Sludge Build-Up In Your Customer’s Engine
The most critical, internally-lubricated parts of the engine work within extremely close tolerances and at very high speeds. Because the only thing protecting these finely machined parts is a very thin layer of oil, they require an unrestricted flow of clean lubrication to function at peak performance without loss of efficiency and excessive wear. Yet, automotive industry experts have noted that even a small amount of deposit buildup on the oil pickup screen can restrict oil flow at higher engine speeds. A coating only five-thousandths (0.005) of an inch thick will reduce the oil flow area by 44%!
During the course of normal operation, all internal-combustion engines, old or new, unavoidably produce sludge which is comprised of varnish, acids, wear metals, unburned fuel and condensation. Like cholesterol in human arteries, sludge build-up can be a “silent killer”, as it restricts the flow of lubrication through the oil galleries and increases the levels of friction-causing abrasives.
Obviously, it makes good sense to follow a regular schedule of oil & filter changes. What is less obvious to the average vehicle owner, however, is that a typical oil change leaves up to 112 quart of used oil and sludge still trapped inside the engine, which immediately contaminates the new oil that is added! Unfortunately, this cycle is repeated, over and over, during the life of the vehicle.
Simple, pour-in, liquid “flushes” that are added to the dirty, used oil and then circulated with the engine running, can hinder more than they help. For example, if the customer has missed an oil change, the very sensitive bypass valve in the oil filter has likely opened because the filter media has become clogged. Then, as the engine runs with the pour-in “flush”, any loosened or suspended debris is redistributed unfiltered to other parts of the engine (bearings, lifters, etc.) and can accumulate to restrict flow through the oil pickup screen. In addition, when the used oil and additive are simply gravity-drained, loosened contaminants remain trapped inside the engine, coating the oil pan, pickup screen and wherever else they were redistributed and deposited throughout the lube-oil system.
What is really needed is a method of periodically removing, not just recirculating, this continuous sludge and contamination build-up, so that a complete oil “change” can occur inside the engine.
You would never allow a technician to add used oil and sludge to the new oil being put into an engine during an oil change, but without periodic lube-oil system cleaning, that is essentially what happens!