ARX and Valvoline Maxlife

[Steverino]

I have a 90 Doge colt / Mitsu Mirage with 220,000 miles. It used to smoke from the valve stem seals. I started using regular Valvoline Maxlife, NOT MAXLIFE SYNTHETIC, and the smoking went away. I'm interested in doing a ARX application and keep using regular Valvoline Maxlife as the carrier and rinse oil. I'd rather not have to switch to a different oil to do the ARX application.

Are there any negatives for me to keep using regular Vavoline maxlife for my ARX cleaning?

 

[JohnnyO]

See the ARX/SynBlend post here too. I was told to not use Max Life for the ARX or rinse phases, it sort of gets in the way of the ARX doing it's job, but afterwards it's fine. Just use plain ol' Valvoline if you're a Valvoline guy. I'm running Havoline but whatever you use it isn't in very long anyway.

 

[sprintman]

If Maxlife has ester in it and I believe it does it's not the ideal product to use for RX cleaning or rinse phase. Use a straight dino for best results.

 

[Rick20]

I have had good results running a blend like maxlife. If you are simply trying to clean the motor, I see no reason why you can't run it with your maxlife. I think that has been somewhat mistated in some current threads, that you should run dino only with ARX. Running with dino is suggested mainly for trying to reseat seals. You will get good results if you run ARX with the maxlife for the 1500 mile cleaning cycle.

In my opinion dino oil would be wise to use wherby the objective was to clean a real sludged up motor needing multiple applications, from a shear cost standpoint of multiple oil drains.

 

[msparks]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Steverino:
I have a 90 Doge colt / Mitsu Mirage with 220,000 miles. It used to smoke from the valve stem seals. I started using regular Valvoline Maxlife, NOT MAXLIFE SYNTHETIC, and the smoking went away. I'm interested in doing a ARX application and keep using regular Valvoline Maxlife as the carrier and rinse oil. I'd rather not have to switch to a different oil to do the ARX application.

Are there any negatives for me to keep using regular Vavoline maxlife for my ARX cleaning?

---

Is the maxlife not more expensive? Why would you not want to use something else for the short oil drain that you will have with the ARX. Secondly why would you want to mix the esters that could not be compatible. I would go use whatever is on sale at the store, run the ARX then after your done use something else.

Hope this helps.

 

[TallPaul]

The chemist told me I could run the ARX in the Maxlife already in my crankcase. Just put it in 1500 miles before change out. Then the rinse phase I think was 2000 to 3000 miles, so I suppose if you wanted to run Maxlife in the rinse you could go 3000 miles, but the ARX chemist told me that I should go pure dino in the rinse (Maxlife has 12-22 percent synthetic). Probably better off getting some Havoline dino for the rinse. I saw Havoline dino for $1 per qt at the a dollar-type store in my neck of the woods. Once the cleaning is done, you could do the maintenance dose (3 oz every oci) in the Maxlife.

 

[Sin City]

You can use Valvoline Maxlife but I think you will get better results from your Auto-Rx cleaning and rinse cycles using a conventional oil. I would suggest using an API SL/CI-4 rated "diesel" 15W-40 motor oil.

Any oil that is rated API CI-4 will have a cleaning affect and should help Auto-Rx do it's job of cleaning even better. Also considering the fact that your car has such high mileage you may benefit from a higher viscosity oil than a typical passenger car motor oil has. After you are finished with the Auto-Rx cleaning and rinse cycles then switch back to Maxlife or whatever oil you prefer.

[ April 23, 2004, 04:20 AM: Message edited by: Sin City ]