From: bible@iastate.edu (Anthony E Bible)
Subject: Slick50 Report
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 18:03:13 GMT


	I asked to see a copy of the slick50 report Soren mentioned last week
and he sent a copy to me.  I am posting it as he requested.

Regards,
tony

==============================================================================
From: LAFORCE@xenon.arc.nasa.gov
Message-Id: <921210111537.20202d39@XENON.ARC.NASA.GOV>
Subject: slick 50
To: bible@iastate.edu
X-Vmsmail-To: SMTP%"bible@iastate.edu"

Here's the slick 50 posting.  I seem to be unable to post a file from 
my site.  If you can post this thing w/o having to type it, go ahead.

--Soren            laforce@xenon.arc.nasa.gov

Here's the slick 50 article I mentioned a few days ago.

Reading it again I have realized that the magazine they refer to 
(Road Rider) is a biker mag.  The only experience I have had with
the publication in the past regarded their very reasonable stand
on helmet laws (they are opposed).  Unfortunately, none of the 
arguments they used to support their stand were very reasonable.

What I'm getting at is that I do not regard Road Rider as the epitomy
of accurate journalism.

On the other hand, this doesn't make them wrong (or incorrect) either.

I think my neighbor gets Road Rider.  I'll check and see if I can
find the article.  If so, I'll post my own comments


--Soren            laforce@xenon.arc.nasa.gov


------- Forwarded Message Follows -------

> For what it's worth, my engine builder has suggested that I try Slick
> 50.  He hasn't done side by side testing but says he's noticed that the
> Slick 50 treated engines seem to survive better and show less wear -
> and this man specializes in skepticism.  Since I use Redline racing oil
> and see minimum wear on my race motors I haven't used Slick 50 but his
> recommendation leads me to believe the product has SOME merit.
>
> Peter

STOP BEFORE YOU PUT Slick 50 INTO ANYTHING YOU CARE ABOUT!!!  What follows
is a LONG post summarizing a small portion of an article I read recently
on engine oil additives.  Delete this now if you're not interested in the
topic.

Now that I have your attention, there is a MUST READ article in the
August 1992 issue of Road Rider magazine.  The article is entitled,
"Snake Oil!  Is That Additive Really a Negative?"  I will not retype the
whole article here as it is rather lengthy, however, suffice it to
say that after reading the article I will not let the stuff anywhere
near ANY of my engines.  The article bases it's statements on test results
from the following very reputable research institutions: University of
Nevada Desert Research Center, Avco Lycoming (aircraft engine
                               ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
manufacturerers), Dupont Chemical Company (the creator of PTFE which is
the main ingredient in Slick 50 and other similar products), North Dakota
State University, Briggs and Stratton (of lawn mower engine fame), the
University of Utah Engineering Experiment Station, California State
Polytechnic College and NASA Lewis Research Center.  Quite an impressive
list.  Each of these institutions spoke out AGAINST using Slick 50 in your
engine.  In fact, ROAD RIDER was unable to find any independent testing
organization that would support the findings that Slick 50 brags about.
When you ask the Slick 50 folks about who did their testing, they will
not tell you.  Here's one quote from the article I think you'll want
to read,

"...  By far the most damning testimonial against these products
originally came from the DuPont Chemical Corporation, inventor of PTFE and
holder of the patents and trademarks for Teflon.  In a statement issued
about ten years ago, DuPont's Fluoropolymers Division Product Specialist,
J.F. Imbalzano said, "Teflon is not useful as an ingredient in oil additives
or oils used for internal combustion engines."

[the above is kind of what I mentioned at the begining: DuPont is a
chemical manufacturer, not an engine manufacturer; they may or may not
have a valuble opinion here    -s.]

At the time, DuPont threatened legal action against anyone who used the
name "Teflon" on any oil product destined for use in an internal combustion
engine, and refused to sell its PTFE powders to anyone who intended to use
them for such purposes.

After a flurry of lawsuits from oil additive makers, claiming DuPont could
not prove the PTFE was harmful to engines, DuPont was forced to once again
begine selling their PTFE to the additive producers." - ROAD RIDER/August 1992

Here are a couple of the things mentioned in the article as possible failure
modes for Slick 50 style products:

1)  PTFE is a solid.  The additive makers claim this solid "coats" the moving
  parts in an engine.  The article states, however, that, "such solids seem
  even more inclned to coat non-moving parts, like oil passages and filters.
  After all, if it can build up under the pressures and friction exerted on a
  cylinder wall, then it stands to reason it should buid up even better in
  places with low pressures and vitually no friction."

2)  Additive manufacturers will claim that they use "sub-micron" sized
  particles that will pass through your oil filter.  The only problem is
  that, "PTFE expands radically when exposed to heat."  So when your engine
  reaches normal operating temparatures, the particles may not longer pass
  through your filter, but instead will clog it!


The above quotes and data are just small tidbits from an article filled
with such information.  Briggs and Stratton has done testing on it's engines
with and without the stuff and found the an engine using the stuff actually
showed more wear than an engine using conventional motor oil.  Do read
the article.  It does not come out and tell you that you should not use
Slick 50 and other products like it, but it gives you lots of data for
you to make your own decisions.  For example, if I was someone with a
racing motor that was torn down and rebuilt after each race, I might
consider using the product as there are some results that have shown
there to be less friction within the engine, thus resulting in an increase
in horsepower.  Again, read the article and make your own conclusions.
I will not use any Slick 50 style products in my engines, but that is
just my conclusion after reading the article.

Good food for thought.  Happy racing!


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