ATF for engine flush
It was requested by another member to do a poll in a recent off the rails thread to see what others think about doing this, it was stated a few times that his engine is cleaner than anyone else on here because it was filled with 2 gallons of pure ATF and ran for 30 minutes... 2 different times.
I mentioned a few points on why doing that was not a good idea for the engine and even posted a link to a reputable oil company explaining some reasons, but was met with an "opinionated argument" as to why that is all nonsense because a “wise” mechanic told him to do it. Keep in mind, the old DIY way of doing this was to add about 1 qt of ATF to the existing oil and run it for a short time before an oil change, just like any other engine flush product, NOT filling the engine with 100% ATF and running it for half an hour.
Most members on here know a lot about engine oils and their additives, that ATF does not have, to protect against wear & extreme pressures such as cam/lifter wear as well as detergent additives that are much stronger than ATF since ATF isnt designed for internal combustion uses, its hydraulic fluid. There is no zinc/phos (zddp) in ATF and with all the fuss about cam/lifter protection, I was surprised nobody commented on that when it was mentioned, bet the cam and lifters loved pure ATF!
The poll is to vote for using 100% ATF in an engine. 1 qt of ATF diluted in the oil. Using a real engine flush intended for that purpose or products like MMO or seafoam etc & following the simple instruction on the can. or, just using a good oil and changing it as needed? Feel free to add any comments on the reasons using pure ATF is a good or bad idea.
Last edited by 78w72; 12-15-2023 at 11:48 AM.
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