Kreen Stopped my valve noise!

[sewagerat]

I have been reading this forum for quite awhile but this is my first post. Great forum and I have learned alot.

I purchased a used 2006 Dodge Durango 4.7L V8 back in September that had 68,000 miles on it. From the moment I first started it there was a very loud valve ticking noise that made the Durango sound like it had a Diesel in it until it reached full operating temperature at which point the sound mostly went away but could still be heard. The Ford dealer where I purchased it replaced both exhaust manifolds thinking it was a exhaust leak. It wasn't. I took it to the local Dodge dealer before I purchased it and they told me that the noise is common and that they have seen these engines run for over 100k miles making that same noise. I decided to purchase it because the Ford dealer wanted rid of it and gave me a good deal.
I have been using QS UD 5w-30 with Bosch D+ filter and 3,000 mile OCI's since then. It now has over 76,000 miles.

For the heck of it I decided to try using Kreen to see if it would make a difference with the noise. I added 18oz. to my oil and the remainder to my gas tank. The first time I started it the noise went away after about 15 seconds! That was over a week ago and has not returned since. I plan on running it for about 800 to 1,000 miles then doing a short 1,500 mile run of QS DEFY to flush out any remaining Kreen and maybe recondition any seals that MAY have been affected by it. Can't say that the noise will not return but I am keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[JHZR2]

Congrats!!! Glad to hear of your success. I didnt have such good luck, but it is great news that you did!

 

[sewagerat]

Forgot to add that since adding the Kreen to my gas I started to get the indicator for a loose gas cap and the check engine light came on the same time the dash board indicated loose gas cap. For some reason the gas cap would loosen as soon as I would tighten it. It would almost fall off. Replaced it with a new one from the Dodge dealer Friday and have not had a problem since. I think it was a coinsidence but I thought I would add that.

 

[JHZR2]

Could well be that it effected the seal characteristics of the rubber gasket/oring.

 

[antiqueshell]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Could well be that it effected the seal characteristics of the rubber gasket/oring.


My guess is Kreen is a fairly strong solvent.
Could be damaging to fuel hoses and seals. You might be looking at other leaks down the road.

 

[sewagerat]

Guess I'll find out over time. The unknown long term affects of running Kreen is the reason I only plan on running it once followed by a flush with High Mileage Oil to help recondition seals. I also don't plan on adding anymore to my gas. Might use some seafoam later on down the road after I am sure all the Kreen is gone. I figured a one time treatment was worth a try. I am happy with the results so far. It has to be doing something to get rid of that noise.

 

[ltslimjim]

Some suggest to change the oil filter about 500-600 miles in, if the engine had any sort of sludge.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Kreen is made to be added to the fuel. It does not harm any parts.

Absolutely unique product, and should not even be compared to most so-called 'cleaners'.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: antiqueshell
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Could well be that it effected the seal characteristics of the rubber gasket/oring.


My guess is Kreen is a fairly strong solvent.
Could be damaging to fuel hoses and seals. You might be looking at other leaks down the road.

Kreen has been tested safe with fuel hoses and seals. OTOH if added to oil and sludge is creating a false seal, you might develop a leak if the seal is broken, damaged, or no longer pliable. Same goes for any product designed to clean an engine. Nothing in a can will repair worn engines or dad gaskets, however if you're looking to clean up an engine Kreen works very well.

 

[Trav]

Quote:
Could be damaging to fuel hoses and seals. You might be looking at other leaks down the road.

I lost count of how many cars i have put this in over the last 2 years (i have gone through 10 gallons) and none has had any issues with leaks.
None have developed leaks that were dry before and the few with leaky rear seals didn't get any worse.

 

[Trav]

Quote:
I didnt have such good luck

I had a couple it didn't quieten. When i took the lifters/lash adjuster out they were mechanically damaged.
One a Subaru had damage on the adjuster face where it contacts the valve stem and the other a 3.4 GM has a bad roller bearing on the bottom of the lifter.

I put it in an old Ford 5.4 2V and got no results in that engine, it had cold engine noise since it was 2 years old.
I gave up on it and declared it must be mechanical damage or as the Ford dealer said "they all do that". Almost 9 months and 3 doses later the noise stopped and the engine remained silent.
It was a quiet as it was brand new.

 

[sewagerat]

I remain impressed by the results of running Kreen. Not only did it get rid of the valve noise, my Durango also seems to be running smoother. I think the Ford dealer was a little disgusted with it after replaceing both manifolds and a 4x4 motor to get it ready to sell and not getting rid of the noise. My salesman told me alot of people looked at it and walked away due to the valve noise. It really was that loud. My wife drives it most of the time and has done nothing but complain about the noise since we bought it. Worried about it leaving her stranded because of it. To be able to get rid of the noise with Kreen has made the house alot more peaceful. Now she says it runs like new!

 

[sewagerat]

Originally Posted By: ltslimjim
Some suggest to change the oil filter about 500-600 miles in, if the engine had any sort of sludge.


I thought about that but, since I only had about 1,800 miles on the QS UD 5w-30 and Bosch D+ combo when I added the Kreen, I think I'll just leave it alone. Oil still looked clean when I added it. I have put about 300 miles on it with the Kreen and the oil still looks mostly clean. A little darker but not much. I think the Bosch Distance plus filter has a lot to do with that. My oil level hasn't really dropped yet either so the Kreen must not have burned out yet.

 

[Trav]

Just let it run, give the stuff time to work properly. It only gets better.

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: sewagerat
Guess I'll find out over time. The unknown long term affects of running Kreen is the reason I only plan on running it once followed by a flush with High Mileage Oil to help recondition seals. I also don't plan on adding anymore to my gas. Might use some seafoam later on down the road after I am sure all the Kreen is gone. I figured a one time treatment was worth a try. I am happy with the results so far. It has to be doing something to get rid of that noise.


THIS^^^ is EXACTLY what I plan on doing, and also my take on this product (although Kano Labs claims it will NOT hurt seals/gaskets/etc.).

 

[Trav]

Easy to test. 2 Yrs ago i threw some injector seals, fuel line both injector type and conventional with some oil seals for crank and valve stems in Kreen and left it.
There was nothing to see or report after a few months.
If it can sit in pure Kreen that long its not hurting anything.

The compounds used in modern lines and seals is much different than what was used in pre 1970 or so American cars when Viton and other materials became common in the automotive industry.
I would be more cautious with old natural rubber seal materials. I doubt if many engines this vintage (40+ years) are still on their original engine and fuel system without some sort of rebuild or seal replacement anyway.

A list of seal materials offered by one company..

http://www.prepol.com/product-range/materials

 

[ltslimjim]

^What I'd like to see is a test with a confirmed 'old' or perhaps 'bad seal' pulled from a 10-20 year engine, sit in kreen for a while; perhaps basking in the sun even?

PS: I also agree with the idea of a High Mileage oil post kreen use. Not necessarily because of 'seals'(unless kreen 'cleaned' an area that had caked deposits at a seal that was 'bad' already), but more so because it can help keep suspended whatever kreen got lose/cleaned up that wasn't drained out at the oil change, for instance.

 

[greenjp]

I think even the Kreen proponents would have to admit that the only way it solved the ticking in 15 seconds is by reducing the viscosity of the oil in the engine, no? If not, could someone propose the mechanism by which it would work so quickly?

jeff

 

[SteveSRT8]

Pure solvency and penetrating action. I've seen it work and heard it work in seconds, it's for real.

It immediately begins dissolving crud, and some engines have immediate positive reactions. It will not fix anything, but it can and does remove the gunk that any engine will have after 100k miles or more.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Pure solvency and penetrating action. I've seen it work and heard it work in seconds, it's for real.

It immediately begins dissolving crud, and some engines have immediate positive reactions. It will not fix anything, but it can and does remove the gunk that any engine will have after 100k miles or more.

My friend sister's 2002 Camry 4-cyl with 186k miles is very clean under the valve cover, it doesn't have any vanish anywhere when it was in to replace the valve cover. I didn't have the phone to take a picture. I didn't believe my eyes when I first saw it, I was looking for any trace of sludge or vanish but didn't find any.

She had oil change regularly with bulk dino at local garage every 5k miles, may be because she drove it mostly on highway and average trips were more than 15-20 miles in north LA, also may be the weather is mild in So Cal.