Expected results from oil additives?

[Crazy Horse]

This is probably an age-old debate and it's probably been talked about here countless times. Can a person expect any noticeable results when using oil additives which supposedly reduce oil comsumption and blow-by along with reduction of plug-fouling, etc? Please mention some specific products in your reply if you have had any luck (or no luck for that matter).
 

[John T]

Having been in the used truck n tractor business for years, hey sure I tried a bunch of snake oils to make a worn out vehicle stop so much blue (oil) smoking BUT NONE EVER WORKED !!!! and believe me I tried about all of em lol

That being said, I have had like 3 auto trannys that were slipping loosey goosey or slow or non shifting into which I added LUCAS TRANNY TREATMENT and I swear THE TRANNYS WERE CURED!!! Im serious as a heart attack n a train wreck IT ACTUALLY WORKED

While I cant post any other proveable or actual results from snake oil use and Im NOT saying anything other then Lucas tranny treatment worked for me, Lucas is still my favorite brand FWIW

John T
 

[MisterT]

[pete black]

my thoughts, my perspective. additives have their place; however, metal loss is the primary reason for oil usage and additives do not replace lost metal. that said, additives can reduce oil consumption, reduce engine noise,slow down leaks and free up seized parts. i prefer lucus products.
 

[dhermesc]

Agreed.

Maybe an additive to help remove deposits on a dirty abused engine, but nothing liquid will replace metal.
 

[Walt Davies]

I agree John T they are all snake oil. Most of them are just junk a few are nothing more than what the oil manufactures put in their product and are not needed.
My nephew worked for a used car lot and they have a real bad smoking car and the boss put something in it and sure enough it quit smoking. He said it would last long enough to get it off the lot.
Walt
See we can agree on something's
 

[Mike (WA)]

I had a Toyota many years ago, it was about 5 years old and was using a quart of oil between changes. Neighbor talked me into Amsoil. Said it would stop the oil consumption (said to call him if it got down a quart, he'd bring me one free), and it would increase the idle speed because the bearings would be better lubricated. Had me run the car, and write down the idle speed before he made the change.

Believe it or not, he was right on both counts. No more oil usage, and idle speed increased by about 150 RPM (I adjusted it back to where it was supposed to be). We sold it before the 15k mile change time, so don't know how it turned out after that.
 

[BCnT]

the only thing i've used to stop fouling plugs are "foul points"
theyre threaded cups that fit into head and spark plug screws into them/
also there was a brown bottle of 8 balls in some greasy liquid...said install 1 ball in each cylinder...i have to admit it did work for awhile...maybe a month,and at 8 bux a bottle back in the early 70's i only tried in once.
K&W Transmedic was my Dodge Torqueflite repair kit in a can...had a few Dodges and Plymouths that would take forever in the morning to pickup a prime and move...pour a can of k&w in and they worked like new.
 

[guido]

Hello Crazy Horse,
A hole in your pocket! Snake oil! Old wives tale!
Really not worth the bother.
Guido.
 

[casenut1]

i have had good luck with Shaffer's Oil for stopping an engine from smoking.
 

[oldtanker]

[uncle henry]

i'm with john t i use most all the lucas products with all good luck
 

[buickanddeere]

There is an additive or two that will swell old seals and slow or stop leakage. For a while.....
Living on borrowed time if it works.
 

[rrlund]

Guess I've borrowed a lot of time. When I got my 2-135 White 9 years or so ago,the first time I really worked it hard it started leaking oil out of the rear main seal in a stream about the size of a pencil lead. I dumped a couple of bottles of Lucas additive in it. By the end of the next day it had slowed to an occasional drip. By the end of the second day it had stopped altogether.
 

[Buzzman72]

My grand-dad was a mechanic from the 1920's until he died in 1978...and he had little faith in what he called "mechanic in a can." But he DID endorse Rislone for taking care of sticky hydraulic lifters, and Hastings "CASITE" when poured down the carb to clean up carboned-up, sticky valves.

With CASITE, I doubt that the enviro-nazis will allow you to use it in that way anymore, because of the huge amount of smoke it created.