Oil thickener

[joe019]

Hi guys,

anyone of you heard about using some kind of oil tickener? I know nothing about this but I am getting worried since it has only been a month since I changed the oil on my TD and it already feels very thin.... it easily drops off the dip stick.

Any info please?

Joseph

[landymaniac]

I use Bp15-W40 in my 2.3. I also drops easily from the dipstick. I think if it does not smoke and works fine it is ok.

Once a friend of mine used to buy a small "bott":D called ENGINE HONEY or something like that. It was very good and used to stop a lot of leaks and white smoking..................but his engine was kaput

[Reiny]

Don't use any of that stuff unless your engine is really and truly on its last legs. Those thickeners are used by people who want to squeeze the last ounce of life out of their engine. Just use a good quality oil and change it frequently (3000 miles) and you should be ok. I used to use thickener in my 2.3 when the oil light started flickering at idle during the summer months. Within three months, the engine was dead.

[9H1AA]

immm............. well said Reiny, I did the same thing, some years ago with my Rangie, I remember I used oil 40 straight, u bott STP ta s****, and survivied for nearly a year and then it died !

cheers

[joe019]

Poor engines ! Mine is not in that bad state... it breathes a little bit of white smoke from the top cover but I am told it is quite normal for a TD. I was just worried about the tickness of the oil. I am using BP at the moment.

[landymaniac]

i do not know much about 2.5 but it is simillar to 2.3. I think on the top cover filler cap it is suposed to be a breather(tap with gazue) and has a thin pipe that goes to the air intake manifold and no smoke will come out.......i do not know about 2.5 but maybe you can make this system:rolleyes:

[Reiny]

The viscosity of oil isn't meant to be judged by our eyes. There is special equipment to do that kind of measuring and if you don't have that equipment, your engine is the best judge. If the oil light remains off, you're ok. That means that it's thick enough to maintain pressure.

[tdi200]

Get an oil pressure gauge first, then see what the reading is, then worry!

Grem

[dborg01]

Isma Joe.....just a quick and curious question......how come you were so sceptical about the metal conditioner I suggested and now you're after an oil thickener? :p

[joe019]

Actually I am not after an oil tickener. I was curios about the visual tickness of the oil and if someone uses it and what effects does it had on the respective engines....

Isma Joe.....just a quick and curious question......how come you were so sceptical about the metal conditioner I suggested and now you're after an oil thickener? :p

[Reiny]

As I've said before, visual thickness doesn't mean anything. I've seen synthetic oils with the thickness of water (almost) but they were 20W50 or 15W40 multigrades. Pourability doesn't mean anything. Your engine has to judge if the oil is good, not your eyes.

[ford_focus_cmv]

Hi guys, long time no post,

About the thickness of the oil, even my perkins, i top it up every month so practically every 6 months i have new oil and still it slides off the measuring stick like water. Simply check that the engine is always with the good levels of oil and change it after the summer period, because summer is the peak usage of lubrication and in september / october the oil whould need to be changed. I know from my past experiance gained from the 1300 of my mini minor.

See you all guys.....

[Reiny]

Many people have the misconception that just because their engine is burning oil and they're topping it up, they've got clean oil all the time. That's totally WRONG. First of all, the oil you topped up last month has been working hard for that month, so it's definitely not clean any more. Secondly, the second it is dumped into the sump, it's mixed with the filthy oil which is already in the sump. Thirdly, all the sludge, muck, crud and filth which is in your sump is remaining there, thus contaminating your oil even faster. The only effective way of having clean oil in your engine is by draining it and chaning it frequently. Then again, if you change your oil and don't change the oil filter, don't bother with changing your oil in the first place.

[cil111]

i top it up every month so practically every 6 months i have new oil and still it slides off the measuring stick like water



erm how shall i put it nicely my friend... tghidx cucati man.... what about all the crud and stuff and Sh$%t in the filter and sump.... an oil change means precisely that..an oil change... and do not forget the filter as well because it is all for nothing....

[dborg01]

I agree with Cili and Reiny on the oil thing. Topping up actually shortens the lifetime of the new oil by quite a lot!! Also, as they rightly said, all the solid deposits that escape the oil filter will end up in the sump and simply accumulate. This is mainly fine metal dust which is not supposed to stop at filter level but which will still harm the engine. Engine designers claim that these solid particles do wear the engine prematurley but if oil-change is done at the suggested intervals then the levels of such solid material never goes above the 'safe' levels.

One other thing is that if the oil filter is not changed at least once every 2 oil changes larger particles will be allowed to pass......so now you have the added benefit of grit-blasting the engine with an even quicker rate!!

Sorry Chris but on this you are a bit wrong, my friend.....though topping off oil is always a better option than leaving the engine with 'old' oil or with less than the dipstick 'minimum' .... while if you use the metal conditrioner or 'additive' that I suggested for the rest it would be even better!!:p

Daniel

[buzz]

In my opinion, I'd stick to regular oil changes and filter changes. Nothing beats that.

Good quality oil and proper filter.
Stick to the basics and you can never go wrong.... ;)

[tdi200]

I would hate to work on that engine as it would seem to be working on tar from the inside............

Grem

[ford_focus_cmv]

Hi guy, You understood everything wrong. For your information my oil is changed every six months including, oil filter, diesel filter, hubs, diffs, and grease the balljoints and crosses. The only reason that i top my engine is that i dont have a propper top cover for my 4.154 and it drops oil when i give it some high revs. I never said that oil must not be changed, i reccomand that it must be also changed after summer.

Thanks for your entusiasim to point finger and jump to conclusions like always.

Bye :megaphone

Imsomma ghidu li tridu, and by the way tdi200 my engine is full of oil from the outside and i still love to work on it. I dont have a clean engine with Turbo but i am still satisfied with my direct injection and burnt oil.

See you guy and try not to be so acidic.

No offence for no one, just making my point :rolleyes: :D

[tdi200]

May i advise you to learn how to get along with people first, then grow up and learn how to be take our comments in your stide, as i was not critisizing your method of oil changes, the others did.

I just stated what i thought. If i want to be really acidic i can but i will stop here. If you have something to add just contact me via PM so i may flame you in private.

Grem

[Reiny]

Apparently the top cover gasket for the 4.154 is totally unavailable. A friend of mine has a 4.154 and he's been on the lookout for a top cover gasket for about 4 years now.

[buzz]

Bil Malti hali inkunu bejnitna.

Ejja nies, ma dendlux il hwejjec mahmugin fil publiku.
Ejja inkunu neis jekk jogobkom!

Neiqfu hawnekk jekk joggobkom!!... :(

[cil111]

I stated that your idea of oil changes as written by you is totally bla sens... and i am quoting you again..


i top it up every month so practically every 6 months i have new oil and still it slides off the measuring stick like water


and i said that you are saying a cucata... which it is....

when you explained yourself better... then it was a different story... and yes i did understand wrongly, precisely because you did not explain yourself well... and giving bad advice to people is not right... if you want to offer advice, do so but explain yourself well and be sure of what you are saying..
and grow up man... dont start to get all hot and bothered and acting cool when someone points out something to you...

issa re the top cover that u said? u mean it tapp biex niftehmu... or the gasket?.. I did not get what you meant there... not to be sarcastic imma another case of not explaining yourself well... the top cover as far as i know is that thing of metal or aluminium which covers the valve area so to speak.. if that is not there u have a big problem... gaskets for these engines are difficult to find as reiny said, if it is an oil tap i am not sure though.. You might find something.

[olo]

uw uw uw, afsu naqa il brake guys :p

kif qal il buzz nieqfu aw

chris, relax man, they just gave their opinions, if u dont like it, continue workin as u r, it wont effect them if u do wot they say or no, they're just givin their opinions from experience. if they misunderstood you just explain better thats all u need to do, no need to get all worked up.

just relax, its a forum! every1 has different ideas, and ways of doin stuff. i cant judge about wots bein said as i know nothin bout oils etc.

anyway just hope there wont be another flippin fight goin on again :(

[landymaniac]

if your top cover gasket is kaput you can make one out from cork(sufra). buy a sheet from catania at hamrun, draw the outline of the top cover and cut with a scissors. you will have a new perfect gasket.

if your top cover is punctured you can use chemical metal....if you have a larger hole I think you should try doing a patch with fibre glass till you find a replacment top cover. It would be much nicer working on a clean engine my friend and you would be much more happier to open your bonnet in front of friends and people

[ford_focus_cmv]

I just stated my ideas guys, No need to heat up come on. You take everything personal like everyone is trying to fight.

Let us stop it here.

My problem is that i have the top cover deformed. The metal thing and not the gaskit.

As for the gaskit i already bought a sheet and made one myself. Thanks for the advise but i usually cut simple gaskets myself cause here at Tarxien we dont have shops which stock land rover parts.

Come on guys sorry if i offended somebody,
"And please stop it with this GROW UP. Because i am younger then you all does not mean that i am stupid."

You discriminate because of that old old post i made.


NO NEED TO HEAT UP ON EVERY POST I MAKE.

See in some event or meeting,

Good life to you all, as i am having mine right now.:p

[joe019]

if your top cover is punctured you can use chemical metal....if you have a larger hole I think you should try doing a patch with fibre glass till you find a replacment top cover.

Is that strong enough to cope with the heat?

Also another point I'd like to mention regarding this forum.... Please try to avoid writing in maltese. This is a UK forum and our posts are of interest to other people world wide. We have talented ppl here giving great advice which can be useful outside our island. I hope you understand my point guys!

Regards
Joseph

[theBaptist]

u blame them ford focus etc etc ?? first you print b****ks just because you had a mini etc etc and then you call their posts "acidic" ....

come on man, sorry i have to say it, but yes .......... grow up a bit.

wether u admit it or not peeps like Gremlin (tdi200), reiny, daniel etc (mhux jien) idahhluk fil but re landies. stay cool, take advise, and only post info when u're sure u're sure :D

[ford_focus_cmv]

Now stop it here. It is getting again too personal to discuss it here.

Please, this is a public thread about oil thickener and not blames.

Good night.

"Baptist, growing up does not always mean that i have to go with the flow of others".

Let us continue on the original course of the thread.

See ya all:rolleyes:

[olo]

and here we go again....

[landymaniac]

joe chemical metal resists heat and is extremely strong. It can be used to fix the fuel tank and radiator. It is that strong. It may also be tapsed. beleive meeee ......once you pop u cant stop. After i discovered chemical metal i try to fix everything with it:D


regarding fibre glass i don't know but i think it resists oil if it is done properly.......my idea was to make a temporary patch till focus cmv would find a good cover. did you check Rock A Go for the top cover. he is an enthusiasist of perkins:eek:

[tdi200]

I would try forklift parts people, generator importers and also boat engine importers, those engines have been used in a multitude of applications.

Grem

[cil111]

you can weld on chemical metal as far as i know so nahseb it should resist heat well enough :D so if you want a cheap fix until u might find a replacement i think it is worth a try... xejn xejn you do not end up with the engine bay full of oil... and leaks all over.... remember excess leaks might get the attention of the men in green..
from experience i would suggest that you clean the area VERY VERY well and roughen up the area to ensure good adhesion... I like the maniac love the stuff

re the personal u mhux personal man first you state things then u try and twist them around ... personally i do not know you and will not judge but i can only get an impression on what i c... And you mentioned that it was from that old post that you had done once... No it is not on that... if it was on that you would have ended up with much more flak beleive me...
I like to share info with like minded individuals, but when i am not sure of things i keep my trap shut. Though i have been around in the Land rover Scene for some time and have learnt a thing or two, i will never even start comparing myself to the amount of technical knowledge that gremlin has built up over the years, or even to reiny for that matter since he is a much more technical person than i am.. I try to repair a lot of things with an agle grinder and the biggest mazza i can find:D ... and many times it works as well:D :D .. PS DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME
My advice ( whether you accept it or not is up to you) is to learn from the experience of others. and yes i agree that growing up means not going along with the flow, but on certain issues for heavens sake. And when someone offers you a different opinion you do not need to go on the defensive and get all hot and bothered etc... No one is perfect.. Mistakes happen and you are supposed to learn from them..

anyway my 2c or LM 2 nahseb worth :D

[cil111]

actually thought of something else

if you have a punctured top cover or something like that why not cut a piece of sheet or aluminium around the hole, make it slightly bigger, and paste the area with chemical metal , put the sheet on top.. Hope i made myself clear here...

it will look like patchwork but it should work.. I had done something similar with a fuel tank once... I still leaked but much much less than before... and the chances of a leak in a range fuel tank (86 litres of fuel) is much much more than the oil in a top cover, especially since fuel seeps out more than oil...

[Reiny]

You got this "getting personal" thing all wrong dude. When a person offers advice, it's not because he wants you to do it that way. Usually he's being kind enough to warn you of any pitfalls and give you shortcuts to make your life easier. Whether or not you want to follow that advice is totally up to you and nobody is going to get ****ed off at you.

[ford_focus_cmv]

Cili the prob with my top cover are not holes. The owner before me brazed some holes and with the heat generated from the brazing the top cover became soft. When it is tight it flattens and become bigger then the cylinder head it self. My idea was to build brackets to keep it in place or else something like a steel belt round it.

As for rock a go i went there and he told me that he does not know the model and doubt it that he have any spares left. I went also qormi for it but the same result i got. They regognised the model but no spares left. i try to fix the one i have till i meet an engine like mine and buy one.

About the oil thing, i am using castrol for my engine and i am hearing that bp is better. This is a metter of name and price or else it really gives better performance?


Thanks for advices.:p

[cil111]

I use BP Vanellus myself for the 300's, though the oil guy told me that it is for turbo engines... nahseb a bit too good for a perkins if you know what i mean though it can be used i guess

on the 2.3 bil malti l irhas... Rimula kont intih jien... ghax vanellus used to end up rather expensive since the thing used to burn quite a lot so i switched to rimula :D

for the perkins ma tantx naf to be honest since i never owned one..maybe reiny and grem will give their input here

[landymaniac]

I used to give Bp oil to my perkins gearoil 90 and later 140:D dont try that if your engine is good......mine was a power station

I use BP vanellus 15W-40 on my 2.3.

[Reiny]

It's not worth spending money on good oil for that engine. Perkins aren't fussy. Just buy half-decent oil and dump it in.

[ford_focus_cmv]

before this oil i used to give it silcolene for diesel but the reslts are the same, no change in temperature and neither in oil pressure. Can we say that castrol is a half decent oil? If yes i stick to it.

[theBaptist]

Castrol IS a good oil not only half-decent. ok nowadays maybe not as well known as Shell or BP due to their massive advertising campaigns but Castrol was always a trustworthy oil. back in the early 80's it was THE oil to buy. times change.

[Reiny]

I still prefer Castrol GTX for petrol engines. A bloody good oil.

[joe019]

Yes I would go for chemical metal. That stuff will work well for sealing holes in a head top cover. I prefer to work with it rather than fibre glass. I need to cover a couple of holes in the driver's side foot well... I will use chemical metal to cover the holes and cover everything with a pop rivited plate. I think it will be well water resistant.

Regards
Joseph

joe chemical metal resists heat and is extremely strong. It can be used to fix the fuel tank and radiator. It is that strong. It may also be tapsed. beleive meeee ......once you pop u cant stop. After i discovered chemical metal i try to fix everything with it:D


regarding fibre glass i don't know but i think it resists oil if it is done properly.......my idea was to make a temporary patch till focus cmv would find a good cover. did you check Rock A Go for the top cover. he is an enthusiasist of perkins:eek:

[landymaniac]

if i were you joe if your footwell is corroded i would weld the plate not rivit it. I made that sort of thing on my bulkhead and had to make a rivit every cm because the whole thing lost its strength and started to wobble:(. It is still with rivits......like an army ship of the first world war:D

[joe019]

Good one!! I gave it a look thi morning and it does not seem completely corroded. There are a couple of holes but you never know the condition of the metal until you start removing the corroded stuff... you might end up with no footwell at all... :)

Joseph

if i were you joe if your footwell is corroded i would weld the plate not rivit it. I made that sort of thing on my bulkhead and had to make a rivit every cm because the whole thing lost its strength and started to wobble:(. It is still with rivits......like an army ship of the first world war:D