Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums Performance Mods Oil / Gas Additive

Hey all,

I've been using Lucas Oil Treatment and their Gas Additive for a couple years. I just ran across an article on THIS stuff and wondered if anyone had any insight on it.

BB


http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/use...amp;match_type=

Its been around for 30-40 years at least.Not sure of the claims it makes.I do remember a chief in the Navy I had swore it keep his valve trains clean even after 100K miles although that was a car back in the 70's.


Pete

Beats me I have heard both arguments some say waste of money, does nothing, others swear by it. I have never used it myself. I don't know about that stuff but we did an experiment with Slick 50 in Auto mechanics class in vo-tech. We ran it through a lawn mower engine then drained all the oil and cut a hole on the crankcase. Bolted in a lexan window and ran it dry. It was still running when I graduated.

I have talked with Amsoil technical personnel about this and they claim that every oil additive that has come on the market they have tested. There has never been a after market additive that helped the oil, with many reducing the oils performance, and some that actually react negatively with the oils additive packing rendering the oil useless.

When I lived in Virgina Beach, VA someone I worked with was into restoring Corvettes. He wanted to change his 1974 Vet over to synthetic oil, but he had also just used Slick 50 in the engine. Amsoil technical informed me that changing over to synthetic would be fine, but that the money spent on the Slick 50 would be wasted, since the syn oil is so highly detergent that within several thousand miles all of the Slick 50 would be cleaned from the engine.

Tom

I’ve seen several demonstrations for these additives, and several SEEM to make a good point. The one I saw of Lucas products SEEM to should an enhanced ability to both flow and adherence to the internals. However, I firmly believe that the best protection is frequent/timely scheduled lubrication changes using the prescribed grades of lubricants and filters. Nothing protects against millions of tiny microns of dirt and metal floating about in a sea of dirty oil. The one exception may be when you have a neglected piece of rotating equipment in which the internals are severely contaminated. Using some of these additives may be of some service as a detergent supplement – two of which come to mind are Sea-Foam and Reslone – Both of which I feel should only be used for a brief time as a cleaning agent, as I believe both will severely dilute the viscosity of the lubricant (i.e., to be used as a flush).

Since I don't really have the technical background I'm not really one to say but it seems to me that every quart of any additive used to replace an actual quart of oil is anywhere from 3.50 to 8.00 worth of oil NOT sold by the companies that make the oil. The strength of the Amsoil tech's argument comes from them not making any oil additives I suppose, but then, I have no idea what price point looks like for this stuff overall. The Lucas stuff I use is cheaper per quart than Amsoil's oil (Least it was when I checked last) so I'm guessing unless they produced it and charged MORE, they'd lose money. I've been using Valvoline's 4-Stroke stuff at 3.50 a quart and half a quart of Lucas Oil Additive and the bike shifts and sounds better than ever at almost 21k. Still...other companies make additives. What it comes down to is I guess I'm not surprised a company is not recommending their competition's product. I just can't say for sure that that, and not making any themselves, is a lock tight argument that additives categorically don't work.

In reponding to the next post, I can't argue that frequent oil changes are essential to small air cooled engines; I change mine every 1500 to 2000, filters too. My understanding of tech issues are often limited to various platitudes however. I've heard since I was a kid that "the worst thing you can do to your engine is start it", since the oil's all in the bottom of the case and has drained off your internal mechanisms; specially on hot days when these things just sit and bake in the sun. My understanding of the Lucas treatment, which after all is 100% a petroleum distillate product, is that it adheres better to those parts, reducing the damage from dry starts. This stuff spider-webs at like, 80F. It seems that no matter how often you change your oil, you're not solving THAT particular problem.

My primary question actually was the value of this stuff as a gas additive to lubricate the upper pistons, rings and keep the carbs clean and increased milage. I actually should take the short walk out to the shop and check the Lucas gas treatment and see if it makes the same claims but I'm still interested in feedback, primarily on a comparison between the Lucas gas treatment and the Mystery Oil on that. What sparked my curiousity was its dual application character.

BB


http://searchbeamfocus.blogspot.com/2007_04_01_archive.html

Like I said we did the Slick 50 thing when I was in vo-tech in high school. and that was about 26 years ago with regular oil. Then with no oil at all to see if it worked and it was run without any oil for the class time every day for that school year and was still running when I left.

I guess I should add I don't now nor have I ever put anything in my gas or oil, except in my gas ,lead addative for the antiques and octane boost where required.

I've used MMO in my gas for many years in everything from my lawnmower to my outboards. I've never, ever had to re-build an engine. Some cars went 250K and I sold them running. I won't use it as an oil additive. I use it in my gas at every fill. A mechanic friend of mine told me to use it years ago and I've never had engine problems so I keep using. I'm not sure if it helps but it sure doesn't hurt. With the new methanol gas blends and oxygenated gasolines I think a cap full in each tank will help lubricate valves and cylinders. Kinda like adding oil to gas for a 2 stroke but I only add a tiny bit.

Welp...that sounds like an endorsement for oil additives to me. I plan on continuing to use the Lucas stuff. Like you say, somethings workin right.

BB

There's plenty of anecdotal evidence out there. Every can of snake oil has "testimonials" from someone.
Without quantifiable evidence, every claim has to be taken with a grain of salt.
I have, at various times, tried different additives in autos and kept objective records. None of them delivered any increase in fuel mileage or 1/4 mile ETs. I've taken engines apart at over 200k miles that have only had regular oil changes, and they are clean as can be.
The stories about STP gumming up the internals are myriad, and from what I've seen, quite true.
As far as fuel additives, the major brands, Chevron, 76, etc. have additives for cleaning fuel systems in them. They work as well as or better than anything you could add on your own.

owning a towing co and selling parts plus having worked in a junkyard I can say the same as bill.Oil and filter changes are what it takes. I too have disassembled more engines than I can remember and just plain oil is as good as anything if it is changed regularly.

As I used to tell the mechanics that I supervised, "Keep it simple". Synthetic oil, frequent oil changes, and a can of sea foam every other fill.......Angelis

Our clutches use that same motor oil so I would'nt put any kinde of additive in that might lessen clutch preformance.

Amsoil has tested all oil additives and again they have not found one that will help the oil. If additives are used in conjunction with their oil it will void the warranty. Oil manufacturers design oil additive packages to work with their oils to achieve specific goals, and the additives react in specific ways. When you add an unknown it can and has damaged the original design of the oil.

Yes Amsoil is in the business of selling oil, but most of their oils are designed to last 25,000 miles or longer. No after market additive is designed to last this long and thus will shorten the use full life of the oil, which in turn will require more frequent oil changes and thus they would be selling more not less oil.

Now gas additives I can understand. All gas brands do meet the minimum EPA standard for cleaning, but even the EPA standard is a little lacking.

Tom

I'm with Fishercat leave the oil alone, but I add a shot of MMO to every tank of gas and seafoam to the gas once a season

Marvel Mystery Oil has been around since shortly after Otto started selling 4 stroke industrial engines. Now that we are no longer allowed to use real gasoline, it is possible that that stuff might lubricate the lower part of the intake valve stems.
Now, compare today's oils with those of, maybe, 30 years ago. They have about as much in common as silent movies and Hi-Def TV. If there was an additive that would make your engine run for 25K miles between oil changes and half million miles between rebuilds, oil companies would be falling all over themselves to be first to be able to make such claims for their product. Priced at 4X the current oil, the consumer would break even and the oil companies would make the same revenue for 1/4 as much production, making motor oil as profitable as fuel.

Post deleted by Grump

This time of year I start to see a lot of snakes (reptilian) on the road. Most didn't survive their morning bask.
I think I'll start collecting them and squeeze them into some really cheap oil, and call it "Snake Oil All Purpose Engine Additive". I won't even make any claims about it's powers except in the most oblique terms.
Wonder how many will buy it?

how much? gonna cover your seat while you are at it?