quote:
Originally posted by mebanditws6:
OneQuartLow, I'm not sure how flushing the engine then draining out the old oil right after you turn it off could hurt the lubicity of the new oil that you put in after that.
That's the safe way to do it. Still, the residue will affect the following oil to some degree. Shouldn't be significant relative to the pressure problems. Anyway, shouldn't have mentioned it. I'd be more concerned about (2) with an older engine.
quote:
I also thought the whole cause of the engine losing pressure was because some sludge got lodged into some oil passages or the pickup screen and that by flushing it out you could eliminate the big stuff.
Low pressure (indicated) can have many causes. Bad senders/gauges/wiring, aeration, clogged passages, an unseated oil line plug, bad pump, plugged pickup screen, etc. Some have real effects while others are red herrings. If your sounds follow the indicated drop then I'd agree the pressure problem was probably real.
One or more solvent flushes may get sludge out, if that's the problem, but harsh flushes have issues. A couple hours to inspect the bottom end is time well spent. Flush one chunk somewhere bad and you can starve/spin a bearing.
Just more questions that come to mind:
Have you seen low/zero pressure since your last flush? Bubbles on the dipstick? Are you getting clean drains after the flushes? What did the drained oil look/feel like each time? Did you open the old filters?
You're right, this has drifted from the Lucas topic but it's definitely lubrication-oriented. Let us know how it goes.
David