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Maintenance & Repair Fuel and Oil Additives
1246 messages, Last post on Sep 28, 2009 at 7:37 AM
You are in the Maintenance & Repair Forum. Your Host is mr_shiftright
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Replying to: ray80 (Jun 13, 2008 7:06 am)  Yeah I think the topic might still have some value, presenting links to factual data. But we'll see how bad it gets, now that everyone is hysterical about gas prices.
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Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jun 13, 2008 8:00 am) Remember that very few additives on the market have ever had to back up their claims. Slick 50 and other additives with PTFE made a lot of claims that it adhered to the cylinder liners and bearing surfaces to coat them. Dupont (they invented Teflon) and NASA both have made comments that in order for PTFE (teflon) to adhere to anything, special primer agents are required. Some light reading. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/1996/07/slick.shtm As for oil, synthetic is actually pretty good. If you use it, there really isn't any reason to use an additive, if you give your engine proper maintenance. Older engines, synthetics have a tendency to locate minor leaks and make them larger, mainly because synthetics have a tendency to flow better. In those cases, use organic oil. Nothing wrong with organic oils. As for fuel additives. There is only one that I ever use. Lucas products. And I've tried a ton of them. Usually I only use their product to try on an injector that is giving me problems. Often it will help clear it up. As for any products that extend fuel economy. HA HA!! funny. If there were such a thing that actually worked, you would find it in every gas station, market place and garage. Why? Because anything that actually works sells well and these places know that. Then there are those that say that they will make the engine burn cleaner and pass DEQ inspections. Wanna know a secret? If you change your oil before a DEQ inspection, your chances of passing have greatly increased. Used oil in the engine is contaminated with HCs, CO2 and CO. All of which your O2 sensor reads and can fail you on the DEQ test. Another example is the new claims of the HHO kits for vehicles. They claim they make the vehicle run on hydrogen. That it increases horsepower, makes them run quieter and extends fuel economy. All of this off your vehicle's 12V system. For those who don't know. Using electricity to split water molecules from electrolysis requires a bit more than your 12V system can put out. Is it possible that these kits will actually produce some useable hydrogen in addition to regular fuel? Yes. Not saying that it is enough to meet their claims, but it will produce a minute amount of hydrogen. So, don't believe all the claims you see that these companies make. A lot of people seem to think that they have to be true for them to make the claims. Quaker state made claims that were false for years, before the FTC nailed them on it. How many people believed the hype? Ok, that's my 2 cents. Consider it for what it is worth. Nothing. Just my opinion.
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Replying to: 0patience (Jun 28, 2008 3:51 pm) I once used a Lucas additive as a last resort when I had a power steering rack leak. I had that car three years afterwards and it never leaked again. I have seen Rislone remove carbon deposits that have restored compression. I woldn't have believed this but I have seen it work many times. Add a quart of Rislone and drive the car HARD for ten miles or more. Nothing will improve gas mileage but people will believe what they want to.
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Replying to: isellhondas (Jul 01, 2008 1:45 pm) You got my attention - are you talking in the combustion chamber? If so, how'd you use it? I've just added Rislone to the oil, wouldn't think that'd help in the combustion chamber.  edit - let me ask the more general question - my '95 Suburban knocks on regular due to carbon buildup. Techron helps some, but I've always wondered if there's something else that might do more. Suggestions? |
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You can do a "carbon blast" where you introduce a strong solvent through the intake system. I've seen old timers use a water bottle with AMAZING results too And a quart of Rislone poured in the motor oil works too but I'm not exactly why? Opatience?
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Replying to: isellhondas (Jul 01, 2008 2:23 pm) For deposites inside the combustion chamber it would have to be something added to the intake stream or fuel. Top oils have been used in the past. People even dribbled them directly into the air stream to saturate the deposits. Then let it sit and when restarted the deposits will blow out. GM has a chemical for that they sell over the counter IIRC. Or you can just take it on a good long drive at good speed to burn away the deposits. |
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I've been lurking in some gas talk forums and also speaking to an acquaintance who is a Volvo mechanic. Everyone seems to agree not to waste your money on any fuel additives. If you plan to sell your car, go ahead and use them, otherwise don't because it causes a lot of gumming up. It also makes no difference in cleaning out any gum or varnish that may accumulate...the same with carbon. Apparently, even Techron that you buy at Chevron in a bottle is not the same formulation as the Techron that is in the pumps. This info kinda sucks because my Mazda has had it's intake cleaned a few times already under warranty. I don't know why it keeps gumming up, except for the fact that I occasional have used some Redline fuel additive whenever I gassed up at cheaper (no name) stations that just so happen to have a higher sulfur content than those like Shell, Chevron, or Texaco. I was also told to stick Top Tier fuels and every once in a while add some premium with added detergents, but the latter in my car won't do anything because the PCM will adjust for the premium fuel, supposedly. |
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Replying to: isellhondas (Jul 01, 2008 2:23 pm) It act like a jack hammer. But if a person doesn't know what they are doing, they can bend a rod or valve in a hurry with water. Risilone has some pretty hefty solvents in it that are pretty good at eating away at carbon deposits. Generally, we don't see a lot of carbon problems on the newer vehicles, unless they have had problems with the emissions, PCV system or lack of maintenance. I've seen a lot of confusion about additives and actual cleaners. 3M makes a great injector cleaner, but it isn't something you just add to the fuel. You run it through the fuel lines. And GM makes a pretty good intake cleaner (GM Top Engine Cleaner), that is designed to clean the intake system. And it isn't just something you spray into the intake and drive away. |
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I'm hearing about an additive that was developed by NASA and is marketed as an engine treatment which can reduce repairs by 85% and increase gas mileage by up to 20%. It's called Motor Silk. It comes in a kit to treet the engine, transmission and fuel system. It is suposed to treat the metal and last for 100K miles. My local dealers service manager has never heard of it. Have you any knowledge of it, its performance or its honesty in the claims made?
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Replying to: dandyone (Jul 09, 2008 2:41 pm) "I looked into it (which you could have done, making me suspicious of your question), and it looks like it was originated by a former Nasa employee, not by Nasa. Hard to judge the honesty of claims, at least the discriptions weren't out in left field. No third-party test results were easily viewed, further raising my concern, but I don't know. I'd be surprised if any kind of treatment could increase mileage that much - of course, you said 'by up to 20%", which means from 0-20%. Gotta watch that 'up to'."
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