Engine oil additives

Last week I found some Slick 50 style oil additive that helps lubricate the innards of engines better than just oil for £1 a bottle in Slough Poundland.

Having used both Slick 50 and ZX1 additives years ago in my old 1971 Mini and in my Suzuki Bandit 1200 bike with no problems with either engines I am convinced that they do help keep the engine lubricated well.

Well I stuck a bottle of this stuff (NASA approved apparently) into the 2.5TD 100 CSW and bugger me if the engine now seems to pull a bit better and accelerate better.
So I now have a stock of it for the other bikes and car to aid towards a longer engine life (famous last words!)

Anyone else used these sorts of things for better or worse?

ZX1 - I put it in the Transit years ago, the engine, gearbox and diff. Bloody marvellous stuff.

I wouldnt put an additive in your Suzuki its got a wet clutch lubricated by the engine oil and if you put super slippery lubricant in it could stop it operating properly.

I put ZX1 into the Bandit about 7 years ago, with no problems. In fact that's why I think it has done 43,000 miles with no engine problems, stage 1 carb jets, extra 2" hole in the airbox and a +5 degree ignition advancer. It also has stronger clutch springs as well.
118bhp at the rear wheel

has anyone any views on this Engine Restore sold by Ametech on Ebay. it claims to do all sorts of wonderful things ie: restores compression , repairs piston rings ect ect. pricey though at a tenner + £7 p&p. anybody used it yet?

Jeez - good 'ole snake oil rears its ugly head again...

Do yerselves favours, don't put stuff with suggested magical properties in yer engines.

There's a load of really good research on these things published on the net - have a look at these before you dump a load of expensive particles which will settle nicely to the bottom of your sump into your next oil change:

Slick 50 and other ail additives
Quaker State-Slick 50, Inc.
The Engine Oil Bible : Additives

Slick 50 (allegedly the best selling one in the USA - ain't that just a ringing endorsement?) lost a $20Million law suit with the US FTC (Federal Trade Commission) and was subsequently banned from making claims about reduced engine wear/increased economy in the USA. Why is that? Because it's bull****, that's why []

Apparently they can still do it over here though... more's the pity.

Cheers,

Seems a better idea to spend your money on really good oil in the first place (and replace it regular) than to put additives in.

I totally agree, use the best oil you can afford.
But for £1 a bottle per vehicle I couldn't pass it up.
Especially as I reckon the best oil that will do the same thing is Magnatec at £20 for 4 litres and I will need 2 of them at least for 2.5TD.
But there is no doubt in my mind that the additive worked extremely well with the dirt cheap Wilkinsons oil I put in it this time to flush the system out for the winter.

I have run all my bikes on Halfords Fully synthetic for the last 7 years and there is no engine wear detectable and they have never used any oil between changes ( every 3000 miles).

Patman1200 said:

...this stuff (NASA approved apparently) .

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I wouldn't put too much stock in that statement, even if I knew it was absolutely true. Heck, at the end of the day even a NASA-approved paperclip is still only a paperclip.

Also, I have a piece of kit by the name "class 5" that was sold under the slogan of "using the same standard of quality as NASA does". Well, get this:the rating applies to cleanliness of gasses, and it starts at 5.00. It doesn't begin to get good before you're in the realm of 5.95-5.98 or so...

The best oil you can afford isn't neccessarily the most expensive. Look at the oil specified by the vehicle manufacturer and buy the oil to the nearest specification. Try it with the Suzuki, you won't get the oil specified by the manufacturer because no one sells it, so get the nearest thing to it which is semi-synthetic 4 stroke motorcycle oil and change it at the recommended intervals. At 43000 miles its barely run in.

Universal tractor oil... best oil ever.. better than any crap at £20 for 4l.

Quite correct
I run all my bikes on Halfords synthetic oils and buy it in bulk when they do a 20% off weekend.
I shall be replacing the 110 oil in a couple of months when the cheap stuff has had a chance to clean out the oilways.
I have also been given a load of cans of oil flush though I will not put that into a TD engine before changing the oil.

Anyone know of any good places to buy oil in bulk?

Universal tractor oil is of extremly high quality, this is because its designed to be flung into every tractor engine and hydraulic system. A friend of mine, ran his Sabb on the suff, it did a good 189,000 miles and was still going when he got rid of it.

We use it in our landrovers, he uses it in gennys, standing engines, dumpers the works...

It is actually of higher grade than oils such as magnatec.

where do you get it from Disco?

Get a barrel of it from local oil/fuel dealers, and its cheaper than fuel.

Ovoline is the one I use, it really is good stuff, its got to be. It was developed by oil and tractor companies to get tractors through there warranty period! If you know what farmers are like you will know what I mean!

"Grease nipple... wheres me hammer, were gettin rid o that!"

Brownie said:

where do you get it from Disco?

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try these peeps, not too far from you.

Welcome to Aztec Oils' Website!

Just like to put a comment in, I know I don't have to say this, but tractor universal oil, I am only saying to put it into the engine.

Just get the right stuff for the rest.

ormus said:

try these peeps, not too far from you.

Welcome to Aztec Oils' Website!

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cheers Ormus, might just trundle down there after crimbo

Got my tractor oil sitting in the hall, Christmas pressent for the landy...

spose you've bought the doris a new spare tyre?