Engine Cleaning Additive?
 

Hello Everyone,

Can anyone recommend a good engine cleaning additive which I can use just before an oil change to flush out any impurities?

Thanks for the help.
S

You can add 1/2 quart of transmission fluid let it run for about 20 Minutes and then change your oil.

just out of curiousity, what will adding 1/2 quart of tranny fluid do? I assume ur talking about manual transmission fluid...no?

??? never heard of that either..

I've heard of it. I don't know if it works though. I think your supposed to use atf.

The two best products I am aware of to clean your engine without adding risk of harm to the engine are Shaeffers Neutra #131 and Auto-Rx. Both are ester based products with the Shaeffers being synthetically based and the Auto-Rx being made from natually occuring esters. The Neutra can also be added to your gas to clean carbon from the pistons, valves, etc. The Neutra is realtively inexpensive while Auto-Rx is somewhat pricey.
The problem with most all other cleaners is that they are solvent based and can destroy seals and diminish the ability of your oil to lubricate. That is why they all advise running them for only 15 minutes. They are very aggressive and can break-up any sludge into chunks that can block your oil gallies.
They are some folks who swear by adding ATF. But ATF is nothing more than about a 10 weight motor oil with special friction and additive package. It will dilute the ability of your oil to do its job. Further, ATF contain ash and other ingrediants that will, when combusted, produce its own deposits inside your engine...none of which are good.

ATF Fuild contains detergents that breaks down sludge; But like I said earlier just run the motor for about 10 minutes then change your oil.

I also heard of a product called seafoam that you can pick up at a NAPA store. It's supposed to be good stuff too.

What nick778 said.

I would think twice of using any aditives for that purpose.If the engine is properly maintained,there should be no need to clean it.I had in the past a customer that had to buy a new car (from me :) )because he used a bottle of that engine cleaner.He let it run as the bottle recomended,and drained the oil later.Guess what ? Next morning,the engine ran for short time,and bit the dust.The reason : the dirt from the engine that clogged the oil pump filter,(I guess that he had a lot of junk in that engine),and the engine didn t get any oil..and that was the end...You may have better result,but is it really worth to risk ? Maybe you find the answer on your own (risk)...

That's why severely sludged engines should use something like AutoRx. It's an ester based formulation that cleans SLOWLY over several hundred miles, not just in a few minutes.

where can u get autorx? i would like to try a good engine additive that wont hurt my car, i have 120k now and think its about time to do something with it

Can you get those at most autoparts stores? I would want to clean my pistons and valves with the other additive as well.

Would these essentially make your engine like new? What causes an engine to fail (besides no oil) and what causes it to get slower?

Re: Engine Cleaning Additive?
 

Engine internals are meant to be dirty. Unless you've got some kind of unordinary sludging problem (i.e. failed PVC system, 20k mile oil changes, etc) then I'd leave it alone. You're not going to gain anything by breaking up the 1/4" of sludge off the bottom of your oil pan and trying to "clean it".

Use a top quality synthetic and change it every 3-4k for awhile. That'll clean up enough deposits to keep you happy without breaking what isn't broke....


-RMB