Re: [VintageLambo] Value of Engine Lubricant Additives

Hi Nick, Welcome back. I have only used one of the products you listed and that is the STP. I got sold on the stuff years ago when Andy Granatelli did his trick with the slippery pencil in one of the commercials they aired. STP advertises itself as a viscosity enhancer and by reducing engine friction, it (supposedly) increases gas mileage. In my case, I noticed no difference. But I liked the security blanket effect provided by the STP. Then one day, I read that modern oils are so much better that a viscosity enhancer is redundant. As one of those whose 400 lost an oil cooler (twice!) and had an engine live to run again, the claims made for modern oil are probably valid. As to running a 400 without the oil cooler, I have done so. While I waited for Peter Economoff to finish fabricating my cooler, I ran with a bypass hose and although I noticed the engine ran a little warmer and so did the oil temperature, it wasn"t enought to raise any alarms, in my opinion. Remember though, I live in an area where the mean annual temperature is around 72 degrees F, so in a climate like you have in Lake Havasu City, it might not be practical. Best Regards, Jack dryheat128 wrote: Hi Everyone, First of all, I want to thank all the contributors for their very informative posts.I have been away for a few weeks, and my catch-up review of this month"s posts was great! My post here today seeks your opinions about engine additives, such as Slick 50, Z Max, Duralube, Prolong, STP, and Motor Up. I read the thread about oil coolers, and the experiences of some members with hose failure and extensive loss of oil, and I recall these various companies boasting that their lubricants cling to the metal parts of the engine and continue lubricating even when the oil is drained.Now, I"m not proposing we try that with our Lambo engines, but do you think there would be less chance of engine damage in such a loss of oil with such a lubricant additive in the engine? Also, there was recent mention of pre-oilers to prevent engine wear at start-up. Would a pre-oiler not be beneficial if these additives keep the surfaces of the moving engine parts oily? There is understandably alot of scepticism regarding these products, but some of the testimonials are compelling: Z Max is airing an infomercial with endorsements from A J Foyt and Carroll Shelby, and the same ingredient is FAA-approved for piston-engined aircraft in a product called Avblend and is endorsed by Dick Rutan.Now, I don"t know whether these are paid endorsers or investors, but they certainly are very credible individuals. So, my questions are: 1) Do such products prolong engine life by reducing friction?Does their use eliminate the benefits of a pre-oiler installation? 2) Do they result in cooler oil temperatures because of reduced friction?Might this make it unneccesary for RHD Espada owners to consider adding oil coolers?Can damaged oil coolers on 400GT 2+2 cars, including Isleros, be removed and not replaced?(I note the frustration in getting timely restoration of these oil coolers from a recent thread.) 3) Do they dissolve carbon deposits, as claimed by Z Max? 4) Do they increase fuel economy? 5) Who among you recommend the use of such products in the engine? in the fuel tank?in the transmission?Several of these products are formulated for all three systems. 6) Is there any truly negative effect from using such an additive in our V12 Lambo engines (aside from the dollar cost of the product)? 7)Will such an additive cause increased oil leaks at gaskets and seals from increased penetrability by the smaller lubricant molecules? 8) If you believe in such products, which brand, and why? I"d be interested in your personal experiences, as well as opinions based upon the engineering background of many of our members.My questions pertain specifically to our Lamborghinis, but since we all own ot