Ah, a broken ring is a mechanical problem for sure and will deposit all kinds of nasty stuff in the oil. Whether it was broken before or after the sludge is the question. A broken ring is also a symptom, so is sludge. Did one casue the other and what caused both. M1 and almost any good modern dino should not cause sludge by itself. Something had to contribute. I don't know hardly anything about the 2.9 other than I assume it is a busy little engine and so it might stress the oil a bit more, but still a good oil would be up to it.

I take back a little of my statement that most sludge is because of maintenance issues. I read a post about Chrysler having lots of trouble with their 2.7 V6. Apparently customers doing routine maintnenace, even 3,000 mile type, are having problems with coking up. Apparently this series engine has a problem with some component overheating the oil and causing it to get sludgy. So there are some engines that will sludge more than others even with good maintenance. Don't know if the 2.9 has a similar problem. But the 2.7 appears to be a designed in mechanical issue, altho Chrysler is fighting that opinion with tooth and nail.

Just my opinion. Once in awhile you get a clunker.

Jim Henderson

 

So what your saying is that your not sure but you"ll blame it on Pennzoil. Any other supporting FACTS other than "probably a Pennzoil truck"?

 

i used to hear that about quaker state. i think (for the most part) pick a oil, stick with it, maintain it. and you will probapbly be o.k.

 

Unles my memory has taken vacation, Pennzoil and Quaker State are now 100% blends. Sludging should be a problem of the past. Their 5w-20 is showing great results in the stuff I see and it carries the 153-H and 930A label. Must be good stuff to get that rating.

 

Back in the 70's I also ran VW bug and used Valvoline HPO 30W, Changed the oil every 2500 to 3000 miles and that stock 1500 air cooled engine went 295,000 miles and was still running when when we got rid of it, and my dad and brother ran the wheels off of it also. So I am still sold on Valvoline. Run it in my 95 Explorer 10-30, and in f150 also. I still have 66 VW and run Valvoline Max Life in it.

 

The '68 VW gets 15W-40 Chevron Delo 400. The flat-tappet cams in those engines need more ZDDP than modern API SL oils.

Jim

 

Living in Pennsylvania I can tell what the "talk" was around this area concerning Quaker State. It seemed QS, as did many other PA based oils have/had a much higher Parafin base to them, and this put more"sludge" in the engine. My stepfather is a Pennzoil nut, at every 3,000 miles. He had a QS engine back in the day broke a timing chain due to so much sludge building up behind it, and at the time he was at 2,500 mile intervals, and only 17,000 miles on the engine. I believe that any SL oil, today is going to do a sufficient job, but some will be better than others.

 

Something that a lot of folks forget, the PCV breather system. When I pulled my 352FE out of my old 66, is was a nightmare. There wasant much wear on the cylinder walls, but the engine was covered in thick sludge and the baked on tar. My pressure washer going max would not remove the sludge on the block, had to have it hot tanked. In short, my engine was abused badly, then sat for 20 years, then started back up with a 20 year old Fram filter and god knows what oil. The engine bearings showed heavy wear from particulate matter. The bearings had huge gouges in them and deep scratches/grooves. The rear main seal was NONEXISTENT, the side seals in the rear main cap were simply not there. This thing was ready to blow. Basically I saved the motor. I am running Valvoine 10-30 in it know but will be switching to Mystick 10-30 soon. My point is if the PCV valve stops working, it will cause sludge because a small amount of blowby gets by the valves and rings even in a new motor, if you have no way to evacuate the fumes from the blowby, it sludges up the motor. I dont belive the stories about a certain motor oil causing sludge, biggest load of BS there is.
Also the story about the valvoine causing bearings to spin after running Pennzoil is funny, you dont truly bleive the oil caused that do you? Just a convient excuse.