My Auto-RX Filter Pics
- Thread starter BrianWC
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so what's the reason for the not-too-big difference in the 2 engine-pics (Nov->Feb)? or is there a difference in the sludginess and i'm missing it somehow?
This sure is a great testimonial of Auto-RX. I think I'd keep using Auto-RX on this engine since it appears that the cleaning that has occured is just the tip of the iceberg. Thanks for sharing.
My belief is that as a filter begins to load and the element tightens, this is where the larger deposits accumulate. This accumulation is not representative of whats flowing in the lube system, but a collection of alot of small sized debris. Unless the larger particles were set free from the pick up screen and immediately got sent to the filter element.
Great job on the formation of this string.
Great job on the formation of this string.
There was never MUCH sludge up top, though it was and remained highly varnished in some places. There was a little in the cracks and corners. Some was removed, some wasn't. The wall of the top of the engine adjacent to the timing chain did show a decent decrease in burnt on deposits but they were not completly removed. There was a great deal of material in those filters, though. That convinces me that something got cleaned somewhere. One theory postulated whenever arx doesn't show sparkly clean cams and the like is underlying low oil pressure not flowing enough up top. I don't know if this is my case, though the oil pumps in these cars have been known to be of flimsy design and prone to premature failure. If the screen is still clogged by non-sludge materials arx can't clean such as plastic from timing chain guides and rubber from deteriorated PCV hose innards, that could also of course, lead to oil starvation... Furthermore, if I have some other underlying issue such as a clogged catch can, I suppose the conditon which led to this in the first place could still be in play.
I dunno, I'm just posting some pics. I think it's pretty evident something got cleaned somewhere though. Perhaps 1 or two more treatments would not have been a bad idea...
I dunno, I'm just posting some pics. I think it's pretty evident something got cleaned somewhere though. Perhaps 1 or two more treatments would not have been a bad idea...
Brian,
I agree wholeheartedly. The pics show something was cleaned. It just may not have come from the "top-end" where there is just a splashing of oil and not a full-flow.
Interesting seeing the pics as I have AutoRX in my two Nissans right now. Unfortunately, neither vehicle gets a lot of mileage, so it may take awhile to get 1500 miles for the clean phase. I'll definitely cut these filters open, as my Maxima has 110,000 and the truck 181,000 miles on them. The previous filters I've opened prior to AutoRx were all relatively clean compared to yours. I suspect they will be pretty nasty with AutoRX, especially the rinse phase like yours show.
Dave
I agree wholeheartedly. The pics show something was cleaned. It just may not have come from the "top-end" where there is just a splashing of oil and not a full-flow.
Interesting seeing the pics as I have AutoRX in my two Nissans right now. Unfortunately, neither vehicle gets a lot of mileage, so it may take awhile to get 1500 miles for the clean phase. I'll definitely cut these filters open, as my Maxima has 110,000 and the truck 181,000 miles on them. The previous filters I've opened prior to AutoRx were all relatively clean compared to yours. I suspect they will be pretty nasty with AutoRX, especially the rinse phase like yours show.
Dave
Brian
This strikes me as an interesting direction. I wonder how many engines could use more than 2 cycles of ARX.
As I posted in another thread I saw the same little carbon granules in the first rinse cycle of my recently acquired 140k mile car. Needless to say it very quickly answered my stupid question "I wonder if Frank is right when he says do 2 cycles for a >100k mile engine." This car has an unknown maintenace history so if i still see this stuff in my second rinse oil i may do another treat.
My most recent previous AutoRX usage was in a car with 140k miles but a meticulous history and one cycle worked its magic.
I've now got MORE to add in due time. Um, I'd say more than 2 treatments is required for my engine! The sludgies were hiding on me. Perhaps in a uselss location but.... I think I could get 38 more filters like that if I kept using arx....
okay, well,
I took off the oilpan yesterday. Seems everywhere that oil has flowed is pretty darn clean. Everything that could dissolve....
However, seems someone ran my car w/o an air filter at one point as I had some grass in the pickup. I also had a couple of lead shavings (YIKES!) and some light but very hard coked oil. This stuff was literally just like charcoal.
Here be the pics:
Those are BIG chunks of had, coked oil!
View from below. Except for the bottom of the crank area, everything was pretty clean. Look how clean the bottoms of the piston crowns are..weird.
I took off the oilpan yesterday. Seems everywhere that oil has flowed is pretty darn clean. Everything that could dissolve....
However, seems someone ran my car w/o an air filter at one point as I had some grass in the pickup. I also had a couple of lead shavings (YIKES!) and some light but very hard coked oil. This stuff was literally just like charcoal.
Here be the pics:
Those are BIG chunks of had, coked oil!
View from below. Except for the bottom of the crank area, everything was pretty clean. Look how clean the bottoms of the piston crowns are..weird.
Well, just clean out that oil pan, & somehow get that pick-up screen cleaned. Maybe pour a little straight LC through that oil pump & let it soak for a day or two, that should dissolve any carbon cooties lurking inside. If you don't have any LC, PM me.
*Grass* inside the oil pan?
Well, actually I used pure clear parafin lamp oil (knew I'd use it for something one day!). That way I could pour it back and forth and not worry 'bout wasting it. I cleaned out the pan w/ a spray bottle of diesel oil. I added a hint of LC20 to my new oil!
this almost makes me want to run it in my 2001 F150 5.4L...although, i bought her at 24k miles and she's had 3k mile OCI's if not better ever since...currently at 92k.
Yeah, my saab was a bear. Still running great. I cranked open the filter on my last OCI with an arx maint dose. Looked pretty loaded again just with a 5k maint dose! Yes, I've examined other filters between then and now and not a thing in them. When the filter drips dry a bit, I'll take some more pics.
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