Engine oil flush - does it work?

[Bryan]

I want to get as much of the old crappy gunky engine oil out of my Ford Ranger before I replace it. Do these engine flush additives actually work? If so what's the best one for a diesel engine?

 

[adzy]

The liqui moly one seemed to get the best reviews when I was looking one for my old vitara.

The vitara ran really nice after I flushed it, but under the valve cover still looked gunky.

They work to an extent but they can’t undo years of neglect in 5 mins

 

[stevieturbo]

I want to get as much of the old crappy gunky engine oil out of my Ford Ranger before I replace it. Do these engine flush additives actually work? If so what's the best one for a diesel engine?

Before you replace the engine or the oil ?

There is the risk that any so called flushes...could dislodge crap to places it should never be dislodged. So just how bad is it inside ? And is there really any reason to tempt fate over a good warm oil change or two ?

 

[Dervhead]

Before you replace the engine or the oil ?

There is the risk that any so called flushes...could dislodge crap to places it should never be dislodged. So just how bad is it inside ? And is there really any reason to tempt fate over a good warm oil change or two ?

That’s what my mechanic always said to me...

 

[Bryan]

Before you replace the engine or the oil ?

There is the risk that any so called flushes...could dislodge crap to places it should never be dislodged. So just how bad is it inside ? And is there really any reason to tempt fate over a good warm oil change or two ?

It's horrible black gunky oil.

Cams on the left are the original ones from the engine and the right hand side is what I fitted instead. The replacement head was in a similarly good condition Don't want them to end up the same way. I've got fully synthetic Castrol Magnatec oil to go into it.

 

[Nicky]

Throw the fully synthetic over the hedge and get 10/40 semi synthetic into that engine. It doesn’t have a DPF filter to worry about. There is a certain content of natural detergents in the semi synthetic oil that will prevent it carbonising time the extent of pishy fully synthetic oil.

If your insisting on flushing the engine, do it while the turbo is off as it’s the last part of the engine to get the oil and 1 of the most susceptible to failure with it small oil ways in the thrust and journal bearings which will become blocked very quickly if fed the dislodged carbon and crap from the rest of the engine. For a flush, I’d use a brand called Forté as I had good results with it when working at GP Turbo’s with some of the dirtiest diesel engines in the country.

Personally I’d just run it up to temp with a litre or so of red diesel in with the oil (if it holds 5 litres, then 4 oil and 1 diesel) for half an hour or so as this will clean it out without being overly aggressive. Change the oil out with a new filter, run it for a day or 2 and then change the oil and filter again and that’d do it for 5,000 miles.

 

[stevieturbo]

Really..if you want to keep it cleaner inside, just change the oil more often.

I would use synthetic, whether the oil needs to be DPF suitable doesnt relate to it being synthetic or not.

But engines get ****ty inside simply because people do not service them, or at best they abide by manufacturers falsely high service intervals which work fine for people inside the warranty period.
But if it's something you do decent miles in, and will be keeping it for a long time...change it religiously and often and use good quality.