a buddy of mine says a liter of deisel(1 quart) in
my oil will clean the engine out good and ungum the lifters
somewhat. Run for 15 minutes or so at idle. Is this
damaging? or does it actually help? Ive heard of guys using ATF etc.




Dory

 

I've heard those tricks before, I've also heard some very good reasons why it shouldn't be done although I can't remember what they are right off the top of my head.
Considering there are some very good products out there that are designed specifically for that purpose that are relatively inexpensive, I would probably go for that if for no other reason than you have a company with advertising claims to go back to if something bad should happen.
Personally I run a can of a product called Seafoam (highly respected local brand) through my crankcase for about 100 miles or a day or two before every other oil change. I only have 23,500 miles on it now and want to keep it nice and clean from the start. It's a blend of petroleum distillates just like the fuel injector cleaners etc, that is supposed to clean the lifters and whatever else the oil comes in contact with.
My 2 cents worth.

 

Like Buckarcher, I've heard of the tricks, as well as many reasons not to do them. Apparently the harsh engine flushes you see on the shelves of auto parts stores are basically packaged diesel fuel - you just pay more. I have also heard (many, many times :-) ) that these engine flushes can do more harm than good, especially when they dry out/crack the seals or loosen up a big chunk of crud. The key is to GRADUALLY clean the engine - if a sizeable chunk of crud comes loose, then it may get lodged somewhere in your motor, like the oil screen, oil filter, or oil galleys, and essentially "strangle" your engine. Based on the multitude of opinions on the best way to clean your engine, I would do one of the following: (1) If it's not too gummed up, I would run Mobil 1 in there for 3000 miles, then go back to whatever I was using before. M1 is very detergent, so it should clear some of the crud out of there. It's not invasive, and will gradually clean the motor. (2) I would use some Marvel's Mystery Oil. Apparently, the active ingredient is oil of spearmint, which has highly detergent qualities and isn't too harsh on your seals or bearings. I would be confident in going with either option.

Good luck!

XXL

 

Running a quart of diesel or a quart of Gunk 5-minute motor flush in the oil will not hurt a thing.Of course if you have a newer engine with limited mileage you probably dont need it.This is not something you want to use on a regular basis,but its reputed harmfulness has been greatly exaggerated.If you want to use a product like Gunk,go ahead,just make sure you use it as directed with no load on the engine and a normal idle speed and no longer than 5 minutes.Yes,Marvel Mystery Oil can be used for this purpose and you can drive the vehicle with the marvel unlike a flush because marvel is a high quality lubricating oil not just a solvent.By the way,engine flushes like Gunk are not the same as diesel contrary to popular belief.First of all the flush is more highly refined than diesel and also contains additional ingredients like emulsifiers(aryl alkyl sulfonate)that diesel doesnt have.The "harshness" of these flushes has been exaggerated,and there is no effect on the seals unless you use the product on a regular basis which would be unnecessary.----Ben W.

 

Use 2 qts of Jet A fuel from your local airport, real cheap and does a nice job. Like the others have said idle only for 5-15 min. drain oil and filter and refill with your favoite oil and it is good to go. TJ

 

ive run MMO in my oil and it does a really nice job. I would suggest that before anything else. Ive tried the ATF route too on a totally neglected engine and i ran into trouble. I wouldnt try the diesel because i feel that it would totally strip away any boundary lubrication while it cleans. If anything, either change the oil more frewuently OR try the MMO
just my .02! GOOD LUCK
regards
Ben

 

Thanks for the input.


Dory