Slick 50
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 424
Likes: 2
Slick 50
I think there was some kind of lawsuit about teflon and ptfe/pfte ?? But now I am seeing Slick 50 back on the shelf. With all the posts about oil, synthetic Vs dino, lack of zinc, ect., I wonder, does anyone have some scientific knowedge about Slick 50 type products. Could this be a solution to the lack of zinc. I've heard some pretty amazing stories over the years, urban ledgend or the real thing ???
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 8,319
Likes: 7
From: Wilmington DE, Drive it like you stole it, 68 327 4 speed coupe
Originally Posted by jimmygmartin
I think there was some kind of lawsuit about teflon and ptfe/pfte ?? But now I am seeing Slick 50 back on the shelf. With all the posts about oil, synthetic Vs dino, lack of zinc, ect., I wonder, does anyone have some scientific knowedge about Slick 50 type products. Could this be a solution to the lack of zinc. I've heard some pretty amazing stories over the years, urban ledgend or the real thing ???
Race Director
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 11,360
Likes: 382
From: Plano TX
Dupont holds the patent on ptfe and have branded it as "teflon". Slick 50 does indeed contain ptfe. The industry uses ptfe to coat cookware etc and it works well. However, when cookware it coated it is done at temperatures you never see in an engine. At the temperatures a motor runs at the ptfe will not stick to anything but it just gets trapped in the oil filter. Some have seen their oil fitlers clogged.
So at best it does nothing. Worst case the filter clogs and the engine seizes.
Dupont tried to stop selling ptfe/teflon to slick 50 as they felt it put a bad name on teflon. They lost in court but did get the court to agree that slick 50 could not use the teflon brand name.
The FTC then took slick 50 to court for false advertising as they claimed you could run the engine without oil, get better mileage etc.
So at best it does nothing. Worst case the filter clogs and the engine seizes.
Dupont tried to stop selling ptfe/teflon to slick 50 as they felt it put a bad name on teflon. They lost in court but did get the court to agree that slick 50 could not use the teflon brand name.
The FTC then took slick 50 to court for false advertising as they claimed you could run the engine without oil, get better mileage etc.
Drifting
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,629
Likes: 4
From: Somers CT
I have a good friend who used/uses the stuff all the time and had been nagging me to try it telling me how smooth the engine runs, better gas mileage, on and on. I finally gave in and tried it in my Ford truck; a week later I took it out, the motor was making a ton of bearing noise that wasen't there before and disappeared when I put regular 10-30 back in. Maybe the stuff doesn't like Fords
but I've never used it after that.
Bill
but I've never used it after that.Bill
Pro
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 660
Likes: 4
From: Fredericksburg VA
If you use anything use Militech1 http://www.militec1.com/ . I have personally worked with this and have tested it against several other products and we found this to be the best. I have personally used it in my boat (outdrive and engine) and with no other changes got about 600 more RPMs. I could go on but I know that there will be many that say add nothing. I will say stay away far away from PTFE!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,812
Likes: 2,029
From: eastern NC
In the early 90's oil additives saw a surge in popularity. Most of them contained some amount of PTFE or Moly-B (Molybdenum). At that time DuPont specifically stated that PTFE was not recommended to be used in situations that involved shearing forces (such as piston rings on a cylinder wall) as they would shred the PTFE and render it ineffective in short order. It was on the other hand suitable as a friction reducer for situations that didn't experience shearing forces, such as gear boxes and differentials. PTFE does not adhere to surfaces as it is Teflon and too large microscopically to get into the pores of most metal surfaces.
Molybdenum on the other hand can adhere to metal surfaces as it does get into the pores of some metal surfaces. So if an engine oil additive contains PTFE, you are probably wasting your money, on the other hand if it contains Molybdenum, it can possibly be an effective friction reducer inside an engine. Then again, if you just use a good quality synthetic oil (when it is practical) you probably don't need to spend any money on engine additives anyway.
My own experience with Slick 50 was particularly negative and I would not recommend it for anything more than dumping into a gearbox. You can PM me if you want more details. If you do use it in your engine, you need to pay close attention to your oil level.
Good luck… GUSTO
Molybdenum on the other hand can adhere to metal surfaces as it does get into the pores of some metal surfaces. So if an engine oil additive contains PTFE, you are probably wasting your money, on the other hand if it contains Molybdenum, it can possibly be an effective friction reducer inside an engine. Then again, if you just use a good quality synthetic oil (when it is practical) you probably don't need to spend any money on engine additives anyway.
My own experience with Slick 50 was particularly negative and I would not recommend it for anything more than dumping into a gearbox. You can PM me if you want more details. If you do use it in your engine, you need to pay close attention to your oil level.
Good luck… GUSTO
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,428
Likes: 5
From: Japan
Cholesteroil
Slick 50, as well as myriad other oil additive-type products that contain PTFE will at best reduce bearing friction by a marginal amount, resulting in the advertised increase in gas mileage and power......HOWEVER, the microscopic teflon particles that are suspended in this stuff tend to have about the same effect on your car's [pressure] oiling system as cheeseburgers do on your cardiovascular system, eventually blocking oil to your crank, rod, and cam bearings and making your motor go CLUNK. It seems to work OK in older, 90wt.-lubricated 4-speed gearboxes though-I have used it in my Mustang vintage racer's transmission with good results.
Racer
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 258
Likes: 2
From: Boise ID
Hmmmm....
I wonder if this contributed the camshaft breaking in my '83 F100. I put Pro-Long in the oil during a couple of oil changes prior to the event. I think I had changed it 2 or 3 times between the prolong & the breakage though.
Hmmm....
Dan
Hmmm....
Dan