will england :: motorcycle notes and tips
will england :: motorcycle notes and tips
A few weeks ago, I tried an expiriment...I took two engines, both high
time, a 92 Ford Taurus V-6 with 300k miles and a chevy 350 small block
with 165k miles on it. Both vehicles had frequent oil changes and for
the last year were using 15w-40 diesel spec, very high detergent oil,
with the oil being changed every time the oil got dark enough to
obscure the dip stick markings. This is, if you couldn't read the
dipstick through the oil, it got changed.
Put a large bottle (20 ounces) of techron in the ford, ran it through,
and it ran much better, but within a week or two, the oil turned
absolutely black.
Put two bottles (total 32 ounces) through the chevy v-8, and a week
later this oil turned jet black also...the first tank of fuel with the
first 12 ounce bottle showed normal fuel economy, but smoother
running, the second tank, with the 20 ounce bottle showed much LOWER
fuel economy or much higher fuel usage. But vastly increased engine
performance.
Here is my theory...the techron reacts with the carbon (soot) on the
internal engine components (valves, ports, piston, comubstion chamber)
to make them burn (react) when they normally wouldn't. This causes
hot spots, which causes preignition, which the engine compensates for
by retarding timing...it make me wonder if the techron is a cataylst
for carbon deposits
So the retarded timing caused the increased fuel burn...but now the
carbon deposits are now in a much finer, more transportable form, and
enter the oil as part of the normal blowby, thus turning the oil dark.
When I pulled the filters, they weren't clogged or even abnormally
heavy and the oil seems to have the normal feel to it!
So I don't think any chemical change occurred to the oil, just a
optical one by the increased presence of soot, and since the oil I
used is very heavy on the soot dispersals, it stayed is suspension
instead of plating out on the oil pan and such. Soot by itself is a
very soft form of carbon and won't damage delicate bearings.
How does this apply to Techron application on BMW motorcycles?
On low time engines, we shouldn't expect to see oil changes, just
cleaning of the FI and combustion system with decreased gas mileage,
but I would still use it before a scheduled oil change
ON HIGH time engines, expect to have to change the oil within a few
days of running the techron (and a few tanks of non treated gasoline)
through it, and expect decreased performance and increased fuel usage,
and nasty junk coming out of the exhaust pipe.
However, if you use the techron and hear any type of pinging...STOP
and put in the highest grade of gas you can find or else your engine
will ping itself to death or just retard your timing a few degrees for
a few tanks of fuel.
Howard Etkind
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