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Question about additives.....

hi pinion

hi pinion

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So what is the general rule of thumb on adding aditives to a motor? What milage do you start at? 100k? I got a service truck with plenty of kick left to it at 100k. I was just wondering at what milage do you start adding stuff? :)
 
:) Some stuff to the oil, man. :D I was thinking i wasnt going to, because you have to keep adding the stuff over and over once you start, right?Oh yeah, lucas
 
Oil works just fine. I wouldnt mess with additives, theyre a waste of $. If you need to spend more $, synthetic oil is a proven improvement. 6 qts Mobil1 for $25 at Costco.
 
i dont think there is a milage when u start it. i would think earlier the better? unless ur trying to put additives in it that will kill the engine, i think u can start whenever you want? dont quote me tho
 
IMHO additives are for lazy people who don't ever check or change their oil. There is nothing wrong with good old motor oil. Just pick a good brand and the proper viscosity for your application and change it every 3000 miles along with a new filter and you're good to go. :thumb:
 
The only additive I use is Slick50. My '95 C1500 has 186,000+ miles and still has as much oil pressure as the day it was new. I change the (Valvoline) oil every 3000 miles and it's still transparent like new oil (not black).
 
4X4HIGH said:
IMHO additives are for lazy people who don't ever check or change their oil. There is nothing wrong with good old motor oil. Just pick a good brand and the proper viscosity for your application and change it every 3000 miles along with a new filter and you're good to go. :thumb:
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I would agree 100%. If the motor was taken care of then it probably shouldn't need any additives. I got a sticky lifter one time with my old 350 and added some slick 50, which did help but I would think using a good oil and changing it when needed from the beginning of the engine's life will prevent gunk from building up and excessive wear that causes stuff like small engine problems.
 
If the motor has never been run with synthetic, I'd stick with dead dinosaur (unless you can get a heavier weight synthetic). It's been my experience that synthetic (as good as it is) will really loosen up worn parts in the engine, if I get a vehicle new I run synthetic, but with my K5 I use regular oil in it, no need to amplify the fact that the motor just pushed 100k
 
hi pinion said:
:) Some stuff to the oil, man. :D I was thinking i wasnt going to, because you have to keep adding the stuff over and over once you start, right?Oh yeah, lucas
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Don't mess with Lucas... I'm assuming you're talking about the oil stabilizer product. all it does is thicken the oil, and the combustion temps expose the poor shear stability of the ingredients. After a few hours of operation, the product just ends up in the bottom of the pan, so the claim of "dry start protection" is pretty much out the window . Also makes sludge, leaves deposits, and dilutes the additive package already in the oil.

Think about it.. Lucas gives away so much sponsorship money and the product is so cheap, how effective can it be?

What is your goal with an additive? Are you after reduced wear so the dd lives longer, extended oil changes to save money, or are you after better heat management in a high perf application?

Tom
 
Only if it needs it...

I use Lucas,Motor Medic,or STP in old clunkers that smoke or guzzle oil rapidly--never in a "good" motor with decent oil pressure or no smoking...I feel adding it to a "good" motor does more harm than good--that stuff is made to "fill in" worn spots and high clearance bearings and other parts--put it in a "tight" motor,and it might actually STARVE some parts of oil and make more wear instead of less!..I use it on a motor that should be re-ringed or rebuilt,but I'm too lazy to fix right,or the vehicle is on its last legs anyway..I would not just start using it because the oddometer hit 100,000 miles... :crazy:
 
Any one got any 1st hand exp. with "Restore"? I know that "2 guy's garage" toots about it all the time (but they are a sponser)
I got a 350 with 335000 on the ticker and it smokes blue a little untill it's all warmed up. Just not planing on re-building it right now, when it goes I have a spair to put in and then I will re-build. So I'm just looking to buy a little time before I have to pull it :o
 
I would not use "Restore"....

I've seen more than a few motors that used "Restore"--they looked like a quart of silver aluminum paint was dumped in the oil--and it collected in the oil pump screen and the pan...more than one of the owners of theese engines blamed the "restore" for its ultimate demise...its made of copper,silver,and lead particles that supposedly get sqished into the "worn" scuffed areas of cylinders and pistons,and bearings--and "heal" the scratches! :surepal: :screwy:
If you believe that,I have a nice peice of ocean front property in arizona for you!....I dont think pouring powdered metal into any motor would do it any good...but I can gaurantee it WILL do harm!..how some of theese procucts stay around so long is beyond me!..I'd use thicker oil or an "oil thickener" like Lucas or Motor Medic before I'd add any powdered metal to my crankcase..

.Most of theese "miracle" products use big name endorsements to get folks to buy them(--hey,Richard Petty uses it--it MUST be good,right?)--NOPE!--they just let them use their name and likeness for a fee,and since they sponsor their race cars,of COURSE they will put it in the cars and say it helped them win races..most of it is advertising BS--like the other "Prolong" commercials that drain out the oil and drive to LA from Texas--ya RIGHT!...I don't care WHAT you had in the motor before you drained the oil--NO WAY ANY motor will run for very long empty! :crazy:
 
Geargrinder said:
Any one got any 1st hand exp. with "Restore"? I know that "2 guy's garage" toots about it all the time (but they are a sponser)
I got a 350 with 335000 on the ticker and it smokes blue a little untill it's all warmed up. Just not planing on re-building it right now, when it goes I have a spair to put in and then I will re-build. So I'm just looking to buy a little time before I have to pull it :o
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That blue smoke is oil getting past your worn valve stem seals when the motor sits, and then combusting on start up.. any additive that claims to fix that is really just a chemical that will swell the seals.. it'll work for awhile, then leak worse. All of those oils designed for high mileage cars are really just seal swellers, and a failure waiting to happen. You're better off ignoring it, or fixing it right. WRT to restore, It's crap, just like prolong and all the others. Just solid material with a mineral oil carrier. does lovely things when exposed to combustion temps, as diesel4me said.

Tom
 
If the motor has never been run with synthetic, I'd stick with dead dinosaur (unless you can get a heavier weight synthetic). It's been my experience that synthetic (as good as it is) will really loosen up worn parts in the engine, if I get a vehicle new I run synthetic, but with my K5 I use regular oil in it, no need to amplify the fact that the motor just pushed 100k
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I started using Mobil1 10w30 on my '90 'Burb at 200K. No problems, no leaks, no burning of oil, no drop in oil pressure. I hope my motor goes past 300K, its at 220 now and running strong. I would like higher compression pistons, a bigger cam and a stroker crank though...
 
I have been running Valvoline Max Life for about 1-1/2 years now. I know it just swells the seals, but if that is all that you ever use, it could help a high mileage engine last longer.
 
Thanks guys, I didn't know all that about the Restore :blush: I figuered it was my valve seals, cause it never smokes when I get on it after warm up. I think I will just leave it be for now till I have time to swap it out.
 
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