Oil Additives, Part II

Please understand that the whole petro-chemical stuff is very complex. There is no way to get really into chemical components without making it sound annoying and incomprehensible. But I'll try to submit what is really important in clear and easy understandable language.

What I omitted in my first essay (read #20016872)is that the laboratory research on Slick 50, paid for by Petrolon, wasn't all bad news. There were some increases in horsepower (5.3% to 8.1%) and gas-mileage (11.8% under a light load and 3.8% under a heavy load). So the stuff sticks to something and therefore works; however, since these advantages come with lower oil pressure and increased wear, it is hard to swallow the whole package.

I have never heard of a Militec oil additive. I checked with several suppliers but I only got negatives. Must be something entirely new, for now only marketed at the East Cost. Sorry, about that, but I'll get back to this a bit later.

Now, since we started with the highly popular Slick 50, a product that contains PTFE (Teflon), let me show you alternatives that are currently available.

First of all, however, let me repeat the basic findings of any oil additive that contains the solid PTFE as main active component. Besides Slick 50, this is T-Plus and QMI.

These products show some improvement in horsepower and gas-mileage, but they drain out when the oil is changed, leaving only slight residue. These solids create a risk of such "side-effects" like 1) extra metal wear in the engine, 2) sticking to the sides of oil channels, reducing oil flow, 3) clumping together to clog oil filters, and 4) "sludging up" over time.

Another group of oil additives is based on Petroleum Distillates. Among those products are Duralube, Prolong, and Tribotec. These volatile compounds (VOC's) are usually toxic, especially when heated. They have good friction reduction properties, but can have serious side-effects. They can dry seals and gaskets and break down the motor oil they are added to. They commonly have a low "Flash Point," meaning they evaporate very quickly, usually before your next oil change. Some distillates can even leave behind hydrochloric acid or chlorine when they evaporate. Both are highly corrosive, and are listed as stratospheric ozone depleters.

Another component that has been used is Molybdenum Disulfide. Pretty much like PTFE, these are irregular solid particles (2 to 10 microns in size) of substances not designed to work inside a combustion engine. However, since I do not know a particular product that uses "Moly" out of the back of my head, just be careful if something "new" comes up and you read this on the back of the bottle.

Which brings us to the last major group: PP Formula 7. Discovered and patented in 1979 by a Boeing aircraft engineer, it is a process where different formulations of petroleum additives are re-synthezised and tiny, dense, round molecules of about 0.1 microns in size are created. The only product I personally know that uses PP Formula 7 is Petron Plus. However, it is very well possible that Militec uses the same formula. But I don't know that for a fact.

Formula 7 is the most promising oil additive as of today. However, it is beyond my knowledge in how far independent tests have been made to support the manufacturers claims, but there is one test known as load test that at least Petron Plus has passed with flying colors.

It is performed, using an extreme pressure machine as described by Mike Harrell in regard to Militec.

During this experiment, a load is put on Timken bearings. Using competitive products to protect the bearing, the scar on one bearing, right, was made by applying 50 foot-pounds of pressure. The electric motor rotating the race bearing that created the scar normally runs at 5 amps, with no load. At 50 lbs. of pressure it pulled 15 amps. and stopped the motor. Using Petron Plus to protect the bearing, left, showed minimal scarring at 150 pounds of pressure, and the motor only drew one additional amp to continue running.

The re-synthesized petroleum molecules of PP Formula 7 are specifically designed to be used in combustion engines. They have undergone a significant molecular transformation. Their size is too small to be filtered out.

These magnetic molecules are very dense, so they have a high load factor wear. Their spherical shape gives them the highest shear factor in the industry for reducing friction.

Other than most engine conditioners that contain mostly a single-grade motor oil as a carrier of the solid particles, Formula 7 does not use any motor oil. Therefore, it is compatible with any kind of motor oil you use in your engine. It has been approved by OSHA, EPA, and COSHH regulations.

You may have seen it with your very own eyes on swap meets: An engine running without oil, in fact without an oil pan for hours at a time. They usually use a MoPar slant-6 for the demonstration.

Well, that looks very impressive but please understand that it isn't a big deal, really.

Some people have criticized me a while ago when I mentioned how I do my oil changes: I let the old oil drain out overnight, then turn the "oil-less" engine without ignition in the morning to get the remaining oil out of the oil pump. After filling the crankcase with fresh oil, I crank the engine again to prime the oil pump. When I start the engine, it will have oil pressure much faster than any other way.

People now have used the expression "don't use that at home" to express their concerns about engine bearings that run without lubrication. While this is a perfectly understandable concern, it is however, inaccurate.

There is always oil in the engine. You can't drain it all, even if you did everything in your power. Oil really sticks to surfaces. Try this experiment at home: Use your bare hands, or any kind of gloves if you like, and dip them into a pot with engine oil. Now rub your hands as fast as you can, let them hang down the side of your bed all night long but don't use a towel. In the morning now try to touch your wife or girlfriend. Chances are that she will smack you! And really, your hands (or gloves) will still have an oil film that you can't remove with rubbing.

It is not much different when you slowly crank an engine without ignition. Please keep in mind that, if your Volvo runs with 5000RPM, the crankshaft turns 833 times per 10 seconds. When I crank the engine without ignition for the same period of time, the crankshaft will have turned about 10 to 20 times, depending on your starter motor (and some other factors, such as temparature). There will be no damage whatsoever due to this procedure for there is no heat and no force involved. The bearings will still be lubricated after this time.

Same goes for the cylinders. At 5000RPM, each piston in a four cylinder four stroke engine will come down 2,500 times per minute, 417 times in 10 seconds! Visualize yourself sitting silently in a remote corner of an engine which has so many explosions in such a short period of time and you will have to re-define the term "hell."

When I crank the engine for ten seconds, the pistons will move up and down the cylinder 5 to 10 times very slowly. No harm in that, for there will still be an oil film of the thickness of a condom at the cylinder walls. And that's enough protection for the piston rings.

Viewed from that perspective you will realize why these people can show an engine running without oil or an oilpan. It idles at about 525RPM, with very low pressure and very little heat involved, for hours. You can do that with your engine for some time if you have used a good, quality motor oil, but why should you? But turn up the revs and such an engine will die within a heartbeat.

So let's not loose the perspective here. Oil is, and has always been a very controversial issue. The best insurance you can buy for your engine is having frequent oil changes with a good quality motor-oil and by treating it with respect, using the appliance up there we call brain. And if your engine happens to die prematurely (at it just happened to me), it is most certainly not because you haven't used an oil additive.

Thank you.

Bernard