We once came across a comment from a motorcycle owner/mechanic who to have mixed gasoline in his motorcycle engine to flush the old engine oil.
More surprisingly, there were readers who followed in his footsteps.
What will happen if we did that?
It is true that engine oil will thin out when mixed with petrol, making it easier to remove. BUT, mixing gasoline in the engine is something that should NOT be done at all.
This is because there will be residual engine oil already mixed with petrol left in the engine, especially in the cylinder head and valve train areas, as well as anywhere there are small recesses, even after we drained the old oil. Therefore, the new oil will be mixed with the remaining oil that was mixed with petrol. As a result, the new engine oil is as good as being adulterated.
Apart from that, there is a film of oil that covers the moving parts. Petrol will remove this film, causing in friction between the metal surfaces before the new oil reaches these components. This is especially important between piston rings and cylinders, between gears, piston pins, rocker arm rollers, cam lobes, connecting rod bearings , camshafts, and more. All these parts are oiled when assembled, and this shows how important the oil film is.
In addition, petrol is not environmentally friendly, nor is it friendly to rubber and gaskets. Sooner or later, the gaskets will break and the oil will leak.
Some say, “I’ve done it before but it’s ok.” Yes, we may not feel any damage initially, but believe us, problems will arise later on. You will know the pain when you need to overhaul the engine.
Therefore, DO NOT mix petrol with the engine oil. Instead, use specialised flushing products for the task. For example: Use a screwdriver to drive the screw in, not a hammer.
Another note: You do not need to flush your vehicle’s engine if there is no trace of sludge. However, if do you want to clean the engine’s internal components, regardless, you would be better off by disassembling and overhauling the engine.
