Z MAX

[taho]

Just wondering if anyone has tried Z Max in their engine. Does it really work,

or is it just hype?

 

[Mike97]

I have done a lot of research on motor oil and additives, and from what I have read z max is a waste of money. It doesn't appear to do any damage, unlike Slick50 and other additives that contain PTFE resins(teflon). But there doesn't seem to be any reliable data that shows that it's worth the expense.

Spend your money on good oil and quality oil filters. Don't buy into the marketing hype that some of those companies throw at you. Modern motor oil is formulated with the needed additives for maximum protection. If you want to spend more each oil change, use a good synthetic oil. I use Amsoil, but there are several out there. And don't use cheap oil filters(stay away from Fram). If in doubt, go with oem filters.

There is a lot of information on the internet about motor oils and additives. Spend an hour researching it and you will know more about the subject than you ever wanted to know.

 

[LAP TOP GAMER]

I have done a lot of research on motor oil and additives, and from what I have read z max is a waste of money. It doesn't appear to do any damage, unlike Slick50 and other additives that contain PTFE resins(teflon). But there doesn't seem to be any reliable data that shows that it's worth the expense.

Spend your money on good oil and quality oil filters. Don't buy into the marketing hype that some of those companies throw at you. Modern motor oil is formulated with the needed additives for maximum protection. If you want to spend more each oil change, use a good synthetic oil. I use Amsoil, but there are several out there. And don't use cheap oil filters(stay away from Fram). If in doubt, go with oem filters.

There is a lot of information on the internet about motor oils and additives. Spend an hour researching it and you will know more about the subject than you ever wanted to know.

i never mess with the snake oil products as 98% of them are hype.

 

[jwpotts0413]

k&n oil filter

oil additives are a waste of money. like dude man says, use synthetic if u want more protection for your engine's internals. i never use synthetic, and always use castrol GTX and Castrol GTX high mileadge after 100k miles. just my preference b/c it's a bit thinner but still gives good protection.


i always use a k&n oil filter when i do an oil change. the reason is primarily that it has a check valve inside. this valve keeps your engine better lubricated at start up. also, it has a hex nut on the end which makes removing the oil filter MUCH, MUCH easier.

they do cost a good bit more (about $12 for a k&n)

 

[Mike97]

Actually, pretty much all oil filters have check valves. This is so that if the filter is too plugged for oil to flow, in order to avoid oil starvation, the valve will open and allow unfiltered oil to bypass the filter. At least that's what I've learned in my research. The check valve in some filters are not designed well, and allow unfiltered oil to seep past.

 

[Biggwaukegan]

Where did you ever hear about Slick 50 being bad for a engine? I know TONS of guys with very nice hotrods that use that stuff..Would love to see the proof that Slick 50 harms the motor..

 

[Mike97]

There is quite a bit of information out there about slick 50. It's been a few years since I have researched it, but I'll try to dig up something later.

But basically, Slick 50 is made up of PTFE resins. Also known as teflon. Teflon is great at lubricating surfaces, but it is a solid. Dupont, who invented Teflon, claims that Teflon is not useful as an ingredient in oil additives or oils used for internal combustion engines. What happens in the engine is the PTFE coats bearing surfaces and reduces friction, as advertised. But it isn't selective in what it coats, and also coats non moving parts like oil passages filters. Tests showed that there was a pressure drop across the oil filter resulting from possible clogging of small passageways. So, you have better friction protection but less oil flow. Before and after oil analysis comparisons of engines treated with PTFE showed that iron contamination doubled after treatment, indicating that engine wear increased.

If you and your friends chose to believe the advertising hype about Slick 50, then go ahead and use it. But I would recommend against it.

 

[fco_gonzo]

I thought they didn't make that stuff anymore. You are better off going with Mobil 1 or any other synthetic oil.

 

[Biggwaukegan]

speaking of things that Dont work..Hows that Airraid tbi spacer working for ya? Heard those things are crap? :thumbsup:

 

[djtecthreat]

I often throw some Lucas Oil in my engine (I substitute a QT for it) and I notice a difference in how it runs (a little smoother at idle and less noises when It's cold). Snake oil? Possibly, but it seems to make a difference.

 

[SSport]

I swear by Marvel Mystery Oil....it's an additive you can put in both the oil and gas.

I had a 92' Saturn SC2 with frozen piston rings and kept adding this stuff straight to the crank case.

The car went from burning about 5 qaurts a week to only burning about 3 quarts a month.

Whatever was in it was definitely breaking up all the crap in the motor that's for sure...lol

 

[Mike97]

I often throw some Lucas Oil in my engine (I substitute a QT for it) and I notice a difference in how it runs (a little smoother at idle and less noises when It's cold). Snake oil? Possibly, but it seems to make a difference.

Lucas Oil is supposed to make the oil stick to the bearings better. I've seen tests that prove that it does this. So theoretically it is supposed to reduce damage during cold starts. I've never used it myself.

 

[fck55mph]

well, i can read and "hear" about products all i want BUT, i rebuilt a 350 for my vette and always used castrol 20w50 and lucas oil stabilizer since i broke it in. i changed the oil EVERY 3,000 miles and when it had about 80,000 miles on the motor and 5yrs on it, i took it apart to build a 383 stroker. when i disassembled it, it was sooooo clean inside that it looked like it had 3,000 miles on it. there were NO signs of any abnormal wear at all. although i did change the oil and maintain the motor, i did beat on it. i always used k&n filters as well. i dont care what i read or hear but i swear but what i saw on that motor. just my two cents

 

[djtecthreat]

My father told me Lucas Oil saved his Chevelle's 350 back in the day. It does make a difference. At least this product does.

 

[Mike97]

I can't refute using Lucas in your engine oil. The tests I have seen show that it helps the oil to climb. But I would definitely not use it in a diff or manual transmission because of the tendancy for it to cause foaming.

I still trust using straight synthetic motor oil with no additives. 230,000 miles on my 89 Honda Prelude, nothing but Amsoil 100% synthetic for the last 150,000. Oil changes every 5000 miles. Still running like it did when I bought it with 80,000 miles on it. And uses no more oil than it did then, less than 1/2 quart between oil changes.

 

[fck55mph]

Yeah but thats cheating using a Jap car to test the use of oil additives or synthetic oil!! Those hondas/mazdas etc would run 300,000 mile on the same 5 quarts of oil it came from the factory!! Im not tryin to bash you in case you dont get my humor here but Im always amazed at how those jap cars run run run run run...kinda like the energizer bunny!!

 

[Biggwaukegan]

well thats good. I got a 91 civic that has 185000 and runs on the same oil that it did when honda built it...thats 10w 30. But hey if you guys want to add stuff to help thats cool. Just not to fond of adding things into my motor. Good to hear the lucas works, Im not a fan of the slick 50 but a few of the older guys around these parts swear by it. :skep:

 

[SPXTrader]

Before adding anything to your oil, you should read this...

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/images/lucas/lucas.htm

 

[Black96]

wow thats awsome what u found! i got to school for heavy equipment tech and they teach you here to not mix oils or try to add aditives to your oils cause it could cancel out others awsoem job on that

 

[SPXTrader]

Thanks. I've learned a lot from www.bobistheoilguy.com. I have a high revving V8 (9000 RPM redline), and thru info gleaned from Bob's site, I run only German Castrol 0W30, use a K&N filter, and change at regular intervals. The oil could go longer if it weren't for the fact that the additive packets already blended in commercial oils break down over time. If it were possible to replace the packets, theoretically you could go forever with the same oil in your car, only changing the filter. Lubrication is the second most valuable property of oil in an engine, the first being the transfer of heat.

There is a treatment that is done to aviation engines, and that stuff is called Microlon. It is FAA approved, and does make a difference in tear-down tests. However, these motors are more critical in tolerances, heat cycles, operating environments and reliability that an auto engine.

Browse thru www.bobistheoilguy.com. There's a lot of useful info there.