Lucas Oil Stabilizer...

Has anyone used this product and is it worth buying for maintenance sake? What does it do exactly? It is an additive, correct?

Or

Is it just another gimmick on the shelf?

I've used Lucas Oil Stabilizer in my motor, transmission and powersteering, it's all worked better than i expected.

So far I have put it in my engine, and diffs and it made a world of differance. My engine had a small leak that went away and my diffs are quieter and smoother than ever. I only use non-synthetic gear oil so I dont know if syn would be the same without lucas, but mine is sure good with it. It also made my engine run quieter. I think it is worth it for sure.. I use the upper cylinder lube and injector cleaner about every 4 tanks and it improved my milage too. Beware the first time you use it though. If you have lots of carbon buildup in your 'X' be prepared to see some major smoke from the tailpipe. It will go away though. Just let it run a few minutes. Also be sure to clean your plugs afterward. Mine got all schmutzy.

I definately would like you guys to read this article before deciding to use the Lucas products.
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/images/lucas/lucas.htm

No bueno

I have used lucas stuff in my motor oil on my 1.6l escort given the motors age and the amount put in it really can't hurt the engine. I know of several hobby racers who use this stuff in diffs all the time. Given these guys are shelling out their own money on parts etc. I would find it hard to believe they would use a product that would end up replacing a part prematurely or lose a race.
As far as bobs test goes he doesn't tell you how much stabilizer he puts in and does not add any to the other product. I understand leaving one untreated to show the difference but to not put the stablizer in the other product is suspect. I imagine there are similar results. Plus the motor oil tested was a 15w-40 I am sure there is some street car that takes it but I have no idea which one. Testing a 5w-30 or 10w-30 to me would have been more convincing. Personally I think he's trying to sell the other product, but hey thats my 2 cents.


Deak

That's an interesting test in a garage.

Here is a real life, real world, summer in NY story.

I had a 92 Chevy Caprice my friend "lent" to me after I sold my car. I'm driving along one summer morning and the oil pressure srops, the car stalls, and dies.

I restart it and the same thing happens. I'm only about five minutes away from my mechanic (a good and trusted friend). I drive it to his shop and keep it running by dropping it into neutral and revving when I must let off the gas. This keeps the car running until I get to the shop.

I pull the car in and he checks it out. No oil pressure. He calls his motor guy. The guy tells him that this motor is known for the bearings going but because of the way they are situated, you might as well rebuild the whole engine if you are going to replace the bearings. Bottom line, the car isn't worth fixing.

He tells me to throw some Lucas in and see if it'll last me any longer, then dump the car. I change the oil and put in 4 quarts 5W20 and 1 quart Lucas. The idea being the heavier weight oil will still be able to be mover by the bearings.

Well, the car lasted me a year. I didn't take any long road trips or anything, but, I drove around town with no problem. By the next summer, I could only drive her like ten minutes until the oil got warm and she lost pressure.

Bottom line, Lucas worked for me and I use it in my oil and tranny.

I'm still undecided about putting it into my wife's brand new Explorer though.

For what it's worth, I believe in Lucas products.

That test is biased. If it was going to be a fair test he would have used the same type of oil in both chambers. Hows this for a test? I drive my truck around till it's warm, and then check the dipstick. If there's air in the oil it should show up on the dipstick right? I love the hufe Jug's of Schaeffers in the backround of some of those pics.

I don't currently have any oil issues with my X at 68k. I was thinking of adding it only on a maintenance stand point. I have always been leary of additives and just never bothered. Thanks for the info guys.

I think if you have a problem and it needs to be replaced anyway then its worth a shot. But otherwise, I personally do not think additives are a good idea. They are a last resort. Its about risk and reward. If you already have a problem the risk is low and the reward can be high, but if there is no problem the risk is high and the reward is small.