Has/does anyone use any of the Lucas products - and - if so...what do you think of them???

FYI - it does NOT contain PTFE, Chlorine or other 'harmful' additives.

Lucas is some of the best on the market.

with my 2.9L I got a bunch of compression back by running some in my crankcase. It is also great for Diff's and dying slush boxes.

What do you want to use it for on a 2002?

I see no use for these type products.

Why don't you use a thicker oil? Like 20w-50 during the summer time?

Actually the use for Lucas is mostly to squeeze more life from worn diff's engine's, etc...high mileage.

The Lucas oil addative (honey) is pure petroleum. It sticks to everything, unlike 20W-50 which will drain down into the crankcase. Lucas is good stuff and has a ton of applications. There are some good products out there, you are right most of them are gimmiks, but there are a few that work, like BG fuel system cleaner. It works, so does there radiator sealer, and their oil addative. Red Lines watter wetter and fuel system octane boost are also highly regarded.

I only know this stuff because one of my best friends has been in the business for years, his brothers are master mechanics, and they have years and years of experience in just about everything automotive. They basically know their $%&# and when they speak I listen.

Originally posted by aldive
I see no use for these type products.

Why not? You seem to be a proponant of many different types of "hype" products that through your own testing seem to actually work. What experience do you have with Lucas Products specifcally don't you like, or is this intended to be as general a comment as it sounds? And if it is general, what are you basing your comments on?

J

Damn Jon,

Who went pee-pee in your oatmeal this morning...:eek:

Right on, Hank, that scarisum doesn't deserve me answering.

ive been thinking about using this product. what kind of cons have you heard or experienced with it? seems like it would work to me.

Actually Al, it wasn't sarcasm - it was an honest question. If you don't feel it deserves an answer then fine. But it isn't like you to make a judgement without reason. By far, you study the different products you use and each and every result more than anyone I have noticed. Knowing that, I figured you had a basis for your comments. If you don't - that's ok too...

J

Originally posted by aldive
Right on, Hank, that scarisum doesn't deserve me answering.

i totally agree with jon.... i too would also like to know aldives answer..... (if you anser it, youll get to add 1 more post to your post counter;):rolleyes)

Lucas is an OK product??? I have read a little about the product and it seems that I could use 1/2 quart per oil change and get CLOSE to the results I would with a synthetic oil. Eliminates dry starts, more resistant to thermal breakdown, etc.

I think I will try it in the rear diff. first. Iwould guess 1/2 Lucas and 1/2 gear oil should do the trick.

Any thoughts????:confused:

Lucas has it's purposes, it just depends on what you want to use it for. Obviously dont go pouring a litre of it in a new engine, thats not what it;s made for.

If you have a dying 5 speed or a diff thats worn out, Lucas can help.

It is as thick as honey, it doesnt have all the other unnecessary crap added in it (it;s pure petroleum oil) and it just plain works great, in the right application.

Just like Marvel Mysteery oil, You wouldnt find me adding this stuff to my trucks oil, but I may use it to hel out that old rusty chainsaw, or a few capfulls in the 2 stroke mix can help sometimes too....

Well - 1st question I have is do you have a LS rear end? If so, I would be careful using it. The Ford LS doesn't like synthetic oil (at least the 1st gen Ex doesn't - and I think they are all the same). For the rear axle with a LS you should be running 80W 90 (5.3 pints) with 3-5 oz. of LS additive.

I would have no oproblems running it in an engine. It isn't the kind of stuff meant to seal leaks - it is designed to help oil stay where it belongs when the enginge isn't running.

J

There is no need for Lucas in a 2002. It is made for WORN out parts.

You would be better off with a bottle of Pro Long or slick 50 if you are worried about dry starts. Personally I just stick with Mobile One full synth 10W-30, it worked for years in my 180K mile 2.9L and now in my 100K mile 4.0L.....

Pro Long and slick 50 may help when you are starting, but dont expect it to keep your 2002 SOHC running with a firehose spraying at the crankshaft while you pour sand into the valve covers.......


A little lucas will never hurt, but there is really no need for it in your 2002.

so what benefits would it serve for my 150k+ motor? tranyn should be okay as its my third. gear lube is cool just got changed - tcase earl is all brand new... but the motor is getting alittle aged. i used "engine restore" one time and i think it worked i felt a little more peppy and it was before a long trip and i felt that i got better mileage than normal - but the exhaust smelt liek rotten eggs. thought my cat was bad changed oil and cleard up fine.... wow im on a bunny trail....

so any motor benefits?

Originally posted by FMExplorer
The Ford LS doesn't like synthetic oil (at least the 1st gen Ex doesn't - and I think they are all the same). J

My 99 sure like it; I have been running Mobil 1 for 40k miles with no troubles.

Ask AgExplorer what he thinks of using Amsoil in the LS rear.

If you smelled rotten eggs then most likely you will smell them again and you cat is clogged/all used up.
Besides just being old there is one thing that will kill a cat converter, raw fuel. If your cat goes bad it is most likely because something else is wrong, an 02 sensor is bad, the fuel pressure regulator went out, your MAS is not working properly, etc...



Does your 4.0L leak oil? If yes the Lucas can slow these down

If you do a compression test on your engine before and after the addition of some Lucas you will see an improvement. However I dont really consider 150K mile high miles on a 4.0L, 200K is getting up there, 150K is just slightly used as far as the shortblock is concerned.

Your valvetrain may need some work, but as far as piston rings and what not you are fine. You can crack open a 200K mile 4.0L and you will still not see much wear inside the cylinder walls, they are bulletproof.

Here's the deal. If you want to add lucas go ahead. It is an excellent product and will not hurt anything, But you dont need to add much to your crankcase. When you use Lucas it's all about how much you use.

If you use 3 quarts of lucas and 2 quarts of oil you are going to stress your oil pump big time and do more harm then good.

If you use 4-1/2 quarts of oil and 1/2 quart of Lucas, now you are talking. The lucas will stick to the engine internals and help reduce wear upon startup. The lucas will also help lubricate any worn seals and bring back some lost compression.


read the back of the LUCAS bottle, its got you covered.


Oh and there isnt a Ford engine out there that doesnt benefit from synthetic oil, you wallet benefits the most because it more then pays for itself in gas mileage....

That's why I referenced the 1st gen in my post - the manual specifically states not to use synthetic...

J

hmmm. what about lucas oil and synthetic oil? or, is this just cancelling out each other?

410,
a little off subject here - but regarding the 4.0 block - if you was going to rebuild a motor with 150k on it and wanted to p+p the heads, valve job and so on, what are the chances of safely running NOS without damaging the lower half? Or am I better off machining the block just to be sure?

J

synthetics have changed since 91, the old concern was they are too new and we dont know enough about them, and that they would cause a leaky engine to leak more.

It;s a bunch of BS. The fact remains that a good synthetic oil (Casstrol or Mobil One) will outperform a conventional motor oil. So how can it hurt?

Originally posted by 410Fortune


Oh and there isnt a Ford engine out there that doesnt benefit from synthetic oil, you wallet benefits the most because it more then pays for itself in gas mileage....

FMExplorer was refering to the Limited Slip Diff.

I saw no discernable difference in mileage between syn and organic oils.

Dude running NOS will wear out any engine twice as fast. Yes your 150K mile short block will hold up for a while as long as you dont kill it. I am telling you the lower half of the stock 4.0L is tough for MANY MANY miles. YOu do need to replace the oil pump at the very least. Personally I would not run nitrous on any stock truck engine, no matter what the miles, but thats just because if I want to go that fast I'll buy a car or a 2wd.

Thats kinda a loaded question, I;m one of those guys that will rebuild everything with all new parts, just to avoid having to pull the engine again anytime soon.
recommend it? no
Will it be okay with nos and 150K miles? probably last for another 100K miles as logn as you dont over do it. But wouldnt you feel better knowing you properly prepared the block for the nitrous? (to me, forged pistons are required if you want to run NOS)

If you smelled rotten eggs then most likely you will smell them again and you cat is clogged/all used up.
Besides just being old there is one thing that will kill a cat converter, raw fuel. If your cat goes bad it is most likely because something else is wrong, an 02 sensor is bad, the fuel pressure regulator went out, your MAS is not working properly, etc...

it was about 50k ago so im thinking that everythign is okay. i keep the mas, tb, iac cleaned regularily - i changed o2 sensors about 60k ago. i credit the stink to the "engine restore"

i think i will probably leave the LOS alone as ive never had to add oil between changing and ive always used mobil1 5w-30 so i feel really good about it. i used prolong one time and saw no gains either. i think that these kinds of products are no replacement for keen maintenance and regular upkeep. thanks for you reply though youreally know your stuff. thanks (410Fortune)!

i also wander the same as jimabena... will it cancel each other or just multiply viscosity (sp?)

Originally posted by FMExplorer
410,
what are the chances of safely running NOS without damaging the lower half?




Jon, have you been watching "The Fast and The Furrious" on Starz this month....


I can see it now: Bubba's mud ranch, end of the mud strip.


He floors it !!, BOOST!!, bounce, stuck, spinning, stomp on it, BOOST!!, BANG!! SNAP CRACKLE POP!!!!

:)

Hey you brought up a great point I often forget about.

I am one of the most anal people in the world when it comes to maintenence of my baby, just ask my fiance who could kill me I spend so much time under the hood and so much money on parts. I change my synth oil every 3K no matter what, I re-pack my wheel bearings 4 times a year or more, I xhange my auto tranny fluid twice a year min, I change spark plugs about once a year, etc..

But what you said is dead on.

There is no product that can make up for or replace proper prevenative maintenence.


Oh and running too many fual cleaners, addatives, octane boosters can harm your cat too, so like you said that could be the smell. My point is if you smelled the eggs some damage was done to the catalyst in your converter.

When I added Lucas to my 2.9L I noticed a big gain in compression. My 2.9L had 180K miles on it and I drove the crap out of it. I added some lucas along with my regular Mobil synth 10w-30 and it helped slow down the leaks, it got me some power back, and the compression numbers on all 6 jumped up quite a bit, at least for a while, I dont know I yanked that 2.9L a couple months later....

A buddy of mine had aMitsubishi pickup with 300K miles. Diesel turbo, the 5 speed was making noise and shifting really crappy, added a 1/2 bottle of lucas and it lasted for another year....the stuff works best in worn out transmissions, engine's, and diff's, bottom line.

Hank - yes I was referring to runing synthetic is the rear diff with LS (even a new auburn says not to).

410 - I don't want NOS to go fast - just for a burst when I inevitably get stuck in mud. I agree it makes more sense to rebuild the whole thing. Shoot - it's only another $800 to do it right. That big of a project may as well get done right. My thoughts are to stay with the stock heads (all valves and such replaced) - port+polish, headers, MAS, throttle body, chip, NOS and NOS/SC grind cam, forged pistons and so on. The goal is 220-235hp before NOS. With the research I've done, this should be fairly easy to attain. What do you think?

J

Jon you missed my question 2 posts above.

Oops - sorry Hank
No - haven't seen it yet...

BUT - if I score the GT next month, maybe I should watch it. Don't ask about it - I'll fill ya in later ;)

J

Well you are right on then.

I too plan to build a OHV 4.0L for my truck, my 93 is nearing 100K miles and I have a "spare" 4.0L I can build so this winter I plan to get started.


225+ HP is easily reachable with the OHV 4.0L with the right rebuild. You may be able to save some $$$ by using stock SOHC pistons, they are forged from what I hear, however they are flattop and will increase the compression a bunch so you need to lower the compression back down when doing the heads.

I have not done anything like this before but I have done a ton of research and with friends like Brett I wont have any problems building my own.

If you dont have the book, get it. It iwll tell you everything you need to know....

As far as using NOS to boost yourself through mud, wouldnt you be better off with lower gears and less air pressure? I mean if you are in some thick ass stuff that is bogging your engine down, nitrous is not gonna boost you out of it, it;s gonna blow up your tranny, driveshaft, hubs, u joints, and eventually the engine.....If you are that serious about mud I would spend the NOS money on some 4.56 or 5.13's, high strenght u joints and axles, and some beadlocks.....

Dont get me wrong I think NOS is cool! It's like free power! But the OHV 4.0L is more then adequate to shove 35" tires through the deepest mud even in stock form with the right gearing.......

Ditto: Ask me later about my wife's Isuzu Stylus XS.

A punk kid in a stickered and winged Civic got one hell of a surprise....

Wife gave me build up permission.. No stickers or wings though....

Fast ans the stupid plots is more like it. Personally I wouldlike to get a 86-87 2wd Ranger and convert it over to the 2.3L turbo, intercool it, get some high compression head gaskets (copper ones?) and run 14# of boost or more, then go make all those stupid Fast and Furious huge wing having morons look stupid in a 4 banger Ranger.......

There was a plot??? I have seen norp with more of a plot.. :eek:

HAHAHA those little Isuzu turbo's can make a ton of power!!!!!!!

You know what else would be cool to handle those ricers is a hopped up Xr4ti, anything 2.3L turbo is killer! I have seen SVO guys running 450 HP from the 2.3l T....

Gotta love the norp!

410 - how about higher range RPM? Is the cam the determining factor in the RPM? I have read Sven's book a couple of times and after emailing him, I think 250-270 can be done with a little more tweaking.


Right now I am running 35's with 4.56's and yes - I get bogged down to where the stock motor starts getting cranky. But - with 60 extra ponies, much of that problem would go away.

But - with 60 extra ponies, much of that problem would go away.


Along with your trans, head, crank, cam, U-joints, yoke, and so on, and so on, and so on.....

You sound like a Faberge Orgasmic commercial...

Hank - will 500hp keep me from getting stuick or will it make me 340hp more daring (aka stupid)?

J

I have researched you data and come up with the following formula.


( U + 500hp) = (Me driving you home after the first run) /
(Your exploder on a tow truck)

Sounds to me like you are in Atlas II territory now, not NOS.


250+ is possible, , you are just getting to a more radiacal cam and are going to sacrifice some of your streetability (making up myown words now).

If you want a 4.0L that winds up above 5500 RPM's you are gonna want to upgrade the rockers, valve's, and heads BIG TIME. Svens whole point is 250 can be reached but the difference in $$$$$$ is a lot! custom rods, pistons, etc should be used, whereas 230HP is average for a mid level rebuild using properly prepared stock parts.

I mean you are talking a ton of labor hours, deburring, balancing, porting, polishing, and a ton more $$$$$ for the custom rods, pistons, rocker tips, etc....

I plan on doing a semi aggressive buildup, I'll dyno it to see how much HP it makes when all is said and done.

My buddy Joe did a 5.0L conversion, well he dynoed his 93 Ex with the 180K mile 4.0L in there so he could get before numbers, not too good. His 4.0L with all the bolt on's headers, etc was making like 100 hp at the rear wheels (if I remember the numbers right, I'll check on that) the 5.0L HO conversion is done, just working the bugs out, so we shall see what the "After" numbers are.....

Good point - I forgot about the custom heads and what not. My plans are to strip a block, debur, machine and square it then re-assemble with new parts. Most will be OEM type parts - but want to hit that 230 +/- number. I thought about an Atlas, but that doesn't help with tire speed in the goo - lotsa goo here in the swamp...

J

maybe what you need it one of those big fans and rudder, and a big flat bottom thing you can bolt on in place of the wheels.

Or hey how about those MATTRAX things

:D

I could learn to be more careful - but what fun is that?

J

Hey Jon, if your serious about the build, we will talk about it next Saturday. hate to see you get hosed on this stuff, it gets pretty expensive. Decide what you really want and send it to me. I have some contacts with a local Speed Shop and he gives me some pretty good deals. NOS is the cheapest way to add HP, but it is impulse HP...Something else to consider is torque..I think we can get you above the 200 range for about $500 above the cost of a stock rebuild.
Figure at least 2 weeks once we get started, If we gather everything before hand.
Back to the topic of this post...
SNAKE OIL....
all the stuff is doing is filling the gap of worn metal..Alot of the time, this can be worse for your engine/parts depending on how the lube system is designed..Diffs and transfers are dip designed, so the parts are lubed as they move thru the basin of oil/grease..So I don't see any problems there..BUT, engines and trannys are lubed by pressure..By thicking the oil, you are increasing the pressure..Oil pressure does not dictate the life of your engine, available oil on the bearings/races does..You increase the pressure, but decrease the flow. Think of it like this, the difference in sucking milk thru a straw verse Icecream thru a straw..Make sense?? The increased consistancy makes it harder to PUMP and you get LESS oil moving through the engine/tranny..
As far as syn oils go...NEVER RUN THEM IN A NEW ENGINE...Meaning, before the break in period..I do run syn blend in my tranny/t-case/diffs...But, not the engine..Why not the engine you ask....Simple, several years ago, I rebuilt a 305 Chevy for a truck I had at the time, syns had just hit the market and were the craz of the day..So I ran out, got the most expensive syn oil I could find, and filled my new engine..After driving it 500 miles, I changed the oil and refilled with the same stuff...1 week later, I pulled the dip stick and 1 qt low..refilled. week later, again 1 qt low..Again and again, till I finally started fouling plugs. After doing some research, the reason was the oil. It kept the rings from seating...After alittle more research, seems the oil manufacturer had a disclaimer on the bottle...NEVER RUN DURING BREAK IN PERIOD.
Anyway, the oil kept my rigns from seating..I switched to regular oil, but was never able to keep the engine from losing compression or loosing oil.
Just my .02