Valvoline MaxLife 10W40 into Turbocharged SAAB 95?

[OpelFever]

Forte-products are held in high regard and only sold to garages/professionals but seeing as their motor-flush is mostly kerosene, I'd buy STP/Valvoline or whatever is cheap and available.

For the piston soak you can use just about any solvent, kerosene or diesel will work. Remove the spark plugs and pour in the solvent, let soak for several hours. It will slowly drain past the rings so you will need to add some every now and then.
It's a good idea to turn the engine by hand when all the solvent has drained (to avoid hydrolock) so the rings will slightly move and some of the dirt will come loose.

Since the dirt will contaminate the oil I would do it in this order:

1) Warm up engine, add motor flush and run it on high idle (about 1500rpm) for 30-45min

2) Drain oil, fill with some cheap oil and proceed to do piston soak.

3) When the soak is done, make sure there is no solvent in the cylinders, install spark plugs and start engine, let it idle for a few minutes and then change the oil and filter.

 

[zoli]

This procedure looks fine!
I have just a fear about the situation could be worse, not better. This engine has never any cleaning, probably the burnt oil makes essential help on the wall of the cylinders avoiding further oil consumption.
But you mentioned: your SAAB friend had this a success story.

 

[OpelFever]

Originally Posted By: zoli
This procedure looks fine!
I have just a fear about the situation could be worse, not better. This engine has never any cleaning, probably the burnt oil makes essential help on the wall of the cylinders avoiding further oil consumption.
But you mentioned: your SAAB friend had this a success story.


If the situation is so bad that only the gunk/sludge is holding the engine together, it will break down sooner or later. However, since you've used quality oils at reasonable intervals, I don't believe that to be the case.
The problem with Saab engines, in specific, are the piston rings that start sticking to the pistons when they accumulate carbon and sludge. This increases oil consumtion, which leads to even more rapid accumulation of carbon to the ring-grooves.

The worst cases used 0.5L/100km which is completely insane. Almost all of these engines could be cured by internal cleaning by piston soak and flushing.

 

[zoli]

Originally Posted By: OpelFever
... The problem with Saab engines, in specific, are the piston rings that start sticking to the pistons when they accumulate carbon and sludge. This increases oil consumtion, which leads to even more rapid accumulation of carbon to the ring-grooves...

Sounds very bad for all of SAABers - so soaking couldn't be terrible if properly removed from the cylinder.

 

[zoli]

Originally Posted By: OpelFever
...For the piston soak you can use just about any solvent, kerosene or diesel will work. ...

I had a success story with my wife's Cevrolet (Korea) Tacuma/Rizzo 1.6 (4 cyl Ecotec engine): EGR-valve cleaning by WD40.
Another excellent caustic chemical is called 'Kromofag': the fully sludged sump and the valve cover cleaned very well this year in my SAAB. It has approx. 90% dichloro-methane and 5% methyl-alcohol content. Completely removed the varnish and burnt oil as well.

 

[zoli]

Originally Posted By: MI_Roger
...2.3 liter low pressure turbo engine in my 2000 Saab 9-5 using only synthetic oils, and 5,000 mile oil change intervals. For the past 150,000 miles or so I have used Total Quartz Energy 9000 in the 5W/40 weight.

I bought 5 L (approx. 5 quarts) TQE 9000 5W40 for USD 32 in Hungary. Good price level, M1 0W40 takes USD 52 - similar API Group III/III+ oil, but less antiwear package inside.
Your reasonable routine is great for me - thx for advise!