What additive is in your engine oil for longevity

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Master M

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I would like to hear what additives work in your engine to promote long engine life. Would you share your recipe ??

My 1988 M-body 318 has 32,000 original miles, and I would like to hear your recommendations.
 
I've been using Amsoil synthetics with no additional additives in my race car as well as newer trucks.. While zinc & phosphorous isn't critical with roller cams as it is with flat tappets, it certainly doesn't hurt. But there are applications where non-zinc oils are mandatory. i.e.: 2007+ diesels. Synthetics with a good oil filter will add an extra degree of protection and extend drain intervals. I've experienced slight fuel mileage increases as well. (Less friction = less wear, better mileage and more power.) I wouldn't use anything more that 10w-30. They do have a variety of non-zinc oils as well in addition to the chart below.

http://www.amsoil.com/techservicesbulletin/MotorOil/TSB MO-2007-08-08 Flat Tappet.pdf
 
Almost every oil additive I've ever seen is snake oil bullshit.
Unless you're breaking in an engine or racing that is.
On your engine straight 10W 30 is all you need.
I don't even use the high mileage stuff in my cars.
You don't need any additives and I would avoid them like the plague.

My Fifth has over 200,000 miles on it.
 
IF, (this being a rare exception for oil-not usually necessary) your oil in your motor was thick and black, a cleaning-detergent additive would be useful.

The Zinc additives that they tout would not benefit you hardly at all as Captain Caravelle has pointed out. Slick 50 only has powdered Teflon it which does NOTHING for you.

If you get dirty gas, half a can of Seafoam. If you got gas, drove off and accelerated, only to have the car & throttle miss & hick up (water in your gas) -a bottle of water remover (HEET as an example would help. Ethanol blended gas does not seem to have as refined gasoline it from my experience-small flecks of tar float around in it-clogging fuel pumps and filters.

If your vehicle sits for a long time, the red bottle of fuel stabilizer really helps, as gasoline slowly degrades to tarnish- I use this for long deployments.

Stay away from recipes adding acetone or Xylene - you will ruin seals.

The older generation swears by marvel mystery oil, but they also drove older/different vehicles than what we drive now.- I believe that it has a very light oil in it.

Multiple places on the web say that toluene is an octane booster- but it would be better if you referred to experts rather than play chemist.

If you have a catalytic converter, do not use Avgas (Aviation 100 low lead fuel for Propeller aircraft)-even if you did not have a catalytic converter, it has paraffin in it as well, which leaves a tremendous amount of carbon build up in the combustion chamber-they rebuild engines in the aviation's FAA standards after 3 or 5 thousand hours (can't remember which) unlike what you expect to get out of a street engine.
 
Just my 10c - have run Justice Brothers engine tune up (oil treatment, and for engines over 50k miles) stuff is slippery and helps with leaks, cleans out gunk and actually have to turn down the idle on the engines after a few minutes. Stuff is as advertised. Currently add a zinc supplement to my oil as I still shift at 5 grand on a regular basis and all my rocker arms move the same distance and my idle is smooth. The engine has 540 thou on it and I abuse it " like a hooker with a chipped tooth" as often as my gasoline budget will allow. . .thanks Billy... :-)
 
I run Rotella 15w40 Diesel oil in all of my gas engines, and diesels too! lol.

Extra protection for heat related break down, and it grabs particles a lot better than any gas oil could ever hope too.
 
Personally, up until a few years ago, all my cars saw Havoline. Once it went off the market (in retail stores) I switched to Valvoline. I've gone to Mobil 1 since then, in everything I own. Those are the brands I prefer, though, as they've given years of lasting service.

If you have success with other brands, then stick with it.

On a side note, growing up, my dad would add Rislone to the first oil change of every used car he bought. Goes back into the '50's and '60's when you'd could buy detergent or non-detergent oils. People would just top off with whatever was on hand and the two didn't mix well. Left a lot of varnish and sludge behind when you mixed the two. The Rislone would break down this varnish and allow the new oil to "seat." It would also clean out oil passages, so his first oil change was usually only for a 1000 miles or so. After the first oil change, he'd simply run straight Havoline after that, with no additives.
 
I've always run Valvoline 10w 30 in my cars but this last oil change I put NAPA house brand in them. NAPA house brand is just Valvoline in a NAPA jug and I got a case on sale. http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=5895 I usually wait until NAPA does the Valvoline 5 qt, NAPA Silver filter deal. My NAPA doesn't carry the Silver filter so I get a Gold filter at the same price.
 
Good to know. I have been using Rotella T 15w40 in my 1985 V-8 gas engine 1 ton van. An engine builder recommended it for that age of engine. I just noticed and bought Rotella SAE 30 in gallon jugs at Wal Mart. It is supposed to be excellent for small engines.
 
I use the 15w40 in my small 4 cycles too, but the snowblower is parked inside so the 15w isn't too thick for winter operations.
 
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