Pulled my Volvo's valve cover today.

[PulMax]

And this is what I found. '270.000' miles indicated (likely a lot more...odo was broken at some point) and this is how things look:

I think we can do better, no? I'm not sure what product and technique would work best for cleaning this up. MMO? AutoRX?

 

[luvs2drive]

I'll be the first.

Auto-RX

 

[Pablo]

Not really that bad.

I know the engine well. The engine will look like that until the car rots away with red rot. Any oil change history?

That said, use AutoRx, you may be pleasantly surprised by the power gain when the rings are freed up.

 

[dbdeland]

PulMax,

I would use Auto-Rx to clean youre engine. I would also use 3oz of Auto-Rx at each oil change as a maintenance program good luck.

Daryl

 

[mburnickas]

use some LC20 since the carbon on the cover is normal.

 

[Big O Dave]

ARX!

 

[shavenstringer]

Auto-Rx to clean the ring pack and other critical areas. After the auto-rx cycles use LC if you want to get rid of the varnish.

 

[Leo]

Since you can take the cover off, just clean the rocker cover by hand, so the ARX can work on the rest better.

 

[moribundman]

I'd be more worried about the "white" corrosion on the outside.

 

[PulMax]

The odo was fixed at '245k' miles, according to my service records. Who knows how long it was broken. It does actually work...I bought it at 266k indicated.

For all I know the car has 300k+ but I suspect the current reading is only a little ways under actual.

An AutoRX couldn't hurt...I've been meaning to try one. I've got records for oil changes....up to about 60k miles

Guess they gave up keeping score after that. The car has pounded pavement in Florida, New Jersey, Oregon, Ohio, and Wisconsin...she's led a long life...a little ARX would probably do it good.

 

[BrianWC]

Hey, what kind of Volvo is this, by the way?

 

[PulMax]

Its an '86 240DL wagon with a B230F and an AW70/1 automatic.

I talked to my dad about Auto-RXing one of his cars (a 90 Voyager that burns TONS of oil) and said that I'd be willing to buy an extra bottle and use the leftovers from teh 2 bottles that the van would require in my Volvo. He likes the idea. We'll probably order it tommorrow. Sweet.

http://www.auto-rx.com/ This is the place, right?

 

[BrianWC]

Yep, that's it. Cool. I've always liked Volvo wagons. I think I'll stick w/ Saabs for now, though! Good luck!

 

[PulMax]

The blue beast.

 

[XB70]

PulMax,

Does your dad's Voyager have the Mitsubishi 3.0 V-6?

 

[BrianWC]

That's a true brick!

 

[PulMax]

quote:

---

Originally posted by XB70:
PulMax,

Does your dad's Voyager have the Mitsubishi 3.0 V-6?

---

Sho' Nuff.

What other Caravan/Voyager engine would burn that much oil?

This one has about 150k and runs great, apart from the blue trail that follows it. Its always had it's oil changed, and didn't burn much oil until this one time my mom overheated it pretty brutally on the Interstate. Then it started and got worse.

 

[Rodbuckler]

Your engine looks like a young version of my heavily varnished and somewhat soft-sludged B230F engine. But mine is at 167K, and is currently has the head off and sitting on my workbench. The varnish is everywhere, even on the flanks of the cam lobes.

Previous history of my engine is 3K OCI on dino, and lots of cold starts and short trips: The perfect situation for using 100% synthetic. The varnishing let my gaskets dry out, and at some point the #4 piston rings hung solid. The blowby failed the dried out gasket set, so I had to take the car out of service for now. The cylinders are all glased, but show crosshatch to the top of the ring travel.

Since the engine can use a 30 or 40 weight, I am going to try Rotella T synth in the future to keep from having another dino oil failure with this fine engine.

 

[jamesn]

try a "molasoak" on that volvo to unstick the pistons. i have my eye on a 88 240 wagon that a neighbor is about to give up on. i have a weber 32/36 in the basement and i can buy a carb intake manifold online for $150 or so. he has electrical gremlins and it has cooked 2 ecu's in the past 2 years. schmuck takes it to the volvo mechanic and pays about a grand to get it fixed every time.

 

[BrianWC]

I hope my car just GETS to 270,000 miles. Not bad at all.