It sounds like kebowers knows all the words to the same songs that I know.

I remember seeing engines come apart in the fifties and sixties that had been running Havoline or Amalie. As Mike said the gunk was beyond description. It would sometimes be inside a valve cover as if it the entire cavity had been pumped full of this dull black looking goo.

I don't see this anymore. Of course, I don't see near as many engines apart as I used to, but still this just doesn't seem to happen, even in a neglected engine.

I would imagine that seeing that gunk is what turned me into the crankcase draining maniac that I am today. However, even with the much better oils we have, I still believe that nothing beats frequent and thorough oil changes.

Have a great day,

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Larry Bible
'01 C Class, Six Speed
'84 Euro 240D, manual, 533K miles
'88 300E 5 Speed
'81 300D Daughter's Car
Over 800,000 miles in
Mercedes automobiles