Yeah, I just read some of the BITOG stuff about it, and a couple guys actually gave some good links to real information. it looks like ceratec is a Boron Nitride additive, that may or may not contain moly (saw some conflicting reports of that). IMO, i don't want to add a ceramic to my engine oil.
Moly on the other hand has been around in automotive and machine circles since before WW2 and is a well known and common lubricant. If you want more info, read my thread on drive shaft lubing (it's in the master thread...). Moly is very commonly used in sealed bearings, and the science o what it does if very well known. It bonds to the metal and fills in the asperities, creating a slip layer to reduce friction. This layer does NOT build up to the point that it jams bearings, despite some on the internet claiming it does. It is excellent for high speed and high temp applications and has a well-proven track record. That said, it probably isn't helpful in all cases. Moly engine oil has been around for a long time too.
Here is the best link I found from BITOG, interesting paper. Basically says that BN doesn't reduce friction, but Moly does. I don't think that Moly causes oil to not wet to the metal and thus causes corrosion. IN fact the benefit of moly in sealed earings is that it continues to lubricate after the grease has seeped out. It seems to me that if it caused corrosion after the grease seeps out, then it would negatively affect the life of the bearing, not prolong it.
http://www.transportation.anl.gov/pdfs/MM/857.PDF
Hmm. Not really sure why anyone would dump some unknown crap into their crankcase on an engine that has survived beyond 100,000 miles. Simply, if you keep the oil clean with a good filter and use synthetic oil, the engine will continue to run forever(close to it). If it was prematurely wearing out, it would have failed by now. Just my most humble opinion.
Now on topic, the rumors against using additives (no less valid than the rumors in favor of additives) say that some additives will block small passages in the engine or that the substance that bonds to the engine parts makes it so slick the motor oil cannot stick to the surfaces and opens the metal up to corrosion. In either case Its probably just snake oil.
personal experience: Once I used slick 50 in a 71 corvette which I had just rebuilt the engine. I was invited to drive in the 4th of July parade. My coolant temp gauge wasnt reading right so I didnt know what had happened. At the end of the parade, driving roughly 40 minutes at idle speed I parked the car and checked the coolant level. Not a drop of coolant was in the radiator. I had a leak under the car. My engine ran in 90* heat without coolant for almost an hour. It didn't seize nor suffer any ill effects. I can only attribute that to the slick 50 that was still in the oil.
Good principle, don't dump unknown crap into you crankcase. Especially if you are still under warranty (none of us are obviously...) as adding anything, even if it is good, could void your warranty.
I don't buy the blocking small passages thing for additives like moly. The scales are so different between particle size and passage size. Now things like stopleak, yes, that will plug passages... And moly is pretty well understood in terms of what kind of "build-up" you get on the metal, and it is pretty much just beneficial. It's been researched to death over the years because it is so extensively used in the bearing world.
I don't know much about slick50, but I have been surprised at how long engines can last without coolant. I had a friend that drove over 1000 miles after her coolant leaked out. I think it did destroy the engine, but the thing still drove; it was just un-repairable. There is also an old story about some moly guys running a car around a track with no engine oil, but having treated it extensively with moly and it running a pretty ridiculous # of laps. It was purely anecdotal, but kind of a fun read. I lost the link to the story and haven't been able to find it again.
Anyway, y'all can feel free to risk it with the ceratec stuff. I guess it probably won't ruin your engine, but don't ignore the placebo effect. If you are getting smoother shifting by using engine oil additive, then you are a posterboy for the placebo effect.
