So what's it look like now?? It must be slightly better??
The Trials and Tribulations of Trying Synthetic
- Thread starter FusilliJerry82
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Well, I haven't pulled the pan again but the top end is NO different. I was taking pics and pulling the cover off at least every month or so. But since I stopped arx-ing there hasn't been enough difference to even photograph. That pic of the crank WAS after the arx and a short run of M1 EP and one of PP. Knock on wood it doesn't seem to affect anything! I've put at least 15-20k miles on the car since that last pic was taken.
If I were to get new tires should I get one at a time each month until my truck adapts to the new ones?
Drain out the oil, change out the filter with a Fram, then put in 6 quarts of kerosene. That should remove a lot of crud.
schwartr88: Until Michigan gets away from turning our roads into salt licks every year oil is the least of our worries. What good is it to have a vehicle last 300,000 miles here in MI? By that time there won't be any body to hold up the engine!!
Vern
Vern
If my tires had the potential to destroy the truck by moving from one grade of tire to another, I proabably would.
And the logical parallel for that statement would be to have an intermediate set of tires between the ones on there and the ones I want.
ekpolk:
I ran EP my first OCI in the car and ended up adding arx after 1200 miles. In retrospect, I should have just kept that fill in 5k and pressed my luck.
FJ, I don't know what to tell you. If true, it's one in a million. People on this board switch over all the time. I just can't help think something else is at play here. What are the odds that this happens to the one person on here who's so paranoid of running synth that they transition over slowly?
I ran EP my first OCI in the car and ended up adding arx after 1200 miles. In retrospect, I should have just kept that fill in 5k and pressed my luck.
FJ, I don't know what to tell you. If true, it's one in a million. People on this board switch over all the time. I just can't help think something else is at play here. What are the odds that this happens to the one person on here who's so paranoid of running synth that they transition over slowly?
BrianWC:
Everytime I build up the nerve to try Mobil 1, someone writes a thread like this and scares me.
ekpolk:
Are you using one of those top side oil vacuum things?
Everytime I build up the nerve to try Mobil 1, someone writes a thread like this and scares me.
ekpolk:
Are you using one of those top side oil vacuum things?
M1 isn't the bad guy.
Pre existing engine conditions are the bad guys.
Pre existing engine conditions are the bad guys.
I've seen something like this once before. My best guess is that there's a particular type of crude buildup that M1 likes to flake off in large quantities. Could be the alkylated naphthenes in M1 that does the aggressive cleaning action.
In any event, that's why many here recommend an AutoRX treatment before switching to synthetics on vehicles with high mileage, questionable maintenance and/or previous issues.
ANs are less polar than most esters though. Are the degree of polarity of the basestocks and ability to dislodge and dissolve crud directly related? I think so but am not sure.
Brian: My apologies, I missed your earlier comment about using M1EP.
It seems evident that no oil, EP included, is also a miracle cleaner. OTOH, that stuff in my filter seems intriguing, at least to me (
). I had planned to run my first fill 5k too (from 15k to 20), but have decided to pull it at 18.5k (with 3.5k on the oil). This will give me a nice, easy to remember interval on the ARX I have waiting (18.5 to 20k). Though I know Frank says it's OK to use pre-existing syn for the clean phase (and I've done this before), I've decided to use dino for both the clean and rinse phases (MC5K, 5w30), hoping in theory anyway, to absolutely maximize the cleaning that gets done. After all this, I anticipate a totally untraumatic switch to synthetic (probably GC, unless it produces bad results, as I still have a lot of it stashed).
Clyde: Yes, I have a suction extractor that pulls warm or hot oil up out the dipstick tube. Mine is a hand pump model I got from Griot's a few years back. It works very well, but is slow. If I were replacing it, I'd get a compressor driven version. If the oil isn't pretty warm, my model will take ~8-10 min for complete extraction of normal car amounts (in the 5 qt range). That said, my initial fears about thoroughness were unfounded. Per the measurement gradations on the side of the recepticle, it gets virtually all the used oil out, probably leaving behind no more than a traditional draining (if it does leave more, it's only teaspoons worth, if that).
Clyde: Yes, I have a suction extractor that pulls warm or hot oil up out the dipstick tube. Mine is a hand pump model I got from Griot's a few years back. It works very well, but is slow. If I were replacing it, I'd get a compressor driven version. If the oil isn't pretty warm, my model will take ~8-10 min for complete extraction of normal car amounts (in the 5 qt range). That said, my initial fears about thoroughness were unfounded. Per the measurement gradations on the side of the recepticle, it gets virtually all the used oil out, probably leaving behind no more than a traditional draining (if it does leave more, it's only teaspoons worth, if that).
That 'Motor Honey' is like STP, thick goo that raises oil pressure and thickens oil.
I heard, many years ago, that once you start using STP, you have to keep using it, you can't go back to 'just' oil.
I refuse to use that type of stuff anymore, haven't for many years. Can't put a finger on why I won't, just don't like the idea of 'to thick' oil.
I heard, many years ago, that once you start using STP, you have to keep using it, you can't go back to 'just' oil.
I refuse to use that type of stuff anymore, haven't for many years. Can't put a finger on why I won't, just don't like the idea of 'to thick' oil.
Brian, don't get your hopes up too high. I've only see this happen once, so it's not guaranteed it'll do anything for YOUR engine.
Yeah, it was a joke. Just expressing frustration.
I don't know. I hesitate to use EP at $6 a bottle. Especially given my pre-existing stash of roughly 225 or so quarts of oil. The synth in my stash consists of 20 bottles of 15W50 M1 SL, 34 bottles of Penz Synth 10W30(w/ Pennzane
), 5 qts of Maxlife Synth 10W30, and 4 qts of Rotella T Synth. I was thinking of at least spiking the group III's with SLOB.
I can't complain other than appearance and hesitance to run longer drains, my engine seems to purr. It's not loud (well, for a SAAB chain driven 4 cyl), it's pretty fuel efficient, and I rack up over 100 highway miles a day. I figure at the very least, I've fought a good holding action against further deterioration....
I don't know. I hesitate to use EP at $6 a bottle. Especially given my pre-existing stash of roughly 225 or so quarts of oil. The synth in my stash consists of 20 bottles of 15W50 M1 SL, 34 bottles of Penz Synth 10W30(w/ Pennzane
I can't complain other than appearance and hesitance to run longer drains, my engine seems to purr. It's not loud (well, for a SAAB chain driven 4 cyl), it's pretty fuel efficient, and I rack up over 100 highway miles a day. I figure at the very least, I've fought a good holding action against further deterioration....
Have you tried the red solvent MMO yet Brian?
No I haven't Clyde. Lol, I think you know my opinion of it.
Seriously. I did do one Chemtool flush right off the bat and that didn't remove anymore crud than arx did. I don't want to thin my oil w/ MMO. I'm so paranoid now I'm running 5W50!
That and I just don't understand how effective the chemistry of MMO could possibly be.
Hey, wait a sec. Weren't we trying to help some poor guy with a tanked Explorer here?
Seriously. I did do one Chemtool flush right off the bat and that didn't remove anymore crud than arx did. I don't want to thin my oil w/ MMO. I'm so paranoid now I'm running 5W50!
That and I just don't understand how effective the chemistry of MMO could possibly be.
Hey, wait a sec. Weren't we trying to help some poor guy with a tanked Explorer here?
I do not buy the synthetic as the case of the problem. Obviously their is a mechanical problem caused by deposits. The old sending unit is probably fine and the symptoms you were experincesing were like early warning signs of oil pressure issues!
I had an engine once on a used car that had so much sludge that when you took the valve cover off you could not see the valve train at all. The cover looked like it was packed with coffee grounds. I had to use a pencil,putty knife, coat hanger and a shop vac to get the sludge out of the head and valve cover. I left thae pan alone and instead ran Castrol Syntec 5W50 for quarterly oil change intervals and ran a can of B-12 or marvel myster oil each oil change. A few years latter I droped the pan when I was redoing the body and paint on the vechile and it still had a layer of sludge on the pan. I can only imagine how bad it must have been. The origanal owner had not changed the oil in 4 years they just kept driveing it 200-400 miles a day and topping off the oil as it needed it. That engine will still light the rear tires up and does not burn any oil between oil changes. It is an OHV (push rod)I4 in an 1982 Toyota Starlet. I can not remember if it is a 3KC or 4KC.
You would think that if synthetic was that much of a solvent that the pan on my car would have been clean as a whistle after a few years of synthetic and flush's at each oil change.
I am guessing that that Explorers oil pump is like a SBC oil pump. They do not tolerate any sludge or varnish well. Sludge will wear the gears down quickly and varnish will cause the bypass to stick open. If this is combined with a partialy obscured pickup screen or lose rods or main bearing you can get real oil supply issues!!! G-rotor oil pump designs are a lot more forgiveing of sludge and varnish despite their wimpy appearance. I would find out what type of oil pressure you have with elcheap-o dino 5W30 or 10W30 with out the motor honey.
If oil pressure is low at idle but climbs with RPM's then your mains are geting loose. If the oil pressure is ok at idle but drops with RPM's then your rod bearings are loose. If your oil pressure is not within spec. at idle or at RPM then the oil pump needs serviceing.
I had an engine once on a used car that had so much sludge that when you took the valve cover off you could not see the valve train at all. The cover looked like it was packed with coffee grounds. I had to use a pencil,putty knife, coat hanger and a shop vac to get the sludge out of the head and valve cover. I left thae pan alone and instead ran Castrol Syntec 5W50 for quarterly oil change intervals and ran a can of B-12 or marvel myster oil each oil change. A few years latter I droped the pan when I was redoing the body and paint on the vechile and it still had a layer of sludge on the pan. I can only imagine how bad it must have been. The origanal owner had not changed the oil in 4 years they just kept driveing it 200-400 miles a day and topping off the oil as it needed it. That engine will still light the rear tires up and does not burn any oil between oil changes. It is an OHV (push rod)I4 in an 1982 Toyota Starlet. I can not remember if it is a 3KC or 4KC.
You would think that if synthetic was that much of a solvent that the pan on my car would have been clean as a whistle after a few years of synthetic and flush's at each oil change.
I am guessing that that Explorers oil pump is like a SBC oil pump. They do not tolerate any sludge or varnish well. Sludge will wear the gears down quickly and varnish will cause the bypass to stick open. If this is combined with a partialy obscured pickup screen or lose rods or main bearing you can get real oil supply issues!!! G-rotor oil pump designs are a lot more forgiveing of sludge and varnish despite their wimpy appearance. I would find out what type of oil pressure you have with elcheap-o dino 5W30 or 10W30 with out the motor honey.
If oil pressure is low at idle but climbs with RPM's then your mains are geting loose. If the oil pressure is ok at idle but drops with RPM's then your rod bearings are loose. If your oil pressure is not within spec. at idle or at RPM then the oil pump needs serviceing.
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