Anybody use Slick 50?

[TBone]

I noticed that the new synthetic Slick 50 can be used in diesel engines. Has anybody out there used it in their tractor?? I was thinking about giving mine a dose with my next oil change. (I don't use synthetic oil - I use Chevron Dello)

 

[bgott]

I wouldn't waste my money. There are people that swear by it, but there is not one shred of evidence that it does anything useful. I have read articles that state that there is evidence that the teflon can fall out of suspension and plug oil galleys. The FTC forced the maker of Slick 50 to cease and desist from advertizing that it increased the longevity of engines or increased fuel mileage unless they could prove it worked. They couldn't.

 

[Bird]

You may want to do a search on the Internet first. Someone posted a message in a thread on STP last month that there are a number of lawsuits pending against the manufacturers of Slick 50. I have no personal or scientific knowledge about Slick 50, but there's no way I'd put it in one of my engines.

 

[MossRoad]

On the same subject, have you heard anything good or bad about the "Prolong" brand of stuff? The infomercials always look so tempting, but I've always stuck to regular maintenance for long engine life. What're your thoughts on engine additives in general?

<font color=green> MossRoad </font color=green>

 

[Bird]

<font color=blue>have you heard anything good or bad about the "Prolong" brand of stuff?</font color=blue>

Nothing either way.

<font color=blue>your thoughts on engine additives in general</font color=blue>

My current opinion; a waste of money at best; severe engine damage at worst. As far back as the mid-50s when my dad owned both a service station and an auto parts store and we sold a wide variety of brands to those who requested them; never recommended any, Mobil Oil engineers claimed only two brands would do no damage and none would help unless you had specific problem such as needing to flush sludge out of engine, hydraulic lifters, etc. in one that had NOT been properly maintainted to begin with, in which case the oil companies' "upper lube" would do the same thing.

During my years of fleet management, I had many companies try to sell us various additives, and I've never found anything better than just using the proper API rated oil (petroleum or synthetic), changed regularly, or on a schedule dictated by oil analysis. I said my "current opinion" because I know that new things are being invented, marketed, etc., so it's entirely possible that something could happen to make me change my mind in the future, but I ain't seen it yet./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[TBone]

Thanks Bird and bgott, I should have read all of the posts I've gotten behind on before posting. After reading the STP post and the links on the lawsuits, I think I will pass on the Slick 50. I change my oil regularly and use Dello Supreme and have never had a problem so I'd better leave well enough alone. Thanks again for the replies. TBone

 

[Bird]

TBone, I'm not sure which oil you're using. According to Chevron's web site, Delo 400 (which I use) is rated for diesels and is NOT a synthetic, while the Chevron Supreme is a synthetic, but NOT rated for diesels. I haven't heard of Delo Supreme; does something exist I don't know about and can't find on their web site?

 

[Boner]

Here is the jest of it.

http://neptune.spacebears.com/cars/legal/s50fcn.html

 

[MossRoad]

Thanks!

<font color=green> MossRoad </font color=green>

 

[Anonymous Poster]

The thoughtpolice has.........

 

[TBone]

Bird, I must have been having one of my senior moments. I looked on the label and it is Delo 400. I could have sworn it was Delo Supreme. If I don't watch myself close I will pick up the wrong thing one of these days. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

TBone

 

[Bird]

TBone, that's what I'm using, too. Now that Chevron and Texaco have merged, do you reckon it's the same thing as Havoline?/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Bob_Trevithick]

<font color=blue>...My current opinion; a waste of money at best;...</font color=blue>

Along a similar line, do you feel the same about Marvel Mystery Oil? I always heard a little in the fuel provided some top end lube. In gas engines at least. Probably irrelevant when it comes to diesels?

 

[Bird]

Bob, I'll have to admit that I don't know whether it provides enough benefit to be worth it to add to the fuel with current vehicles, but at least I don't believe it'll do any harm. I've used it in the past, but it's been awhile. You know, the oil companies used to make something they called "Upper Lube" or "Upper Cylinder Lubricant" (small cans - 4 oz. if I remember right) to add to your gas, or people would even remove the air cleaner and pour it into the top of the carburetor with the engine running. Like the upper lubes, Marvel Mystery Oil is a high detergent, so it should have some injector cleaning as well as lubricating benefits. Purely personal opinion, I think it's probably good to add a little to your gasoline occasionally, and IF I had a gasoline engine that I thought was gummed up a bit from poor maintenance in the past and wanted to flush the engine out, I might use it in the oil (although I would be more likely to use automatic transmission fluid).

I know some people use it in their air tools instead of regular air tool oil and as far as I know, it works fine. However, they also make Marvel Air Tool Oil specifically for the air tools, which is what I use in all my air tools, but again, I really don't know just what's different in the air tool oil and the regular Marvel Mystery Oil.

When I was a teenager working in my dad's service station, we had one regular customer with a 6 year old Ford with tremendously high mileage (I don't remember exactly what it was), and he took immaculate care of that car. And when we changed the oil in it, he wanted Texaco's non-detergent motor oil and a pint of Marvel Mystery Oil in it./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif It obviously worked well back then.