Motor oil flush and oil filtration...

MN12 KID

Registered User
Since I've been getting some bad feedback on the oil I've been using (Quaker State), I was wondering how safe it is to use motor oil flush? I haven't been too keen on using solvents, within the lubrication system on an engine, so I wondering if it's safe or not. If so, what do you recommend to buy?

Also, I've been trying to do research on oil filters. I found a great site on the topic, but I can't find anything on Valvoline oil filters. Are they any good? I was just wondering, because there's a huge sale on Valvoline filters, at a local parts store.
 
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Oh my God QS? Not even in my lawnmower!
Yes I've used motor flush many times and have never had a problem with the motor flush. The only problem is that the engine tolorances may be literaly tightened up by deposites and gunk built up inside.
After flushing you may find out that the engine is in pretty bad shape since all the deposites are gone and not hiding problems now.

Gunk brand motorflush works fine, you can even throw a quart of auto tranny fluid (highly detergent) in and do a good job.
DO NOT drive or rev the engine while flushing, just let it idle for about 20 minutes then drain the crankcase. Warm the engine up before you put the flush in.
 
I know Quaker State & now Penzoil may not be the best engine oil available, but I do not know the source of this information that it deposits a wax buildup on internal engine components. From the sources I have heard, many conventional SAE rated oils have similar characteristics and apparently perform similarly.

While I use Mobil 1 synthetic oil & filter in the SC; my '97 Wrangler has now had 3k oil changes using Quaker state 10w30 and Fram basic oil filters for 161,000 miles, many of which were definately not reliability friendly... to understate. The engine now runs at least as well as it did brand new, & the vehicle overall has required very few repairs. This even after running with a bad waterpump for too long & accidently having an extra quart of oil on more than 1 occasion. I don't see the 2.5L 4 cylinder 5 speed dying any time soon.. even at 2 hours a day and regular 3-4k rpms shifts.

Is there any factual source available for reading which might detail the information being associated with Quakerstate? I do know Fram has been exposed via previous studies, and will likely be eliminated from future oil changes.
 
Well i'm basing it on 20 something years of engine building and having dealt with it personaly many many times. I have seen the insides of engines that have run on the stuff and had to clean that mess up. Do you know what roof pitch looks like? I'm talking about that asphalt that roofers melt in a giant kettle. It looks just like someones been pouring it in there for a couple years except the stuff is soft like thick mud. I was fixing some blown intake gaskets on a lady's small block Chevy one time and you could not see the lifters at all. The whole lifter vally was filled with that crap, it was over 1/2" deep in spots. She religously used QS only and you could not talk her into anything else.
I know QS has claimed to have changed there formula and thats nice, but I'll stick to what has served me well without any problems for over 20 years. If it aint broke dont fix it.
 
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Some talk of oil sludge was happening on a Durango mailing list i'm on due to some reports of problems with their motors.

Oil and it's technology is pretty straight forward yet there is soo much b.s. out there it's hard to know for sure.

For certain, Synthetic oil is BEST, hands down. It won't chemically react with combustion gasses or water like other oils will. Thus it allows the engine to stay cleaner. It also protects when under high pressure and high temperatures without breaking down where other oils would.

Much of the things that people decide on is based on history. What's worked for them and their dad in the past, is what they usue today.

One thing I found real iteresting is the huge number of people that recommend Marvel Mystery Oil to be added to your oil every other oil change to keep the internals of the engine clean. I've seen this used in industrial applications for a long time, but apparently it has been used on farms as well.

Whatever you might use to clean the engine, I'd plan on changing the oil and filter within 1000 miles afterwards.
 
I couldnt agree with you more.........Well said.
I've used synthetics for over 20 years and I've never had an oil related failure. Did you know synthetic oil is acidic in nature, thats part of the reason everything stays so clean.;)
 
I work at a Walmart Tire Lube Express and I am beginning to wonder if Pennzoil and QS get a bad rap because of infrequent oil changes. I have seen cars come in that haven't had the oil changed in 6 months and as much as 8,000 miles. Has anybody torn down an engine that they have owned since brand new and have ran Pennz or QS and were religious with oil changes? I have heard a few people swear by Walmart brand Super Tech oil. It's the cheapest oil we sell and one guy told me he had the heads redone on his Caddy and the mechanic told him the engine was one of the cleanest over 100,000 mile engines he had ever seen. So now when customers ask which is the better oil, I tell them the best thing to do is make sure you change the oil every 3,000 miles and any one of them will do just fine. I may be wrong but I have never seen any proof otherwise. I think it is hilarious when people use Mobil One and use a Fram oil filter. The oil can only be has good as the filter, right?
 
The deal with QS was years ago it was paraffin based, it had paraffin wax in it. They have supossedly changed there formula and no longer use paraffin in the oil. I dont know if they have or not because I've always stayed away from it myself. I would only see it when I worked on someone elses engine that had been using it. Pretty nasty stuff. I hope the new stuff is better.

I agree with you about freq oil changes, that must be done to keep an engine in top shape. Dino or synthetic or the blends will protect and properly lube your engine very good. You just get a little extra insurance with synthetic, but its not really a must have thing for everyday driving. The most important thing is freq oil changes. I like 2500-3000 miles on supercharged engines. Turbo engines I dont like to go over 2500 because the oil breaksdown a little quicker from the turbo heat, NA every 3000 miles.

My turbo car has 229,000 miles on it, I bought the car new and changed oil every 2500 and never ran anything other than 10W30 dino oil in it. The only thing I ever replaced was 1 starter,1 alternator and 3 sets of timing belts. None of this was oil related, so yes to me this proves you do not have to use synthetic. Dino oil can,has,and will work just fine without problems. I've proven it to myself, but I do use synthetic in my special things!;)
 
what kind of oil and filter do you recomend? since mobil 1 isnt fully synthetic anymore i dont want to use it. the original owner on my car has always used motorcraft filters. should i stay with the motorcraft filter? and is 5W30 a good weight to use.
 
daivd z said:
what kind of oil and filter do you recomend? since mobil 1 isnt fully synthetic anymore i dont want to use it. the original owner on my car has always used motorcraft filters. should i stay with the motorcraft filter? and is 5W30 a good weight to use.

As far as I have been able to determine, Mobil 1 Full Synthetic is still "Full Synthetic".

5W30 should be fine. A motorcraft filter should be fine.
 
some people have been telling me that mobil 1 wasnt making a full synthetic motor oil anymore? but i dont know for sure
 
Mobil 1 still makes a full synthetic. I got gallons of it in the shop.
The full synthetic is called "Super synthetic" Mobil also makes a blend now called "Tri Synthetic". The blend is in the same bottle and the sticker looks very close to the full synthetic label, thats probably whats throwing everybody. Look for the words on the label Super synthetic. Why do people not check the mfg websites on stuff like this?
 
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