There is a big difference between the probability of engine sludge in a Honda compared with Toyota. I don't recall any formal recalls on Honda engines for sludge. But on my 98 Camry V6 it is warrantied/recalled for up to 12 years and 150k. I was way past that when I was notified. I know a ton of people who have had their engine replaced in their Camry under warranty because of this. I have never heard about that with Honda. It is important to use good oil. Have you ever poured out a quarter size drop onto a white surface of Valvoline compared with Penzoil or Chevron oil? I have, there is a BIG difference in the clarity of the oil. Penzoil was more brown and Valvoline is more clear like a very light brown. I don't know about you, I would rather start with cleaner oil and therefore end with cleaner oil.
When I asked my mechanic if there was anything common with my Camry I should be aware about, he said "Sludge, just change your oil every 3K and you will be fine".
The big key to oils is consistancy. If you use Valvoline (I am a big fan of besides Mobil 1) then stick with it, if you use the cheap stuff, stick with it. You don't want to go different franchises to get your oil changed every time the weights may differ (what they actually put in) and the brand may differ which means that the oils have different additives in them and the additives do vary from brand to brand. Always stick with the same weight of oil too. Just consistancy will do the trick.

 

Hey, I'm the sludge guy. First off, thanks to those with ideas. And thanks to Mike for all the work. Mike's been gracious enough to keep you posted so far, but I'll give you an update. Not much new. Runs like a charm. Same power, same mileage as before the cleaning. Engine is a little quieter now, but you can hear the injectors.

As far as prior maint. goes, I bought it from a lot. Car was a single-owner out of TX. Had a receipt for the timing belt at 65K at the dealer. I figured if the guy got the t-belt done like that, it should have been pretty well cared for. Guess that's what happens when you assume...

As I find now, some 3.4L are prone to clogging in the valve covers, PCV. My only guess is that the prior owner rarely, if ever changed the oil. When I got the rig at 126,000, I changed it immediately and then switched over to Mobil 1. Changed that every 4K until we decided to do the t-belt at 150,000, water pump, t-stat, belts, hoses, check valve clearance, etc... If it weren't for valve clearance we might not have pulled the valve covers.

So, the update: I'm about 750 miles in and it runs strong. Have dino-oil in it, with auto-rx. I'll do the prescribed "auto-rx sludge application" and then maintenance. Once I'm there, we'll pull the pan again and see what the pick-up looks like.

The biggest diff so far is that I could put oil in and it would be black in just a few miles. Now it's clear when I changed it.

When we get the pan off in the future, I'll update again. Or if the engine dies. Whichever comes first.

 

Another idea--just add a quart of Tranny Fluid to your oil every oil change. Its definetly cheaper....

 

I have owned a few different vehicles in the past, just a few: 2 bugs, bronco, 67 Toronado 47K when i got her (I truly miss, should of kept that one), 87 Celica GTS, and few more. I currently have a 01 Lincoln LS V8 (150K) Sport package and my 92 Toy, main thing I have found through the years is keep the oil clean!!! Not so much what kind, I'm sure some are better than others, but just keep it clean. I'd run slick-50 in my GTS every other change and I could notice a difference. At least I thought I did. I usually get Quaker State or Pennzoil usually high mileage, depends what's on sale.

 

Teflon in a motor is snake oil---check it out

Oil does matter--its not what you think the oil is or isnt doing--it is about what the oil is actually doing--is that makes sense.

Take a look at BITOG (bob is the oil guy)

 

Sludge Monster,
You say you had the valve covers off at 150k to check the valve lash...Did you need to adjust any of them? I'm at about 143k and have been thinking about having mine done around 150k. Just curious how many of them needed attention and how far out they were.

 

[quote=hross14;51099529]Teflon in a motor is snake oil---check it out

I just did a quick read on this...and I probably should have read about it sooner. I'm glad now that I don't use that stuff and the car I used it on met an early demise. Introduced it to a guardrail and they did not like each other... Here is a bit to read if anyone is interested. http://skepdic.com/slick50.html

 

There is a new sludge monster in town.
bump to compare.

 

Thanks for the bump. Went right from that thread into this one. Good reading. Course, now I'm scared sheet, but good reading. I've been going to Valvoline Instant Oil Change for years, since the price of oil went up. I hope my engine looks clean. I want another 100K at least out of my baby.

 

sludge monster- Can we get an update on how this went with the AutoRX?

 

I am also looking for an update/pictures... I am about to buy a 3.4l V-6 and am definitely going to check the PCV and I did notice a small amount of sludge under the oil fill cap when i was checking it out. I will look a lot deeper now...

 

My high mileage 96 4runner is new to me, and I'm worried about sludge. I'm going to send an oil sample to Blackstone Labs after my next oil change. Besides cutting open the filter to see what it looks like, what's the easiest way to check for sludging...and actually be able to tell how bad it is...not just that its there?

Pull the valve covers?

 

passenger side valve cover is the easiest way to see

 

had the same problem on my 2000-sludge galor too...was so bad,it "locked" my valves possibly from blocked oil passages(thanks to the previous owner).
anyway,in the process of replacing my motor.
see here:
pics on page 2.
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f2/e...59/index2.html

 

After me little issue swith my sparkplug blowing out i had the valve cover removed to get a good look at everything and outside of a little discoloration everything was in great shape at 153k miles.

I use M1 and a Puralator PureOne filter and do my changes every 7-8k miles.

 

Hey Sludge Monster: do a quick search on PCV catch can. I've done it on my 4Runner and it works well. In cooler temps you will have to empty it more often as it will turn milky (water vapors and the oil mixing).

The comment on Penzoil: FALSE! My mother has a 1998 Lumina with a 3.1L YES it's a Chevy. The only time it has not had Penzoil was the day they bought it brand new. It's had it's mix of Fram oil filter and GM's AC Delco filters when I've changed it at the dealership they bought it from. Of course the 3.1L and 3.4L are notorious for the intake leaks so a year ago at 180k miles (yes it lasted that long quite surprisingly) I did the intake gaskets. I pulled both valve covers and it looked great! No sludging present at all, which is more than I can say for other intakes I've done on GMs. My dad is a car maintenence freak. He flushes the coolant, tranny, and changes fuel filter EVERY year. Overkill? Yes maybe, but goes to show maintenence goes a long way. He also keeps a log book and reciepts for every oil changes at 3K.

In the picture it seems to me the PO did NOT change oil as often. Yes they did the timing belt, but that may have been a "sales scare" by the Toyota Service Writer. At my previous job, the service writers did the same thing in order to give us business. What I mean by "sales scare" is they may say the motor will blow up or Toyota will not warranty it if it's not done. That's where it stops. They are less inclined to recommend an oil change when they'd rather sell you a big job so both the tech and service writer get a bigger check.

 

7-8k? i say 5k max but if its clear oil i guess its ok...



personally i see an engine looking all sludged up like that..my blood boils

 

What kind of a side show peen us wrinkle freak of a pretend man thinks oil that comes in the motor from the factory is a lifetime oil.LMAO

 

english please?

 

Sorry to keep you all waiting with baited breath. Truth is, it's running great. Still has the same power as before, same gas mileage. We haven't dropped the pan to see what the oil pick-up looks like. That'll be a better indication of how we did, but so far (knock on wood) all is well, 8,000 miles later. I'm still in the auto-rx maintenance mode, and using dino oil and factory filters (that were on sale).

The clearest indicators that there was a problem were smoke out the exhaust, oil in the air filter box and a clogged PCV. Pretty easy to pull the P-side valve cover to confirm, but if there's gunk in your PCV, then buy some diesel and strap in...