ONe21 Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 (edited) While I had a valve cover off today I noticed that there is some build-up on the rocker arms and also on the heads of some of the bolts, as can be seen in the picture below. Is this normal? There are 145K miles on the vehicle. I've only had the vehicle since 136K so I've only done a couple of oil changes, and I'm not sure what oil the previous owner was using or how often it was changed. Right now I'm using 10W30 conventional. Edited October 27, 2014 by ONe21 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 The color looks normal, but if you're concerned about the sludge, run chevron conventional or Pennzoil (the yellow bottle). They both have a lot of detergents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ONe21 Posted October 27, 2014 Author Share Posted October 27, 2014 Thanks adamzan. I had a free voucher for an oil change at Firestone, so I took it in this morning. They use Kendall Synthetic Blend - never heard of it. I'll try something else for the next oil change. The reason I was concerned with sludge is the previous owner used the pathy to get around on his land and for short trips into town. I know that short trips can cause build-up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferrariowner123 Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Maybe someone can chime in on this, but I've heard of people putting seafoam through the oil is a good idea, helps clean out the gunk. I'm not 100% sure. Can anyone shine some light on this? -Kyle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Strange that there is so much difference in coloration, it makes me think that one end might not be getting sufficient oil. You might want to do an engine flush (usually a product that is left to run in a warm engine for a brief time, then flushed out) to see if it clears out any restrictions. I've never run seafoam but I know many here have and swear by it. As long as it is run just as briefly... what do the direction on the can say? B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMyles Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Strange that there is so much difference in coloration, it makes me think that one end might not be getting sufficient oil. You might want to do an engine flush (usually a product that is left to run in a warm engine for a brief time, then flushed out) to see if it clears out any restrictions. I've never run seafoam but I know many here have and swear by it. As long as it is run just as briefly... what do the direction on the can say? B You're only supposed to run it for 100 miles then change the oil. I haven't ran it on the pathfinder yet, but I have all all my other cars. I do 1/2 bottle in the oil, 1/2 bottle in the gas tank, then buy an aresol version of the bottle, and spray 1/3 - 1/2 bottle into the throttle body while revved it at around 2-2500rpm to keep it running, as it will want to stall out. Shut er down after you spray it for a good 2-3 minutes. Let it sit for a solid 5-10 minutes, fire it up and enjoy the smoke show! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebelord Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Seafoam is good. But there is a new Gumout that's even better. Its their High mileage restore. Scotty Kilmer did a vid on it. He showed his borescope screen of before and afters. Not bad. And considering that it's a lot cheaper than Seafoam. Ive been using it. Sent from my Moto X Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k9sar Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 I dumped a quart of naphthalene (Coleman fuel)in the oil and ran it for a couple days. Similar to those who add ATF and more aggressive than a motor flush. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferrariowner123 Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Wow. Okay, in glad that worked, because that's the last thing is put in my oil... -Kyle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PINION Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 (edited) Strange that there is so much difference in coloration, it makes me think that one end might not be getting sufficient oil. You might want to do an engine flush (usually a product that is left to run in a warm engine for a brief time, then flushed out) to see if it clears out any restrictions. I've never run seafoam but I know many here have and swear by it. As long as it is run just as briefly... what do the direction on the can say? B the change in color tone is due to heat, the rear of the motor gets more heat. I would like to try the Seafoam, but where I live they would arrest you for the billowing cloud. Interested in other options too Edited October 28, 2014 by PINION Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ONe21 Posted October 28, 2014 Author Share Posted October 28, 2014 I've used Seafoam in the past, but never in the oil. If the huge cloud of smoke is an indication that it's working, then I'd say it works great! I've never noticed an increase in performance, but I've never had a performance car/truck either. PINION, when I Seafoamed one of my cars the fire department showed up at my house, haha. I make sure that I do it in a remote area at dusk now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 Smoke /= results, but that is just me. the change in color tone is due to heat, the rear of the motor gets more heat. I don't think a few degrees should do that, especially in a water cooled motor. None of the few I have seen looked that way... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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