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There might be other ways but this always worked for me. KF
There are also products you can buy at an auto parts store that will do the job.
Ever tried the machine?
Does this method of yours clean oil sludges?
[edited by: Habtom at 8:59 am (utc) on July 9, 2007]
I'd flush my car's engine, but the gunk is what's holding it together.
:) A mechanic was telling me it is just like the heart, when it stops, it will in few seconds.
Take care of the gunk, lol.
Drain the oil, put the plug back. Put in 4 quarts of kerosene, run the motor
at idle for about a minute. Drain the kerosene and put your new motor oil in
Seems like a lot of effort! Also, Kerosene very thin, wouldn't recommend it.
I'd flush my car's engine, but the gunk is what's holding it together
Yes, I had a garage tell me once that, particularly on older cars they wouldn't recommend it, as the gunk plugs tiny leaks all over. If you flush it you'll end up having to change a bunch of gaskets and seals.
I prefer adding 5 to 10% power steering oil to my engine oil about 50 km before I change my oil
I really don't know the characteristics of this, or how it would effect the lubrication of the oil, but doesn't sound like a good idea.
I have used engine flush products. Usually, you run the engine til warm (or just change the oil after you've been out somewhere). Add a bottle of additive, run engine warm ONLY ON IDLE for 15 minutes or so. Then change as normal.
My engine has never been gunky as I change the oil regularly every 10,000 miles which is about every 6-8 months, so can't comment on that aspect. However a visual inspection (I can see one camshaft through the filler hole), is very good. To start, camshaft covered in obviously dirty oil. After the flush, all shiney and new looking.
Any additive that cleans oil, effectively thins the oil and/or reduces it's viscocity. This stops the oil from working - it will no longer cling to your moving engine parts. After adding anything at all, never run the car on anything other than a fast idle, 1000-1500 rpm for petrol, about 1200 for diesel.
But I would recommend doing it, my engine is now at 130,000 miles so I flush it every 20k, and change the oil every 10k. Clean engines work better, and live longer.
Oh yeah, in the U.S., buy gasoline from a Top Tier [toptiergas.com] gas retailer. Top tier gas has twice as much detergent as other fuels. Shell premium V-power has 5 times as much detergent.
I prefer adding 5 to 10% power steering oil to my engine oil about 50 km before I change my oilI really don't know the characteristics of this, or how it would effect the lubrication of the oil, but doesn't sound like a good idea.
Hydraulic oil for power steering systems and automatic transmissions has a very flat viscosity curve to work well at a large temperature range and has good lubrication properties to prevent wear of hydraulic pumps and other components. Therefore using it in your engine for a short time before oil change (especially in a low concentration of 5 to 10% as I mentioned) doesn't influence the lubrication properties of the engine oil.
The main function is the addition of extra detergents just before the oil is drained.
Any additive that cleans oil, effectively thins the oil and/or reduces it's viscocity.
No, not necessarely (thining the oil and reducing viscosity are the same thing IMHO). Kerosene does change the viscosity significantly but many additives in cleaning oil are surfactants which lower the surface tension and allow small particles to remain in suspension more easily. The base viscosity of the oil doesn't change much. When adding a large amount of detergents, lubrication may be affected however because the lower surface tension also changes the quality of the oil film on parts.
[edited by: lammert at 9:54 pm (utc) on July 9, 2007]
The main function is the addition of extra detergents just before the oil is drained
I see. Seems a good idea then, but you'd still need to use a thinning product to clean the old stuff out properly.
My first car (diesel) ran 463,000 km before I sold it without any engine overhaul. My second car (gas) hasn't reached the 100,000 yet so it's too young to make any conclusions.
Most flushes are added to the old engine oil, you then run the engine until it reaches opperating temperature, you then drain the sump and replace the oil. What this does is thin the oil enough to let it get into all the little nooks and crannies where deposits may have been able to form. It helps improve the eficiency of the hydraulic systems as well as the oil pump it's self.
It is always a good idea to let the engine drain for a little longer than usual just to make sure you have got as much of the flush out as possible.
Mack.
Most of the machine flushes are snake oil, contrived to be very profitable, so easy a beginner can do it, and so basic that almost nothing can go wrong. These are very popular among chain stores that hire cheap unskilled laborers. Shops that employ journeyman mechanics and do 'real" diagnostic and repair work, eschew such machines. Same goes for mystery additives.
A machine flush is the automotive equivalent to "Submit your site to 50 search engines daily for $49.95!" It might be useful, but not very, and not likely harmful either; there are useful things you could be doing instead though!
If your engine is gunked up from neglect, or you're wanting a "flush" for whatever reason, try doing another oil change after 100-1000 miles, depending, then on a regular schedule threreafter.
-Automan
If your engine is gunked up from neglect, or you're wanting a "flush" for whatever reason, try doing another oil change after 100-1000 miles, depending, then on a regular schedule threreafter.
Without the flush, just changing the oil you mean?
if you do flush it and its a motor with a lot of miles, you better increase the weight of the oil you use
if flush is required, take out the plugs, take out the distributor if it is connected to the oil pump, add the flush, then turn the oil pump with an external motor of some kind like a heavy duty drill, then crank the motor with the starter for a few seconds at a time
don't use kerosine. it burns off the piston walls and leaves nothing for the rings to float on and they are shot real quick
no short cuts, it just like seo/im, for the long run just do it right.
How about frequent oil changes now, like every 1000 km for 3 or 4 times, will it help?
Hab
I'd pay the $50 to get it done properly, and make sure you do regular servicing from now on!
I assume he did say it was the oil? If the engine runs too cold the coolant system can get a bit slugdy. I had that when a thermostat stuck open on one of my cars once.
