Liqui Moly oil flushes

[rimmer1]

My mechanic looked at the oil consumption on my 1991 Prelude with 160k miles and said it was probably caused by the oil rings being plugged. He suggested either Liqui Moly 2059 Engine Flush or 2523 Oil sludge remover, both made by a long-time German lubrication firm.

The Engine Flush is a 10-minute dump it in, high-idle the engine and get it out type. Its ingredients were napththa (Petroleum) hydrodesulfurized heavy and calcium alkyl aryl sulfonate -- turpentine and an oil additive to prevent gumming rings.

The Oil sludge remover is added to the oil and driven for 100-200 miles. Its containes 2-butoxy-ethanol and calcium aryl sulfonate. The same oil additive with a different type of solvent.

Any thoughts on these products. My car uses about 1 qt/1,000 miles of oil and after I bought it 40,000 miles ago I've been treating it to synthetic oils -- Mobil 1 5W30 in the Canadian winter and Castrol Syntec 5W50 in the summer.

My intention is to get the most out of an old engine, so I don't mind spending a little more on synthetic if I can get an extra 50-100,000 miles on the engine.

I'm warry of these type of products but don't like sinking a quart of synthetic into the engine every 1,000 miles.

Thanks,
Rimmer1

 

[mkosem]

I'm thinking auto-rx would be a better idea. These flushes don't seem to be very safe. Check out www.auto-rx.com

--Matt

 

[Patman]

Out of those two choices I'd go with the second one. I wouldn't feel safe using any engine flush which says you can't drive with it in the engine. That says to me that it's a strong solvent that will thin out the oil too much, so it could do other damage.

I still think Auto-rx is the better choice too, or Neutra 131, but both of these have to be mail ordered to get to Toronto.

 

[dragboat]

Rimmer I don't know how to put it. I have worked on ,seen inside so many engines and used many chemicals in the past 35 years to include gasoline. Never had a problem with B-12 Chemtool,KW Motor Flush,Gunk,Deisel,Kerosene. If in doubt follow your mechanics advice. Why? He has probably been there and done that like I have instead of some here that has never overhauled a motor.You are a fixin to get alot of opinions,,treat them as they are just opinions is my suggestion to you and talk again with your mechanic who once again has been there and done that and seen inside your valve cover unlike we on the forum are incapable of. Your motor might not be too sludged at all,but we can't tell,that's for sure. Sure,if you can sink your finger into sludge a 1/2 inch deep caution is in order but for the most part imo a less expensive 2 buck a quart cleaner is fine. If the oil light comes on,kill it,drain the oil and add more cleaner and oil is my opinion.
I have told this story before,a friend has a repair shop,a lady brought in a 302 ford t-bird -mid 80/s model with the lifters ticking,he merely changed the oil and the oil light came on it was so sludged ! He pulled the rocker covers and walah! Sludge galore,he put them back on and poured 1/2 gallon of gasoline in it the light went out in 15 seconds or so,drained and another 1/2 gallon of gasoline for 15 minutes or so with straight 30 wt oil at idle,drained and drove the car to lunch,kept overnight and drove it for parts and lunch the next day and changed the oil again and she was fixed up and a happy camper.
Crude way to clean? Cheaper than a overhaul!

Anyway I would not use my example as advise,I would though think about a easily available cleaner like YOUR mechanic has suggested "some flash off very quickly but these will not be quite as volatile,the first one you mentiond especially" and a early oil change after it's use then up there some 5-10/30 HD oil has gotta be available ,,most of these dino HD have pour points of 45F or around there for winter use,,then a HD oil for summer of a higher wt could be used if needed/wanted.It will lube the motor well for the rest of it's life.

Look at the MSDS of the Amsoils flush,pretty potent stuff but I have never heard any negatives of it's use,,,and it is somewhat like the OTC engine flushes. Sure there are more expensive and passive cleaners you can use while driving . The choice ultimatley is yours,cost vs performance comes into play evertime.
Same thing with dino vs mineral based oils. Sure are lot of 300k dino lubed engines out there lubed at a buck a quart

Good luck with what you decide on and let us know please what you used and if the oil consumption was relieved somewhat if not totally

[ January 07, 2003, 06:51 AM: Message edited by: dragboat ]

 

[Spector]

Dragboat:

Very good post. Excellent Comments with practical common sense advice.

 

[rimmer1]

Thanks for the input guys.

My mechanic is a 20-year pro who started out on hondas and now services BMWs and Mercedes, while still keeping an eye on the little guys like me. I don't think he would recommend a product that would kill an expensive German engine. He also thinks that Hondas succumb to oil ring plugging because of design flaws -- i.e., the piston is made too light-weight and generates more heat that it can handle at the top of its stroke. But that's a whole different question.

Both the flushes contain different solvents, but each has calcium sulfonate. Any thoughts on this stuff as a cleaning agent or oil additive?

Thanks again,
Rimmer1

 

[Terry]

RIMMER, lots of discussion here on this subject from many people who are in the know.

Research the archives under cleaners/flushes etc. Consider the source of advice as Dragboat suggests.

I agree with your mechanics assessment of the ring /piston heating issue,true with many engines now.

 

[Pablo]

I say try his first suggestion (it's on his nickle, right?

)

Seriously - I doubt it will harm.....and it MAY help.

 

[rimmer1]

I was poking through an engine rebuilding book and noticed a reference to an engine flush products containing ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, or Butyl "Cellosolve." Further names for this chemical include the 2-butoxy-ethanol (CAS #111-76-2) that is used in the Liqui Moly Oil Sludge Remover.

According to the reference in Tim Gilles' "Automotive Engines -- Diagnosis, Repair, Rebuilding" this product is recommended to be used when antifreeze coolant has leaked into the crankcase forming a varnish that sticks to valve guide seals and oil rings therby clogging them up.

Are there any other flushes with the same chemical?

Thanks again,
Rimmer

 

[mebanditws6]

Both times I've used KW Motor Flush on my high mileage 318, it lowered warm idle pressure by 5psi at most, maybe not even that much. Pressure went from 30psi hot to 25-30 after the 5min it was in the engine which is how long you're supposed to run it in there.

Jason