[SS-Traveller]

I'd rather flush a petrol engine using an engine oil meant for diesel engines. The higher quantity of detergents in diesel engine oils does a good flush job over a running of 500-1000 km - drain and refill with engine oils suited for petrol engines after this.

Petrol in the sump is a STRICT no-no.

[SirAlec]

Don't know about flushing. But I use Kerosene to clean engine while overhauling.

Flushing this way is just a feel good factor.

Pawanji! you may have recalled, even after taking apart the engine it takes lot of muscle to clean individual parts with brush and diesel/kerosene.

You know what there are machine that are specifically build for this purpose (oil change) at almost all service centre. But they seldom uses them as they think it takes lot of time and energy to use it.

[vinmechanic]

When I was working in service center for excavator's , we used to use kerosene or diesel to wash engine components while overhauling. Diesel and kerosene both gives the same results as far as component cleaning is considered. My supervisor advised many times to clean some components with petrol which could not be cleaned by diesel or kerosene. But flushing engine with diesel and running it more than minute will cause high wear and tear because diesel will wipe out all lubricating fluid from moving parts and will cause friction. IMO, this is not advisable method for flushing engine as engine flush solution is not much costlier and also not used frequently.

[Sudarshan]

I think cleaning engines in overhauling is a different issue. There are various solutions available as parts are opened/dismantled completly. Solutions such as Industrial degreasing to hi pressure jet wash ( after soaking in kerocine ) is most common.

But the problem arises when one needs to take out the sludge without opening the engine.

Pawan & others have rightly said about the use of petrol ,as how dangerous it can be . It may be OK only with small scooter & bike engines as a last resort to take out dirt or water out of the submerged engine by ONLY rotating the engine WITHOUT starting ( I have done this few times to recover such engines ) but one needs to take Extreme care as to replenish lubricants thoroughly before starting ( After the petrol has been dried completly)

Kerocine/rockoil is a total degreaser so completly NO NO ( except overhauling disassembled parts )

Petrol is Dangerous for man & machine ( & last resort but again NO engine STARTING ) & with extreme caution.

Diesel seems less harmless but only OK for old diesels .I will not recomend for petrols as for possibility of contamination

The best solution is Flushing oils & periodical change of oils & filters as Pawan has said

Yours Sudarshan

[sureshshanmugam]

Hi,
I have used STP Engine flush(rs.250/-), It is simple to use as just add to the engine with the old oil inside and run the engine for 2 mins at normal idling, raise the throttle to 3K rpm for 10 seconds and flush the oil immediately.
Now change the oil and filter after 30 mins.

Regards
Suresh

[ACM]

Petrol is a potential risk if used as an engine flush - espeicially if one is going to fire on the engine, but it is quite unlikely - yet why take a chance.

Diesel is used by some, but again why bother with Diesel - why not just use the available of the counter Engine flush tins. It's quite inexpensive. If one uses petrol to clean dismanteled engine parts, it's OK, but a live working engine?

Engine Flush Tin's off the shelf is the way to go.

[GTO]

Guys, please do NOT use petrol or diesel to flush your engines. There's some fantastic engine flush products out there. After all, cleansing is the singular purpose that they are built for. I've used OWS and ended up very happy with the results.

[lurker]

Ever smelt any of the engine flushes available in the market ?? OWS, STP, bardahl, nulon.

they may have various names, but they all smell of kerosene. So in case you insist on a branded engine flush, go with the biggest bottle. Maximum kerosene for your money.

[Kestrel5915]

Originally Posted by lurker

Ever smelt any of the engine flushes available in the market ?? OWS, STP, bardahl, nulon.

they may have various names, but they all smell of kerosene. So in case you insist on a branded engine flush, go with the biggest bottle. Maximum kerosene for your money.

Even Kerosene can have a wide variety of qualities depending on the source and treatment.
Similarly Diesel can have different qualities.
You might be surprised to see the color of diesel oil sometimes used as fuel on ships.

Here's a typical composition of an Engine Flush oil:

[lurker]

ya IOC markets something called 'superior kerosene' which is marketed as high quality kerosene as compared to the kerosene available in PDS shops.

All the engine flush companies market their brand on strength of these additives over and above the base product of petroleum distillate aka kerosene. We have to simply believe them when they say that their products havr these additives. And these additives have an additional impact on cleaning out soot from engine.

[alpha1]

If one sees, there is a good quantity of sulfonate and sulfolanes which are soluble in both hydrocarbons as well as polar liquids like water.

This means it can dissolve and removed both kinds of grime.
It think it may be far superior to just using the oil (like petrol ot kerosene or diesel)

Originally Posted by lurker

ya IOC markets something called 'superior kerosene' which is marketed as high quality kerosene as compared to the kerosene available in PDS shops.

All the engine flush companies market their brand on strength of these additives over and above the base product of petroleum distillate aka kerosene. We have to simply believe them when they say that their products havr these additives. And these additives have an additional impact on cleaning out soot from engine.

From what I recall, the refinery produces only SKO (Superior Kerosene Oil). Colorless liquid.
A blue dye is added to it for sale in the ration shops.
Of course the PDS channel is more open to contamination or adulteration, but the chemical composition should be identical to "white" SKO (which is sold to industrial establishments) save for the blue dye.