STP Additive is Good Stuff!

[rjc]

I was having a lot of top end rattle when I first bought my 93 Ex last summer. I tried thicker 20-50 oil but that just dropped my gas milage. A better mix has been mobile 1 10-30 and blue bottle STP oil additive. It's very thick and sticks to the mettle parts very well. I can report after recently driving my X on a 1,000 Journey to Las Vegas, down to Death Valley and then up and over the Sierras with lots of climbing up to 8K feet through the passes that my X is running very smooth with little top end noise on the steep hills and I was running 87 octane. I am happy to report after changing my EGR valve that the idle has smoothed and my trip gas milage on my 2wd 93 ex was between 18 and 21 mpg with my Land Terrain tires. I believe it has also helped for me to have changed my radiator and hoses because this trip my Ex was running much cooler than last summer when I made the same trip through the dessert(yes it was cooler this month). When I pulled my old radiator there was a lot of junk between it and the air conditioning radiator which is in front of the engine radiator.

I have used STP in other vehicles with simliar results. It does a great job of quieting things down. If you do a lot of hill climbing or have a lot of top end rattle, give it a try. I almost think it's better than Slick 50 because it goes in every oil change. rc

 

[flyguy]

Im not much of an additive man... being that I think both Slick 50 and Zmax are being sued by the FTC for false claims. They mention some similar companys too... hmmm

nick

 

[rjc]

After looking at some of the other post and coming across the oil filter study I should add that I was using Fram filters but recently tried the Tech 1 sold at Walmart and made by Champion labs. That may partly explain the reduced upper valve noise but I still recommend the STP. Just thought you guys should know. rc

 

[flyguy]

I used to use fram too.. they dont seem to be all that great.. but I sure do like that grip on em! Makes life easy. The K&N filters have a nut you can use to screw them on and off... anybody know if the K&N's are any good?

nick

 

[S.Matsushige]

I say if it cures what you set out to cure then the product is for you. I've been using Restore - Engine Restore on my '91 since it went over 75K. I'm currently at 176K. I feel its working for me. As for oil, I've been using Syntec 5-50 with Motorcraft FL-1 filter. At three dollars, its a pretty good buy since it is also made by Purolator. I use a cup which fits the Motorcraft filter and hooks to a ratchet. I used Fram before I saw the filter report and used AC Delco and now Motorcraft.

 

[rjc]

Flyguy, I've used Slick 50 also with no noticeable difference in power but I think the STP has some real benefits with high milage cars and it's cheap at less than $3 per treatment. Worth a try if you have a noisy engine. If you try it and it has no difference, let us know. rc

 

[flyguy]

Is it just called STP Oil Additive?

 

[flyguy]

Hmm.. I just looked at the bottle.. what kind of oil do you use? If you use synthetic oil... you really cant beat that.

nick

 

[aldive]

Oil additives are just snake oil.

Quality oil, especially synthetic oil needs NO addatives..

 

[flyguy]

word.

 

[IgotTwo]

I am going to try to find the article I read about engine additives.....the reference might even be on this site.

Take it from an old fart:
I have seen this stuff advertised for years and somehow everytime a responsible independent testing group dertermines that the stuff is worthless (and in some cases does more hard than good)....... it still lingers or goes away for a while and resurfaces.

Because STP and the like have big advertising budgets and the Labs don't!!!

eg Slick 50, I am told builds up in all parts of the engine and can clog parts where it should not! oil galleries etc. I guess no one told the Slick 50 molaclues to only adhere to the cyclinder walls.
Star Trek's "7 of 9" is working on nano probes to fix that ... right!

Its a cycle that repeats itself.
Comma in opinion, and from what I have expereinced and read:

All those STP, Slick 50s and "its like re building your engine in a can" are no more than :

"Give me a few bucks and I'll give you some hope, but you will still have your problem."

Save you money!

 

[88vert]

engine restore

Engine restore is good stuff,I used to have a 86 subaru 4x4 and at 96000 miles it used to get alot of blowby and use alot of oil,I started to use engine restore 4 cylinder treatment and it all but illiminated it,now the car has 194000 miles and still running strong,just a can of engine restore with every oil change.Z-max is a waste of money,but I use the slick 50 auto tranny stuff in my ex and it helps with early morning slipping.

 

[jimbo74]

so....what is the concensus on restore?

 

[aldive]

Originally posted by jimabena74
so....what is the concensus on restore?

More snake oil,

If something is worn out or broken, it needs to be replaced or rebuilt, there are NO magic elixors out there.

 

[RFR2212]

It may not restore or fix the problem, but it may help prolong the motor for a bit longer

 

[88vert]

I have tried it in one of my vehicles,and a buddy of mine has tried it in two of his.If it saves you a quart or two of oil between oil changes,and makes your vehicle run a little cleaner WHY NOT! and also the saves on air filters mine used to fill full of oil from blowby.Opinions are like assholes everybody has one!

 

[mahieber]

When I was a kid working at my Dad's used car lot we used to pour comet cleanser down the carb if a car was burning a lot of oil. It would build up behind the rings and in the valve seals and lifters and "Voila!" the car would stock smoking and tapping.


...long enough for a few test drives and to get it off the lot.

 

[rjc]

88, did you use STP or one of the other products mentioned in this thread. As far as the snake oil comment goes.... I'd not speak of that which I do not know. I'd really like to hear what others have to say about the STP? rc

 

[RacerX]

With regard to the "snake oil" allegations, well, some of the additives work - up to a point. There is no such thing as an engine overhaul in a can, but if your oil-consumption problem is minor, you might buy some time by using an appropriate additive.

As far as STP goes, if it is anything like the STP that I used years ago, it *might* thicken your crankcase oil's viscosity for a short period of time, and it is darned slippery stuff. I found that it needed to be mixed with a quart of oil before adding it, otherwise it would sink to the bottom of the oil pan and resist mixing evenly.

For anyone who wants to read more about oil additives, check out this page: Dead Link Removed

It has a number of links to further articles on the topic.

 

[kaised]

I'll speak up, I've used STP on my BII and my X and it has stopped the valve noise in both vehs and reduces oil consumption. As for any other claims, like extending engine life, or increasing milage, I can't say I'd put too much weight in that. Like what most people have said, you have to be realistic, if something is broken or worn, chances are you're gonna need to pour something out of your wallet, not out of a bottle.