Mobile 1 Syn 5w-30 + VSOT Honda CRX 1991 4340 miles - OH MY

[BobXRC]

Oil: Mobil 1 Syn 5w-30 + full pint of VSOT.

Honda CRX 1991
1.5L 4cy
Vehicle miles: 142522
Miles on oil : 4340
Life of oil : 8 Months
Type of drive: Work Commute
Oil Filter: Pure One - 4340 miles
Air Filter: Fram Filter - 4340 miles

Iron 55
Chromium 1
Lead 187
Copper 160
Tin 5
Aluminum 5
Nickel 0
Silver 0
Silcon 18
Boron 36
Sodium 60
Magnesium 59
Calcium 2376
Barium 0
Phosphorus 954
Molybdenum 453
Titanium 0
Potassium 27


Fuel % vol < 1
Vis @ 100 C cSt 12.62
Water % vol 0
Coolant Yes
TBN 3.84

Lab comment: High coolant additives. Possible coolant contamination. Recommend resample at half the normal interval.

 

[BobXRC]

Some background. I owned the car from day one. Its had Castrol and Quaker State Dino OC every 3K to 5K. No visible sign of coolant leak - exhaust, coolant, oil, etc. Car feels the same, power is the same, gas mileage near 40 mpg on freeway. I was planning on using the car for an oil filter study- see my old posts, I've got so few. This oil was added before I learned about AutoRX. I wanted to try to clean it up a bit, so I tried Mobil Syn and VSOT. The oil filter came off cold and felt like a lead brick - I think it might have clogged. I've kept the filter - plan to open it up and take some pictures.

 

[BobXRC]

I changed the oil to 2.5 quarts Havoline 5w-30, 1 quart Delo 15w-40, and a full bottle of AutoRX. My hope is that the Delo helps suspend soot/dirt that AutoRX loosens up.

Here is the part that has me puzzled and maybe its the effect of a PAO in a high mileage engine for the first time...... I monitored the oil every week. First three weeks no change in level. 4th week, there was a good drop. This pattern kept happinging until is was down nearly a quart at the OC. Its almost like there were burps in oil loss, once very month. I can't remember if it was when it got cold or not. The was even a week where I had a couple of drops of oil on the ground. So far this hasn't happened again with the new oil (its been in there for +4 weeks).

 

[Mr Nice]

Is there any sludge or junk that is built up under the valve cover ?

Is this CRX the base engine or the Si engine ??

 

[Gary Allan]

What you're describing in your usage is some type of fatigue that allows the consumption after a certain mileage. Some threshold is breached at that point. Nothing ...nothing ..then a sharp upramp.

..but you describe visually detecting a decreasing oil level from the 4th week on out ..but you only reach one quart down at 8 months (32 weeks). You've got one fine eye there for distiguishing the difference on the stick

That's some impressive Pb readings you've got there

Coolant takes out bearings (or so I'm told).

 

[BobXRC]

LT4 Vette: Yes I think there was some under the valve cover, I notice sludge coming lose when I looked in the oil filler spot.

It's the base engine - tied to an Auto. The engine has never been abused via RPMs.

Gary Allan:

I was very curious on the oil level, so I spent a lot of time measuring it and making sure the conditions were the same. In-between the burps it was rock steady. Only thing I can think of is that it happened in the coldest time of the year. One period we had -10 for about a week.

I can put a rebuilt head on it fairly cheap, but I'm worried that it might be a leak somewhere else (like a pore in the block).

I could almost take my used Tundra oil and put it in this car

[ May 20, 2006, 04:07 PM: Message edited by: BobXRC ]

 

[BobXRC]

Dang, I called it "Mobile" in the title again. Maybe it's time to switch to something I can spell

 

[UncleRunkle]

Auto-RX it twice, then try mobil 1 again, less the VSOT.

 

[Bror Jace]

BobXRC, I had a '95 DX Coupe with the same (similar) motor and it had a leak from around 100K ... but mine never got that bad.

AutoRX ain't gonna help. You probably have a leaking spot in the metal head gasket.

You'll need to replace that gasket, get new head bolts and possibly have a shop plane the head to make sure it's true.

--- Bror Jace

 

[BobXRC]

Thanks for the feedback, I've got 500 miles on the new oil and the dip stick is rock steady - I'll sample again at 1500 miles - if leak is still there, I'm going to try to re-torque the head bolts, then try the 2000 mile clean stage - if its still there again - I'm going for a rebuilt head (looks like only $299 with no core - probably a ton of these engines out there after punks toss them for stolen Acuras )