I am wondering if anyone has ever tried using Slick 50 after they have broken in an engine. I am not talking about in the gas, but just to squirt some in the cylinder and the drain it out of the exhaust port. I know that it works with 4 strokes because one time 10 years ago, I drained the oil out of my Sears riding mower and got distracted and didn't refill it. I mowed for 1.5 hours with no oil. I had added the Slick 50 even though Sears told me that it would void the warranty. 10 years later it still runs like it is new and starts up instantly with no smoking. I still use it in all my mowers.
I don't know what would happen with a 2 stroke ABC engine, but I would be interested to know if anyone has ever tried it. I also had a Glasair that I ran Marvell Mystery oil in the gas and the oil. I never experienced a sticking valve like a lot of others did. Tons of people swear by it and I have read where people say to add it after running RC engines. Would this help stop seizing?
One other question. In an ABC engine when you break it in are you matching the piston to the sleeve and if so, what happens if you take the head off and the sleeve moves? I know, don't move the sleeve...but is this the case?

Thanks for the replies. I had been out of RC for 15 years so I wasn't familiar with many of the new products that are available. I did not use Slick 50 in my plane, but only Marvel Mystery oil for over 15 years with absolutely no problem.

If I recall, Slick 50 contains Teflon, and Teflon reacts with the glow plug element rendering the glow plug worthless.

With the cut throat competition in the glow fuel market, you can bet if Slick 50 was a good idea, they'd be using it.

Don't worry if the sleeve shifts a tiny bit..it needs to be lined up with the ports to run, so get it as close as you possibly can.

The FAA banned Slick 50 for use in GA engines. The teflon will plug the oil screen on the oil pump intake. Some auto manufactures will void your warrenty if they find congealed teflon in the oil system. NOT something I would put in anything.

Dupont states very specifically that Teflon is not intended, nor should it be used, in internal combustion engines. If the manufacturer states this, then why do companies continue to market products directly against it's manufacturers recommendations? Teflon belongs in frying pans, not engines.

John

Many, many years ago, back when everyone ran a K&B .40 in quickie 500 racing, I experimented not with Slick 50, but another teflon additive. This stuff was applied by running your engine rich and dribbling it into the intake. The teflon mechanically bonded, was pressed into the lining, during the run. It actually gained me 200-300 rpm, but the teflon did coat the plug element, causing poor running after 5-6 flights. Since I was running a new K&B 1L plug with every flight in a race and using the old ones for practice, this didn't bother me too much. These days, plugs are a lot more expensive and last much longer so I don't think it is practical to use.

It ranks up there with STP, Wynns Friction Proofing et al. They help your engine the most when you don't use them.

Might work well with a diesel though?

Max

Not intended for use in internal combustion engine includes all engines, even diesels. Why would anyone insist onusing a product directly against it's manufacturers recommendation? If it were safe to use, don't you think they would say so?

John

I don't plan on using it in my RC engines, but I have 2 riding lawn mowers that I put it in that have been ridden hard and put up wet for years that should have been dead a long time ago. Both still have excellent compression and don't show any signs of giving up soon nor oil consumption. I think that a lot of recommendations are always centered around liability and that they don't want to open that can of worms. I wouldn't use it in a vehicle that is safety related, but I sure would have like to seen what would have happened if I had put it in my wifes car that locked up the engine because the mechanic did not tighten the oil cooler line, which I could not prove resulting in a $4000 fix.

I would think an automotive, or even a lawn mower, would be an even worse place to dump a bunch of teflon since the problem with it is the same as already stated in a previous message. The teflon continues to build up and can eventually block either the filter or oil passages. While it MAY provide some benefit due to accidental oil loss, it could also cause the same problems due to oil starvation which you would never find since the plug is still in the engine, the dip stick shows proper oil fill and there are no leaks.

Thanks, but NO THANKS! I'll stick to properly engineered lubes for all of my engines large and small.

John

Hey guys, just a thought...I know you're not supposed to go sniffin' the exhaust anyway, but what do you suppose the by-products of combusting teflon would be??? Not good I'll bet, and would make getting a lung full of exh. a bit more hazzardous, wouldn't ya think?! You wouldn't be running a mix of it in the fuel tho, right? Just a periodic application? My car seemed to run smoother after using prolong though...Hmm...Maybe use a "disposeable" used plug for the application, then switch to a good plug. Might be worth a shot?! Tach it before and after...

Way back when..when Slick 50 first came on the market...a buddy and I were at the Tri State Fair. A guy had a demo set up where he had a little straight 6 running and by turning a couple of pet cocks he could drain the oil from the pan and put it in a tank while the engine was still running.

The engine would still run, but the lifters would be knocking like mad.

The demo had a sign that said, 'This Engine Runs With NO OIL!".

My buddy walks right up to the guy (not knowing the gist of the demo) and tells him, "Yeah buddy, no kidding it doesn't have any oil! Every lifter in the thing is knocking!".

Then the guy opens the valves and let the oil pressure come back up.

We had a good laugh about that later on...not a diss or endorsement of Slick 50, just a story.

I used to think the same thing..."How's that thing still running w/ 16 collapsed lifters", I think it was a 318 Chrysler. Then they dump sand into the valves, and cut the rad. hose!

Burning food in a Teflon lined skillet will kill any pet birds in your house. FWIW

Exhaust from any internal combustion engine is bad. Don't sniff any of it.

Why not? If a little is good, more must be better?

My truck runs better after a tune up too. But, if an oil additive makes it run better, maybe you are running the wrong oil to begin with for the current wear of the engine. Typically, a high mileage engine will run smoother with thicker oil. The side benefits to this include less $ since you are not adding the additive, the oil will not clog the filter nor turn into a jellified mess like Teflon will AND it's always present in the engine in the proper quantity!

Before and after tach readings do not give a valid picture of what's really happening inside your engine. Ever hear the term "It always runs strongest just before it blows up"?

John

Thanks for the warning John, I won't stick the exh. pipe up my nose now! Besides, it'd be too hot anyway! I think prolong, or is it slick 50, has a high pressure zinc based ingredient too, that's supposed to bad for the rod and main bearings, supposedly causes corrosion after awhile? I use 5W-30 synth blend in my 30,000mi. vehicle, and it did "seem" smoother after prolong, but that's subjective...I didn't keep it in there after hearing about the corrosion, or some other chemical reaction w/ the lead-copper, or whatever they're putting in crank bearings these days. I've wondered about trying it in a model engine too for some time, but kinda forgot about it till now. Anybody got a sacrificial engine for experimentation? I might find one...P.S., did ya ever notice how a light bulb burns real bright just before it burns out?

I've always wondered how PTFE (Teflon)...the slipperiest substance known to man, can be "bonded" to anything without other chemical processes. Just dumping something in oil seems to come up a bit short for the reported "plating" action that supposedly takes place.

If it were a magic bullet, then why doesn't every lubricant manufacturer use it?

My $.02? It lubricates your money...makes it slide through your hands much more easily.

'Race

A guy sent my buddy some additive stuff....purple in color and he didnt say what it was. Told him to get it running then drop a few drops down the carb and run it....he also recommended an old glow plug to do it with. Well it seemed to work, as we got a couple more mph out of the motor (radar checked) and had no ill effects down the line. I do not think he recommended to use it every run, just to "coat" it initially and then do it every so often.

We ran a few big races after that and it never bothered the motor or any of the next glow plugs we used. And yes, we tried it on an R&B C5 buggy motor....pretty dang expensive.

I totally agree with everyone out there dont add this stuff to
fuel 2 stroke 4 stroke or diesel.I do have one use for it in my
new 4 strokes I remove the valve covers and using a toothpick
lube the rocker arms and push rods ditto with the cam covers
for the camshaft .then fuel and run in .( slick 50 is thinned with marvel mistery oil ) I think a little extra lube on these parts a good thing I dont want it in the cylinder could mess up ring seating?? years ago used STP when putting full size engines
together after rebuilds no dry starts

Don't get me wrong, I am not going to use the Slick 50, but I just went downstairs and pulled out a gallon of Nitro. On the label it said "Contains a chemical that in the state of California is known to cause cancer". I bet that this fact is not going to keep your from the flying field sniffing those fumes. Also it carries a warning that states that it may cause blindness. Neither one of these statements are on the box of the Slick 50. It is also interesting to note that on the side of the Slick 50 box it states "compatible with all motor oils, will not void manufacturers' warranties, will not clog oil filters and works in all gasoline engines foreign and domestic. You would think that if they are making false statements they would really be liable. I am not defending Slick 50, but I am just a little leary sometimes of what manufacturers state especially in an economy that thrives on things that are built to break. Just like the looming oil shortage and yet we build monster SUV's that suck it up. I have a friend that has owned an engine rebuilder shop for the past 30 years. I will check with him tonight and see what kind of evidence he has seen. It is not in either of my vehicles. I know now that it is not compatible with glow plugs and so I won't be using it in my 2 stroke, but I am curious and will get first hand info on what it really does.

Before I read the warnings about using Teflon in and engine as a lubricant, I tried the "squirt it down the intake while the engine is idling" with a product that was supposed to be the ticket for go-cart engines. I did this with my first BGX. Before and after tach readings were identical though the high speed needle wasn't as responsive. The end result was that nothing good came from the experiment and it took about a gallon of running before the stuff worked it's way out of the engine. BTW, this was done with the product rep looking over my shoulder to be sure I performed the treatment correctly.

John

Those warnings are there to protect themselves from drunks who will try to drink anything that contains alcohol. Slick 50 does not contain alcohol so there is very little warning that anyone is going to try to drink it to get stoned.

Ever heard of false advertising? A company can make any claim they want until someone proves them wrong. But doing this is very expensive. Do you remember the mileage and power increase claims made by Split Fire spark plugs a few years back? The claims were ultimately proved to be without basis and no improvements in either performance or mileage were found in independent testing. Split Fire was forced to stop making the claims.

John

Anybody who knows anything about electricity knows that if the sparkplug had ten electrodes the spark is going to jump to the easiest one it can get to. The other nine just make the spark plug more expensive to mfg, and that is all.

That's why I still run the cheapy plugs. Besides, they are easy to change in my truck

John

A lot of folks don't know this, but an overheated teflon pan will kill pet birds and can produce severe headaches. Nothing has to be in the pan, just heating it up to a burning temp will produce the fumes. (Good ole' Emeril Lagasse)