Auto-RX Desludging a 4.3L

Just curious if there is anything new to report? I have been real interested in this....

Still plowing through the 1500 mile cleaning cycle.

I don't drive it alot but I will definitely give a go with the 1000 mile drive I will be undertaking within the next week.

I will keep you posted, the oil continues to darken fast and I am still under a 1000 miles.

Welp, the cleaning phase is finished.

I ran 2000 miles seeing I went over the 1500 mile suggested interval while going through a long 7 hour drive and I could not stop to do anything on the highway.

To finish off the cleaning phase, the engine underwent a 850 mile drive within 2 days. Lots of long easy going highway running at 55-60mph on cruise.

Oil pressure is up, and I know it is time to give this baby some new oil and a filter. She deserves it.

So here we go.



The oil seemed to get dirty earlier on in the cleaning phase and then start to get a little cleaner as the miles piled on. This could be because the initial cleaning of the AutoRX and the filter taking several passes to clean the oil up a bit. Oil looks low here because the truck is up on ramps when the shot was taken.



For only having 2000 miles on the oil, the oil draining out of the filter was really dark to borderline black and didn't flow very well even with the engine completely warmed up to temperature before the change.

Oil filter was replaced with a Quaker State (Purolator) oil filter and a 4.5qt load of Formula Shell Conventional Clean Engine Formula 5w30. Got it really cheap for a US$17.50 for a case of 12 from Costco. I didn't want to go bargain basement with the oil.

The oil was changed and the engine was fired up and WHAT A DIFFERENCE!

Oil pressure was down by 1/4 and valve train noise was slim to none. I was sitting outside of the truck and could hear the fuel pumping whining like they do on GM trucks and I thought I had a problem but then I noticed that I could hear it now because the engine had quietened down that much. My baby was crying for an oil change.



So the oil was changed and the Fram Extended Guard Filter was drained and set on the workbench for disection. I used a hacksaw and in 5 minutes it was cut open. It was amazing just how much oil was still in the oil filter. I still had about 250ml drain oil through the new cut and that is after I drained the filter for 20 minutes into the oil drain pan. Sign of a good ADBV.



First thing is first, this oil filter is built like a brick poop-house. Solid, rigid and heavy. Here is the can, and the filter draining some more. The silicon ADBV was intact and the filter was in perfect order.



For 2000 miles, the oil filter sure was dirty and dark compared to the light orange color is has in its new and dry stock form. Let's rip it apart shall we.

To do this I took a hammer handle and bashed the metal end caps off instead of wasting time cutting it gently off. It worked and in 20 seconds, I got this.



The fibrous synthetic filter media is backed by a support screen mesh which was REALLY strong but easily peeled off of the media for closer inspection.



Although there was no visible chunky sludge, this didn't surprise me at all. The engine has been taken care of. But the filter media was actually pretty well plugged up with fine grit and liquified sludge. Wanna see? Think I am lying, well, wait no longer.





Just scraping the inner seams of the filter media unearthed embedded sludge and grit in the filter. The whole filter was literally plugged with this stuff throughout.

A good sign that the sludge was liquified properly and deposited in the Extended Guard's large filtering capacity media.

To anyone doing a cleaning cycle, USE THIS FILTER! Its' capacity far surpasses and standard paper media filter for cleaning and removing elevated sludge levels in the oil.

I switched to a Quaker State filter for the rinse cycle to lower my oil pressure and allow proper oil flow with my remote oil filter setup. Since the swap, pressure is down for sure.

And now, the other noticed differences

Other than the lower engine noise, fuel economy is higher than I have EVER witnessed in 3 years owning this truck.

With the EXACT same road trip and fuel used, my max fuel economy this time of year was 21mpg.

For this trip, on the way to my destination, I got 24MPG! On the way back, I got 23MPG!!!

The economy difference between going there and coming back was probably from the air temperature being 10c lower than it was when I was going down to my destination.

But still, this is an improvement.....

The Rating for this truck is 18MPG city / 21MPG highway. The truck weighs 4600lbs.

I will keep you updated seeing the rinse phase is still to come.

I will keep you posted.

Nice :thumbsup:

Just to let you guys know, this is what the oil filter looks like when it hasn't been used yet.

http://www.oilefilterstudy.com/framxg-b.jpg

This is mine for comparison...

http://www.tweeknews.net/autorx/change/s6.JPG

See the difference in 2000 miles? Yeesh..... Nutz.....;)

The Rating for this truck is 18MPG city / 21MPG highway. The truck weighs 4600lbs.

my 85 blazer 2.8 avg. 17 city 21 hiway witht eh automatic and oil gets dirty fast as hell on the rebuilt motor with 52k miles i think i am gonna go check that out now too and by the way it wigths 3680 lbs. and its a 4x4 thanks for the testing -- off topic do you happen to know what causes a vibation in the steering wheel from 30-45 mph then from 75 and on ?

The Rating for this truck is 18MPG city / 21MPG highway. The truck weighs 4600lbs.

my 85 blazer 2.8 avg. 17 city 21 hiway witht eh automatic and oil gets dirty fast as hell on the rebuilt motor with 52k miles i think i am gonna go check that out now too and by the way it wigths 3680 lbs. and its a 4x4 thanks for the testing -- off topic do you happen to know what causes a vibation in the steering wheel from 30-45 mph then from 75 and on ?

Make sure your PCV valve is replaced so the oil will not get impregnated with post combustion gases.

FGor the steering thing, this is not a thread on that topic, please start another thread on that topic if you haven't already done so by now.

I thought Fram filters were taboo in this forum. What made you decide to go with it?

not speaking for lt but what from i know the extra guard ones arnt the crappy ones fram has

Extended Guard is a great filter. It is called the X2 filter from Fram. In Canada, it is known as the synthetic oil filter.

Avoid the Extra Guard, Wear Guard and Tough Guard.

Extended Guard is a great filter. It is called the X2 filter from Fram. In Canada, it is known as the synthetic oil filter.

Avoid the Extra Guard, Wear Guard and Tough Guard.

what are people's opion on the super tech (walmart brand oil and filter?) and my moter with 52k miles looks like it has about a razerblade thickness of clut or sluge or shit whatever you want to call it how bad is that? and how do i get my picture of my car onto my name like you have help please........

what are people's opion on the super tech (walmart brand oil and filter?) and my moter with 52k miles looks like it has about a razerblade thickness of clut or sluge or shit whatever you want to call it how bad is that? and how do i get my picture of my car onto my name like you have help please........

Supertech oil is a poor oil with little to no real additives.

Best to avoid it.

If you want normal oil, buy Castrol GTX 5w30 and a good oil filter.

BTW, what is a clut?

Supertech oil is a poor oil with little to no real additives.

Best to avoid it.

If you want normal oil, buy Castrol GTX 5w30 and a good oil filter.

BTW, what is a clut?

well where can i get that stuff at the best price i am a member of costco too and a collage student so don't expect me to buy oil that costs a arm and a leg when i change it once a month (2500 miles)

well where can i get that stuff at the best price i am a member of costco too and a collage student so don't expect me to buy oil that costs a arm and a leg when i change it once a month (2500 miles)

Costco has good oil cheap so try there.

Also, why are you changing your oil every 2500miles?

That is a waste of good money and your oil is definitely good for 5000 miles with todays better oil and oil filters.

Buy a good oil and change it at 5000 miles or even 4000 miles if you are doing mostly city driving.

You gotta see this, you are complaining about money, but yet you are changing your oil WAY to often.

well where can i get that stuff at the best price i am a member of costco too and a collage student so don't expect me to buy oil that costs a arm and a leg when i change it once a month (2500 miles)
why even do it once a month if your not going to do it with quality parts, college student here to, but think of the cost of saven a little bit on oil now, and haven a searious problem later, ie knock, bearing, sludge buildup... its not cheep to proporly maintain a vehical, but it is cheeper in the long run, do oil changes, good oil filter and greese every 3k miles and youll be fine... hell switch to the 7500 synthetic if you want. more expenceive but less often must it be done

why even do it once a month if your not going to do it with quality parts, college student here to, but think of the cost of saven a little bit on oil now, and haven a searious problem later, ie knock, bearing, sludge buildup... its not cheep to proporly maintain a vehical, but it is cheeper in the long run, do oil changes, good oil filter and greese every 3k miles and youll be fine... hell switch to the 7500 synthetic if you want. more expenceive but less often must it be done

well true but i fear the systic will make my motor leak oil like i hear about others

Now thats what I'm Talking about, Nice work BLT...
:uhoh:

well true but i fear the systic will make my motor leak oil like i hear about others

That is an myth.

Use a good quality conventional oil (Castrol GTX 5w30), use a good oil filter (NOT FRAM EXTRAGUARD / WEARGUARD or TOUGHGUARD) and change your oil every 4000-5000 miles.

Costco has good oil cheap so try there.

Also, why are you changing your oil every 2500miles?

That is a waste of good money and your oil is definitely good for 5000 miles with todays better oil and oil filters.

Buy a good oil and change it at 5000 miles or even 4000 miles if you are doing mostly city driving.

You gotta see this, you are complaining about money, but yet you are changing your oil WAY to often.

i know but the thing is i off road alot so that is reason #1 that i change the oil alot due to abuse (better safe then sorry) and i know it is capable of up to 6000 miles but most of the miles are of abuse hard acceltion and speeds over 80 mph every week and the rpm at 85 mph fyi is 4800 my guess is a top speed of 90-95 i have gone to 5400 before it toped out 60 mph 2600 so i call that a hard working motor that desirves to be clean all the time the walmart shit i use for the fiter and the oil nets me a cost of 6 bucks per a change and i happen to change the air fiter every 3 months or less due to damage off roading

That is an myth.

Use a good quality conventional oil (Castrol GTX 5w30), use a good oil filter (NOT FRAM EXTRAGUARD / WEARGUARD or TOUGHGUARD) and change your oil every 4000-5000 miles.

okay please tell me the brands of good oil i can get for cheap like costo is chevron one of them? and what filter bands should i go with ? and i hate changeing the oil to cuz it is nearly impossable to reach the filter on the 2.8 from the fender

i know but the thing is i off road alot so that is reason #1 that i change the oil alot due to abuse (better safe then sorry) and i know it is capable of up to 6000 miles but most of the miles are of abuse hard acceltion and speeds over 80 mph every week and the rpm at 85 mph fyi is 4800 my guess is a top speed of 90-95 i have gone to 5400 before it toped out 60 mph 2600 so i call that a hard working motor that desirves to be clean all the time the walmart shit i use for the fiter and the oil nets me a cost of 6 bucks per a change and i happen to change the air fiter every 3 months or less due to damage off roading

You are doing more harm than good. The walmart crap is junk.

Use a good oil and change it at 4000 miles if you drive it harsh.

This being said, let's not derail this thread.

If you want more info on your walmart oil, pm me and I will let you know about it.

Now, onward with the AutoRX.......;)

okay please tell me the brands of good oil i can get for cheap like costo is chevron one of them? and what filter bands should i go with ? and i hate changeing the oil to cuz it is nearly impossable to reach the filter on the 2.8 from the fender

PM me the brands available and I will tell you which to get.

PM me ONLY.

Thanks, I think I may try this in my Impala. It has always had Mobil1, I would like to see how well M1 actually keeps engines clean. What are the hazards of using this stuff?

How about taking your posts containing your experience and consolidating them in a new thread when you make all the stickys? This thread got hosed.

Thanks, I think I may try this in my Impala. It has always had Mobil1, I would like to see how well M1 actually keeps engines clean. What are the hazards of using this stuff?

How about taking your posts containing your experience and consolidating them in a new thread when you make all the stickys? This thread got hosed.

Make sure you use normal oil for the cleaning and rinsing phase. Don't use synthetic.

Awesome BlazerLT, I am sold on this stuff so far. Thanks for all the great photos, info., and hard work.

For those of us that run Castrol GTX with Auto-Rx process.....

FYI http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=5;t=003258

:eek7:

For those of us that run Castrol GTX with Auto-Rx process.....

FYI http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=5;t=003258

:eek7:

He did see some results, but his engine was spotless from the beginning really.

Use the GTX for the clean and rinse.

Frank is mistaking GTX for another oil.

LT

It's been a month since your last post - do you have any final thoughts or observations?

muzzy, its july, its been two months, and i have to agree, any final comment on product satisfaction/ lack there of

Sorry guys, yes, I have the results, IT WORKS.

I am on my 3000 mile rinse phase and the engine is still getting 23-24MPG on the highway.

The oil now has 1200 miles on it and it hasn't burnt, dripped or leaked one single drop of oil. The oil is still perfectly clean and doing well.

I will post pics of the filter after the rinse is done. I just got back from a long trip with it and the oil is doing fine.

For the rinse I am using Formula Shell 5w30 conventional oil and it is doing well.

I will keep you posted and remember, my engine has over 135,000 miles on the engine.

Sorry guys, yes, I have the results, IT WORKS.

I am on my 3000 mile rinse phase and the engine is still getting 23-24MPG on the highway.

The oil now has 1200 miles on it and it hasn't burnt, dripped or leaked one single drop of oil. The oil is still perfectly clean and doing well.

I will post pics of the filter after the rinse is done. I just got back from a long trip with it and the oil is doing fine.

For the rinse I am using Formula Shell 5w30 conventional oil and it is doing well.

I will keep you posted and remember, my engine has over 135,000 miles on the engine.

Wondering how this all played out as I too was using this stuff in my blazer...

Then I read where you dumped in MMO and wondered if that would have an effect on your results of the AutoRX....

Then I read earlier where you tried the water treatment and while that the upper engine right ?

Didn't the ARX and MMo treatments overlap or did you do the MMO down the road ?

Do you have the sludge pictures of the ARX I'd be interested.....

While I have two new vehicles now, I am considering the ARX as a maintenance dose of 2oz but want to see your results first.....

Hey Tony, It's nice to see you drop in on us once in a while...

I thought the fram filters were a no no? You've got me really wondering, you said your gas mileage changes as the temperature changes. Is this possible, i thought the computer adjusts fuel / air ratios to give the same all the time. Is this just something the looks good on paper, but in reality there are differences in miles per gallon vs. temperature?

Welp, the cleaning phase is finished.

I ran 2000 miles seeing I went over the 1500 mile suggested interval while going through a long 7 hour drive and I could not stop to do anything on the highway.

To finish off the cleaning phase, the engine underwent a 850 mile drive within 2 days. Lots of long easy going highway running at 55-60mph on cruise.

Oil pressure is up, and I know it is time to give this baby some new oil and a filter. She deserves it.

So here we go.



The oil seemed to get dirty earlier on in the cleaning phase and then start to get a little cleaner as the miles piled on. This could be because the initial cleaning of the AutoRX and the filter taking several passes to clean the oil up a bit. Oil looks low here because the truck is up on ramps when the shot was taken.



For only having 2000 miles on the oil, the oil draining out of the filter was really dark to borderline black and didn't flow very well even with the engine completely warmed up to temperature before the change.

Oil filter was replaced with a Quaker State (Purolator) oil filter and a 4.5qt load of Formula Shell Conventional Clean Engine Formula 5w30. Got it really cheap for a US$17.50 for a case of 12 from Costco. I didn't want to go bargain basement with the oil.

The oil was changed and the engine was fired up and WHAT A DIFFERENCE!

Oil pressure was down by 1/4 and valve train noise was slim to none. I was sitting outside of the truck and could hear the fuel pumping whining like they do on GM trucks and I thought I had a problem but then I noticed that I could hear it now because the engine had quietened down that much. My baby was crying for an oil change.



So the oil was changed and the Fram Extended Guard Filter was drained and set on the workbench for disection. I used a hacksaw and in 5 minutes it was cut open. It was amazing just how much oil was still in the oil filter. I still had about 250ml drain oil through the new cut and that is after I drained the filter for 20 minutes into the oil drain pan. Sign of a good ADBV.



First thing is first, this oil filter is built like a brick poop-house. Solid, rigid and heavy. Here is the can, and the filter draining some more. The silicon ADBV was intact and the filter was in perfect order.



For 2000 miles, the oil filter sure was dirty and dark compared to the light orange color is has in its new and dry stock form. Let's rip it apart shall we.

To do this I took a hammer handle and bashed the metal end caps off instead of wasting time cutting it gently off. It worked and in 20 seconds, I got this.



The fibrous synthetic filter media is backed by a support screen mesh which was REALLY strong but easily peeled off of the media for closer inspection.



Although there was no visible chunky sludge, this didn't surprise me at all. The engine has been taken care of. But the filter media was actually pretty well plugged up with fine grit and liquified sludge. Wanna see? Think I am lying, well, wait no longer.





Just scraping the inner seams of the filter media unearthed embedded sludge and grit in the filter. The whole filter was literally plugged with this stuff throughout.

A good sign that the sludge was liquified properly and deposited in the Extended Guard's large filtering capacity media.

To anyone doing a cleaning cycle, USE THIS FILTER! Its' capacity far surpasses and standard paper media filter for cleaning and removing elevated sludge levels in the oil.

I switched to a Quaker State filter for the rinse cycle to lower my oil pressure and allow proper oil flow with my remote oil filter setup. Since the swap, pressure is down for sure.

And now, the other noticed differences

Other than the lower engine noise, fuel economy is higher than I have EVER witnessed in 3 years owning this truck.

With the EXACT same road trip and fuel used, my max fuel economy this time of year was 21mpg.

For this trip, on the way to my destination, I got 24MPG! On the way back, I got 23MPG!!!

The economy difference between going there and coming back was probably from the air temperature being 10c lower than it was when I was going down to my destination.

But still, this is an improvement.....

The Rating for this truck is 18MPG city / 21MPG highway. The truck weighs 4600lbs.

I will keep you updated seeing the rinse phase is still to come.

I will keep you posted.

I thought the fram filters were a no no? You've got me really wondering, you said your gas mileage changes as the temperature changes. Is this possible, i thought the computer adjusts fuel / air ratios to give the same all the time. Is this just something the looks good on paper, but in reality there are differences in miles per gallon vs. temperature?
frams are no no;s, but for a few hundred miles while testing they are ok to use, why spend the extra on that napa gold or wix that every one should be using when your going to trash it in 500 miles?? and yes the computer does compensate for temperature, the colder the incomming air the more molicules in a given area (also called parts per million ppm) so the more gas (parts per million) needed to keep the moter from running to rich in the summer or lean itselfe out in the winter... make any sence???

I thought the fram filters were a no no? You've got me really wondering, you said your gas mileage changes as the temperature changes. Is this possible, i thought the computer adjusts fuel / air ratios to give the same all the time. Is this just something the looks good on paper, but in reality there are differences in miles per gallon vs. temperature?

The only Fram filter you can use is the Fram X2. It is nothing like the other Fram pieces of garbage.

ive heard of the x series, never seen one anywhere

ive heard of the x series, never seen one anywhere

It is also known as the Extended Guard.

hmm, sorry still a ???.. but thats ok, im happy with napa

hmm, sorry still a ???.. but thats ok, im happy with napa

Napa are Wix I think. Still a good filter.

Yeh they are.

They are made by Dana who makes WIX

6 to one, half a dozen to another

6 to one, half a dozen to another

No really, there ar some good ones out there and also some good ones that are really over-priced.

X2's can be found on the shelves at Wallyworld in hermetically sealed "Pringles" cans. But, Wix/NAPA Gold oil filters are the good stuff too. I used Wix up until I got the engine flushed out and clean. Spun on an X2 and filled her up with magic green oil. She'll go as long as April of '06 or so and I did this last month. :)

The only thing I notived is that the X2 did cause some flow restriction and my oil pressure reading were quite high in the winter.

I will have to see what happens for myself. So far, no start up noises, nor high pressures at startup. But then, the coldest it ever got so far while on this combination of lube and filter was 40 degrees. The *deep* freeze doesn't start in my neck of the woods until Jan~Feburary. And even then - it *might* touch 20 degrees at its worst.

You should be fine.

Hey Mr. Nat.... how about some pictures of the results of the AutoRX desludging of your 4.3L !!!

Did it work !! Never saw the results......how did it turn out !?!?!?

I recall we had a "heated" discussion around the AutoRX and while I sold my blazer a while back I am using the maintenance dose on a new vehicle.

Can you share your pictures ??

I want to know if it's worth keeping it going or forget it !!!

Plz answer !! :iceslolan

I just changed the oil after 3000miles now and went back to my special 0w30 XD-3 PAO synthetic.

Nothing was noted in the filter or the oil other than it was incredibly dirty.

Oil pressure is down and everything is completely quiet.

Haven't been happier.