Operation Clean-up: 2001 Focus, Redline 5w30

[OVERKILL]

As the thread title implies, this is my wife's $500.00 Focus.

Here is what just went in it:

And here is what we are dealing with:

Car currently has 248,772Km on it (154,579 miles).

Here is what it looks like inside:

Relevant history:
I bought the car as a learner vehicle for my wife. It had 235,000Km on it, maintained by a garage local to the people we bought it from. It had a wicked vacuum leak and needed brakes. We got the car for $500.00.

At 237,000Km it got its first oil change from me:
Petro-Canada Duron-E 0w40, K&N HP2009 filter

At 241,625Km it got its 2nd oil change from me:
Petro-Canada Supreme Synthetic 0w30, Motorcraft FL-400S filter

The engine has not gotten any cleaner inside. Given the results I've been having with the Redline in the Expedition, I figured I would try it in the Focus. Given its filthy internals, the results should be that much more dramatic.

Filter choice was for the added particulate capacity.

I will update this thread in ~1,000Km with a picture or two.

 

[simple_gifts]

Your choice is bitog approved.

I've acquired a liking of the Mobil filters. A local place has them on sale for $7.99 USD and 3 OC without a filter change is something I can live with.

Interesting if there will be any visual indication of RL's heralded "cleaning"

 

[HTSS_TR]

The engine looks almost identical to the 1.9L in the 1991 Mercury Tracer.

 

[beast3300]

Wow, this will be cool to watch progress on.

 

[cmf]

Looks like a solid choice for mild cleaning! Still don't understand why they gave the 2000-2004 Focus base models the dated CVH engine. That engine is not tolerant to missed oil changes and tends to drop valve seats.

Not sure if you already knew this or not but due to the tendency to drop valve seats in this engine, this mild cleaning is your best option. If this does not clean it up, don't instantly think you need to go with harsh solvents, as they might cause costly engine repairs.

 

[hate2work]

It will be interesting to see how the RL handles the varnish.

I like the RL bottles, you can cut the tops off them and use them as funnels

 

[Gene K]

Yuck! Its an Escort Motor!

I was a bigger fan of the 2.0L Zeta (Zetec)

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: cmf
Looks like a solid choice for mild cleaning! Still don't understand why they gave the 2000-2004 Focus base models the dated CVH engine. That engine is not tolerant to missed oil changes and tends to drop valve seats.

Not sure if you already knew this or not but due to the tendency to drop valve seats in this engine, this mild cleaning is your best option. If this does not clean it up, don't instantly think you need to go with harsh solvents, as they might cause costly engine repairs.


No risk of me using harsh solvents, I'm not a fan of oil additives in general.

I figure the esters will do a nice job.

 

[daves87rs]

I think it should work....

 

[hattaresguy]

I don't know looks like throwing good money after bad, that oil change probably cost 1/5 of what you paid for the car!

How long do you plan on keeping it? That isn't that dirty I would just buy a $20 oil change special and run it for 5k miles.

When I had my beater jetta I just changed the oil with the cheapest oil change special $12 at the time and kept it topped off for the 10k miles I had it. The junkyard didn't care, only had 1 quart in it when I drove it their, I wasn't going to waste the oil to have it go to the crusher.

 

[OVERKILL]

Comically, as gross as it looks, it doesn't burn any oil between changes and runs like a top. Engine makes no funny noises and the transmission shifts like new thanks to the two cooler line flushes it has had.

We probably aren't going to keep it too long. I plan on buying an M5, and the wife will be driving the Expedition then instead of the Focus. But it is a fun experiment

Oil change cost me about $60.00.

 

[Ben99GT]

That's going to be interesting.

 

[Hemi426]

I appreciate your effort but I feel it would have made more sense from an economic standpoint to use a 5 qt. jug of Pennzoil Ultra and a Pure One filter. It might have cut the cost by 50%.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Hemi426
I appreciate your effort but I feel it would have made more sense from an economic standpoint to use a 5 qt. jug of Pennzoil Ultra and a Pure One filter. It might have cut the cost by 50%.


1. I can't get PureONE filters for anything other than my 5.4L Modular up here. And the stash I have of them is all that was available.

2. I'm not a Pennzoil user. It was Mobil 1, Petro-Canada or Redline.

3. We don't have Ultra up here that I've seen. Walmart (which I don't shop at) has Platinum for $40/5L, which, with the filter I chose, would have been the same $60.00 for the oil change after taxes. No cheaper than what I spent. And no ester-based oil.

 

[Ben99GT]

I think there is roughly a zero percent chance Ultra's cleaning abilities come anywhere close to POE-based Red Line's.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Ben99GT
I think there is roughly a zero percent chance Ultra's cleaning abilities come anywhere close to POE-based Red Line's.


I literally just LOL'd

 

[sunfire]

I remember that post about how Redline cleaned up varnish within 1000Km (~621 miles) in your Expedition. I can't wait for the after pics on the Focus.

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/posts/2258973/

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: sunfire
I remember that post about how Redline cleaned up varnish within 1000Km (~621 miles) in your Expedition. I can't wait for the after pics on the Focus.

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/posts/2258973/


Bingo, that's why we are going for 1K pic's on this one to start

 

[hattaresguy]

I would have saved the Redline for the M5, and just thrown in something on sale in the Focus. That's not that dirty, it won't affect performance.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
I would have saved the Redline for the M5, and just thrown in something on sale in the Focus. That's not that dirty, it won't affect performance.


Just an experiment. And not an overly expensive one. I plan on ordering some of their 0w30 for the Expedition to try as well. Not sure what grade the M5 spec's. Will cross that bridge when we get there.