When changing the oil, many motorists resort to flushing the oil system. The engine operation is delicate, has its own nuances, which everyone who is going to do it on their own should be aware of.
1 Flushing the engine - in what cases it is resorted to
The opinion about mandatory flushing every time the used oil is drained is erroneous. If the car was bought in the salon, the service is timely and high-quality, there is no need to flush. Modern engine oils are fortified with additives that help clean the engine. These components collect all the dirt, and it is removed along with the drain. The use of flushing fluids in this case can only cause harm: additives from their composition that are unnecessary in this case are mixed with oil residues, which will subsequently affect the quality of the newly filled oil.
Flushing the engine oil system is necessary in specific cases:
- buying a car with a mileage of 100 thousand km or more;
- unforeseen situation;
- changing the type of oil;
- on a turbocharged engine;
- when the engine is completely disassembled.
If you bought an old car with high mileage, the service history of which is unknown to the new owner, it is advisable to resort to flushing before a complete oil change. It is recommended to use a gradual transition: first we use one of the flushing oils, then we fill in an inexpensive motor oil. It must match the type of engine. We drive 1–2 thousand km on it, then it should be drained and filled with the type that we plan to use in the future.
It happens that you have to urgently add a little oil of a different type or use a liquid of unknown origin. Sometimes the quality is questionable. In all cases, we replace it with a high-quality lubricant as soon as possible, but before that we always resort to flushing.
If it is necessary to change from one type of oil to another, flushing is mandatory. The fact is that there is always some amount of old oil left in the engine. Different types cannot always mix, deposits are formed that can forget the oil channels. In this case, types are understood as types: mineral, synthetics, semi-synthetics, and viscosity, as well as manufacturers.
Fans of a sporty driving style, owners of cars with a turbocharged engine, flushing is necessary at every oil change. During sports driving, the engine is intensively used, its wear is increased, and a turbocharged one requires perfect cleanliness. Such motors need to be constantly flushed so that they work for a long time and normally.
2 Flushing oils – what the industry has to offer
In Russia, there is a large selection of flushing oils, where they are very popular, unlike in the West. They have a synthetic or mineral base, but are enriched with cleaning additives in large quantities. Such products are able to dissolve harmful deposits on internal surfaces and remove them from the oil system. Consider brands with a standard volume of 4 liters.
Among them, Flush oils stand out. From this series, Zic cleans the system very well, does not have a destructive effect on oil seals and other polymer products. The new lubricating fluid does not suffer from the harmful effects of flushing agent residues, does not oxidize. Eneos from the same line also perfectly cleans, prevents deposits from settling on the surface, preventing channel clogging.
Liqui Moly product effectively cleans the system, one of the leaders among cleaning products for powertrains. They are well removed accumulated slag, channels and surfaces are washed.
Among other means, Lukoil products are worthy of attention. It contains a complete package of additives that have the ability to increase wear resistance, high-quality dirt removal. "Lakiris" is distinguished by the presence of antioxidant and detergent additives, due to which dirt, carbon deposits, and slags are qualitatively removed. TNK Promo Express products have found application in car service and private car owners.
There are two types, the difference of which is in the method of application. Some are poured into the engine, and flushing is carried out at idle. Others are added to the old lubricating fluid, after which the car is operated up to 200 km or less, in accordance with the instructions for use. It is forbidden to load the motor in this case. It should be noted that the second flushing oils are almost never used because of the risk of damaging the motor. They can also harm omentums because they contain many active substances.
Flushing oils for gasoline and diesel engines are available with different additives, so you should only use those designed for a specific type of engine.
3 Oil system cleaner concentrates - selection criteria
In addition to flushing oils, flushing concentrates, which are called five-minutes, are popular among motorists. When choosing them, you should pay attention to some factors:
- The volume contained in the package should be 450 ml or so. The drug, packaged in 10 mg, mostly contains surfactants, the action of which is not to dissolve the dirt, but to exfoliate it. Clumped dirt can clog oil passages and cause engine damage. The presence of surfactants is indicated by the presence of sulfates, sulfatonate, and alkyne benzene in the concentrate.
- We pay attention to whether a viscosity corrector is included in the composition, which prevents the oil from thinning. They insure the engine against breakdown during flushing, may have additional useful properties: the ability to decoke, rejuvenate oil seals and rubber gaskets.
- We choose preparations taking into account the motor: for those with significant mileage, we use sparing products without aggressive substances that can damage old gaskets, oil seals, hydraulic compensators. For engines with a turbine, we use special tools designed for it.
- After flushing, look through the oil filler neck into the engine. No traces of foam should be observed on the parts, no smell uncharacteristic of the oil should be felt, otherwise the flush contained surfactants. A high-quality concentrate evaporates from the system, leaving no traces or odor. You should not use this type of flush again.
It should be remembered that engine flushing is used for prevention, and not for engine repair, therefore, the choice of drugs should be approached responsibly, having selected a quality product once, it is recommended to use it in the future.
4 Using flushing oils - how to use them correctly
For every driver who independently changed the oil, it will not be difficult to flush the engine. The procedure is almost the same. First, we warm up the engine, unscrew the drain plug and wait until the used lubricant has completely drained. We twist the cork in the pan and fill in the flushing agent. Its quantity is the same as that of conventional motor oil. The level is controlled by the dipstick, preferably closer to the max mark. It should be borne in mind that a certain amount of old oil remains in the engine, so you should not focus only on the volume of the canister, we look at the dipstick.
We start the engine and let it idle. We check the duration with the instructions on the package, because for different flushing oils it may differ slightly. In no case do not gas: the viscosity of the product is lowered. Idling the engine will not cause harm, but loads can lead to scuffing. Then we turn off the cork in the pan and drain the spent product. We unscrew the old oil filter, change it to a new one, wrap the plug and fill in a new lubricant.
Studies conducted by experts from the magazine "Behind the Wheel" showed that the viscosity of the new oil drops somewhat. This is due to the influence of the remnants of the flushing agent, but for the further operation of the engine, the fall is insignificant, it is not capable of harming the motor. The amount of deposits has dropped noticeably, but complete cleaning cannot be achieved in this way. As for metallic impurities, they were almost all removed along with the flushing oil.
5 Quick cleaning - using five minutes and similar products
Five minutes are poured into the system before replacing the used oil. Their use is due to the ability to restore the cleaning ability of old oil. We let the engine idle for a short time: we read the instructions and follow the recommendations. Then we act as usual: drain the waste, change the filter, fill in new oil.
Five minutes have excellent properties that allow you to wash dirt on the crankcase walls without problems. All slags are removed together with used oil. The attitude towards five-minutes among motorists is not unambiguous. There is an opinion that pieces of deposits that fall off the walls clog the oil receiver mesh, channels, filter, which causes the engine to jam. Another common belief is that polymer parts suffer from such products, the engine will definitely leak. However, the product is produced in many countries and is popular.
The conducted studies have shown that even a very dirty lubrication system can be washed with the indicated means almost to its original appearance. True, it may not be necessary to wash once, but multiple times. The aggressiveness of the additives contained in the five-minutes should be pointed out, therefore, the instructions for their use should be strictly followed. If it is said to start the engine and let it idle for 5 minutes, then this must be done strictly.
Quick cleaning should only be used for very dirty engines, in other cases it is better to use other methods.
6 Gentle flushing - using motor oils
The method is considered very gentle and careful. There is no danger of damage to oil seals and gaskets, used and fresh oil are fully compatible. The application is elementary: we use oils that we use constantly or use cheap ones of the same type. After filling, we drive up to 1000 km and merge. After that, the oil is replaced with new oil and the filter is changed.
Detergency from this method is low. Slags are carried out, which managed to break away from the walls earlier, but their main part remains untouched. Or you need to drive a long distance for a long time so that the power unit is gradually washed off dirt. You can again use the same scheme, changing the lubricant first after 1000 km, then after 4-5.
Such step-by-step cleaning effectively removes carbon deposits, sludge, and old oil residues. The use of base oil for flushing is justified because it contains less aggressive detergent active additives than in the flushing agent. The method is expensive, as you will have to make frequent oil changes until a liquid begins to drain that is similar in color and consistency to the new oil.
7 When and what flush to use - our tips
First you need to make sure that flushing is necessary. We remove the oil filler cap, lighting it with a flashlight, we evaluate the condition. If we see a pure metallic sheen, then it should not be washed. The type of parts indicates the same state of the entire system. To flush the engine, you should have good reasons, prevention in this case is useless.
The next step is to check the condition of the oil. Even a used one can say a lot about the state of the lubrication system. We use a drop test. On a piece of porous paper, for example, newspapers, we apply a drop of cold oil from the dipstick. We look at the result: if it quickly blurs with the formation of concentric circles, the engine is clean. We make a replacement without additional cleaning, since the period of use has expired, and the system is clean. The black dot, which does not spread, says that the lubricant needs to be urgently replaced, and if traces of contamination are also visible through the neck, then with flushing.
Experts recommend using combined flushing in this case. First, we use the concentrate, which we add to the used oil. Drain, remove residues with flushing oil, preferably twice. Using additives for long-term cleaning to drive 200 km is dangerous - a heavily contaminated lubricant may not last. Pour half the dose of fresh oil to be used. Let the engine run at idle. Even if dirt remains after flushing procedures and it clogs the channels, the engine will not die at idle: the pressure will simply drop after 1–1.5 hours of idling.
8 Oil and cleaning residues - how to remove completely
Regardless of whether the system was cleaned or just an oil change, there is always some amount of fluid that degrades the quality of the lubricant. These residues should be removed. This can be done in several ways, even in a garage. After draining the old oil, we install a new filter, fill up to two liters of new, start the car and let it idle a little. Drain, install a new filter and fill in the required amount of new oil.
The second method requires a compressor. We insert the hose into the hole of the oil dipstick and pump air under a pressure of 3 atm. Unscrew the drain plug and filter in turn. Cleaning is quite effective, it allows you to blow old oil out of the system. We fill in new grease, which will be diluted with the old one minimally, which will practically not affect its quality.
The oil that we pour into the engine wears out on its own even when the car is quietly in the garage - it oxidizes. Moreover, oil wear is inevitable during the active operation of the engine under serious loads. One of the big tests for an engine can be oil starvation - how to avoid it, the signs and consequences, and how to determine oil starvation, we will find out right now.
What is engine oil starvation?
Due to insufficient lubrication, aluminum almost melted
The lack of lubrication in some units in certain engine operating modes is theoretically called oil starvation.
For obvious reasons, in the absence of lubrication in rubbing nodes, they instantly fail. The danger of oil starvation motor is that it can occur instantly and almost completely destroy the main components of the engine:
- crankshaft,
- camshaft,
- gas distribution mechanism,
- cylinder-piston group,
- other vital and expensive components and assemblies.
Broken camshaft key (due to insufficient lubrication)
On level ground!
Oil starvation does not occur out of the blue , and as a rule, all the fault for a breakdown lies only with the owner of the car or the mechanics who made the repairs. As you know, the oil is in the crankcase in the amount necessary for lubrication and is supplied to the system using an oil pump. In the event that the oil cannot reach individual rubbing nodes, oil starvation occurs. There can be many reasons for this.
How to identify oil starvation
It was immediately obvious that the engine was "starved of oil"
First, about the definition of engine oil starvation, since the range of symptoms is quite wide - from a drop in engine power to overheating, extraneous noises and knocks. All this indicates the wear of certain components characteristic of each engine. For example, in the most common overhead gasoline engines, accelerated wear and increased noise during the operation of the gas distribution mechanism are often found.
Consequences
The consequences can be very different - jamming the camshaft, breaking the camshaft, bending the valves, destroying the rocker arms, turning the crankshaft liners, jamming the rings in the sleeve up to the destruction of the pistons.
In addition, oil scraper rings can lie down, which will lead to even greater oil consumption and engine seizure. Gray thick smoke from the exhaust pipe will just indicate a malfunction of the oil scraper rings and high oil consumption.
Causes of oil starvation
The operation of the engine in the oil starvation mode in almost all cases is accompanied by an increased temperature, which must be paid attention to. In addition, the oil pressure in the system may be either very low (as indicated by the oil pressure warning light on the instrument panel) or unstable. All this can be caused by such reasons:
- Insufficient oil level in the sump
. Lubrication is simply not enough to process all plain bearings, there is no oil film, the parts run almost dry. That is why at least once a week, and with active use even more often. In addition, it is necessary to carefully monitor oil leaks and, if necessary, take measures to eliminate leaks.
Oil dipstick in the engine (analogue above, original below). Incorrect dipstick readings may not indicate to the car owner about insufficient lubrication in time.
- Using the wrong viscosity oil . This is a very important point, since, for example, 5w-30 oil, when used in the summer, may not provide the required viscosity, engine lubrication will be insufficient, and pressure at high temperatures may drop critically. To avoid this, you must follow the recommendations of the car manufacturer in choosing engine oils.
- Clogged oil sump
. The oil pump is not able to overcome the resistance of a clogged mesh, so oil cannot be supplied in the right amount and under the right pressure to all nodes. The same applies to clogged oil lines. The ideal way out of this situation is to disassemble and mechanically clean the channels and the oil receiver, flushing agents can only make things worse.
Clogged oil sump
- Irregular or untimely oil and filter changes
. Each brand of oil has its own resource, which must be strictly observed. The lubricant loses most of its lubricating properties during operation and by the end of its service life can be almost completely oxidized and lose viscosity.
Oil filter disassembly
- Wear of oil scraper rings and increased oil consumption . Wear of valve stem seals, crankshaft oil seals will also lead to high oil consumption.
- Poor engine assembly after repair . A competent minder will never use sealant where a simple gasket is enough - the fact is that excess sealant is pressed not only out, but also inside the oil channels, clogging them over time.
- Failure, clogging of the pressure reducing valve of the lubrication system.
- Clogged oil filter.
Video about oil starvation of the engine at high speeds
conclusions
As you can see, there can be plenty of reasons for oil starvation, and in order to prevent a breakdown, you just need to check the oil level from time to time and follow the rules for replacing it, and eliminate leaks in time. Then the engine will last a long time and without expensive repairs. High-quality oil to all and good roads!
Oil change, filter
Oil pollution in the engine occurs continuously, which causes increased wear and premature failure of rubbing parts. The resource and reliability of the internal combustion engine, its power and environmental performance depend on the purity of engine oil.
Contaminants are divided into two main groups: organic and inorganic. Organic impurities are formed as a by-product during the combustion of fuel, as well as thermal decomposition, oxidation and polymerization of oil and fuel. The situation is aggravated by reactions involving sulfur compounds and water.
Inorganic impurities are dust, technological pollution during the manufacture and repair of the engine, particles of mechanical wear of parts, as well as products of spent ash additives.
Oil pollution in diesel engines is more intense than in gasoline and gas engines. Therefore, "diesel" oils are produced with a special package of additives.
The technological process of changing the oil is quite simple and there is no doubt about its necessity:
Purchased oil, filter, flushing
Flushing is poured into the old oil and the engine runs for the allotted time (More details below)
The "old" oil is drained
The filter is changed and "new" oil is poured
Flushing is an important part of the oil change process.
When changing oil without flushing, a significant part of the contaminants remains in the engine, and these are: carbon deposits (soot, sludge, spongy formations), varnishes, paints.
Flushing:
Softens and removes carbon deposits, wear products, carbon deposits
Releases coked piston rings and stuck hydraulic lifters
Cleans oil channels, improving oil circulation
Provides a more complete drain of old oil
Safe for rubber seals, oil seals, valve stem seals
There are 2 types of washes - fast and soft.
Quick flush is poured into the "old" oil immediately before changing the oil and "works" for 5-10 minutes, radically cleaning the engine.
It must be used regularly from the very beginning of the operation of the car. It has a strong washing effect, if such a product is added to the oil of a "slagged" motor, solid mechanical particles can clog the oil receiver mesh, preventing normal oil circulation. And you can remove them from there only when disassembling the engine.
Soft washing is poured into the "old" oil and works in the engine for 200 - 500 km of run before changing the oil, in order to dissolve the accumulated deposits, varnishes, resins.
It is recommended to use "soft" flushes that act for a long time, they are much more careful with car parts. This is especially true for older engines with a large amount of solid deposits, where there is a possibility of chipping large pieces of soot, followed by the formation of dust scuffs and the likelihood of blocking the shaft channels.
Flushing oil may be used. It is more suitable for gasoline units. Flushing oil does not contain antifoam additives and foams easily. If the diesel engine is not of its first youth, then this foam is often sucked into the engine intake manifold through the crankcase ventilation hose, which can disable the latter.
Once flushed, the new filter and oil work more efficiently, extending engine life.
Oil drain
There are two ways to drain the oil:
Through the drain pipe installed in the oil pan
"suck" with a vacuum unit through the oil dipstick hole
Method one: drain
An important rule: before the procedure, the engine must be warmed up to operating temperature, otherwise mechanical impurities will remain at the bottom. Then you need to remove the old filter element. after the unit stops, a slight reverse flow of oil is observed, as a result of which dirt particles in the oil filter return to the crankcase. After that, you can unscrew the drain plug of the oil pan. In order for the old oil to completely drain from the crankcase, you must wait about 10 minutes! After completely removing the remaining oil, you need to wrap the drain plug, after carefully wiping it with a clean cloth. To avoid leakage from the system, it is advisable to install a new gasket on the plug at each oil change.
Second way: vacuum
The advantages of this method of draining the oil - it is environmentally friendly, does not allow accidental release of oil into the environment
The disadvantages of this method are that not all oil is removed from the crankcase, approximately 250 ml of dirty, used oil remains in the oil pump and oil receiver. The negative impact of incomplete oil extraction can be reduced by placing the vehicle on an inclined surface. If the car is tilted (usually backwards), it is possible to improve the flow of old oil to the inner hole of the oil dipstick channel and thereby increase the amount of lubricant removed from the system.
Oil filter replacement
Wipe the seating surface on the engine block with a clean cloth
Lubricate the o-ring of the new filter with clean oil so that the seal is not damaged when it is tightened.
Some servicemen suggest pouring about 1 cup of fresh oil into it before installing the filter.
This is not recommended for several reasons:
It is much easier for the oil pump to remove excess air from the system if the filter element is dry.
when installing the filter, part of the oil from it will inevitably spill out into the engine compartment, staining it. Subsequently, dirt will begin to stick to the oil stain and the engine will have to be washed
Oil filling
This procedure is best done with the probe extended. When the required amount of oil has already been poured into the engine (it is indicated in the technical documentation of the car), it is necessary to measure its level using a dipstick.
If the oil level is slightly above the "maximum" mark, it does not matter, after starting the engine, the oil channels will fill up and it will return to normal.
The first start of the power unit after changing the oil is a very responsible matter. The oil system is not yet filled and the lubricant cannot instantly get to all rubbing surfaces. When the ignition is turned on, the oil pressure warning lamp reminds of insufficient oil.
In order to protect the engine as much as possible from wear due to oil starvation, it is better to “turn the starter” for 5-7 seconds at the first start so that the pump can “pump” oil through the system. For this purpose, you can specifically turn off the ignition or fuel supply system so that the engine does not start ahead of time.
In a car with a diesel engine, it is problematic to start with a delay, so in this case we recommend not to increase the speed until the oil pressure warning light goes out. After letting the engine run at idle for about 1 minute, it is necessary to turn it off and, if necessary, add oil to the desired level, guided by the dipstick.
About engine oil compatibility
The question of compatibility includes three: the compatibility of the same type of mineral or synthetic oils, or the compatibility of mineral and synthetic oils.
Mineral oil bases are compatible, but additive compatibility remains an issue that needs to be checked when developing a new oil grade. Various synthetic fluids (non-motor) are generally not compatible.
The American Petroleum Institute in its standards for motor oils specifies all their properties designed to ensure minimal engine wear, fuel consumption, reduce environmental pollution, etc.
It also strictly regulates the compatibility of manufactured or newly developed oils with existing and reference oils. No self-respecting company will allow itself to put on the market an engine oil that does not meet the API standard in at least one item or without having passed the full range of tests required by this standard.
Any engine oil that is about to be released is tested for compatibility with six reference oils. Tests include deep and long-term cooling of mixtures, high-temperature heating, holding at high temperature, subsequent repeated cooling, then taking rheological characteristics, building calorimetric curves, analyzing homogeneity and precipitation.
Tests are carried out with mineral and synthetic oils, high and low grades, diesel and gasoline. If the result of these tests is positive, subsequent tests are carried out, including expensive motor ones, if there is no oil, the candidate is suspended from further tests.
The oil will be on the market only if it meets this standard in all respects.
Conclusion: there can be no incompatible motor oils in the market for high-quality lubricants that truly comply with API. This statement has been proven for decades on the roads of Europe and America.
Another thing is that you need to be careful in this matter. Fake oils of well-known brands that appear on the market, the addition of dubious additives to the engine by the consumer, indeed often lead to negative consequences, manifested in the formation of clots, soot formation, gelation, followed by clogging of oil channels and engine shutdown.
This is already the current experience of many motorists who cannot always establish the true cause of such phenomena, attributing them to the incompatibility of mixed oils.
Many do not attach importance to the cleanliness of the crankshaft oil channels, or simply do not know how to properly clean them. This operation is also very important because when grinding the crankshaft to the repair size of the liners, abrasive and processing products (metal dust) get into the oil channels. If after that you do not thoroughly rinse the oil channels of the crankshaft, then at the first start of the engine, the remaining dirt can do a lot of trouble, at best, it will simply greatly reduce the life of the engine. And all the expensive repairs may be in vain. Therefore, thorough flushing of the internal cavities of the crankshaft is very important. How to do it correctly, we will consider in this article.
You should also know that the crankshaft oil channels, in addition to their function of supplying oil to friction pairs (crankshaft journals and liners), also serve to trap dirt particles (in special cavities) that can pass through the filter (very small ones) using centrifugal force particles). While the pressure reducing valve is open (I advise about oil valves), or the quality of the oil filter is not very good, dirt particles entering the crankshaft channels are thrown from the center of the shaft to the connecting rod journals with the help of centrifugal force, in which, as I said, there are special cavities closed by technological plugs (plugs).
There were times when dirt completely clogged the oil channels, and from this, naturally, friction pairs began to work dry and quickly failed. This usually happens when drivers save on branded oil filters by buying them cheaper on the market. And even if the motor lived up to the capital without breakdowns, then a lot of deposits were found in the crankshaft. From this, in addition to the risk of blocking the oil channels, the balance of the crankshaft was also disturbed, because the dirt, with sufficient deposition, weighs tens of grams and is deposited unevenly. As a result, engine vibration occurs, and the life of the main bearings is sharply reduced.
From the foregoing, I think the importance of cleaning the crankshaft channels is understandable, but how to open and clean them correctly? To begin with, I will say that there are two types of technological plugs. The first ones are threaded (reusable) - for example, in the crankshafts of a Dnepr motorcycle or a Volga car, old foreign cars. Plugs of the second type are pressed into the shaft neck with an interference fit (one-time use) - for example, in Zhiguli or most foreign cars. Let's consider them separately.
Threaded plugs (of the first type), before unscrewing them, you need to sharpen the hole from the core (conveniently with a drill, or with a small chisel), since after twisting on some motorcycles and old cars they are cored for fidelity. On the Volga, for example, punching is not used, but they simply wrap with a certain moment - 4.0 - 4.2 kgf / m (but still, many mechanics also core them). If there is a punching, then removing it, unscrew the plug with an internal hexagon by 14 (on the Volga), see photo 1, or with a powerful screwdriver (on a Dnepr motorcycle).
On a Volga car, for example, there are two plugs on each side of the connecting rod journal (eight in total). Having unscrewed everything, first with a screwdriver (you can use a drill - photo 3), and then with a metal brush we clean the cavity of the connecting rod neck from dirt, and then, to be sure, fill it with some kind of solvent (I advise acetone or Dreumex Solu-Cleaner, a proprietary softener of deposits) and let it sour a little hours. After that, we pour out all the blackness from the cavities and then I advise you to use a detergent (you can use a water-based one), which should wash the channels and cavities under pressure. To do this, you can use the simplest home-made "Kercher", described by me here in After washing with detergent, we blow and at the same time dry the channels and cavities with compressed air (compressor). It remains to clean the plugs themselves and their threads from dirt, using a metal brush, or the same attachment for a drill, grinder. The last operation is screwing clean plugs into place, using, with a moment of 4.0 - 4.2 kgf / m.
On Dnepr motorcycles, after washing the crankshaft channels, be sure to remember to disassemble and rinse the centrifuge that replaces the oil filter. It usually has a lot of dirt in it. The same advice is useful for owners of Zaporozhets, or old Volkswagen Beetles.
Plugs of the second type are pressed into the shaft neck and are not reused (new ones are used and they are on sale). These plugs are more difficult to remove than Type 1 plugs, but it's possible. To do this, they must be loosened in their seat (photo 5). Hitting with a hammer through a steel tap (steel rod) along the edges of the plug (we knock alternately, then on one edge, then on the opposite), we slightly warp the plug in its place, and when it loosens, we remove it. You can turn the crankshaft upside down, and lightly tapping on the neck with a copper hammer, we make sure that the loosened plug falls out from the blows. If there are difficulties with the extraction, then you can heat the shaft neck a little (but not much). Plugs of this type are usually installed one on each crankshaft journal (four in total).
Cavities and channels are cleaned in the same way as on the crankshaft with plugs of the first type. After cleaning, washing and purging, we insert new plugs and with a mandrel with light blows of a hammer, we press in new plugs until they stop. Of course, in this case it is better to use a special mandrel, on which the plug is put on, and then the plug, together with the mandrel, is inserted into its seat and pressed in. The mandrel can be bought together with the plugs (it happens in a set for sale), and if you can’t find it in the store, you can also order a turner.
Tool for pressing in a new crankshaft cap. a - a cork, b - a mandrel for pressing a cork, c - a mandrel for expanding a cork, d - a tetrahedral core, but you can also use a regular one.
When you press in the plugs, they will still need to be flared along the edge (to be sure). For flaring, a special mandrel with a ledge is also used (see photo 8). Well, in the end, as they say, to calm the soul, we punch the plugs with a center punch in three or four places.
And the last tip. Before buying new plugs, measure the plug seats in your crankshaft (inner diameter), and when you buy the plugs themselves, then measure their outer diameter. The preload during pressing should be 0.3 mm (the outer diameter of the plugs is 0.3 mm larger than the inner diameter of the bore in the shaft journal). Free landing is not allowed here.
In general, stubs of the second type, I personally do not like it. There is more fiddling with them, both when removing the old ones and when pressing in the new ones. Another thing is the plugs of the first type, which are threaded. And it is easy to work with them, and the reliability of their fit is quite high. And you don’t need to look for new ones on sale, as the old ones are screwed into place. I think that the designers who came up with the idea of pressing in the plugs, instead of landing on the thread, probably had nothing to do, so they came up with an extra hemorrhoid.
Well, that seems to be all the nuances in this case. I hope this article will help beginners who decide to overhaul the engine of their car or motorcycle themselves. Well, and most importantly, it will help to correctly clean the crankshaft oil channels, which, as many have understood, is very important for the health of the engine; good luck to everyone!
