Over 1400 miles into the clean phase now. Looks like ARX is doing some serious cleaning and carbon removal. My pillar mounted vacuum gauge, also clearly shows that ring seal has continued to improve, since things began to level off about 700 miles ago.
The oil on the dipstick has never before looked the way it does now. It is super dark, reddish brown, with tiny black particles dispersed evenly in suspension throughout. I believe the black granules are carbon traces. The decoking of the ring packs would account for the improved AM vacuum readings, and this is just what I was hoping for. I am super impressed with ARX so far. :D
Question: I know it is OK to change filters, at the halfway mark during the rinse phase, but I don't know if I can change my filter during the clean phase. Is it OK to change my filter at this point?
Craig in Canada, over at BITOG, posted this in response to the same question. Can't believe this didn't occur to me.
"I would think that visible black particles should be trapped by your filter. Their presence in the oil might mean your filter is on bypass more than it should be."
Of course this means ARX is really working great though.
I am 1400 miles into the 3000 mile clean phase. I changed the filter this morning and cut open the old one. I have never had a filter look all black and grainy like that before.
The drain back passage to the filter is now sparkling clean. The cam, as viewed through the oil fill port, and even the inside of the 710 cap, are both looking much better now also.
I would invest in some more filters, during the clean phase I was changing filters about every 500 miles, when the engine looses power and the temp gauge is going up it is time to change the filters, I am on the Maintenance Dose now and have already changed the filter twice, you are cleaning out a lot of junk and your filters can only hold so much junk, just changed the filter on my Kawasaki walk behind mower that had a Maintenance Dose of Auto-Rx and the small filter was rather heavy, this is a great product that really works, good luck on the rinse phase.
Saw you over at BITOG. Hoosier gal knows her stuff.
No disrespect intended to all the kerosene and solvent engine flush fans. I doubt that stuff can decoke ring packs like ARX does though.
I am only 1400 miles into the 3000 mile clean phase. I changed the filter this morning and cut open the old one, and I have never had a filter look all black and grainy like that before.
The drain back passage to the filter is now sparkling clean, and the cam, as viewed through the oil fill port, is really cleaning up now. I have a pillar mounted Autometer boost/vacuum gauge, and absolute manifold vacuum has increased by 1"Hg since beginning the ARX clean phase. So ARX is actually decoking the ring packs, on my 3.0L V6, with over 120,000 miles on it! I also no longer have a trace of hydraulic lash adjuster clatter anymore either.
This Auto-RX stuff is amazing! I don't sell the stuff, and I get nothing for telling you guys about this. I finally tried it because others reported the same thing, and I am super glad they bothered to recommend it.
Sorry oilgal, your engine compartment photo did not come across in my cut and paste job from BITOG.
But the real story here is what can't be seen just looking under the hood. Folks spend alot of time and money on the outwards appearance of their daily drivers. But the real silent killers of vehicle value and longevity are hiding out of sight in the internal lubrication systems. Thanks for your very insightful posts.
Thanks Richone. Lets see if the pics post this time.
Though it was clean outside I knew it really needed to be cleaned inside, because the absolute manifold vacuum was just barely acceptable, indicating ring pack coking, and it was beginning to get hydraulic lash adjuster clatter also.
So I bought ARX, and I am so glad I did. Obviously running Mobil1 and doing short 3k OCIs, was not enough to clean out leftover deposits from the cheap oil used by the dealer, during the 5/50 warranty period. ARX was the only thing that has begun to clean that up. I just can't wait for the rinse period!
I just realized something. Frank PM'd me at BITOG and asked me for the text you posted above Richone, and he also asked me for the pictures you referred to.
I am shocked that Frank has abused my trust, by misusing what I gave him in this way, by passing our private communication on to you, not even bothering to tell me what he intended to do with my words and pictures. I feel like I have been blindsided by the media or something.
So "the real story" according to you, is that I foolishly wasted a lot of time and money, on the mere outward appearance of my engine? Those aren't "dress up" mods though, and the fact that I bought ARX proves I was aware my engine needed internal cleaning. I decided to try it before resorting to a rebuild.
My 3.0L V6 makes a dyno verified 30 CHP over stock, with just boltons, and it gets 5 mpg better than rated for stock, even when I put my foot in it. None of what you see is just for looks, and when I turbo this engine, in the next few months, it will all pay off big time. I strongly resent the inference that I have a 'riced out' my vehicle.
That's isn't paint on my throttle body, custom aluminum spacers, plenum and lower intake manifold. That is professionally applied ceramic titanium heat transfer coating. It keeps the entire air intake tract cool, so my engine breathes cooler denser air, which is all brought in, from outside the engine compartment, through my ram air cowl induction.
I bought ARX mainly over the good testimony about it decoking ring packs, because about the only other way to decoke ring packs, is to do a tear down to soak and clean the pistons. So I tried ARX and thankfully it worked.
ARX is a great product. I have to say though that Frank can be a bit surly and inconsiderate TO HIS LIFEBLOOD, [b ]that is we his customers, on BITOG and here alike. This latest stunt of his though, misrepresenting my words for his own personal gain, without regard for the facts or how this may have affected me, is just plain obviously wrong.
We, your customers, are the only reason ARX makes you any money Frank. Sadly you really don't seem to grasp this.
I sent you this e-mail "HI CAN YOU E-MAIL ME YOUR TEXT AND PHOTOS WOULD LIKE TO PUT THEM UP ON http://WWW.AUTO-RX.COM (AUTO_RX@BELLSOUTH.NET0 THANKS FRANK
Here is your answer "Dou mean this one Frank?
No disrespect intended to all the kerosene and solvent engine flush fans. I doubt that stuff can decoke ring packs like ARX does though.
I am only 1400 miles into the 3000 mile clean phase. I changed the filter this morning and cut open the old one, and I have never had a filter look all black and grainy like that before.
The drain back passage to the filter is now sparkling clean, and the cam, as viewed through the oil fill port, is really cleaning up now. I have a pillar mounted Autometer boost/vacuum gauge, and absolute manifold vacuum has increased by 1"Hg since beginning the ARX clean phase. So ARX is actually decoking the ring packs, on my 3.0L V6, with over 120,000 miles on it! I also no longer have a trace of hydraulic lash adjuster clatter anymore either.
This Auto-RX stuff is amazing! I don't sell the stuff, and I get nothing for telling you guys about this. I finally tried it because others reported the same thing, and I am super glad they bothered to recommend it.
Here is my 3.0l engine bay. Click to enlarge. Photos not applicable.
What more did i have to ask for your permission to put your comments on the Auto-Rx forum? Frank
Can't you even conceive of what I am talking about? Or, are you trying to change the subject, or something?
You didn't say you wanted to put it on the forum. You said you wanted to put it on your main website. I could have put it on your forum here. There was no reason for you to ask me to send you the text and pictures in email for that.
Why did you have Richone pretend that he copied it from BITOG?
One other thing Frank. You also altered my response to your email that you quote above. I certainly didn't write .... "Dou mean this one Frank? .... ."
Don't forget, that I have copies of all of our emails and PMs, and I have screen captures of this thread also. You can't just rewrite history to suit your purposes. People are smarter than you think.
Why all the deception and callous disregard Frank? Don't you realize that such public displays of deceit and callous disregard are bad for business?
I was just grateful for your wonderful product and wanted to help get the word out. I didn't even hold you to your promise, to send me free ARX for joining your forum, because I didn't feel you owed me anything. All I ask is of others is honesty and a little basic human decency. That's not too much to ask.
I dont think you are who you say you are first the outer appearance of the engine looks great but ARX works in the inside of the engine it takes 15 minutes to pull the valve cover on my Dodge Caravan 3.3 engine I will post the photos later today and you will see what ARX does for an engine with 185.000 miles on it. You gave Frank permission to post your photos and comments what more do you want?
Perhaps you trolled on the wrong web site please keep your comments civil and respectful let this be a warning.
You don't think I am who I say am? I don't understand that at all. All I have done is rave about ARX on BITOG and here alike. Please read this thread again. I am not angry about Frank using my words and pictures. I think it obvious that is not the issue here. Please read what I wrote again.
Below are your comments Richone did copy from BITOG and your comments to Frank. I did read your comments again please keep your comments civil and respectful.
Daryl
(One other thing Frank. You also altered my response to your email that you quote above. I )certainly didn't write .... "Dou mean this one Frank? .... ."
(Why did you have Richone pretend that he copied it from BITOG?)
I am being very civil under the circumstances. Did you notice that Frank did not deny that Richone did that on his behalf?
You have ignored my question, about your accusation, that I am some sort of troll "who is not who I say I am".
I don't understand that at all. Who do you guys think I really am anyway? I have never been on your forum under a different name or anything like that. So what is that all about?
I was trying to answer Gary's question on BITOG. I can't though because they banned me. WTH? Why am I being treated like this? So I will answer it here.
Gary Allan at BITOG wrote, "Without going through the whole thing, can I assume that you have some grievance with Frank about taking something that you posted here and using it on Auto-Rx's forum??
Since I tend to be the type that tries to avoid upset (not to be confused with controversy) ..is there such a stretch from linking to this post from a million other places on the internet?
Just trying to understand what's got you so torqued here."
Hi Gary, :)
Here it is in a nutshell.
Frank the ARX guy PM'd here yesterday. He sent me his email address, and he asked me to email him the text and pictures I used, in a post here, about how ARX is decoking the ring packs in my 3.0 Caravan.
He said he wanted to use it on his main webpage, as evidenced by the link to his main webpage that he included in his email, not his forum. I thought he was going to use it in his testimonial section. I mean 'hecks beck' I could have posted it on his forum. There was no reason to ask me to email him the pics if that is what he wanted.
Then last night I see on his forum, a post made in my thread there, by one of his people named Richone. His post though polite, very strongly inferred, that I had wasted a lot of time and money merely making my engine look good on the outside, while ignoring it's actual condition. That's him "politely" calling me a ricer.
Bear in mind, that after sending Frank the pictures and text he asked me to email him, I asked him what he was going to do with it, and I also politely asked him to send me a link to what he did with it also. Frank ignored those questions and my request however. I assumed he was just busy. But then I see the afore mentioned post. Now his forum admin, has even accused me of "not being who I say I am". That doesn't even make any sense!
Gary please just go ahead and read the stuff I cut&pasted before. It looks bigger than it is being mostly free space. It would take you all of 3 minutes, and then you would be up to speed.
I mean none of this was necessary. Why did they do me like that? All I have ever done is rave about ARX both here and over there. WTH?
My mistake. I wasn't banned at BITOG after all. My thread there is just being cleaned up is all. All the stuff from here will be removed apparently. Seems reasonable to me. I wonder if I will be banned here, for my civil expressions of shock and hurt feelings, about what was done to me.
I still highly recommend ARX. None of this has any bearing on what a terrific product ARX is.
I have said all I have to say about this. Thank you for letting me have my say.
PS
I am who I say I am by the way. You know I still don't get that. Who was I claiming to be anyway? Seems to me, I would claim to somebody powerful or famous, if I was going to do something like that.
Then last night I see on his forum, a post made in my thread there, by one of his people named Richone. His post though polite, very strongly inferred, that I had wasted a lot of time and money merely making my engine look good on the outside, while ignoring it's actual condition. That's him "politely" calling me a ricer.
(BIG SMILE) That's not how I read it. I read it as Richone saying that the images did him no good due to the Auto-Rx working on the inside. More or less "Well, they're nice images of a nice van ..but ...errr ..what's this got to do with Auto-Rx?
Now, I would offer, this could inspire a like reaction ...since you didn't offer the images as any proof of utility of Auto-Rx ...just showing the care and interest you take in your minivan ...the subject vehicle. In many cases we can be irritated by the rhetorically obvious in a "as though I didn't know that" kinda way.
I doubt that Richone had any intent or realization that his comment would be taken in such light. As you can see, the internet is a somewhat blind environment ..where static words can sometimes mean a number of different things to different people.
I think this is merely a misinterpretation of a number of things and some misunderstandings of a few others. I would think it best to just put all of it aside and move on.
The problem with internet forums is without voice tonality and body language cues, certain things can be misinterpreted.
From what I read from Richone's post, he is simply saying, thanks for the pictures of the van, it looks nice under there (which it really does btw, good job ), buuuuuut, as for showing what auto-rx has actually done for cleaning your engine, they dont show anything as all the cleaning is internal.
The problem with all internal lubrication and cleaning is it is subjective. I.e. a person "feels" its different or better than before. Whilst this is a great indicator for the individual who knows they're car inside out, for the rest of the world reading about the product how would they know any different? Thats why in these cases a picture of the cleaning taking place really is worth a thousand words.
Maybe there should be a forum sticky of guidelines for taking actual proof of auto rx's cleaning ability (such as before and after shots of the valvetrain, additional pictures of oil filters during clean phases etc.) to prevent confusion in the future and to build a library of pictures showing auto rx in action.
But thanks for the input and all your writing oilgal as believe it or not it was one of your posts on bitog that made me take a look at this product in the first place so thank you!! So as that is the case...... can you pay the extra $20 for the additional Mobil 1 im having to buy with all the rubbish in my engine being removed??
There is a bitog member named Frank Not The ARX Guy If I hear from him regarding his thinking your using his name. I am pulling this string. Your not helpful and your agenda is not of interest.
3.0 Caravan ARX treatment. Thanks geeaea. I know you're only trying to help, but I think it better if we just let this episode of Frank Is The ARX Guy fade into the past.
Knightkiller wrote, ... "But thanks for the input and all your writing oilgal as believe it or not it was one of your posts on bitog that made me take a look at this product in the first place so thank you!!"
Thanks for the kind words. I am glad my BITOG posts helped you to try ARX. It really is a great product. As for all the other stuff, well, stuff happens. To be clear though. I only sent Frank those pictures because he asked me for them.
Oilgal if your unable or unwilling to post responsibly pro or or con than do as you posted leave this forum. We always ask people to join Auto-Rx forum and for the most part it has been a good avenue for all.