Hello Friends
Does anyone know anything about using Diesel to flush your engine?
I heard you can save money on maintenance on your engine by keeping it clean. Apparently it can clean without damaging your engine and save you money with less wear and tear.
Has anyone had real experience with this method of flushing your engine?
Any DO'S and DONT'S?
Any and all information would be appreciated as there is not much detailed information on the net.
Thanks in advance
Time for your morning coffee Rocky.
Sounds like a Joke Post, or the OP has read a Joke Post elsewhere and thought it was real.
OP DON'T put Diesel in your Petrol car.. No matter what anyone tells you!
The only way that Diesel will Flush your engine is because it'll need to be stripped down to get the Diesel out of it!
Using Premium 98 Fuel will help a bit but keep it serviced regularly and you shouldn't have many problems in the first 200,000Km
I thought OP meant diesel as replacement for engine oil, rather than as replacement for fuel / petrol. I wouldn't do that myself, and it does read like those 4chan story that ended up bricking your Xbox One.
He is talking about putting it in the engine, not the tank Scuba.
I have heard of it being done on old motors that have an excess build up of sludge.
I doubt the op will be back… one post wonder??
So you put Diesel into the Sump?
The theory being it will act as thinners?
You'd want to be running the engine for a minute before turning it off and draining the sump I reckon!
You can use it as a replacement for degreaser. But, on pieces while the engine is taken apart. You can soak in a bath of diesel and get a scrubbing brush etc. Could also use a bit to clean small oil leaks on the external components to pass a roadworthy.
You do not put some diesel in with you petrol, nor as a replacement for oil.
Diesel, as a degreaser for already removed parts - yes.
As an engine flush - very risky, but plausible enough of an idea to try - on an old engine - that you don't much care about - that you're too lazy to do anything else with…
Diesel is viscous enough to provide a smidge of lubrication, while maybe even more efficiently acting as a solvent to clear up a sludged-up/varnished-up old engine.
As a kid I had a friend who used to burn cheap supermarket vegetable oil in an old Yamaha 2-stroke bike he bought for a few bucks. Ran fine.
On an old car engine, I bet he'd give this diesel engine-clean method a go!
i think what is meant here is that you use diesel oil instead of regular oil for a few thousand klm.
Diesel oil has more dtergent in its formula and will do a good job of cleaning , similar to an oil flush treatment just slower and not as harsh , good if you have stuck lifters !.
Makes sense, and a good deal less risky!
Ahh, that makes a bit more sense… but I thought Diesel Oil was REALLY thick? (and that's why old diesels needed to sit with the ignition on for ~20 seconds before startup… to warm the oil and thin it down a bit)
No, that is to heat the glow plugs for start up. There is nothing warming the oil when car is not running.
Well there you go… My grandpa told me that when I was about 7.. so he was either wrong, or more likely I misunderstood…
This thread just reminded me of an ABC program a few years back about Aboriginal bush mechanics. That was a headspin!
Makes a risky engine flush seem very lame.
Rocky if the word friend upsets you sorry for that.. I did do a search and there is NO details on the Do's and Dont's of this practice. Lots of comments like " It will stuff your engine" or "works great, I do it all the time" or "my father does it but I dont know much about it"… I could not find detailed information.
Its just a question which can be ignored if you know nothing about it. No big deal. I am have joined new but been around for a while…
There is no game here Rocky, relax its just a question….
I was give a free Ford 98 EL Falcon that was sitting in a garage for years. I was told by an old timer at work that I should put Diesel Fuel in the oil to help clean the inside of the engine because it was sitting for a long time. The old timer at work said he used to do it years ago but could not give details as to how it works and what can go wrong or even the ratios of Diesel to oil. He just said "we used to do it years ago and never had problems". They used to put about a litre of diesel and run the car for 5 minute and then change the oil.
I never heard of it before and because he could not give details I thought I will ask here. No harm intended to anyone but it seems asking a question that might save me and others money (if it works) could be helpful. Or at the least informative to all.
I was just wanting to clear up what could go wrong and why (if anyone knows anything about it).
Its an old car, old engine sitting for years. An idea was put my way and I just wanted to ask and see if any of you guys have tried and know anything about it.
The idea is to save money if there is a method like this. If not then no big deal.
Thanks
At the alluded to diesel/oil ratio for 5 mins, I reckon a pretty reasonable gamble.
It's your car, and a pretty old one now.
If you choose to try it, let us know how you fare.
Don't do any burnouts in the OzBargain offices multi-level carpark.
Scotty won't be pleased.
quite a bit of discussion on the net:
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=diesel+as+engine+flush
but at the end of the day, couple of litres diesel @ $3 versus 'proper' engine flush @ about $13.
Is saving of $10 worth the risk/doubt/consequence?
Yes, but it might work better than the 'proper' stuff. Stranger things have happened.
At the end of the modern day, why would you bother flushing engines? Manufacturers don't recommend it. It is nothing but an unbusted myth. I believe when you flush it, you end up mixing your new oil with something you don't even know; because let's face it, what are you going to use to flush the 'engine flush'?
I usually just used left over oil from previous service to push some of the darkened oil out of the pan and that's it. Engine oil are designed to pretty much clean the engine anyways.
I can imagine this method on really old engines, say before 1995s. But beyond that, nah..regular oil changes ftw
If you glance up a few comments you'll see that the OP is referring to a car that has been sitting in a garage for years. Some sludge and varnish build-up pretty likely.
You're right about frequent oil changes being the best way to keep an engine clean, but once piston ring tolerances are beyond a certain point - even without alot of obvious exhaust smoke to be seen - the fuel blow-by past the cylinder walls can exhaust the detergent additives in the oil very quickly, well before the oil is darkened too much or the viscosity screwed.
From quite alot of experience driving cars in varying states of repair when I was younger, it doesn't take very much for some engine parts to get into quite a state.
Yep I missed that garage part completely. Sorry about that.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge on engine internals, I completely overlooked the fact that fuel blow-by can degrade the oil quickly. Something to consider when my car gets a bit older.
By the way, for any one who wants visual entertainment, here it goes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK33EHlk_M0
This guy run the engine with straight diesel and it seems to have worked. So I guess OP method of mixing diesel with engine oil is pretty safe at any ratio.
I'm guessing something similar has already been done, but, if not, I reckon Top Gear should assemble a fleet of VERY reasonably priced old cars and see how many laps each will survive with various different fluids in the sump.
I figure quite a few laps with the diesel, but I think V8 vegetable juice is just crying out for a test too…
Another alternative with an engine like the op has would to be to use a high detergent oil, maybe one meant for diesel motor and take it for a good run with that in it.
Drop that out and put in the regular stuff and should be ok.
I would be against using diesel, it tends to eat rubbers and gaskets. If you have any kinda build up within your engine..loosening it could cause other problems.
If you choose to do it, use a product that is designed for that job
This!
Really, what search engine do you use?
And why the hell would you want to do this? How old is your engine? How old is your car? How have you determined that you have a problem with the engine, that flushing will fix?
You only just joined, why arent you going to an automobile forum where you would tend to get better advice? Makes me wonder what's your game here?