Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1999 16:02:10 -0800 From: "TheCritic" <DesertEaglenopsamnet> Subject: Re: Any 300K miles engine around? Need real data...
Cameron H. Walker wrote in message ... > Although I too do not trust in Slick 50, it is highly unlikely >that this product would cause the mixing of oil with your anti-freeze. >That type of problem is generally caused by the failure of a gasket that >seals both coolant and oil channels, or a crack in the metal between the >two channels. i.e.:head gaskets or cylinder walls. > There is some evidence of PTFE additives causing a blockage of >narrow oil passages because of its adherance characteristics, and it is >this that we should be concerned with, along with the price of the >product. Synthetic oil is still the best scientifically proven guarantee >against engine wear. Teflon is NOT a product that should be used in engines - DuPont (maker of Teflon) even warns against it - that's why it doesn't say "teflon" anywhere on that little bottle of 50-weight oil you're holding (it says polytetrafloeraethylene -the chemical name for Teflon, hence PTFE) - it's trademarked, and DuPont won't let them use it. It's a SOLID - and, if nothing else, will clog the oil filter prematurely. Can I ask you people (who use oil additives) one question? Yes? Why?! What's wrong with conventional oils that you think a bottle of "mystery fluid" will make them so much better? It's NOT an excuse to delay oil changes, despite what the manufacturer says. Oil serves a couple of purposes in an engine - everyone knows it lubricates things, but it also serves to keep the engine clean (to some extent) - over time, the detergent qualities of the oil deteriorate, and it can no longer effectively do its job. Oil also collects contaminants which occur during normal engine operation - and these contaminants must be flushed out either by changing the oil, or by filtering it to a VERY FINE level. All the car manufacturers I know of explicitly warn against oil additives, some even void warranties. If you knew what Slick 50 actually does to your engine, you would NEVER use it. If you're concerned about engine life (which shouldn't be a very hard thing to accomplish on most cars) - use a good, proven synthetic oil (Mobil 1, Redline, etc) and change it often. Synthetic do last longer - they don't break down like petroleum-based oils do - but they still collect contaminants, and those need to be removed. What happens with the teflon - which, admittedly does coat moving parts (like they claim) - is that it likes to coat other, non-moving parts even more (like oil passages) - so like cholesterol in your arteries - Slick 50 will eventually give any engine a heart attack -the question is simply how long you have to wait. For more information - visit these links: http://www.dcn.davis.ca.us/~btcarrol/skeptic/slick50.html http://mail.comp.glam.ac.uk/~Minis/miniweb/oil_additives.html The Federal Trade Commission has a juicy little article here, re: false advertising: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/1996/9607/slick.htm So, do as you wish. But for now - when I look at used cars, I ask the owner if he ever used an oil additive - if he says "Yup, and it runs like new!" (Wow 30k mi? No kidding! You'd think it should fall apart!) I turn tail and run - it's a safe bet that I'll be dumping cleansing additives into the engine for a long time - to get the PTFE residue out. It's your car - not mine :) -Justin
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