To Add or Not to Add? That's the Question By JR (Read 965 times)

[JR]

It seems more and more I read all the time about add this or add that to your vehicle, mower, scooter in fact anything with a engine. And of course we are always looking at new things and technology to help improve, make it faster, get better MPG in general add to our things with engines perform better.

You find it in everything from the engine, radiator, cooling system, transmission gearbox etc. You can't go to any place to speak of even Wally World without finding the shelves full of the "this will make it do better" products, it's actually amazing!

But the real question is do they really work or help? so with that question I'll start the discussion about a couple of very popular products that we all know are acclaimed by a lot of people. Here's the first:

.redlineoil.com/product.aspx?pid=74&pcid=10" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">.redlineoil.com/product.aspx?pid=74&pcid=10

Also take note of the specs especially the freezing points and foaming specs;

.redlineoil.com/content/files/tech/WaterWetter%20Tech%20Info.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">.redlineoil.com/content/files/tech/WaterWetter%20Tech%20Info.pdf

Now here is a recent posting from someone who actually got this from the Redline technicians about this product:

Redline Water Wetter. This product is supposed to increase the efficiency of the cooling system.

I don't know if any of you have ever come across this situation before but I thought I should share the information I received from the technicians at Red Line Synthetic Oil Corporation regarding my recent experience with their Water Wetter product. It seems that if the PH of your coolant mix is too low the silicates in their product can come out of solution. In my case this manifested itself in the form of pea sized gelatinous globules forming in the coolant mix. These globules eventually float to the surface forming a thick scum. Fortunately, as I pre mix my coolant solution, this did not occur within the radiator. I can only imagine that flushing the gelatinous scum out of the cooling system would be quite a tedious chore, to say the least. The technicians at Redline suggested that the 50/50 mix is what caused the PH to drop too low and that using a lower percentage of anti-freeze and the minimum amount of Water Wetter in the mix should alleviate the problem.

The mix I was using at the time this occurred was as follows...

1½ Gallons Prestone Ethylene Glycol Anti-freeze

1½ Gallons Distilled Water

1 Bottle Redline Water Wetter (makes 3 to 5 gallons as per instructions)

FYI, changing the concentration of the mix in an effort to adjust the PH after the fact did not bring the silicates back into solution. Rather than experiment with varying solutions I have opted to avoid the problem altogether by simply not using the Water Wetter product.

Now my intent here is not to tell someone to not use something or to even scare anyone into the thought of "Oh will this happen to me?' but rather to give the other side of a product.

So many people I see get on board with using things that in some cases if they had taken the time to find to look they may have found a small and easy way to solve the problem such as overheating by making a repair or even making simple modifications that in no way could harm their engines? Yet we sometimes look for the magic or quick cure and sometimes can actually in the long run cause the problem to get worse.

An example radiator stop leak. If you know anything about a engine at all you know that no matter what the bottle or company says if you put stop leak in your cooling system it's going to eventually screw up or plug up the entire system especially the heater core for your heater and if this happens then it's irreversible. So don't use stop leak?

I myself one time years ago in the Oklahoma panhandle in a snow storm had a water pump start dripping, found it getting gas at a station. Had over 200 miles left to get home snow getting deeper by the minute and didn't cherish the idea of breaking down in the middle of no where, Sunday evening no body open to repair it so in went the gummy stop leak. She held long enough for me to get home

The next day with snow on the ground and the temps in the 20's I pulled the thermostat, got a new water pump and flushed the system with flush and clean water for hours! Filled her up with good clean coolant and water and she is still running today.

Just like in everything and these additives it's what makes the owner happy and what works for them. Myself I think a lot of these additives are a waste of time and money but that's just my opinion again if you do well with any of them then that's all that matters you being happy with your system.

I just want to show all that sometimes we need to stop and look before we leap.

I'll post later about another popular product.

JR

[tvnacman]

your leaking water pump I would have gone with ground black pepper . As far as getting out the stop leak out . pull the upper hose from the tstat housing , position it towards the floor . get another radiator hose connect it to the tstat housing with some good pressure reverse flush the system till it runs clean . With my old man this was an every year thing , till the radiators went to plastic sides . The best part of the deal if it leaked they just fixed it .

JR I grew up in Brooklyn would like to buy the brooklyn bridge ? lol

John

[JR]

LOl Know the black pepper trick but you don't understand? Have you ever been to the panhandle of Oklahoma? Was in the middle of nowhere snow coming down so bad you had to stop every few miles to rake it off the headlights and wipers and one little lonely gas station with one fuel pump and a little elderly man who wasn't even sure if he has any stop leak?

When he finally found it on the shelf he had to wipe it off just to see the words Barsleak! LOL.

She needed a little water and we had to get it inside from the sink as the outside faucet was froze solid! When I finally driving at the rate of about 30 MPH made it to Tulsa I pulled over and took a look and she wasn't dripping so I drove on trying to get out of the snow storm to Arkansas.

As I said it did the job but I got it all out the next day knowing what it would do. Yes your dad was like a lot of people back then. I remember watching and learning from my dad on how to repair a radiator. At one time one could get seals and repair water pumps but that was long ago.

JR

[silverfox96]

I learned the "hard way" years ago that nothing but water and antifreeze go in the radiator. I sprang a leak in an F150 supercab on the way from Venus, TX (about 48 mi S.E. of Dallas) to Shreave Port, LA. Temps were around 95 to 100 degrees F. (no ac) Stopped and put in a bottle of the famous Barrs Leak. Drove another 30 miles and had to stop to let her cool down. Made the rest of the trip in 30 mile jumps, with probably 30 minutes each time for cool down. Finally got there and went to the nearest radiator shop. They pulled the rad, with intentions of just rodding it out, however the Barrs Leak (along with the 2 tubes of aluminum stop leak) had done it's job on not only my rad but the heater core as well. Plugged solid! They had to recore the rad. That cost me $185. The mechanic at the rad shop told me never, NEVER to add anything to a rad except water and anti-freeze. Lesson learned!

[JR]

LOL! That's the truth Fox and I worried and worried all the way home that I would get to do the same thing to mine but I got the junk out before it set up and did any damage. Even then the next year I flushed it again and put all new coolant and water.

They need to re-name that stuff stop leak stop up!! LOL

JR

[niedzwiedz]

This story not have a lot to do with additives unless rope falls into that category.
Back in the early 80's I had a 1970 Chevy impala. This was when cars had about 2-3 belts, not one. It was a woman friend and her 2 daughters and me trying to get from Ft. Worth to Little Rock. We had started late and it was like 1 a.m. in the morning and nothing alive except a dead armadillo on the side of the rode drinking a beer. We were about 35 miles from our port of entry when the Alternator light comes on, and in time the temperature light.

I made the next exit and there was a closed gas station and they did have a water faucet that not take quarters. I started looking around and there was this flat-bottom fishing boat on a trailer and I know they have rope. I found a short piece long enough to wrap around all the pulleys and I stretched it and tied it as tight as I could. Then we hit the rode with lights a flashing! I guess we went about 20 miles and the lights come on so I pulled to the side of the rode and the rope was still there, just popped off. I did another pull and stretch and tied it as tight as I could and we made it to my parents house.

When it comes to getting home we do whatever it takes as you had to use that Barsleak, just get home and then you can get'er fixed.

I never been too big on additives, even fix-a-flat, it get you home to have the flat fixed. On my scooter I keep a plug kit if I get a hole, and even then, later will put a patch inside my tire. Though I not had to use it yet! Knock-on-wood.

Now someone probably going to shoot me in the foot, but, one additive I have used for years is Marvell Mystery oil.
.marvelmysteryoil.com/index.php/site/about/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">.marvelmysteryoil.com/index.php/site/about/
It has never given me any trouble, but, I can not testify it really did anything either. I never used it in my oil, I feel oil works with regular oil changes. But, I use it in my gas, not my two-strokes, they have lube in the gas. I just feel it gives the upper cylinder a little light lube on startup until the oil pump get everything going. It says it works as an injector cleaner and I always added it to every fill up for the lube part, and never had trouble with fuel injectors needing STP or whatever people use.

I guess it my only additive as it "was" my injector cleaner too. Not have anything anymore with injectors. I like my scooter so much I sold my truck this year to a friend. I use it in my scooter gas in hopes it help the rings last better over the long mile.
But, I have had many vehicles before I used Marvell and never did more than the regular stuff, oil, tires, brakes, starter/alternator now and then etc. never had engine trouble. I really believe oil changes are the best we can do.

I interested as to what others feel about Marvell Mystery oil ??

[JR]

I have one of the old and I mean old cans of it around with the old timey metal screw on cap, think they are all plastic now.

I have never used it as a steady additive but I do know that if you have an old engine like my Craftsman 1988 twin 14 hp B&S riding mower that wants to have sticking valves sometimes you can run a shot of it in the gas for a couple of tanks and it'll lossen them up and help blow out the carbon.

The old engine still runs well doesn't have as much power but hey who can say they have a 1988 model still running without ever opening it up and only clean filters and oil changes?

JR