Solvent flush question?

[ConfederateTyrant]

Well Frank, the day you can prove his "issues" came from the use of kerosene/minerals spirits/etc. (remember, I don't use the term solvent because your product is a solvent by definition), then that will be the day that I perform an Auto-RX treatment on another car in my household.

 

[Frank]

I am not trying to prove anything. Read this link Auto-Rx is a natural solvent, not a synthetic one. I don't like synthetic solvent technology. Why do you think i invented Auto-Rx ?
/www.toyotaoffroad.com/Articles/Information/oil_additives.htm>

 

[BrianWC]

Regardless of what white paper you read or don't read, it's a simple fact that a thin, watery flush like Chemtool or Seafoam is going to thin out your oil. Will it do so to dangerous levels? I suppose that depends on the engine and the amount used? I would think, of these types, you'd need to use more than the proscribed amount to do any actual cleaning. That's one more thing I like about arx, it's designed to work with the oil, not against it.

Not trying to be an arx zombie, just stating fact.

 

[Shelby]

Water is a natural solvent too, I think there's a big difference between some natural solvents and any synthetic. Calling Autorx a solvent may be "correct" but it isn't acurate in the spirit what is a strong solvent flush. I personally believe that using a solvent for a short amount of time is probably safe as far as clogging a filter goes, but I just wonder when it would be necessary to use one. The fact that you don't flush all the solvent out is an issue, metal to metal contact is an issue, clogging the filter can be an issue if not done correctly or too much sludge exists, etc. Clearly, there is "more" of a risk to using a solvent flush than Autorx, but maybe less risk using a solvent flush than using a detergent or oil treatments. Since Autorx worked very well everytime I used it, I wouldn't try a solvent flush unless a future treatment possibly didn't work for some reason. The few times I've heard Autorx not working was due to an engine being very clean in the first place or a questionable PCV.

 

[Lonnie]

Another thought that I'd like to bring up. Solvents that I've used in the past attack the carrier oil as well as the deposits while it’s running thru your engine. Solvents reduce the viscosity and remain behind after being drained. Strong solvents may remain in very small amounts in areas that do not drain well. This may be behavior that is not useful to the life of the engine. Solvents can remove the surface from seals and o-rings and leave behind a rough surface. For the average owner this behavior constitutes a risk. The use of solvents requires knowledge of the condition of the engine and the progress encountered during the process. Wear and damage caused by the use of solvents is difficult to detect or separate from existing problems. When Auto-Rx is used you can concentrate on evaluating the results without the worry of leaving it in to long or having problems because small amounts were left behind. When my 23 year old Civic wagon failed California smog I paid the fees and took the time to do a double treatment. The day of the test I cut the rinse phase short, changed the oil and passed the test, with no other changes. I did not see a lot of black crud or dramatic visual results from the treatment but it went from fail to pass. I have no other explanation than Auto-Rx. This car is like my little blue blanket (my woobie if you watched Mr. Mom), and I was not going to pour a dose of engine flush in it. No white papers needed for me.

 

[ericthepig]

One of the negatives listed above is a positive in my application - the solvent "strips away" the additives left on the metal from the previous fill. Well, I was transitioning to Schaeffers oil, thus I do want the old stripped away so that the Schaeffers add. pack can have full access to the metals.

Also, I too had no peace of mind with the residual flush left in my engine. To achieve peace, I flushed, then filled with Castrol GTX 10w40 and did a 15 minute driving rinse (which I drained and saved for my next rinse application in my other vehicle) then I filled with Schaeffers.

The Neutra is effectively gone. The Ams. flush is effectively gone. I have small amounts of new GTX in my present fill of Schaeffers. Nirvana.

 

[Lonnie]

I don't think that engine oil does a good job of 'rinsing' all the old solvent out of the system. We put a solvent in an engine with a dye, looking for a leak on a stationary engine. That engine produced pink dye in dribs and drabs for almost a year. I think that where every that dye was there was solvent.

 

[azsynthetic]

Quote:

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I don't think that engine oil does a good job of 'rinsing' all the old solvent out of the system. We put a solvent in an engine with a dye, looking for a leak on a stationary engine. That engine produced pink dye in dribs and drabs for almost a year. I think that where every that dye was there was solvent.

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Rinsing the old solvent and rinsing the dye are two different things. Solvent will evaporate whereas the dye does not. The solubility of the dye varies depending on the quality and type of oil.

 

[ericthepig]

Lonnie, in what you described you never did the rinse. Thus you ended up w/ residual flush (and dye) in your new oil.

 

[Lonnie]

There was no rinse beyond oil changes. The chemist assured me that dye was very tightly bound to the solvent. That was the whole purpose of the dye, to go where the solvent went. The chemist said to separate the two in his formulation would not be possible in a running engine. We have used this witch’s brew many times, with variations used in complicated hydraulic systems. When it’s been chased by Auto-Rx it’s gone before the end of a rinse cycle, completely gone with only trace evidence left behind.

 

[ericthepig]

Lonnie, I think we're on different wave lengths. You seem to be discussing a dye that bonds with a solvent and etc, etc. Also, you bring up the Auto-rx rinse. I'm talking about a different type of rinse. A simple rinse -

1.) Flush the engine w/ oil and solvent.
2.) Drain the oil & solvent mess out of engine.
3.) Install the rinse oil & new filter.
4.) Run engine 15 minutes.
5.) Drain the rinse oil and remove filter.
6.) Install new oil and new filter.

(keep rinse oil and filter for use on subsequent OCs - to rinse the old oil out before installing new. It'll be about six years before the next solvent flush - I average a solvent flush on each vehicle every 80-100k miles.)