| Engine oil additives
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| | The problem? They can strip away more
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| Do they really work?
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| | than sludge or deposits. They can strip
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| That question has sparked controversy for
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| | away the boundary lubrication layer
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| years in the automotive and diesel
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| | provided by your motor oil. With that,
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| industries. Are the various engine oil
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| | you would be promoting increased
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| additives really just the modern
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| | metal-to-metal contact within your
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| automotive versions of "Snake Oil"?
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| | engine.
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| Many engine oil additives promise to
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| | "Miracle" Zinc?
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| reduce friction. The presence of friction
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| | Zinc dialkyldithiophosphate ("zinc") was
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| - metal on metal inside the engine's
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| | originally touted as the "miracle" engine
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| combustion chamber - generates intense
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| | oil additive, replacing Ptfe. As an
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| heat and often indicates the galling of
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| | engine oil additive it has been used in
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| metal parts and surfaces. In other words,
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| | many standard additive packages.
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| your engine is being gouged, scored or
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| | Zinc is advertised for extreme pressure,
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| gashed piece by piece over time. (See
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| | anti-wear engine protection. It is
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| test photos at reference below).
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| | particularly useful in high stress,
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| There are several major kinds of engine
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| | prolonged metal-to-metal conditions found
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| oil additives:
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| | in racing. But, for all of its fanfare,
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| 1. Ptfe engine oil additives
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| | racing conditions are not what the vast
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| (Polytetrafluoroethylene, which is Teflon
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| | majority of motorists face.
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| TM).
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| | Your automobile should never face such
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| 2. Engine oil additives containing
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| | stresses under normal, everyday driving
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| solvents and detergents, such as
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| | conditions. Interestingly enough, years
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| kerosene, naphthalene, xylene, acetone or
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| | ago oil companies reduced the amount of
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| isopropanol.
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| | zinc in standard engine oil packages
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| 3. Engine oil additives containing zinc
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| | because of damage to catalytic converters
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| dialkyldithiophosphate ("zinc" for our
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| | and increased spark plug fouling.
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| purposes here).
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| | Furthermore, zinc is a hazardous
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| 4. Engine oil products using the same
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| | substance. It has the capacity to inflict
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| additives used by oil manufacturers, only
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| | serious damage to your eyes. As an engine
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| in different amounts and combinations.
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| | oil additive, it really hasn't "lived up"
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| 5. Other engine oil additives such as
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| | to its original high expectations. And as
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| chlorinated paraffins and molybdenum.
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| | a "miracle", you won't start a new
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| Ptfe
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| | religion with this one.
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| Polytetrafluoroethylene got off to a
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| | Same additives used by car manufacturers
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| rough start in its early career as an
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| | The oils from major oil companies
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| engine oil additive. The DuPont Chemical
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| | servicing the automotive, truck and bike
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| Corporation, its inventor, issued a now
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| | industries already come "loaded" with
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| famous statement which read: "Teflon is
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| | engine oil additives and work in
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| not useful as an ingredient in oil
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| | combinations, synergistically. Adding
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| additives or oils used for internal
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| | more of the same additive will not bring
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| combustion engines."
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| | added benefit.
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| By court action, DuPont was forced to
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| | Many things in the world of chemistry act
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| sell Ptfe to manufacturers of engine oil
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| | in such a way that more is definitely not
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| additives. To their credit, DuPont still
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| | better. Think of adding a hot pepper
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| maintains they have "no knowledge of any
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| | sauce to a mix. Some adds flavor. More
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| advantage gained through the use of PTFE
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| | can make for a memorable event.
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| in engine oil."
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| | Sulfur compounds, for example, are used
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| Why the controversy? Remember, this
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| | to protect your engine at lower engine
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| additive is a suspended solid. Imagine
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| | temperatures but coke out forming sludge
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| introducing an additive with solids which
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| | at higher temperatures. More will not
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| your oil filter is designed to remove.
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| | help your engine and can, in fact, do
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| So, your oil filter collects as much of
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| | actual harm.
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| the suspended solids as possible. The
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| | "Other" engine oil additives: More snake
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| result? Clogged oil filters and a marked
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| | oil
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| drop in oil pressure.
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| | Chlorinated paraffins have had some
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| Ah, but there's a "comeback" to that
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| | success as an engine oil additive. But,
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| critique. Manufacturers claim it is of
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| | there are severe drawbacks. With intense
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| sub-micron size, passing through engine
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| | heating, as in an internal combustion
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| oil filters.
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| | engine, the chlorinated paraffins release
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| That isn't the whole story.
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| | hydrochloric gases and acids.
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| I've spent nearly three decades working
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| | Chlorinated paraffins are thermally
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| to find chemical solutions to industrial
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| | unstable and above 200°C deteriorate,
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| problems. When you test chemicals, you
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| | generating strong acid radicals (hydrogen
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| must follow them through the whole cycle
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| | chloride, free chloride ions). These
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| of their use.
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| | radicals begin to attack metal surfaces,
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| Polytetrafluoroethylene expands radically
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| | forming chloride films of the metal.
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| in size when subjected to heat. It starts
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| | "Stress crack corrosion" in the metal
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| out "sub-micron", but you won't find any
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| | surfaces and corrosion of bearings,
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| guarantees that it will stay that size
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| | piston and valve trains can result.
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| when engine heats to normal operating
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| | Chlorinated Paraffins are known to be
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| temperatures.
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| | carcinogens, toxic to humans and to
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| Ptfe is often criticized for the oil
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| | aquatic environments. These substances
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| pressure drop accompanying its use. This
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| | accumulate, bringing effects that may be
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| again is probably due to the clogging of
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| | irreversible to man or environment.
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| oil filters. What is disturbing is that
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| | Molybdenum engine oil additives claim to
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| there are tests showing the presence of
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| | maintain or improve the antiwear
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| iron contamination in the oil due to
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| | antifriction properties of engine oil.
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| increased engine wear after its use.
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| | The problem is that they solidify and may
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| Maybe this one is best kept in your
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| | create clogged bypass filters, block oil
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| non-stick frying pan.
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| | galleries, reduced lubrication and add
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| Solvent and detergent engine oil
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| | engine surface wear.
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| additives: Outmoded?
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| | Frankly, none of these problems are
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| Engine oil additives designed to dissolve
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| | necessary. There is a much better
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| sludge and carbon deposits inside your
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| | solution to the engine oil additives
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| engine use solvents and detergents. They
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| | issue. It's no "miracle" either. It came
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| are usually naphthalene, xylene, acetone,
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| | straight out of the science and
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| isopropanol or kerosene in a standard
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| | successful use of decades of industrial
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| mineral base.
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| | manufacturing solutions.
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