Oil additives. Anyone use?

[stir_fry_boy]

What is the empirical data that proves your combination reduces wear of an engine?

Empirical Data

A UOA with "better than average results for 5.5k OCI" is not, by itself, proof that it reduces wear. The same company, doing the same UOA, after driving the vehicle in IDENTICAL conditions, with AND without the additive, is a start. It does not prove a reduction of wear, however.

I'm not basing it on one UOA from one car, once. That doesn't make any sense whatsoever. I am a professional with a Master's degree. To get accepted into the program, only 54 applicants out of 1100 get in (less than 5%). In other words, I'm not a dummy.

The cold start rating of motor oil (0w-20 vs. 5w-20) has very little to do with the manufacturers additive package and whether an aftermarket additive will be effective or not. So, if you feel (read: believe) that your Prolong+Pennzoil combination works with 5w-20, there's nothing that suggests it should be different with 0w-20. That said, I would trust the engineers that design the oil, and the analysts that test it (API), more than the kid at the Autozone desk telling you about his (anecdotal) great experience with an additive.

No one said anything about AutoZone. I don't trust those people with a 10 foot pole. I also use 5W30 in my 02' anyway.

Check out Bobistheoilguy.com for oil testing and results that match your needs. Some oil is designed for greater efficiency (MPG), others for HD (towing), some for stop and go driving. Pick a good oil and stick with it. The Folks who designed it have more letters after their names than you and I. And empirical data...

I have found that this oil (and additive) is best for my needs. Every car is different, each situation is different. I make a lot of short trips, therefore, looking for something that would reduce as much wear as possible was important.

[MENTION=114198]intense1776[/MENTION] I think you make a lot of assumptions about me and my experience and/or background with this post you made.

 

[stir_fry_boy]

You might be. Maybe Toyota oil prevents wear better than pennzoil with prolong. It's awfully hard to know for sure, because the data needed to make the comparison is expensive and difficult to get.



It may well run quieter, smoother I cannot explain, and your mpg increase may be real. You can calculate the savings. At 15.5 mpg (what I am getting right now), 5,000 miles uses 322 gallons of fuel. At 16.0 mpg, 312 gallons. 10 gallons saved, at gas prices over $1.00/gal, the mpg savings exceed the additive cost.

This presumes that the additive has no unknown deleterious effects, which it probably does not. But might....

To test your mpg gain, you need to have a friend add, or not add, the prolong without telling you. After several cycles of both, you can fairly calculate the difference.

Testing MPG with only oil vs oil+additive has been done on many tanks of gas and many miles. I figured it to be ~.5 MPG rounded from .45. Same tires, same gas, same lift, same time of year, etc. etc.

 

[BlacknTan]

Not to deter anyone else from using what they like, and what they feel works for them, buuut,

Isn't prolong the stuff that, years ago, they used to drain the oil from an engine and run it with the additive only? And, the engine would run like a top??
I could be wrong, but if memory serves .. it was chlorine based?

Anyway, this could be of interest ..

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/1999/09/prolong-super-lubricants-settles-ftc-charges

 

[Jesserue]

Wow this Prolong stuff looks really amazing, mulit-purpose apparently. They even have a free trial!

Prolong Male Enhancement | Pills | Trial Offer

:drum:

 

[1engineer]

Empirical Data

I had read this data before and he makes some very good points. I have several questions about it before I would actually use this data.

1. Who is he really? Anyone can get on the internet and use a name. We do it here. When I publish it is not under the name "1engineer" lol.
2. Who does he work for? Sure, he has a patent in the aerospace industry. I have a few in the mining industry but I don't work in the mining industry.
3. No citations for ANY data. That's not a real big deal except, and I had this problem last time, when actually checking the composition of fluids I would have to pull out my own books to make sure what he published was correct. In a random case, I believe it was the Rotella, he had a few numbers off. Plus there were several he listed that I could not find the specs for anywhere. It would lend some credibility if he cited his sources.
4. He did not list the professor who wanted to cite his work nor did he list anyone from where he acquired anything. That's a red flag.

With that said a lot of it looks correct. Much of it was for engines that are quite a bit different than ours. I guess what I am saying is treat his info the same way you would treat any post here... with a grain of salt. When he lists his name, education, school, place of employment, etc then it would be credible and useful. As of now it is just a longer post that could be here. Good luck and for the record, and my own $.02, I don't use any additives other than what is specified by the engine manufacturer. They know more than me.