Tim, List,
Mazda and Racing Beat say the same thing about the break-in of rotaries.
(yeah, I know...who cares!)
Now I've gotto make a confession (with the correct subject title yet!)
about additives. A couple years ago while I was driving Betsy (my 30 year
old, $50 Datsun 510 4 door) 70+ miles daily to work I noticed she was
smoking like mad and using lots of oil. I tried the usual cure (20W50) but
it didn't seem to help. Valve seals maybe, along with the "low friction"
(meaning barely touching the cylinder walls) rings. In a $50 car I sure
wasn't up to doing any real maintenance, so to keep some lube on the
dipstick I started trying various motor treatments. Thick slop, smelly
stuff, you name it. Nothing helped. I went to straight 30 weight for
several oil changes, and was beginning to get embarassing comments at work
about my "classic" car. I was about to resort to the 3000 mile oil change
ritual I used to use on my truck, where I'd change the oil on the other cars
and pour it into the truck.
Finally in despiration, I dug out a dusty bottle of Wynn's Friction
Reducer that a neighbor had given me when he made an overseas move. I
figured I couldn't go wrong with this stuff, and the price was right. Since
nothing else had worked I had no expectations whatsoever that this thin
wimpy looking stuff would make even the slightest difference. All I wanted
it to do was keep something wet touching the end of the dipstick. Within a
couple days I noticed that the smoke from the tail pipe was gone.
Panic quickly set in as I realized that in this car that could've meant
that all the oil was GONE! To my surprise the oil was still right at the
level it had been when I added the stuff. I kept a close eye on it til way
past the next oil change interval, not wanting to flush this miracle juice
out of the crankcase and have the smoke return. That's when I really got a
surprise. The smoke and oil consumption didn't return on the next oil
change and haven't come back in two years of subsequent oil changes. (Back
to 10W30 now!)
What it did exactly I can only speculate on, and I really don't care. It
certainly improved my quality of life, and may do the same for many with
worn out shop trucks or tow vehicles that are past their prime. I've no
financial stock in the company and don't even know if the stuff is still
available. I provide this only as an illustration that there are places
where additives are helpful and cost effective.
"Cheap Chuck" Rothfuss
Pole Cat Hollow, NC
At 07:40 PM 1/10/2001 -0500, you wrote:
>My cam grinder and short block builder both recommend "conventional" oil for
>break-in and then(if you want) synthetic for racing..Honda rings take
forever to
>seat and starting out with syn. is not recommended.Just what I do.
> Tim Schoeny
>
>Skip Higginbotham wrote:
>
>> By the way, if you put Pro-blend in a new engine's oil it will take about 5
>> times longer to break the rings in. Guess where the benefit is? Better
>> lubrication.
>> S
>>
>> Not true, John.
>> Break-in should take about 10% longer but there is no reason not to use the
>> oil.
>> Skip Higginbotham
>>
>> At 01:58 PM 1/10/01 , you wrote:
>> >It was my understanding the synthitic oils of any kind are a NO NO in new
>> >componets. They do not allow the proper break-in to take place, and should
>> >only be used in components after the normal break-in has been finished.
>> >What say ye?
>> >
>> >John Beckett
>> >----- Original Message -----
>> >From: "DOUG ODOM" <popms@thegrid.net>
>> >To: "Chris R Harris" <yesford@clear.net.nz>
>> >Cc: "land-speed" <land-speed@autox.team.net>
>> >Sent: Tuesday, January 09, 2001 7:23 PM
>> >Subject: Re: Additives
>> >
>> >
>> >> Chris; Slick 50 is nothing more than Dupont Teflon repackaged. In the
>> >> states we can buy the K-mart teflon for less money and it's the same
>> >> thing. A friend of mine did some testing with mobil one and teflon on
>> >> the dyno. He said he made the most power with one Quart mobil one and
>> >> five quarts teflon. The bearings never took a hit. I thought about using
>> >> it myself instead of straight mobil one but I guess I lack the testicle
>> >> fortitude. I have used Amsoil in transmissions and rear ends with good
>> >> luck but the one time I tried it in a motor it started to wear the
>> >> bearings. Change back to Valvoline 50w and the bearings (vandervell) ran
>> >> all season with no wear. Just my 2 cents worth.
>> >> Doug Odom in big ditch
>> >>
>> >> Chris R Harris wrote:
>> >> >
>> >> > Compliments of the season to all on the list, thinking positively, 2001
>> >is
>> >> > going to be a great year.
>> >> >
>> >> > New subject additives. What is the lists opinion on the subject, do you
>> >have a
>> >> > favorite, are they strictly 'mouse milk', most certainly don't stack up
>> >to
>> >> > the claims made, some definitely do help. The one I use in my manual
>> >trans and
>> >> > diff on the roadster (definitely not the engine though) is Slick 50. My
>> >> > experience here was using a heavy rotary slasher on the farm. Powered by
>> >a 100
>> >> > hp tractor, these very basic slashers swinging a heavy hub with 4
>> >swinging
>> >> > blades, had a simple right angle bevel gear box between the PTO shaft
>> >and
>> >> > blade. In heavy going that box would get stink'in hot, couldn't touch
>> >it,
>> >> > always used the recommended oil. The addition of Slick made a huge
>> >reduction
>> >> > in box temperature, thats what convinced me it was doing its job.
>> >> >
>> >> > Lets hear your opinion including others like good assembly lubes or
>> >other
>> >> > special brews you have for particular purposes, there has to be plenty
>> >out
>> >> > there.
>> >> >
>> >> > Chris Harris New Zealand.
|