow the 10k oil change as Toyota recommends. You create an oil burner before it even gets to 100k. Now in the US they want you to run 0/8. I don’t own a Toyota. But makes sense and 10/30 is recommended in AUS. I would try HPL , it’s not available locally. I only use RL gear and transmission fluids. Never have had a failure. I change it every 15k. Honda/Acura does not have the best track record. An AWD trans is not cheap at 5k not including labor.
You continue to run properly extended OCI together with lack of maintenance

I think your point is not sticking via repetition because experience says otherwise

Yes some DI engines it makes zero sense to blindly go by miles, but many engines easily go 15K+ on good oil. You change your gear oils at 15K? Complete waste of time and resources
 
You continue to run properly extended OCI together with lack of maintenance

I think your point is not sticking via repetition because experience says otherwise

Yes some DI engines it makes zero sense to blindly go by miles, but many engines easily go 15K+ on good oil. You change your gear oils at 15K? Complete waste of time and resources
Why would I want to do that? 5-6% fuel dilution I’ll keep my same plan, vehicle inside has zero varnish, burns no oil, inside looks brand new at 158k. Whats the point of long OCI when oil and filter is 40 bucks. It sees a lot of idle time in the winter. Less in the summer, but sees some especially traveling with dogs. Extended drains is just dumb imho. When I did OTR trucking. They went 30k. Every 10k it would use a gallon after the oil change.
 
Why would I want to do that? 5-6% fuel dilution I’ll keep my same plan, vehicle inside has zero varnish, burns no oil, inside looks brand new at 158k. Whats the point of long OCI when oil and filter is 40 bucks. It sees a lot of idle time in the winter. Less in the summer, but sees some especially traveling with dogs. Extended drains is just dumb imho. When I did OTR trucking. They went 30k. Every 10k it would use a gallon after the oil change.
Again, nobody is telling you what to do with your own equipment, but your own equipment is not universally representative. You seem to be making broad generalized recommendations based on concerns about equipment that experiences heavy fuel dilution, but that is not every piece of equipment.

There has been plenty of success with properly implemented extended drain intervals, which reduce equipment downtime and subsequently, increase productivity.

And, as I've explained in other threads, oil doesn't age in miles. Distance is a poor proxy for lubricant degradation, it was implemented because it's simple, but iOLM's were developed because it sucks.
 
Haha, not sure that ol’ Ben came up with “penny wise, pound foolish” but we might as well, he came up with all sorts of wild stuff! 😎 🇺🇸 🫡
I thought it was a Penny saved was a Penny Earned, then again, I did see that in a recent Commercial. Then again it could have been a Penny Earned is a Penny Saved, that sounds better.
 
Again, nobody is telling you what to do with your own equipment, but your own equipment is not universally representative. You seem to be making broad generalized recommendations based on concerns about equipment that experiences heavy fuel dilution, but that is not every piece of equipment.

There has been plenty of success with properly implemented extended drain intervals, which reduce equipment downtime and subsequently, increase productivity.

And, as I've explained in other threads, oil doesn't age in miles. Distance is a poor proxy for lubricant degradation, it was implemented because it's simple, but iOLM's were developed because it sucks.
Well stated
 
Again, nobody is telling you what to do with your own equipment, but your own equipment is not universally representative. You seem to be making broad generalized recommendations based on concerns about equipment that experiences heavy fuel dilution, but that is not every piece of equipment.

There has been plenty of success with properly implemented extended drain intervals, which reduce equipment downtime and subsequently, increase productivity.

And, as I've explained in other threads, oil doesn't age in miles. Distance is a poor proxy for lubricant degradation, it was implemented because it's simple, but iOLM's were developed because it sucks.
Feel feee to watch YouTube channels “I do cars” “the car care nut”. You’ll see plenty of engine tear downs with the destruction of high mileage drain cycles. Especially with the piston rings. Unless you only drive the highway like a semi truck,
 
Feel feee to watch YouTube channels “I do cars” “the car care nut”. You’ll see plenty of engine tear downs with the destruction of high mileage drain cycles. Especially with the piston rings. Unless you only drive the highway like a semi truck,
You missed the point. Again.

I’ve seen tear downs of neglected engines. Never one of a logically extended OCI on those drama channels
 
Feel feee to watch YouTube channels “I do cars” “the car care nut”. You’ll see plenty of engine tear downs with the destruction of high mileage drain cycles. Especially with the piston rings. Unless you only drive the highway like a semi truck,
Are you capable of having a rational and informed conversation, or is this all just "appeal to the perceived authority of youtube" fantasy? You've replied to none of the points I've made, which were an attempt to get you to think critically and acknowledge the inherent nuance of the subject. I'm fine if this is all you've got, but you seem to want to present as providing valuable insight on this topic, but this surface-level fear porn isn't that.

This is like someone watching the Chornobyl mini series and then speaking authoritatively on the topic of nuclear power. Dunning-Kruger can be a hell of a trip.
 
Not all long OCIs are equal, and not all oils used in long OCIs can handle the job. And not all engines can take the same long OCI due to design factors, like how well the PCV system functions which is pretty important. Lots of factors involved. And lots of engines suffer from gummed up and stuck rings for a variety of reasons.
 
Are you capable of having a rational and informed conversation, or is this all just "appeal to the perceived authority of youtube" fantasy? You've replied to none of the points I've made, which were an attempt to get you to think critically and acknowledge the inherent nuance of the subject. I'm fine if this is all you've got, but you seem to want to present as providing valuable insight on this topic, but this surface-level fear porn isn't that.

This is like someone watching the Chornobyl mini series and then speaking authoritatively on the topic of nuclear power. Dunning-Kruger can be a hell of a trip.
Your points are taken. I don’t see a point in long extended OCI. By the time you pay for all the UOA, the time to get the sample,take it to the post office, the cost of mailing it, the cost to do the oil change is less. Time to do an oil change, 30 min. Now no worries about all the wasted time for a UOA and expense
 
Your points are taken. I don’t see a point in long extended OCI.
Yes, that's apparent, but you not seeing the point doesn't mean that one doesn't exist. As you already acknowledged, OTR trucks are one application that can benefit from them, so can other applications where downtime is undesirable, like border patrol vehicles, taxis, limos...etc.
By the time you pay for all the UOA, the time to get the sample,take it to the post office, the cost of mailing it, the cost to do the oil change is less.
Completely depends on the application. The 0W-40 for my SRT is $15/L from the dealer and it holds 7L. Even if I'm running M1 FS 0W-40, that's $76+ tax on sale, so $85.88 for the oil, plus $15 for a filter, so I'm $103-$135 depending on oil and filter choice, and then there's my time, which is worth more than that.

SRT OCI recommendation is contradictory. It says go by the OLM, but then also says "under no circumstances should oil change intervals exceed 6,000 miles (10,000km) or six months, whichever comes first."

My first real OCI was at 11 months and 9,795km (0% on the OLM). So, over by almost double on time, but inside the limit for mileage. I did a UOA on this fill, oil was fit for continued use (HPL Super Car 0W-40). I figure I paid ~$200 including the UOA for this fill, so still less than changing the oil twice.

My following interval was at 16 months and 12,104km (0% on the OLM), so over by more than double on time and outside the limit for mileage. I did not perform a UOA as I felt it was unnecessary. That oil was put in service in September of 2024, it will be changed somewhere between 10 and 17 months I assume, depending on how much I drive this summer. If I manage to get 18 months, that's 3x the interval called for and would justify another UOA. I would have spent $309-$405 on oil changes, plus my time, which bumps that up by more than that again. So, in my case, running HPL even changed at the OLM interval, is cheaper than going by the manual with on sale oil, let alone OE spec.
Time to do an oil change, 30 min. Now no worries about all the wasted time for a UOA and expense
I grab the sample mid-stream while I change the oil, so there's effectively no time. We have UPS pick-up at the office, so again, not any time, and the shipping is paid for as part of the purchase of the kit, so no additional cost. I take about an hour to do my oil change, taking my time. Doing that when it's convenient for me (and the weather isn't bad) has value, as does my time, as I noted, and my time is worth considerably more than I think the type of oil change you are alluding to.

I run even longer intervals on the RAM, not doing UOA's every time (which is unnecessary) with the HPL "overkill" Super Car 0W-20.
 
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