Report on your internal clean engine here
- Thread starter 06RANGER
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The right bank of my 2.8 V6 Audi engine at 122,000 miles. The oil used until then was Castrol 5W-50. The oil change interval was 10,000 miles.
Couldn't that just be manually cleaned out by spraying a solvent down there and using a little elbow grease, you have things opened up it seems that you could do it. Things don't look bad on the top end, just the bottom end. If you clean out the bottom end it seems possible that the rest of the engine would be fine. ...And then using Auto-rx if you still felt like it, you should have everything else taken care of, but it seems that if the bottom end was manually cleaned then there would be no need for that. What oil have you been running with the LC and Neutra?
You mean you can keep an engine clean with just dino oil, regular oil changes and not use special chemicals, and synthetic oil...isn't that heresy ?
I just replaced the valve cover gaskets on my 87 Caprice with 140k on it. I just bought it this summer, it was traded on the dealership lot I worked at. From what I can tell it had 3k mile oil changes but wasn't driven very many miles so it probably only got changed about twice a year. The last sticker from an oil change showed that it was almost up to the 5000km's (3k miles) since being done last. There was a fair bit of sludge I had to clean out from the valve covers. For comparison I have a perfect running 1974 350 Olds engine I rescued from a junkyard car and it was almost spotless inside. Don't know the history on it, but it appears that they attempted to swap it into a beat up Monte Carlo for a demo derby or stock car racing or something but they screwed up something really stupid so the car wouldn't run. There was tons of used oil filters in the trunk of the car though, so that was a good clue as to why the engine was clean.
The POINT is you don't know the history of useage or maintenance on this engine.
So the sludge is not the issue.
The history of this engine is.
Can't blame sludge on the oil when you do not have all the info.
I think you'd agree with this?
Take care, Bill
^ I wasn't blaming anything, your right when you say I don't know what the cause is. I don't even know what type of oil was used although I'm sure it was whatever dino was in stock at the garage they took it to.
It seems to me the term "clean" is a matter of perspective, as most of the pics I see I would not classify as "clean".
However, some engines are much harder on oils then others, so its not fare of me to judge these pics when I have no experience with the vehicles these engines belong to.
I will say our 89 Honda with 150k on the clock is spotless under the valve cover. It has recieved irregular oil changes with M1 80-90% of the time. This car has survived three drivers, one of which was a college age girl who did not much care for auto maintance. Its now been retired to shuttle duty, so its gets what ever we have on the shelf at the time.
Keep the pics coming, I love looking at these things
However, some engines are much harder on oils then others, so its not fare of me to judge these pics when I have no experience with the vehicles these engines belong to.
I will say our 89 Honda with 150k on the clock is spotless under the valve cover. It has recieved irregular oil changes with M1 80-90% of the time. This car has survived three drivers, one of which was a college age girl who did not much care for auto maintance. Its now been retired to shuttle duty, so its gets what ever we have on the shelf at the time.
Keep the pics coming, I love looking at these things
I was just trying to make sure that others understand that if you change the oil and take care of a engine, that any oil will keep it clean and well protected.
There are some folks around here who think if you don't run full syn, your engine will blow up and get sludge.
This is untrue. You will get excellent life and protection out of an engine with good oil (conventional) and reasonable oci.
And it will be clean and free of sludge!
Take care, Bill
Basically, most here will agree with Bill and that regular OCI's with dino for 95% of us will work forever. My opinion is that syns are best for long drains, which is pretty much the only reason I'm using it now; You all have proven my engines are pretty easy on oil (2001 Civic/2005 CR-V) with your UOA's.
Just replaced the valve cover gasket on my 93 Corolla with 138,000 mi, looked identical to slalom44 pics. This has had whatever the jiffy lube place put in about every 4000 mi from new to 131,000 mi when I got it. Had 2 ARX treatments which removed a lot of crud (carbon particles) but since I didn't open it up then there's no way of knowing if there was any sludge to begin with. Everythings a copper color which will rub off with finger pressure & a rag.
2000 Subaru Outback 2.5L 4cyl N/A, 105k miles, been on Amsoil HDD 5W-30 since bought used at 96k, previous service history unknown.
My CAT 3406E looked real good at 650,000 mi with 25,000 mi changes of Chevron Delo 400 or Mobil Delvac 1300 15W-40. Of course with average TBN 8.0 and TAN 2.75 when the oil was changed this isnt really suprising. Had to change it at this interval to keep 500,000 + 200,000 mi Warranty coverage.
I have never had a street engine wear out but I know the last time I adjusted the valves on the 170ci Slant 6 Mopar (270,000 mi) it just had a light varnish and it had been run on 3000 mi changes of Gulf, Chevron, Havoline 10W-30 all its life.
The 115,000 mi Small Block Chevy 350ci looked the same when we changed the timing chain with the same oils and OCI.
The 130,000 mi 300ci I6 Ford looked good when we replaced the oil pump. 3000-6000 mi changes of Havoline, Rotella, Delo 10W-30 and Rotella Synthetic 5W-40.
I have never had a street engine wear out but I know the last time I adjusted the valves on the 170ci Slant 6 Mopar (270,000 mi) it just had a light varnish and it had been run on 3000 mi changes of Gulf, Chevron, Havoline 10W-30 all its life.
The 115,000 mi Small Block Chevy 350ci looked the same when we changed the timing chain with the same oils and OCI.
The 130,000 mi 300ci I6 Ford looked good when we replaced the oil pump. 3000-6000 mi changes of Havoline, Rotella, Delo 10W-30 and Rotella Synthetic 5W-40.
1993 Mazda MX6 FS 2.0L
pic was at 253,840 miles - drove until 345k
oil change history:
0-80k unknown
80-175k Mobil1 ~5k intervals
175-250k whatever sale/rebate synthetic I had stocked at ~5k intervals
Holy thread bump, Batman. A thread from 2006 is brought back from the dead.
Originally Posted By: stephen9666
Holy thread bump, Batman. A thread from 2006 is brought back from the dead.
Ha - good catch. It sounded a bit repetitive.
I know we've got a 'post your valvetrain pics here' thread somewhere too.
Holy thread bump, Batman. A thread from 2006 is brought back from the dead.
Ha - good catch. It sounded a bit repetitive.
I know we've got a 'post your valvetrain pics here' thread somewhere too.
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