"slick 50"

[Teej]

Pasting from another thread.

 

If Leafer doesn't wish to discuss, that's fine. I just don't want to talk about it in the Warthog thread...

 

That's why "slick 50" products are at best a waste of money and at worst counterproductive.

 

Oh, that is so wrong. I don't know about all the other engine additives, but 'Slick 50' works. I've rebuilt many engines from conventional to rotary. There was this one truck with almost 200,000 miles on the engine that the owner, a messenger and a regular customer, had brought in for an overhaul. Usually, the oil pan is the first indicator if the engine has been well maintained, and to date, I have never seen a cleaner oil pan. There was minimal wear on the cam lobes along with all the other moving parts. The owner and the other mechanics were shocked when I showed them the parts that would normally wear. That engine looked as if it had just rolled off the assembly line and I kid you not. Everything was just so clean. Unbelievable.

 

And no, you shouldn't use slick 50 and synthetic oil in rotary engines.

 

And no, I'm not sponsored by Slick 50. I don't even own a car.

 

And yes, I was a mechanic so feel free to pm me for help and whatnot. Though I have not worked on a car since 2005.

 

The vast majority of PTFE (teflon) in slick 50 ends up immediately trapped in the oil filter resulting in a larger restriction to flow. Independent tests on engines found some reduction in friction...but also increased iron in the oil, indicating increased engine wear.

 

I wouldn't touch the stuff at gunpoint.

 

Regardless, the subject of slick 50 is not appropriate to the Warthog topic, so if you want to continue this, let's take it elsewhere.

Edited November 29, 2010 by Teej

[Jinro]

There was this one truck with almost 200,000 miles on the engine that the owner, a messenger and a regular customer, had brought in for an overhaul.

My first car (which still exists today) has 290,000 miles on it and counting.....and no one has ever put anything other than synthetic motor oil in that engine. And it's clean too.

[Teej]

My own position stems from:

 

1: DuPont, inventor of Teflon / PTFE did not want to sell the product for use in oil. Slick50 had to file suit to force them to sell the product. Still, they are not allowed to use the name 'teflon' because DuPont did not want to be associated with that use.

 

2: PTFE is a solid compound, not a liquid. If that solid is going to "stick" to anything, it's going to stick to cooler, non-moving surfaces, not the sides of your pistons.

 

3: As a solid compound, your filter should be filtering it. If not, you need a better filter.

 

4: As a result of #3, you are now dirtying that oil filter and preventing it from doing its job. More oil will end up bypassing the filter and continuing to circulate oil contaminated by wear and combustion products.

 

5: Slick50 has been smacked down by the FTC for its unsubstantiated claims

 

finally (at least for now) and most importantly....

 

6: If this worked, everyone would be doing it. Motor oil companies spend big bucks on making the best additive package they can. If they could make a measurable improvement in mpg or engine wear, they'd roll out their own PTFE products and squash slick50 like a bug. Further, if it worked, car manufacturers would coat the engines with PTFE at the factory as part of trying to meet ever higher mileage requirements.

[Jinro]

I really don't think a certain oil can increase your mpg. The engine and transmission itself is what determines the mpg, in my opinion. My car has a CVT transmission and runs 2200 rpm at 80mph (my old car would run close to 4000 rpm at that speed) and thus it gets 35 mpg highway, whereas my old car only got 21 mpg.

[leafer]

My first car (which still exists today) has 290,000 miles on it and counting.....and no one has ever put anything other than synthetic motor oil in that engine. And it's clean too.

 

Was the engine disassembled with all the moving parts laid out for you to see and feel? Did you see the rod bearings, the underside of the pistons, the ring grooves on pistons, the magnet inside the oil pan, etc?

 

Teej,

 

I don't know about car manufacturers, but the pistons that go in some race cars are coated with teflon. I've heard of teflon coated pistons and piston rings for racing motorcycles as well.

 

I don't know. I can't explain how that engine managed to look like it only had 3000 miles at 200,000 miles. I am not exaggerating here. It's one of those must see it to believe cases. I also don't feel like reading pages and pages on a monitor, but I'm sure you've googled your case and I believe it. If it clogs up the filter then it's a no-no. Good oil flow is everything to an engine health.

 

What I do know is the inside of your engine will look its age, and after almost 200,000 miles even if you've changed the oil and filter every 3000 miles it'll look like crap. There will be considerable wear on the cam lubes, the cylinder wall, and especially the rod bearings. Open the valve cover on your engine and have a look at the cylinder head. I guarantee there's brown stain on just about everything and it won't come off without proper sandblasting. The engine in that truck had none of that and unless you can tell me why then I'd have to say it's the s50.

[Teej]

Your piston and cylinder walls will easily hit 300C during normal driving. Higher at max RPM of course.

 

PTFE starts pyrolysis at 200C...breaking down more rapidly at 260 and fully melts at 327.

Edited November 29, 2010 by Teej

[leafer]

Oh dam. I had just done some reading and you're right. Still, doesn't explain that engine but I'll say I'e made an ass of my face. :D

 

Google is not my friend!

[Teej]

Heh. Yeah, no way to tell with that truck. (shrug)

 

I just agree with the manual on every car I've owned: "Do not add anything to your oil." ;)

[leafer]

It's a good thing I only recommended it to very few people.