Kittamaru Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 Okay, well, I hate to say this, but due to having extremely low funds, I haven't been able to do my oil change... I'm almost 1.5k past due now. I finally have a good, full, non-all-to-bills paycheck coming, so I can actually do the damn thing (and finally replace my dead front left turn signal, hurray!... yes, I've been so broke it was either do the oil change or eat something during the course of the day, ugh) so I'm getting ready to do it... my question is thus: Should I add a can of seafoam to the oil, drive a few miles, and then drain the oil? Or is there something better I could do? I want to do SOMETHING since I put so many extra miles on... I knwo there's probably @!*% all over my oil lines... suggestions? PS - I'm running plain conventional cause I have a valve cover gasket leak and if I run synthetic... well... it leaks like a sieve. With conventional, it stays blocked up XD. I hope to replace the gasket when I can get the time and money to do so Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 If you're really stuck for money I'd just change it. I went 2k over my first oil change when I first bought my pathy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 You're fine. A little slip up like that once in a great while won't hurt a thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unccpathfinder Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 I wouldn't stress it...I used to be religious about my oil changes...god knows how much over the pathy is right now but I know my camry is about 1k over...again... it's not good practice and i usually try not to get it over 2k in either vehicle but I did do the pathy for a year every 6k miles b/c I was driving over 700 miles a week and it was all highway miles...at 3k the oil came out still pretty clear and at 6k it wasn't "burnt" but I don't recommend people to do it but there was no way i was changing my oil every 3 weeks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k9sar Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 I'll chime in as well... A few extra thousandf miles won't hurt. If you really want to do a good job getting the gunk out before your oil change, I would go to the local Walmart and buy a can of Coleman camp fuel. This contains about 50% solvent naphtha. Add about a quart to your crankcase and run it to temperature a couple of times before your oil change. (a few days of running to the store or to work). The solvents will breakdown gunk and crap and even eat at the varnish caused by overheated oil. Don't run for a LONG time cause it reduces the lubrication ability of your oil and is kinda explosive (similar to a very refined gasoline). The biggest problem is due to the reduced lubrication so don't worry about blowing up your truck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittamaru Posted August 18, 2009 Author Share Posted August 18, 2009 See, I dunno if I could do that - I drive 20 miles to work (and then home) every day, all highway... I wouldn't want to risk reducing the lubrication ability knowing I'd have to keep driving her, though maybe I could put that in and let it run to temp once or twice the day before? *nods* Good to know it isn't too big a deal - I am finally getting a full paycheck this week, so hence the desire to set things right Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k9sar Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 well.. I ran my wife's van with a quart of coleman fuel for about a month (it was pretty f-d up with sludge from the prior owner) bottom line is... you're probably fine but can use an addative (like Gunk or STP) prior to the change. These are all designed to help breakup sludge etc and they say to put it in and run it for 5 minutes or so. A day would be fine. They key is to get it circulating and to temp so it can do it's stuff (trip to work). Then to circulate and get to temp to flush any loose stuff into the pan or filter (the trip home). I used coleman fuel since it was more agressive and I needed that for my application. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 A little milder cleaner would be to add a quart of ATF into the oil. It'll help clean out sludge. Drive for a couple of days with it in there, then do your change as normal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 Yep, use a 5 minute flush. ATF will help, but the actual flush product is just a few dollars... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k9sar Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 (edited) this is what I had to deal with. A 5-minute cleaner wouldn't do anything. oven cleaner works great on the heads I ran with coleman fuel for a month or so after the rebuild just to get the remaining yuk out of the block since I didn't pull my cam. Edited August 18, 2009 by k9sar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 Holy crap k9, a chisel wouldn't do anything!! I won't argue that, I just hope Kit's engine isn't in that shape... " B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrimGreg Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 oven cleaner works great on the heads Yeah, but the high test GUNK engine cleaner is about the same stuff, it will eat your skin just the same lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittamaru Posted August 18, 2009 Author Share Posted August 18, 2009 Lol, right then- Okay, any particular product names to look for? I'm very wary of snakeoil crap around here - would Advanced Auto be able to tell me? I've never done an oil "flush" before >_> I have some research to do before Saturday, that' much I can see Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westslope Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 (edited) Yep, use a 5 minute flush. ATF will help, but the actual flush product is just a few dollars...B Agreed. Cheap, fast, safe. Probably better than more expensive generic-application Seafoam. k9sar: Coleman fuel? You mean white gas or naptha? What mix of white gas and regular gasoline did you run? [EDIT: added to crankcase, not the fuel tank. My bad.] Kittamaru: Mobil 1 synthetic 10W30 for higher mileage vehicles might work but if you are liquidity-constrained (cash-strapped), cheap dyno oil is probably best. Edited August 19, 2009 by westslope Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k9sar Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 coleman fuel is naphthalene-like. I put it in the oil to help dissolve stuff. I ran normal gas in the gas tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittamaru Posted August 19, 2009 Author Share Posted August 19, 2009 Wait... do you mean coleman fuel as in the fuel used in campfire stoves? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k9sar Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 yep. I use it all the time to clean my hands after working ont he truck. Cuts grease and gunk very well. It's the same contents (mostly) as in Gunk motor flush just in different proportions. Much more naphthalene in coleman fuel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittamaru Posted August 19, 2009 Author Share Posted August 19, 2009 Er, aighty then... uh... how do you get it out of the can? I thought it was a gaseous substance. Last time I'd been camping was like, 7 years ago, so I don't remember very well, sorry I'd assume put in half a quart? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 Dude just use a little bit of atf there's now way 1.5k over the interval will put as much crap into your motor as k9's picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittamaru Posted August 19, 2009 Author Share Posted August 19, 2009 Oh @!*%... I didn't even see his picture (popup blocker, sorry) 0_o; What the hell... did someone pour tar into that thing 0o' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k9sar Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 was a commercial vehicle and I'm guessing there was never an oil change. I did my changes every 8 to 9k but there was a blockage in the cam bearing long before I got it. Ended up smoking the rear head due to lack of oil. You should have seen the crap I pulled out of it... not even like tar... it crumbled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westslope Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 (edited) yep. I use it all the time to clean my hands after working ont he truck. Cuts grease and gunk very well. It's the same contents (mostly) as in Gunk motor flush just in different proportions. Much more naphthalene in coleman fuel. Right. Into the crankcase, not the fuel tank. How much do you add to the crankcase? How long do you run the vehicle before draining and refilling the engine oil? Always have lots of white gas on hand for using in the Whisper-Lite camp stove. Edited August 19, 2009 by westslope Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k9sar Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 I ran a full quart for about a month trying to get rid of gunk in my wife's van. Typically, I'll throw in a quart (or a little less) and run for a day or two before doing a normal oil change. IT's much cheaper than the motor flush products Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittamaru Posted August 19, 2009 Author Share Posted August 19, 2009 Now i'm a little worried - I've been reading up, and I don't know if I should do any kind of flush at all... even the ATF - I know my valve cover gasket leaks a little, and right now it's plugged with gunk - I don't want to dislodge that, as I can't afford to do a VCG change... nor do I have the time/know how to do it myself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k9sar Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 so don't. all (ok, most) oils have detergents to help breakdown gunk. Simply doing an oil change will help get rid of some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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