motorvac engine cleaning...anyone know about it?

[czo79]

Hello all!
In my neverending quest to solve my very loud valve lifter...I have run across the motorvac engine cleaning system. I think its mostly used by stealerships to squeeze more $ out of customers, but I also think its probably a pretty good system when not used unecissarily. Its a machine they hook your engine up to and run cleaners through it under pressure. Does anyone know anything about this, or could anyone point me towards more info about it? Anyone have an opinion as to whether it could help my noisy lifter that I keep complaining about? (sorry guys!)
Thanks
Micum

[DLC]

I had it done about 2.5 years ago, to try and get rid of a miss that i couldn't seem to beat. It was a bit expensive, over $100, but the place that did it was genuinely honest about the benefits that they'd seen. It didn't get rid of the miss, but the engine did feel noticeably better afterwards. I'm thinking about having it done again.

Dave

[vrg3]

I remember Sport Compact Car Motorvac'd one of their project cars a few years ago. I don't remember the article clearly but I think they liked it. :)

[petridish38]

it seems that there are several different motorvac procedures... I'm assuming that you are talking about having the oil cleaned with motorvac

i've heard that you can pour some diesel into the crankcakse and idle it for a couple minutes, then change your oil... I've never done this and am not totally sure of the correct instructions so you may want to look into it some more.
A motorvac job to the oil might work too... one of your oil passages may be clogged causing too little or too much oil pressure to the HLA's... you could also have a collapsed HLA which would require replacement.
If i were you, i would first try the diesel trick...(but make sure you follow the correct procedure)... if that didn't work, i might take it somewhere to have them "motorvac" my oil to hopefully dislodge whatever was stuck in my oil passages...
if there is air in your HLA's you can take the valve covers off and press the rockers with your fingers....if they move then there is air in the HLA.
As a last resort i would take the rockers off and visually inspect each HLA and check for air by pushing down on them...(they should not move when pressed down)... you may have to bleed one or more of the HLA's or even replace them if they can't be compressed to a firm state

all of these options shouldn't be incredibly hard...just start with the easiest step and move to the harder ones

[vrg3]

it seems that there are several different motorvac procedures... I'm assuming that you are talking about having the oil cleaned with motorvac

The one I was referring to having seen in SCC was different... I think they essentially hooked the intake and exhaust to the machine, and the machine fed the engine the magic substances that clean it out but are also combustible. So the engine actually ran while being Motorvac'd from what I understand.

i've heard that you can pour some diesel into the crankcakse and idle it for a couple minutes, then change your oil... I've never done this and am not totally sure of the correct instructions so you may want to look into it some more.

Kerosene would be a little better than diesel fuel, but either way, it does work. It acts as a solvent to clean stuff out. People sometimes actually drain the oil, fill the crankcase with kerosene entirely, run it for a few minutes, and then drain it out and fill with oil.

[DLC]

I had the fuel cleaning done. They just bypassed the fuel filter and ran the fuel/cleanser mixture into the engine while it idled.

Dave

[Legacy777]

i've done the fuel cleaning thing, can't say I noticed a major difference.

The cleaner I ran through the crankcase did smell like a kerosene base.