Engine additive to reduce/Eliminate Blue Smoke

[class87]

From: Beatty1950  (Original Message)
Sent: 1/10/2005 12:47 PM

This is a little off the Subject of Classic Winnebagos, but hey my 1989 RX7 Rotary is nearly a classic....

I had a problem with my Mazda when it was cold.  It would put out blue smoke when first started.

Quart of TX7 added with last oil change at Jiffy Lube.

See

http://www.polydyn.com/

So far so good.  No Blue Smoke after a couple of days of running the Mazda in cold weather with the new oil change with TX7 added. 

I am considering adding TX7 to MissTank next.

Dave Beatty
1975 Classic Winnebago D19 with 46K Miles
1989 Mazda RX7 Convertible with 171K Miles
1983 BlueBird Wanderlodge FC35SB with 161K Miles
2002 Ford Windstar with 62K Miles

Hey my Classic Winnebago is my low mileage vehicle.

 

From: mightybooboo
Sent: 1/10/2005 2:28 PM

"So far so good.  No Blue Smoke after a couple of days of running the Mazda in cold weather with the new oil change with TX7 added. I am considering adding TX7 to MissTank next."

Dont know about TX7,and I really dont use additives but.....
Had a 1992 Chevy s-10 with the small v6.It would burn about a quart every 800 miles or so.Didnt smoke though,but it wasnt leaking either.Somewhere I heard Restore really worked for that,so I thought what the hey,and threw in a can.

Darned if that 1 can,1 time I used it did stop all my oil burning.I would  use half a quart in  5000 miles.CRAZY,couldnt believe it,but the goofy stuff really worked.

Keep us updated and let us know how the TX7 works out.

BooBoo
 


From: OldEdBrady
Sent: 1/10/2005 9:25 PM

I never buy a new vehicle (for which She Who Must Be Obeyed refers to me as an idiot, but that's OK).  With every single one of them, I immediately drain the oil (who cares whether it was just put in?) and put on a new filter, and the very first thing in is System Restore.

I don't say it's the best, but I do say I haven't found anything better for those older engines.
     
   

From: Derrek
Sent: 1/11/2005 7:26 AM

I have also been told that Lucas is a good product but, my first question is:

What makes it different from the other 20-30 oil additives on the shelf at my local parts store?

I have contacted Lucas several times, but never received a response. I don't expect an e-mail with the exact formula, but I would like some answers.

I have tried their products in the past, but never had a "Wow, what a difference experience!"

I started a thread at my group entitled "The great oil debate" hoping that various members could give their ideas and opinions on oils and additives. It never really went anywhere. I think this is because there is so much confusion in the oil and oil additive market that the average consumer doesn't know what to use or what works.

Arguements against using additives have stated that the oil is blended using a "recipe" that the oil company determines will make their product perform at the best levels it possibly can. If adding a little of this or a little of that would make the oils perform superior to other oils, wouldn't the oil company add it themselves to improve their product and boost sales? Using additives is totally a matter of opinion, but the arguement against using them is a strong one, IMHO.

This site can help answer some questions members may have in regards to motor oils: http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/

If you scroll down the page, you will see a test using Lucas oil additive.

                                                                                  Derrek


From: denison
Sent: 1/11/2005 11:01 AM

    I dont use additives in my engine oil either.  I buy my oil by the case, and I always get the house brand if they have one, as it is usually the cheapest.  If the place doesnt have a house brand, I still get the cheapest.    Cheep, Cheep!
 


From: Beatty1950
Sent: 1/11/2005 12:21 PM

Test results: 1 Week after the Jiffy Lube oil change in 89 Mazda Rotary Engine with 171K and 50K on rebuilt engine (Castrol 10W30 with 1 quart of TX7).

.. Greatly reduced smoke especially on the cold start in the morning. 
.. Power is better.
.. Neighbors are happier with less Blue Smoke
.. Wife still nags but not about the Blue Smoke

I will keep you all updated each week if there is interest.  If no interest then I will keep you all updated anyway...  LOL

Dave Beatty
75 Classic Winnebago D19 (MissTank)
 

From: Beatty1950
Sent: 1/11/2005 8:00 PM

Derrek ...

The site you mentioned ...  http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/

Great site.  Very informative.  Facts are hard to dispute.

Have you heard much about AMSOIL

Dave Beatty
75 Classic D19 Winnebago 
 


From: Derrek
Sent: 1/12/2005 7:28 AM

Hi Dave

Yes, www.bobistheoilguy.com is a very neat and informative site. There is a link on that site to Blackstone Laboratories. If you contact them they will send you several sample containers and perform an oil analysis for $20. You may want to consider doing this on your Bluebird to establish a baseline on the engine and send in a sample once a year or so just to keep tabs on the engine condition. I do this with my motor home and both of our daily drivers.

I have heard good things about AMSOIL and synthetic oils in general.

I have a friend who is a member of the East Coast 4wd association http://www.ec4wda.org/regionc/ and competes in dirt drags. He runs a Jeep with a small block Chevy that really takes a beating throughout the season. Each winter he tears the engine down and rebuilds it. Several years ago he switched to Valvoline synthetic and at the end of the season when he tore the engine down to rebuild it, he could still see some of the crosshatched marks from the cylinder hone he had used when rebuilding the engine the previous winter!

Using the synthetic oil reduced the friction in the engine to the point where the rings never fully seated! He now uses regular oil for the first few races to ensure that the engine breaks in and the piston rings fully seat, then switches to synthetic. I asked if he felt that it was specifically the Valvoline oil that made the difference. He said that many of his racing competitors use different brands of synthetic oil with similar results.



From: Beatty1950
Sent: 1/12/2005 3:32 PM

Thanks for the info and help ...

I just had the oil changed on the BlueBird Cat 3208T and the Perkins Generator.  With all the extras including 3 hub caps, fix the cruched dip stick tube, 2 new clear instead of blue step lights, turn the muffler to clear the left front hydraulic jack, adjust the brakes, the bill was almost $500.  Then I filled the diesel Fuel tank with 157 gallons for $300 (still had 110 gallons of diesel fuel left) and topped off the 45 gallon propane tank.  My 35 ft and 34000 lb BirdCage is definite not as cheap to operate or park as my 19 ft MissTank ....

The prior BlueBird owner used Rotella Oil in the Cat which is rate well so I went with the same oil (25 Quarts - Ouch).  I would like to try AMSOIL on the next change.   In the Generator they installed DELO Oil which is also rated well.  I think they ran out of the Rotella Oil, otherwise I would have preferred to to use the same on both the engine and the generator.

I will use your suggestion about the the oil analysis.... 

Thanks

Dave Beatty
75 Classic Winnebago    (MissTank)  46K Miles
83 Classic Wanderlodge (BirdCage) 161K Miles
89 Classic Mazda RX7 Convertible  171K Miles
too many toys and so little time
beattyd at yahoo dot com
 


From: mightybooboo
Sent: 1/12/2005 5:49 PM

Once upon a time I drove a 3208 bobtail dump.Sure was an impressive engine.
BooBoo



Sent: 1/12/2005 7:21 PM

     I've been toying with the idea of switching to synthetic oil in my Dodge Truck (Cummins Diesel) but it's so pricey.  $8 a quart X 11 quarts a change + one purolator filter $12  =  Empty Wallet. 
     My dad swears by Mobil Delvac 1000 Diesel engine oil.  His Freightliner (Detroit 60 series Engine) has 850,000 miles on it and going strong.  So thats what I use in the Dodge. 
      My buddy went to some fancy automotive school for 2 years and he told me that they buitlt 2 motors.  One had traditional oil in it, and the other had the same oil with Lucas treatment in it.  They ran the tar out of them for several months under vary adverse conditions and later tore them down.  I don't remember exactly what he was saying about the different parts of the motor but I do know that he told me that he immediately started using Lucas in his pick-up.

                                                 

From: Beatty1950
Sent: 1/12/2005 7:22 PM

I heard that the Transmission (Allison 4 speed Automatic MT-643) in the BlueBird is the same as used in Garbage Trucks. 

Nearly impossible to wearout. 

BirdCage is an amazing Coach but I still love MissTank ....

Great to have the BlueBird as s backup RV.

Dave Beatty
75 Classic Winnebago D19
83 Wanderlodge FC35SB

beattyd@yahoo.com
 


From: Derrek
Sent: 1/13/2005 7:40 AM

Yes, the only way to determine if Lucas does make an improvement would be to do some type of experiment. I was thinking of trying an experiment using some old lawnmower engines just for fun and curiosity.

Another test would be to add just straight oil without Lucas for one oil change and take a sample for analysis, then add Lucas to the new oil and repeat the process. The test results would show if Lucas does actually reduce wear and friction in an engine. I personally don't want to spend the money for the testing unless I really thought Lucas would make a huge improvement on my engines. I think the money would be better spent on synthetic oil rather than testing an additive.

 

From: olivereaman
Sent: 1/14/2005 9:18 AM

Derrick, Texaco has a research Laboratory in Beacon NY where the do the testing you speak about. They test different blends of oil, in different types of engines, under a variety of conditions. I believe that changing your oil frequently is probably more important than any additve. If there was anything that an additve could do to improve engine durability, I believe it's already included in a oil that meets industry specifications. I know a guy that is in the lubricating oil business, he buys base oil, that is oil without any additves, and blends it to industry specs, and sells it. He says that this is how just about all oil is sold today. He also warned me about buying deeply discounted oil, because in order for oil to be really low priced, they probably cheated in the blending process.