It's also funny how mechanics have been using transmission fluid as a cleaning agent in engines for the last 50 years and it's never hurt anything before.
I have to dosagree and to side with
islandracer, for a number of reasons:
1. The first reason is that "mechanics have been using ... 50 years...". Well, not a good argument. Mechanics have been doing countless stupid things last 50 years. Especially on the dealerships. Especially - on the
Isuzu dealerships <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
2. ATF was designed for the transmissions, engine oil was designed for engines, engine flush fluids was designed to flush engines. This is quite strange to assume that we can discover better fluids than specially designed fluids. Well, you can discover that you particulary like the taste of mustard in the cofee, but I doubt that this is good for everybody...
3. The last and the most important problem is that I
have an experience with this method, and it proved to be very dangerous. On my old Mercury Marquis 1985 with 3.8 Ford engine, I used 1QT of ATF, once, to clean the engine before the oil change. After about 10 miles of the driving with the ATF in the crankcase, I felt something strange, I stopped and I discovered rather large metal particles (about 1/16" - 1/8") on the engine oil dipstick. I immediately changed the oil, but the engine had never been as good as before the ATF "treatment".
Why not use synthetic oil ? You will never need to play with dangerous substances to flush the engine. Use Mobil1 (or else) and forget about the engine oil passages cleaning.
Oleg
