The highly debated ATF engine flush...

[Ducked]

Originally Posted By: dlundblad
No offense whatsoever, but I am failing to see any benefit.....

IMO, the discoloration in your cocktail was from the old dark oil that was remaining in the engine.


IF that were true (disputed above, where its said to be due to cooking the ATF) then flushing out that old dark oil would be a benefit, surely?

 

[kschachn]

And I disagree that it is highly debated, there are a few people who cling to the idea it works but the majority do not.

Contentious is a better word rather than debated since the technical and chemistry based responses are all on one side.

 

[andyd]

I doubt that the mix in an idling engine did any harm. I doubt if it did any good either. If you pull the valve cover and read Chevrolet backwards in a black pudding, then there is a sludge problem. Change the oil more often if you want want clean internals. It is that simple. I took the valve cvr off my 1st 528e at 300 k miles,first time in 150 kmiles. 20w50 Supetech dino with a 3kmile OCI. Varnish, but little sludge. I think you guys are worrying about a non-problem.

 

[4WD]

I can tell you the first time (40k) I drained Dex VI from the Cruze I had to look again to make sure I did not pull the oil plug …
Switched over to 20k after that … the car is driven hard by “stomp right, stomp left” son … Just a gallon drain/fill …and the 20k keeps ATF “in the red” …

 

[sw99]

Either way, I like running the motor medic through there and the ATF was a lubricating carrier oil. As stated before, the fill hole view of the top end is spotless even before this.

Someone asked about the oil change after. I used ST 5w30 conventional that I'll run for a short time to remove the residual oil from that flush.

 

[StevieC]

If it was spotless even before you did this then it's only proving my point that the darkened ATF is the result of being in contact with combustion by-products and higher temperatures it's not designed for and not actually cleaning.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: StevieC
If it was spotless even before you did this then it's only proving my point that the darkened ATF is the result of being in contact with combustion by-products and higher temperatures it's not designed for and not actually cleaning.

This.

 

[sw99]

Originally Posted By: StevieC
If it was spotless even before you did this then it's only proving my point that the darkened ATF is the result of being in contact with combustion by-products and higher temperatures it's not designed for and not actually cleaning.

Fair enough on the color change but I'm sure the addition of Motor Medic does some slight cleaning regardless of the carrier oil.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: sw99
Originally Posted By: StevieC
If it was spotless even before you did this then it's only proving my point that the darkened ATF is the result of being in contact with combustion by-products and higher temperatures it's not designed for and not actually cleaning.

Fair enough on the color change but I'm sure the addition of Motor Medic does some slight cleaning regardless of the carrier oil.


And what exactly are the constituents of "Motor Medic", a product quite specifically targeted at people like yourself who believe there is something there needing to be cleaned up? It's like Lucas, what engine oil needs to be "stabilized"? None of them! But that doesn't stop them from selling "Oil Stabilizer".

 

[StevieC]

Originally Posted By: sw99
Originally Posted By: StevieC
If it was spotless even before you did this then it's only proving my point that the darkened ATF is the result of being in contact with combustion by-products and higher temperatures it's not designed for and not actually cleaning.

Fair enough on the color change but I'm sure the addition of Motor Medic does some slight cleaning regardless of the carrier oil.


I'm sure it does in regular engines but if yours is spotless under the cap I doubt it is doing anything near what you hope it is. I'm not picking on the product I'm just saying in your case I think it's only achievement is lightening your wallet and it's not worth it.

Even if you look at it from the perspective of this... Most engines will never see a flush and most will see the odd oil change pushed too far and they all seem to last a perfectly normal service life so there is no need for these products.

In my opinion these are for engines that have had regular neglect and folks are just trying to pour in a bottle of miracle cure in hopes it will correct all the wrong doing from neglect in the past and it doesn't work that way.

That's all I'm getting at.

 

[littleant]

Back in the sixty and seventy,s a lot of folks would substitute a qt of oil with a qt of atf. Their logic was you never would see a dirty or sludge trans. What they did not think about,that there is no combustion inside a trans.

 

[DoubleWasp]

There is power in ATF. I've brought back "dead" rotary engines with carbon choked apex seals by squirting ATF into the rotors housings and leaving it to sit and work it's magic.

 

[Omahaug]

The R18 engines in these models run super clean as it is and they're really easy on oils. I've yet to see an R18 opened up that wasn't spotless.

On a well-running, well-maintained 2012 you did a pretty risky experiment. It's not as bad as running the engine with water or running it dry, but it's still not as good as running it with API SN oil. You have no idea what damage it could have done.

What was the point of this? To risk damaging a well-running, well-maintained engine to clean up what exactly? The color change means nothing also. If you were really that intent on cleaning it, should have just done multiple short OCI's, even though that's pointless on an engine as easy on oil as this.

Quote:
Back in the sixty and seventy,s a lot of folks would substitute a qt of oil with a qt of atf. Their logic was you never would see a dirty or sludge trans.
Their "logic" is absolute idiocy, makes about as much sense as if someone's shirt is green, it must be made of grass. Jokers like that have no business anywhere near an engine.

 

[littleant]

Originally Posted By: NoNameJoe
The R18 engines in these models run super clean as it is and they're really easy on oils. I've yet to see an R18 opened up that wasn't spotless.

On a well-running, well-maintained 2012 you did a pretty risky experiment. It's not as bad as running the engine with water or running it dry, but it's still not as good as running it with API SN oil. You have no idea what damage it could have done.

What was the point of this? To risk damaging a well-running, well-maintained engine to clean up what exactly? The color change means nothing also. If you were really that intent on cleaning it, should have just done multiple short OCI's, even though that's pointless on an engine as easy on oil as this.

Quote:
Back in the sixty and seventy,s a lot of folks would substitute a qt of oil with a qt of atf. Their logic was you never would see a dirty or sludge trans.
Their "logic" is absolute idiocy, makes about as much sense as if someone's shirt is green, it must be made of grass. Jokers like that have no business anywhere near an engine.
100% Agree

 

[Eddie]

I was not aware this debate wans't over for some. It was decided long ago on BITOG that ATF didn't have the cleaning ABILITY to help CLEAN an engine as good as standard engine oil. eD

 

[StevieC]

I used to add a quart of transmission fluid to my gasoline back in the day to lubricate the fuel system. Let's discuss that.

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted By: StevieC
I used to add a quart of transmission fluid to my gasoline back in the day to lubricate the fuel system. Let's discuss that.

I was told that was done to clean, I never tried it since it sounded bonkers.

 

[StevieC]

Flush the fuel system?

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted By: StevieC
Flush the fuel system?

Lol no, adding a quart to a tank of gas would clean the injectors because ATF is "full of detergent"

 

[StevieC]

Originally Posted By: dishdude
Originally Posted By: StevieC
Flush the fuel system?

Lol no, adding a quart to a tank of gas would clean the injectors because ATF is "full of detergent"


Flushing it with all of those detergents.