Wash, Flush, Rinse, Fill

[ericthepig]

Last Saturday was fun - here's how it went (all below refers to my Sienna minivan with 142k - last flushed w/ BG Purge at around 65k) -

1.) Cleaning mix of Rotella 15w40 + 16oz. Neutra 131 was dumped at the 480 mile mark. Transfered it to a white pail - it was pitch black. (Removed and drained ST filter.)

2.) Re-installed ST filter and installed 4 qts ST dino 10w40 and 1 + 1/4 bottle of Amsoil Flush. Ran for 25 minutes at 2000 rpm. Drained and transfered to different white pail (lots of kitty litter pails around here) - oil was pitch black. Blotter test with paper towel showed Neutra oil was much darker than subsequent Ams. flush oil.

3.) Installed 1 gallon Castrol GTX 10w40 (purchase for $7 & chg) and new ST oil filter. Drove around for 15 minutes. Drained oil and removed ST filter.

4.) Installed 5 qts Schaeffers 7000 5w30 and Pure One (micronic) filter.

Note, to Shelby. I've got what I think is a cheap way to get peace of mind on the residual flush in engine issue. I did the 15 minute running rinse w/ the GTX and new ST filter. I then put the GTX back in the gallon jug and put the ST filter in a zip lock bag. These will now become my 20 minute rinse items that I will run after OCIs (since I plan to continue using Neutra at the end of my OCIs). I will also use the GTX to rinse my upcoming flush of my Mazda (it also has 16oz of Neutra in it right now, and I have a bottle of Ams. Flush waiting on the shelf.) So yes, there was originally some old oil and engine flush in various cavities of the engine. But now after a 15-20 minute rinse, there's new GTX and only a trace amount of old oil/flush sitting in those small cavities. $10 worth of supplies bought me a rinse that I can use repeatedly.

Post engine flush peace of mind has been achieved.

 

[ericthepig]

Interesting tidbit - when I drained the Ams. flush I let the oil plug fall in the drain pan, and it sat there for at least 30 minutes as I let the oil/flush drip out. That plug has always been a brown varnish color (which I never really realized till I took it out of the flush oil). After sitting 30 minutes in hot flush oil, the plug is CLEAN SHINY metal. Ams. flush definitely did a number on it.

I am VERY plsed with the results of the 480 mile Neutra run, and I am VERY plsed with the performance of the Amsoil flush. Props to both companies! The last toyota mech inside the engine (valve cover and timing belt) said it was clean (but I actually heard this thru the service mgr). Perhaps something was lost in translation - or perhaps there's differing ideas of "clean".

Now to see if the oil consumption reduces (the true test).

Thanks to Mokanic for getting me to take a break from my long OCI habits (which apparently resulted in gummed oil rings) and to go thru this process with Neutra.

 

[BrianWC]

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Interesting tidbit - when I drained the Ams. flush I let the oil plug fall in the drain pan, and it sat there for at least 30 minutes as I let the oil/flush drip out. That plug has always been a brown varnish color (which I never really realized till I took it out of the flush oil). After sitting 30 minutes in hot flush oil, the plug is CLEAN SHINY metal. Ams. flush definitely did a number on it.

I am VERY plsed with the results of the 480 mile Neutra run, and I am VERY plsed with the performance of the Amsoil flush. Props to both companies! The last toyota mech inside the engine (valve cover and timing belt) said it was clean (but I actually heard this thru the service mgr). Perhaps something was lost in translation - or perhaps there's differing ideas of "clean".

Now to see if the oil consumption reduces (the true test).

Thanks to Mokanic for getting me to take a break from my long OCI habits (which apparently resulted in gummed oil rings) and to go thru this process with Neutra.

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You know, this is a real indicator of how tough to remove the deposits formed in my SAAB are. Despite flushes, Neutra, LC20, and arx, my dipstick still has some thick varnish spots on it. Now y'all see what I'm dealing with.

 

[ericthepig]

Brian,

The "oil filler shelf" doesn't allow any visual data on what's under the valve cover in the Sienna. So I don't know what the internal engine varnish issue is/was.

BUT, in the next couple of wks I will know how Neutra and then Ams. flush does against serious varnish. I CAN see inside my Mazda 323s valve area - and it is seriously varnished - using a flashlite I can see deep dark almost thick looking stuff, along w/ patches of black carbonization junk. But the varnish truly looks "rich". I'm at 250 miles w/ the Neutra - once I'm in the area of 500 miles, the Neutra gets dumped and the ST dino w/ Ams flush gets put in. I realize the upper end of the valve area that I'm seeing is not high oil flow, but it does get oil flow. If the Neutra followed by Ams. makes a real impact on this area, I will be very surprised. I'll post the results.

 

[Mokanic]

Amsoil's flush seems to be one of the best quick cleaners around. The 131 works much slower and that is why folks looking for instant results from it are usually disappointed. Continue to use the 131 the last 500mi of your interval and let us know how the consumption issue does. Let us know how the Mazda turns out.

 

[BrianWC]

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Amsoil's flush seems to be one of the best quick cleaners around. The 131 works much slower and that is why folks looking for instant results from it are usually disappointed. Continue to use the 131 the last 500mi of your interval and let us know how the consumption issue does. Let us know how the Mazda turns out.

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Just to point out I did at least two neutra runs (one with ATF per Bob's suggestion) and one was for at least 1k miles. Trust me, at the time, Frank was NOT my favorite person, lol, and I was really eager to find something that cleaned better than arx.

 

[BrianWC]

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Brian,

The "oil filler shelf" doesn't allow any visual data on what's under the valve cover in the Sienna. So I don't know what the internal engine varnish issue is/was.

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That's the benefit of a nice FWD 4. it's very easy for me to pop the valve cover off. I'll certainly be eager to see what happens. I don't think I can be swayed back to flushes but it's still nice to see what happens.

Science!

 

[ericthepig]

---------------- Update ----------------

1998 Sienna w/ 142k miles - previously 1 Qt of consumption of M1 5w30 in first 1k of OCIs (1 qt in subsequent 1.7ks). Apparent gummed oil rings.

Put it thru a 500 mile wash w/ Rotella and 16oz (not 12) Neutra 131. Followed w/ Amsoil flush. 20 minute rinse w/ GTX. Then filled w/ Schaeffers 7000 5w30.

Odometer just hit 1025 miles. I used 1/2 Qt of Schaeffers to top it off. Hopefully the start of a good trend.

This 1025 miles is almost all short trips. But my previous 1 Qt in 1k was also short trips. So this is consistent. I wouldn't credit the oil switch - it seems like too drastic an improvement for oil alone to pull off.

The disappointing thing about this last wash phase, was that the 500 miles was almost all short trip. There was only one 60 mile round trip in that phase. I hope to do another Neutra wash in the early part of next summer which will (I trust) include our long vacation drives. The van has likely seen it's last solvent flush (Amsoil) - the Neutra should suffice.

I'll try to find this thread and report back at 3k.

 

[ericthepig]

"This 1025 miles is almost all short trips. But my previous 1 Qt in 1k was also short trips. So this is consistent. I wouldn't credit the oil switch - it seems like too drastic an improvement for oil alone to pull off."

That was a confusing paragraph - what I was saying - the previous consumption (1qt/1k) occurred in short trip driving. The present test was also short trip (though there was one 300 mile round trip I made). Result 1/2qt per 1k.

I had been getting the high consumption rates for several OCIs, though I'm not sure how many.

 

[dommiel74]

I just change my oil and filter every day, its cheap insurance and piece of mind.

 

[Gary Allan]

Quote:

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I just change my oil and filter every day, its cheap insurance and piece of mind.

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Now not only can you sleep at night, you can die a happy man.

 

[azsynthetic]

Quote:

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Quote:

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I just change my oil and filter every day, its cheap insurance and piece of mind.

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Now not only can you sleep at night, you can die a happy man.

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Happy but poor man.

 

[tackleberry625]

Originally Posted By: dommiel74
I just change my oil and filter every day, its cheap insurance and piece of mind.


I hope you are kidding

 

[Gary Allan]

Originally Posted By: azsynthetic
Quote:
Quote:
I just change my oil and filter every day, its cheap insurance and piece of mind.


Now not only can you sleep at night, you can die a happy man.

Happy but poor man.

Happiness is priceless. It can't be found in a wallet. My gosh, man ..didn't you learn that in poverty skewl?