Just purchased a 94 F150 302 w/109k miles. I was thinking about using some engine treatment like slick 50 or duralube but was curious if they were worth anything or if they could possible damage the engine?
Any Thoughts?

 

Most auto makers, magazines and oil makers recommend not using anything other than the correct spec oil in your engine.

There are additives that are useful for cleaning the engine out and some are useful to slow down the amount of oil lost through leaky rings or gaskets. But the additives that "Increase mileage, power, life" have in general been found to be snake oil. I. E. they do not have reputable scientific test data to back up their claims. there are plenty of postings on the web about not using additives.

Keep in mind the major manufacturers spend millions of $ to improve their oil perfromance or the engine durability. Do you really think a small outfit will spend the reasearch to find a magic brew that will beat what the best players can do? Doesn't happen very often.

I am a tinker and I do like to try out new stuff, that's how I tried out and liked synthetic oils. Probably marketing hype with synthetics too, but there are scientific studies by reputable labs that show there are benefits to synthetics although usually for severe service.

Back to additives. Over 30 years of driving and more than that playing with engines, I have used many additives. I keep good records on my engines. NEVER have I been able to document ANY improvement from using any of the additives. Most of them I believe are only effective for engines that burn oil, since most additives are thick.

There have been studies where engines DO get damage from additives. Briggs and Stratton ran a test with I think 50 engines off the line. The old run it dry test. The engine that had additives prior to being drained, failed at a faster rate and more catastrophically than the engines run with just plain dino oil. That pretty much was enough to convince me to back off additives except for entertainment purposes.

As a side story. I once ran a Datsun truck with no oil in the pan for about 10 miles in the mountains before the engine siezed up. I used Valvoline regularly, but a big rock helped me run my experiment. So I know an engine can run for quite awhile without oil, but it is not a good idea. I replace the bearings in that engine and got another 100,000miles of service from it.

FWIW,

Jim Henderson

 

Thanks for the info Jim. I seem to have a small oil leak from one of the seals. Is there a treatment that could slow down or stop that but still be safe for the engine?
Tom

 

I've personally used Slick 50 and swear by it. The '94 Ranger 4x4 (4.0) that I just sold had 189,000 miles on it with oil changes approx. every 6,000 miles. Towed 1 - 2 ton loads approx. 30% of those miles. Replaced rear axle at 175,000 miles, transmission (A4LD) was slipping when I sold it. Compression test revealed outstanding pressure consistent across all cylinders.

I started using the Slick 50 at 6,000 miles with the first oil change at 500 miles and the second at 3,000 miles. I changed the oil filter at every other oil change. I attribute the minor wear to the Slick 50, and will use it in all of my future vehicles. My perspective is that I would rather spend a little extra for the "insurance" than to face the repair bills, especially with shop rates of $50/hr and higher!

About the leak in your 302 - check the oil pan gasket. They're known to leak after awhile and may resolve that problem rather than continually pouring a "stop leak" solution into your engine. If that isn't your problem, get the seal replaced before it results in more damage due to the engine. The truck I just bought ('92 F-150 w/302) had a leaking rear main seal and poor maintenance - resulted in replacing the engine at 151,000 miles.

Good luck!

 

I wish I could remember the .gov site I found but they listes almost all of these aftermarket additives and all of them have been investigated and sued in some cases. This agency has posted all the actions against these compainies and their claims. Their marketing info had to be changed because NONE of their claims could be verified. I've run slik50 in a couple cars and never found any difference but I didn't own them more than a couple years after that. I've had freinds and family take various make cars 150-200+k miles w/o additives. No one I know has ever had an engine failure related to oil. These additives are 'snake oil'. Don't make these SOBs rich buying their junk. Put your money in synthetics, they have proof. I use dino because it's cheap, good, and I change every 3000k. My dad w/3000k oil changes made a chevette go 200k, that's all I need to know. LOL.

1994 Black/Silver F150 XLT 4x4 Reg Cab / Short Bed, 3.55 LSD, 5.8L w/84k miles, K&N drop-in
Upgrade wish list: 31x10.5, Gibson exhaust, MSD ignition, helper springs, lights

 

A lot of these additives contain heavy particles which plug up the oil filter prematurely. Many claims have been made over the years on these "snake oils" but I believe in regular oil and filter changes instead. Most oils already have all the addatives that are required for the job so adding anything else is just a waste of money. Multi grade oils are just a light weight oil with addatives to make it "think" it is a heavy weight oil. Over time, heat, and use, these addatives break down and the oil gets contaminated with acids tars and other noxious chemicals produced in the engine during use. Regular oil and especially filter changes will help your engine last it's normal lifespan, and really, oil and filters are cheap and most people can do it themselves. The only additive that I have used that actualy worked was a product called Power Up. I used it in a Yamaha motorcycle which had a sticky transmition. The dealer gave me his personal guarantee that it would free up the trans but not affect the clutch which does not need friction reducers. The stuff actually works as he said it would. Years later I found out that this product is an "EP addative" (extreme pressure) like is found in grease for heavy use, it gives bearing surfaces better protection from friction. This was told to me by a high up person with Shell oil. Unfortunatly I have not been able to find the product since and I would like some for my standard trans which is balky. I have never used it in an automotive engine though. It was clear and thin like water so I doubt it would do anything to the oil filter. The product was sold by independant salesmen in a pyramid sort of sale system. I have looked on the net for it but to no avail. I hope this is of some value to you, but is my opinion only. SR.

 

Oh, a fun side note to the engine additive debate. Dupont, the manufacturer of the Teflon used in many of the additives recommended highly against using teflon in engine oils. Their Teflon product was not designed for that usage and could cause problems.

Hmmm, seems to me, if the maker of a major component of snake oil says it is not a good idea, I would probably go with their opinion, since I don't have the time, money or experience to evaluate the product on my own.

As far as a leaky oil seal. You can bandaid it with some thick additives like STP or those oils or additieves made for older engines. But it is still a bandaid. In the long run it is better to replace leaky seals and gaskets if you plan to keep the engine for a long time. The alternative is just put up with oil consumption and greasy deposits.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson

 

Slick 50 is snake oil. Teflon is a soild and will just get picked up by the oil filter, so what's the point?

 

Even better, there are a couple brands of oil filter out there that come with teflon treatment already inside them. Talk about weird.

Oh well, from what I have read, those brands had a higher pore size so I guess they would pass the teflon particles instead of clogging, ya hope anyway.

Jim Henderson

 

So if it passes the teflon thru it will probably pass the engine contaminants too. Yhere is a forum on filters some where here. I wonder what they have to say about these Teflon impregnated types?

 

 

I have been putting a quart of Rislone in at every oil change since 1977 and have never had a problem. My '84 F150 had that treatment from the beginning and now has 185,000 miles and the engine runs great with lots of power (300 I6). I really can't prove that Rislone did any good, but it sure didn't hurt. I still use it and plan to always. Also do it to wife's 3.0 V6 Aerostar.

INLINE SIX POWER!
300 Cubic Inches of Low RPM Truck Torque! And twin-I-beams too!

 

The general statement about teflon impregnated filters is pretty much the same as for teflon oil treatments. Not worth the effort at best and potentially harmful at worst.

I just save my money and buy good quality filters and use synthetic oils(my one concession to "snake oil").

I think Risoline is pretty much just a solvent. Probalby OK but also probably doesn't do a lot for a properly maintained engine.

Just my opinions based on reading, since I have never destroyed an engine through improper oil additives. I even once added powdered Moly to my oil in a Datsun. I don't know if it ever hurt but I would guess it probably just clogged up the filter. Yah don't see many oils now a days with graphite or moly added so I guess there was no benefit.

Jim Henderson

 

I checked the Rislone web site. Rislone has an oil base with penetrating characteristics, is combined with protective and cleaning additives, and is free flowing to provide protection at a wide temperature range. They also have a statement that it won't fix worn engine parts.

"Drive a stick young man! There'll be plenty of time for automatics when you're old and unable."

 

My opinion on information I've heard and read is that there are a couple good additives, but they focus mostly on being metal treatments. X1-R http://www.x1r.com/withframes/frameset2.html and a product a friend of mine sells that is developed in the states (I think in Georgia) called "Multi-Lube". Both these products stay away from teflon and promote themselfes as 'metal conditioners'. (that's not to say that all "metal conditioners" are reputable. I would not add anything that contains teflon either and I think alot of the other additives may add a few more of what the oil companies already put in. One product that may help your leaking seal would be the Lucas Oil Conditioner that sells in truck stops everywhere. But a leaking seal is probably dry and hard and difficult to bring back. The Lucas might only help because it is higher viscosity.... (number wise) and thus wouldn't flow as easliy through the opening. I use alot of lucas to help me get through a couple weeks of worn bearings and a leaking oil pan gasket till my "new" motor gets rebuilt.

Tony