"Graphite" ... way back when
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"Graphite" ... way back when
For those of you "YOUNG" enough to recall, AmOCo (now "BP" - British Petroleum, formerly "American Oil Co.") back in the late `70's, came out with a "motor oil" product with some sort of a percentage of "Graphite" in it ... "Amoco" 'AMO', or 'APP' or some such name - I suppose the problem with it (as obviously, there was a problem as it no longer exists) was with the graphite gumming-up or clogging the system. Anybody remember it?
Reason I ask (other than for purpose of nostalgia) is, I just used some "powdered" graphite in a tube (that I've had for probably 20, 25+ or more years), and I only used a "smidge" (I mean less than the amount it would take to cover a standard button on a mans shirt) on a sliding-glass patio/terrace door - AND THIS STUFF "SEEMS" TO BE PHENOMENAL as a "lubricant"! I mean, it silenced squeaks and squeals that would have taken at least several seconds of spraying silicone or some other such lube - without the mess or smell.
Comments ...? ... (or not ...? heehee)
Reason I ask (other than for purpose of nostalgia) is, I just used some "powdered" graphite in a tube (that I've had for probably 20, 25+ or more years), and I only used a "smidge" (I mean less than the amount it would take to cover a standard button on a mans shirt) on a sliding-glass patio/terrace door - AND THIS STUFF "SEEMS" TO BE PHENOMENAL as a "lubricant"! I mean, it silenced squeaks and squeals that would have taken at least several seconds of spraying silicone or some other such lube - without the mess or smell.
Comments ...? ... (or not ...? heehee)
Last edited by TOUGHLover; Feb 11, 2008 at 04:54 PM.
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graphite is an excellent dry lubricant where liquids may attract "crud." It is the most common lubricant for keyways in locksets. Silicon has largely replaced it, but I still say graphite is more "robust" when that key slides in. Now for in liquid lubes....ahem...it clogged up bypass filters, and the better full flow filters, and there was never any evidence that the graphite stayed in suspension where it would do any good. Finally, near hot surfaces.....
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I didn't use it long enough to know if it would have been detrimental to the engine. I switched back to a more conventional oil that was not black when it went in so I could tell how well it was performing when it came out.
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No "positive" results to recall either I suppose, like; "I GOT OVER 60 MPG's ON THAT OIL"! or, "MY TEMP GAUGE RARELY OR BARELY RAISED ABOVE THE 'COLD' RANGE"! or, "THAT MOTOR LASTED ME 789-GA-ZILLION MILES"!!! - ? heehee
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No. It didn't do a thing for the motor other than make everything in it black. I don't know how long this oil was on the market but I doubt it was very long. I guess that I just tried it out of curiosity but after seeing the color of it out of the can I was not going to use it but for the one oil change cycle.
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Originally Posted by greenego
No. It didn't do a thing for the motor other than make everything in it black. I don't know how long this oil was on the market but I doubt it was very long. I guess that I just tried it out of curiosity but after seeing the color of it out of the can I was not going to use it but for the one oil change cycle.
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ARCO graphite....
I don't recall Amoco ever selling graphited oil, but I ran ARCO graphite for a few changes in my '78 Ford pickup (bought it new--first new vehicle I ever bought) maybe in 1979-80 or so. I got some great gas mileage out of that truck (22+ mpg, with 4.9/4 speed O/D trans, on the road). But man, was it ever creepy checking the oil and seeing the thick black goop on the dipstick.
That was when FRAM oil filters were reputed to be the best, and I remember using PH8A filters with the graphite oil. In retrospect, I assume I was using the bypass valves in those filters a lot....
I sold the truck at around 100k miles (because I switched to driving full size vans), and thankfully don't ever recall any engine problems caused by that oil, but it sure didn't stay on the market long.
George
That was when FRAM oil filters were reputed to be the best, and I remember using PH8A filters with the graphite oil. In retrospect, I assume I was using the bypass valves in those filters a lot....
I sold the truck at around 100k miles (because I switched to driving full size vans), and thankfully don't ever recall any engine problems caused by that oil, but it sure didn't stay on the market long.
George
Last edited by YoGeorge; Feb 11, 2008 at 08:21 PM.
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I also remember the ARCO graphite oil. A few months ago a guy I know that was a aircraft mechanical engineer & I were talking about the graphite oil. He told me that it is still used in aircraft engines. The reason he felt it was discontinued in the automotive applications was the reasons given here. It looked dirty, people felt there oil filters weren't working etc. Graphite is the best lube you can put into your engine according to my friend. Again he is a Mechanical Engineer. I would like to hear what other Engineers have to say. There must be some on this site. I hope they give there input.
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You're talking 1978-1980 around there. I remember Arco graphite oil, it came out of the can (not plastic quart containers as oil is now, but cans the kind you'd pop open with your trusty can opener, venting the opposite side of the lid) as a gray / black mixture with a slippery oil texture.
I remember using it a few times in my 1969 Dodge Dart 340 GTS (Car ran like a scalded jackrabbit, 3:55 street gears, Dana Sure-Grip rear end, bullet proof) but as many here, did not use Arco Graphite long enough to see any ill-effects on the engine.
I also remember many said the graphite left a very good oil film on moving engine parts, great for engines stored over the winter, or started infrequently.
Cam 2 was also a short-lived product, in the bright red cans with "cam 2" in black. They sponsored some race cars back in the day.
Ed
I remember using it a few times in my 1969 Dodge Dart 340 GTS (Car ran like a scalded jackrabbit, 3:55 street gears, Dana Sure-Grip rear end, bullet proof) but as many here, did not use Arco Graphite long enough to see any ill-effects on the engine.
I also remember many said the graphite left a very good oil film on moving engine parts, great for engines stored over the winter, or started infrequently.
Cam 2 was also a short-lived product, in the bright red cans with "cam 2" in black. They sponsored some race cars back in the day.
Ed
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PS Also, I'm told that the graphite in the oil also was not good on some cars with catalytic converters and the growing emission controls - sensors fuel injection as the early 80s dawned.
i'm sure Arco probably figured it was better to discontinue the product, rather than risk future lawsuits for claims of damaged engines in new cars.
If you had an older, carburetor car, prior to 1975, built for leaded or low-lead gasoline then the graphite oil was okay. However it was the cat converter cars where the issue arose, and unleaded gasoline.
i'm sure Arco probably figured it was better to discontinue the product, rather than risk future lawsuits for claims of damaged engines in new cars.
If you had an older, carburetor car, prior to 1975, built for leaded or low-lead gasoline then the graphite oil was okay. However it was the cat converter cars where the issue arose, and unleaded gasoline.
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lol i am mechanical engineering student but i am not that far into it but i have used graphite dry of coarse for lubrication and it works good. dunno bout in auto mobile engine. but one thing pops to mind about graphite in engine "assembly lube" most i have seen say graphite or moly-graphite on them perhaps that is it now
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From: SW Va
Yup, I too remember Arco graphite engine oil, but never used it.
Folks around here that did, had problems with it settling out & stopping up oil passageways, as there wasn't way way to "shake up" the engine before you started it, to re-suspend the graphite back into the oil. So we saw some engine problems around here with it.
Arco products weren't widely used, or kindly thought of here. You'd see a lot of it in the supermarkets, ect.
Anyway I read they took it off the market not because it didn't work, but because Arco couldn't figure out how to keep the graphite in suspension.
The oil companies have figured out how to keep moly in suspension, so thats become the friction modifier/extreem pressure lube/anti oxident additive, of choice
So the bottom line is, if the engine lube we're about to choose, says on the can to, "Shake Before Using", we should just leave it on the shelf imo!!!!! lol
Folks around here that did, had problems with it settling out & stopping up oil passageways, as there wasn't way way to "shake up" the engine before you started it, to re-suspend the graphite back into the oil. So we saw some engine problems around here with it.
Arco products weren't widely used, or kindly thought of here. You'd see a lot of it in the supermarkets, ect.
Anyway I read they took it off the market not because it didn't work, but because Arco couldn't figure out how to keep the graphite in suspension.
The oil companies have figured out how to keep moly in suspension, so thats become the friction modifier/extreem pressure lube/anti oxident additive, of choice
So the bottom line is, if the engine lube we're about to choose, says on the can to, "Shake Before Using", we should just leave it on the shelf imo!!!!! lol