Very regular oil changes DO make a big difference

[EddieJ]

So it’s been said quite a few times on here about the book service interval on these engine being too long.
Whilst doing something else on one of them I had the rocker cover off and took a pic for reference, and took to compare with the other I photographed when doing its timing chain about two years ago. Two 1.6 156 engines both with 60k (+/- few hundred) on them. One I’ve had quite a few years and have always ‘over serviced’ and the other not had so long and it had a book service history until I got it (Now it too gets over serviced - every 6k or 12 months). The difference is something else and if I hadn’t taken a moment to compare the pictures I wouldn’t have believed it.

Looking closely at one, I see replacement cams, rollers etc in the near future. When the oil pan is off in July while I do the timing chain it’d be interesting to see what it’s like from the bottom. Can you guess which one I have had, and been over servicing the longest.

As the old adage says, oil is cheaper than an engine (or rebuild). As of now the dirty one has just had a new thermo housing, cross pipe, radiator flow pipe and water pump put on before it gets its rocker cover with new gasket put back on to seal the fluids in where they should be before I start on cleaning the engine.

 

[lfe]

My 156 hp engine has 156,000 km and the rocker cover has never been removed.

At approximately 115,000 km, I replaced the timing chain tensione. It was a simple matter of removing the old one and installing the new one without disassembling anything else.

Since 125,000 km, I've been using 5W40 oil, which makes the engine noticeably quieter than 0W30. I change the oil every 10,000 km.

The turbo was recently replaced.

 

[EddieJ]

I like to (hopefully) be in front of any chain issues so change them before book, although both were past in terms of their years. I am moving the dirtier one up to 5/30 at it next service though, not sure if I will run a cleaner through it yet. In the for it list there is the possibility of cleaning up and removing some of the build up. In the against using engine flush is the possibility of setting something free which may make its way through the engine.

It’s good that you have never had any oil leaks from the hardened rocker gaskets etc, and long may that last. There are lots of people who have had rocker cover seals hardened and leak, oil filter housing seals do likewise and of course the thermostat housing leaks at much lower mileage than yourself.
Did you go for an original turbo, aftermarket or an upgrade?

 

[lfe]

....
Did you go for an original turbo, aftermarket or an upgrade?

At the garage, they offered to install a turbocharger that was just as reliable as the original and more economical, and that's what they installed.

The car isn't leaking oil or coolant, although the throttle body is wet but not dripping; it's oil from the valve cover breather, which it seems quite common in THP engines.

It drinks 1 liter of oil every 3,500 km, but there's no smoke or smell of oil from the exhaust.