Debunking the ATF-as-an-engine-flush myth

[bmwtechguy]

Well-said Rick. I have come to the same conclusion with my daily drivers and ARX/conventional oil.

 

[TallPaul]

Originally Posted By: gamefoo21
3 Quarts of Valvoline Synthetic Atf+4
1 can of Engine Flush(Amsoil Syntehic).
1 oil filter

+ 1 engine at 150,000KM

=

10 Minute run, and you can hear the bypass valve in the oil filter clacking away.

Drain the oil, what went it reddish clear comes out black as tar and stinks like [censored].

Cheap ATF is to Cheap Oil as it is to Expensive Synthetic...
Very interesting. I assume the 10 minute run was sitting in the driveway. Would not want to put engine under load with this very thin brew, but I guess for 10 minutes the antiwear additives of past oil change are still in play on the metal surfaces. Might like to try this sometime. Have to use the Amsoil flush? or would any of them work, like NAPA Mac's engine flush? I think they all are kerosene, or is Amsoil's special.

I would love to run Redline in a manual shift 4 banger that I would redline (engine speed) all over town partly for fun but moreso just to get it out of it's own tracks.

 

[gamefoo21]

Originally Posted By: TallPaul
Very interesting. I assume the 10 minute run was sitting in the driveway. Would not want to put engine under load with this very thin brew, but I guess for 10 minutes the antiwear additives of past oil change are still in play on the metal surfaces. Might like to try this sometime. Have to use the Amsoil flush? or would any of them work, like NAPA Mac's engine flush? I think they all are kerosene, or is Amsoil's special.

I would love to run Redline in a manual shift 4 banger that I would redline (engine speed) all over town partly for fun but moreso just to get it out of it's own tracks.


It was done in the drive way, with the rpm's alternating between 800(idle) and about 2750/3000rpm. You can drive on the mix, but you'd get out run by the guy on the motorized wheel chair, you'd have to baby it.

Any engine flush will work, I just used the Amsoil one because it was priced around the same, and it said it packed extras that get your engine better ready for synthetic oil. So I'm guessing it probably has some seal additives.

Also of note:

I had run Amsoil 5w30 100% Synthetic, and Pennzoil Platinum 5w30 in for the previous oil changes, with a bottle of engine flush poured in(ran for 5-10 minutes) then changed the oil. Before I ran this cleaning cycle. My Redline 5w30 stayed clear for 2500km after, and the car seemed considerably more smooth.

 

[drivewaytech]

Here is an old thread from long ago with discussion about the subject.

 

[BrianWC]

I tried the Redline route at Tony's urging on my SAAB. He said he'd already seen it not work for him but was curious if my results would be similar. They were. No difference at all in before/after internal engine pics. Redline may clean, but if it does, it's even slower than arx...

At least from my own experience.