When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
If your valve covers look good that will normally tell if have sludge, just keep using synthetic oil I ran a 1986 Toyota 529,000 and a 1991 Lexus LS 400 400,000 both cars used Mobil 1.
I used it in the motor and synthetic trans oil both trans and power steering nothing went wrong. I bought a RX300 with 135,000 miles lost the trans at 158,000 changed to all synthetic oils.
Did put on trans cooler and use Valvoline Max in trans fluid in rebuilt trans and PS, synthetic helps keep down sludge and will let our trans run longer. This is why all the new cars come
with synthetic fluids to make them last longer and it does. They say the new cars can go 300,000 miles and more nowadays.
Bought a can of seafoam 16oz from Oreillys today.
Says to use one oz per qt of oil but I used half a can and poured into oil- prob works same as diesel in stricker's recipe(but costs more) don't know but I fugure one cup is 8 oz so I will be gunea pig and give a try.
Heading to store to get oil pan gasket and have a look up in there. Will update.
The ticking is likely small oil based debris moving along the supply rails ... It hit a spot where it could stick a component and then cleared as time a heat cycles pushed it along. Prolly in the filter now.
With the SeaFoam, don't drive aggressively like on the freeway. Around town for a few trips to the grocery or something and then drain.
Many folks in BITOG use one change of Redline to help with the cleaning. Different chemistry to M-1. It the different chemistry that does the job. The Redline change is not cheap, but it'll move stuff that other oils won't.
I like to run a full can of BG109 (EPR) the last 100 miles before a change. Has worked for me for 30 odd years freeing sticky rings and such. May help you ... Your mileage is at the place where it's time to change up the routine
While cleaning, run a Fram XG3600 for a bit more volume. With any chemical in the system, change the filter 1/2 through an oil change cycle.
Ok I have no idea if this was a good way but here is what I did.
First I dumped 1/2 can of seafoam in oil and ran just under 20 miles doing errands- did not drive aggressively but did punch it a few times.
When I check the oil it seems that the seafoam evaporated off inside the engine cuz oil level is unchanged after driving.
This morning I dumped the other 1/2 can in the oil and ran for exactly 15 mins- then I waited 15 mins to cool down a few degrees- then drained.
I took an oil swipe before and after and it was noticably darker after treatment but I lost the paper towel so I can't provide pic sorry.
I think previous posters may have a point that something was passing thru since I took car to shop last month and paid the mgr $20 to put car high on lift so I could
get under it and find the source of the ticking and me and him and his tech all thought sounded like a lifter ticking badly on bank 1 behind the manifold.
The job was surprising fast and easy to drop the pan to inspect- no trouble at all- just had to get a gasket from autozone.
PS- I checked out the BG109 and it seems very aggressive but reviews are great might try next time but the seafoam didn't seem too aggressive at all.
Pics of pan drop.
This was a hard pic shot to get while holding flashlight but pan cracked loose easy using prybar in 3 places between trans and engine.
I used BG EPR and MOA on my 168K RX. Definitely removed some or all nasty deposits in engine and engine is running like new. Have seem many threads and opinions on adding the EPR then driving. I strongly suggest you not do this. I have a BG expert in my area (we go to church together) and he told me to not drive. It has to do with the EPR freeing engine deposits then these getting pulled into the oil uptake under driving pressure. You are supposed to add the EPR to a cold engine then IDLE the car at 1,200 RPM for 10 to 15 minutes. No less than 10 and no more than 15. Turn car off then IMMEDIATELY drain the oil and remove the filter. I loosened my filter to just finger tight before I started the process (on cold engine) so I wouldn't have to struggle to get the filter off when hot. Let it drain for 20 minutes (probably overkill) then added BG MOA and Penzoil High Mileage Platinum 5W30 for a total of 4.97 quarts (including the MOA in that calculation).