Oil Additives What Really Works
Discussion
Faust66 said:
In my 2.9 Sierra & my old 2.8 Capri I've always used Castrol GTX high Mileage oil.
The Cologne lump seems to really like it as I've always had nice, quiet tappets... well, as quiet as an old Ford V6 ever gets that is!
agreed, that's more the kind of thing you want to use.The Cologne lump seems to really like it as I've always had nice, quiet tappets... well, as quiet as an old Ford V6 ever gets that is!
We use additives in our workshop for years with no ill effects. We currently use Forte and have found them the best by quite some margin. I have seen improvements in oil consumption, emissions and compression tests on my other 1/2s Audi TT which now has 125,000 miles on the clock since we have been using Forte products. There seems to be quite a lot of miss information about additives for some people that have never used good additives.
Like I said I have been using additives in my workshop for many years (more than ten) and we have not had any problems. When the oil is due for change on my Cayman S I will be using additives in that to flush the system.
This is just my opinion and make of it what you will.
Like I said I have been using additives in my workshop for many years (more than ten) and we have not had any problems. When the oil is due for change on my Cayman S I will be using additives in that to flush the system.
This is just my opinion and make of it what you will.
If the tappets and/or cam are worn, there's nothing you can really do except replace them. As mentioned above, zinc is essential for flat tappet (as opposed to roller) engines as it acts as an EP lube at the cam/tappet interface where the loads are huge across a very small contact patch. It's also important to run a thinner oil if your bearing clearances are up to it (ie. you still have sufficient pressure). Thick oil (like a 20w50) is too viscous to efficiently fill hydraulic tappets during cold starting and can generally hinder valvetrain oiling (pushrod oiling, etc). Lots of people just assume old engines should use a 20w50, but that's a dangerous assumption. Oil choice comes down to the climate the car will be used in and oil pressure.
There are oils with higher zinc levels specifically to address the issue of flat tappet cams... Miller's Classic, Valvoline VR1 and several others. On my small block Chevy, I use Joe Gibbs but it's very expensive (about £80 for an oil change). For something like a Cologne V6, I would think Miller's Classic with a viscosity of about 10w/40 would be a good choice.
Hope this helps.
There are oils with higher zinc levels specifically to address the issue of flat tappet cams... Miller's Classic, Valvoline VR1 and several others. On my small block Chevy, I use Joe Gibbs but it's very expensive (about £80 for an oil change). For something like a Cologne V6, I would think Miller's Classic with a viscosity of about 10w/40 would be a good choice.
Hope this helps.
gerradiuk said:
^^^^^^ this ^^^^^^^I put it into my 4.6 range rover with 10w 60 and it's smooth as silk now
With the exception of what I posted above regarding zinc in engines using flat-tappet cams, oil additives are a complete waste of money.
All the Lucas stuff does is thicken the oil. Nothing more.
You're much better-off using the correct weight oil with the correct blend of additives. Use the manufacturer-recommended API rating and you'll be getting all the additives your engine needs. For special cases like highly-modified engines and classic/vintage stuff, you just need to make sure you're using the proper viscosity to match the bearing clearances (which determines pressure) and you have high levels of zinc/ZDDP in the oil if you're running a flat-tappet cam.
All the Lucas stuff does is thicken the oil. Nothing more.
You're much better-off using the correct weight oil with the correct blend of additives. Use the manufacturer-recommended API rating and you'll be getting all the additives your engine needs. For special cases like highly-modified engines and classic/vintage stuff, you just need to make sure you're using the proper viscosity to match the bearing clearances (which determines pressure) and you have high levels of zinc/ZDDP in the oil if you're running a flat-tappet cam.
Edited by ian_uk1975 on Friday 15th June 12:52
Do manufacturers often change their recommendations on older engines?
I wonder that if the recommendations made when an engine was made in say 1986 couldn't possibly be superseded by a better routine?
I mean, many oils were not available back then and some newer ones/additive may be beneficial for older engines.
Some engines would have had monograde oil if you go back far enough but there are newer multigrade oilds that can provide better protection.
Personally I wonder whether a manufacturers recommendation made forty years ago can still be relied upon as the best possible advice?
I wonder that if the recommendations made when an engine was made in say 1986 couldn't possibly be superseded by a better routine?
I mean, many oils were not available back then and some newer ones/additive may be beneficial for older engines.
Some engines would have had monograde oil if you go back far enough but there are newer multigrade oilds that can provide better protection.
Personally I wonder whether a manufacturers recommendation made forty years ago can still be relied upon as the best possible advice?
freecar said:
Do manufacturers often change their recommendations on older engines?
I wonder that if the recommendations made when an engine was made in say 1986 couldn't possibly be superseded by a better routine?
I mean, many oils were not available back then and some newer ones/additive may be beneficial for older engines.
I'd say, in theory, possibly, yes. In reality, I'd say most engines that date back to 1986 aren't exactly 'pushing the envelope', so it's a case of period engine = period oil.I wonder that if the recommendations made when an engine was made in say 1986 couldn't possibly be superseded by a better routine?
I mean, many oils were not available back then and some newer ones/additive may be beneficial for older engines.
freecar said:
Some engines would have had monograde oil if you go back far enough but there are newer multigrade oilds that can provide better protection.
Personally I wonder whether a manufacturers recommendation made forty years ago can still be relied upon as the best possible advice?
For older classic and vintage stuff where the manufacturer originally specified a monograde oil, it might be better, easier and cheaper and go multigrade, but not a guarantee. Bear in mind those engines were designed with monograde oils in mind as that's all that was available at the time.Personally I wonder whether a manufacturers recommendation made forty years ago can still be relied upon as the best possible advice?
Correct viscosity and regular oil and filter changes are the key, IMO. If you're running a flat tappet cam, it's vital to run an oil high in zinc/ZDDP. Other than that, it starts to get very subjective.
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