From the very little research I've done, (and from experience of ownership), I've got the impression that C4's are VERY persnicketty when it comes to adding "helpful" chemicals to oil, fuel, etc. Does anyone have any thoughts/experience on this?
I'm a firm believer on running premium fuel and changing oil every 3000 miles but I also want the best for my baby. I work in the auto parts industry and have people swear by certain products....more power to ya BUT I'm not going to add whatever you happen to recommend just because it worked in your 98 Tahoe.

 

I could live with "water wetter" in the cooling system and fuel injector cleaner run through the fuel rail when needed. Everything else is pretty much a scam.

 

I enjoy SeaFoam.

I have no idea if it does anything for my car, but the voluminous exhaust smoke it produces really pisses my neighbor off.

THAT is worth every penny.

 

I mean a zinc additive in the oil if it's a flat tappet. About all I really put in mine.

 

There was a discussion on this a couple months ago.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ally-work.html

My response was post 38.

 

All the times I have run seafoam it never smokes. What ratio does it have to be to smoke?

 

Occasionally I run Lucas fuel treatment, Seafoam or Techron (whatever is on sale) as preventive maintenance. Also I use fuel stabilizer over the winter, but only in the mower and dirt bikes.

The smoke does not come from adding seafoam to the gas tank. There is another way of using seafoam in the engine which involves sucking the product into the intake through a vacuum line. Maybe it will choke and stall the engine. Anyway let it sit in the intake (engine off) for a short period of time to dissolve varnish (carb) or PCV vapor buildup (EFI), then start it up and watch the neighbors flip out over all the smoke. Lots of youtube videos will show this.

 

There was a recent thread about this very subject.


https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...gine-life.html


I can see fuel stabilizer being used over the winter. Some people also believe in using some sort of fuel system cleaner (e.g. Techron, or Redline SI-1 periodically. I have seen posts where people reported that a bottle or two of Techron freed up a sticky fuel sender). Some people use Redline Water Wetter or the Royal Purple equivalent in their cooling system to reduce the surface tension of the coolant.

As far as engine oil additives - there are some that feel that a ZDDP additive is important, but mostly on non-roller tappet applications, and even then - many feel it only really matters during break-in.

Personally - I use Fuel Stabilizer when I put stuff away for the winter, and I have been known to spend a few dollars on Techron and Water Wetter. I have seen test data that shows a small but measurable improvement (read Cooling System temp reduction) with the Water Wetter - but I was using it before I saw that data - so I am probably biased.

As for engine oil additives - I kinda figure that the engineers at Mobil / Valvoline, / Castrol etc. know a bunch more than I do about engine lubrication - and I use Mobil 1 right out of the jug, no extra additives, no magic elixirs. The engines that I've opened up that were run with Mobil 1 that received regular oil changes were remarkably clean, and showed far less wear than expected (based on both mileage and use). If you have a particular problem you are trying to resolve - an additive may be able to help - but I've been using Mobil 1 for more than 20 years - and I'm quite happy with my results so far !!!

 

I use I blu STP with oil change but its an 80's thing

 

I am using AMSOIL and there Ea filter. Planing on going 12-20,000 miles on oil change. Went 24,000 miles on my Aurora. Still looked great. I will do an oil analysis after I run it some in the spring.

 

I would probably still do that if for some reason I had to use conventional oil and not synthetic.

 

no engine additives - 85 L98, 160K+ miles, original bottom end, original cam and lifters. first 150K miles - 10W30 dino (usually Castrol GTX), recently switched to mobile 1 high mileage synthetic. usually 3K-4K oil changes. current API oil specs are downward compatible, so unless GM puts out some sort of service bulletin on additives, especially zinc, with older flat tappets, i'm not changing anything -

a little FYI - still running original valve guides in my original iron heads. I know I have some guide wear, in fact, two guides are outside the .0028" wear spec. right now, i'm running 10W40 M1 high mileage synthetic - oil consumption is less than 400ml/3000 mile oil change. i'm convinced old iron head L98's are bullet proof -

 

[QUOTE=Joe C;1595997114]no engine additives - 85 L98, 160K+ miles, original bottom end, original cam and lifters. first 150K miles - 10W30 dino (usually Castrol GTX), recently switched to mobile 1 high mileage synthetic. usually 3K-4K oil changes. current API oil specs are downward compatible, so unless GM puts out some sort of service bulletin on additives, especially zinc, with older flat tappets, i'm not changing anything



I think that says a lot !!! 150K with regular oil changes - using dyno oil ... 30+ years and 160K miles later - minimal oil consumption! There is a lesson in there for all car owners and in particular for those of us who turn our own wrenches and intend to keep our cars around for a while - maintain the car - and things last !!!!https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ies/woohoo.gif

 

Added Water Wetter to the coolant and noticed a 5-10 degree drop after the first cycle. I've had issues with over heating since I got her, partially from a previous owners solution to "fixing" the fan and then with a worn out water pump. I won't have any more issues with sitting in traffic in the middle of SC summers!

 

if you work in the parts industry honestly you should know none do anything and there is an issue that needs addressed if you want to add a chemical.
There is no such thing as a mechanic in a bottle. Sorry.

 

A lot of posters don't think much of additives. Under most circumstances you shouldn't have to use additives frequently octane boost would be an exception. BG products work. In regards to the 98 Tahoe, it has a higher chance of abuse than the Corvette. Do you have a particular reason to inquire about additives. If you're in the auto parts biz, you should know what works, sometimes works, and probably won't work. There are fleet maintenance schedules or guidelines in regards to maintenance not it oem schedule.

 

You're already doing more than enough. Please give THIS THREAD a read and have a look at the pics, too.



Or my favorite..."I've been putting in a can every year and it's never hurt anything" (Proof (?) that it "works")


.

 

Exactly. The point being made in the thread I linked above.

I'll add to that; I just sold a '96 Silverado that had ~300,000 miles on it. "original bottom end, original cam and lifters"....In fact, everything on and in the engine was original except for the injectors, water pump and alternator. It performed as new in every metric that I could measure. 296,xxx miles. Never seen an additive and all it got was BEAT on (way worse than any Corvette engine) and oil changed every 5-7k miles with M1. Engine could go another 100k.

As for Dino oil., my first car was an '83 TA with the LG4. I changed the oil in that every 3k with the cheapest crap I could buy; Cumperland Farms XP Lube...$0.89/qt back in the late '80's. I sold that car with 200k still ran like new and performed as new in every metric that I could measure.

Do proper maintenance and any decent engine should cruise right on by 200, 300,000 miles, no problem.

 

Yes, I work in auto parts, "I should know what works and what doesn't" but just because I sell the product, doesn't mean it works. I was only inquiring because I wanted some feedback - good and bad. And I should've been more specific on which type of additive I was referring to, mainly octane boosters and fuel cleaners.

 

With a stock 1988 L98 you don't need 91+ octane or octane booster. Regular " Top Tier" gasoline should be ok. BG 44K would be the best fuel system cleaner. If you're always using Top Tier gasoline you shouldn't need to use it very often. If you are hit and miss on where you by gas or car sits for long periods you may want to added it,if car starts to run rough.