When oil gets to the varnish producing stage

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You guys are always saying that varnish is harmless, but I'd say when oil gets to the varnish producing stage, its lubricating abilities have been compromised. What you say to that ?
 
That's a very nice assumption
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My 96 Bonneville has some light varnish under each valve cover. Guess that means the DELO 10w30 I have used for over 60k is bad eh? Why don't you tell us Merk?
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Varnish is a sticky substance, so if oil is getting to the point where it's sticky, how's it gonna lubricate ?
 
I disagree...

There's the varnish production stage, which will take place immediately in places, and in tiny quantities. It's slowed by anti-oxidants, but not stopped.

It build up in the oil, being dispersed in the oil...hotter oil holds more, colder oil holds less...that's why it plates out in places like rocker covers and turbine steam valve control gear. It gets dissolved in the hot parts, and dropped

When the oil, even hot cannot hold the products, then it's runaway.

Even at this end stage, in heavy equipment, the oil still lubricates, but there's risk of losing control of where and how much it goes.

So I disagree...until you get to the runaway stage...but the oil is shagged by that point, not in the least because of it's varnish potential.
 
Originally Posted By: Joenpb
I'd want to change it before it gets to the varnish stage.


Now you talkin'!!!
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Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
You guys are always saying that varnish is harmless, but I'd say when oil gets to the varnish producing stage, its lubricating abilities have been compromised. What you say to that ?


I agree. Plus that sticky varnish I think would eventually slowly begin to start clogging imperative passageways/rings/etc up.
 
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