SLICK50- Anybody use this?

[VX KAT]

Anybody use Slick50 oil treatment? I've heard it coats cylinder & other high friction areas & good for high mileage cars. Put Royal Purple 5w-30 in this week & SLICK50 does make a formula for synthetic oil users I could add. I recall putting this in my cars about 10 yrs ago (don't have them now).

What about their ATF SLICK50 product? Also for high mileage cars.

Fuel System Forumula? Supposed to clean deposits.

My VX has 64k miles and I have no service history records on it.

[crager34]

Have used Z-Max (I think that is the name) just to help things along and I have now 128,000 miles. I have used it a few times, never really noticed any difference, but was told it won't hurt and can only help. When I asked about Slick 50, I was told at Checker Auto there are better products, but those usually cost more.

Good Luck

[Y33TREKker]

I remember hearing Slick50 advertised back in the day as being able to apply a teflon barrier to metal (cylinder walls and such) when utilized. The problem with the claim was that current technology required at that time for applying a teflon coating (like on a frying pan) was that the barrier be applied in an absolute vacuum. Now I didn't know everything about engines at the time (still don't), but I was pretty sure that those requirements didn't get met in an internal combustion engine. However, even against those seemingly impossible odds, I did try Slick50 in a Mustang GT engine rebuild.

Make of the following results/incidents what you will.

I noticed an immediate reduction in moving parts friction(?) to the point of having to adjust the idle speed down, back to it's normal range. I never had any oil related problems with the engine after it's initial use; no excessive usage, gasket leaks, etc. (All you did back then was replace one quart of your regular oil with the Slick50 during a normal oil change, then continue on as usual. Is that still the same?)

So, it at least never caused any problems during the time I used it. Something did happen that at least made me wonder if the Slick50 had helped save the engine though. After awhile, I ended up removing the engine to replace it with something else, and sold it to someone who had been asking about it. This engine was a Ford 302 that uses a drive shaft to connect the distributor to the oil pump, and when installing the distributor, if you don't get that drive shaft positioned correctly, it will just fall into the oil pan and...you guessed it...no turning of the oil pump. Well that's what happened when the person who bought the engine was doing the engine install, he just didn't realize it until later...later as he was driving the car around town and looked at his guages to notice that he didn't have any oil pressure! He immediately shut off the engine and called me to ask what may have happened, and the oil pump drive shaft was the first thing that came to mind. After determining that was indeed what had happened, and accepting the fact that there was nothing we could do about it at that point, we just reinstalled the oil pump drive shaft to see what would happen.

Well, oil pressure came up and remained constant, and I never heard of him having any other oil related problems again. I never knew if it was the Slick50 that saved that engine, (it still seems unlikely to me that even a teflon barrier would make any difference when you're talking about no oil flow), but there you go.

Like I said, make of the incident what you will. **

**Disclaimer - Y33TREKker makes no claims as to the validity/authenticity of these as actual results of the use of Slick50 products. Any claims against Y33TREKker in pursuant of payment of damages to machinery resulting from the reliance of stated incident as an endorsement for Slick50 products hereby have no lawful basis.

[circmand]

If you keep upwith oil changes and make sure you top off beteween oil changes this extra stuff is unnecesary.

[Bulldoggie]

I will admit to using it. I have no measurable oil loss.
I make no claims.
I only use it because one of my mechanic friends likes to tell the story of one of the "company" cars was brought to him with no oil pan drain plug!!!!
All he did was put a new plug in and fresh oil, and it is still in service.
He didn't know for sure if it was slick 50 or another product, but he is sure it must have been treated, to servive without any oil.

Until I hear of negitive reports, I will concider it cheep insurance.

[Jolly Roger VX'er]

I used it years ago in my Harley Davidson Sportster, had to lower idling after treatment as was mentioned in previous post due to lower friction.

I used it in a few cars years ago without any ill-effects. It is supposed to last for around 50k miles. My dad treated his Cavalier twice and now has just under 300k miles without any motor work done. Not saying this is why his engine lasted...just noting the facts.

I never used it in my VX for two reasons:

1) owner's manual mentioned not adding any oil additives. wanted to not do anything that might void my powertrain warranty.

2) I saw someone criticize slick 50 by adding it to a test tube and heating it with a bunson burner, which caused it to coke up. This left me with the impression that if you treated your engine and it later overheated due to some cooling malfunction...it could "coke-up" and cause issues.

[Hotsauce]

Certainly I would never add it to a turbocharged engine. It would undoutably ruin the bearings.

Teflon as particulate in oil is long shreads. Likely to clog a filter or oil galley.

I also wonder about the legality of disposing of the oil afterwards, because its now a flourinated hydrocarbon, and has serious EPA regs as hazardous waste.

John C.

[lasturbo]

How about "Restore" for the high oil consumption VX'rs? Anyone have experience or feedback with it?

[Jolly Roger VX'er]

How about "Restore" for the high oil consumption VX'rs? Anyone have experience or feedback with it?

My brother used it in a high mileage '76 Trans Am with the pontiac 400 small block that was experiencing high oil consumption. In that case, it seemed to work as intended in that it filled the scratches in the cylinder walls with a thin film of copper that "restores" loss of compression and allows the oil-rings to have a smooth wall surface in which to cut-down on oil burning.

I doubt it would apply nearly as well to our engines in that worn cylinder walls are probably not a major contributor to the high oil usage some have experienced.

[Doomer]

Slick 50 was real popular in the 70's and early 80's. Nothing ever proved by it. If it worked, every race team in every sport would be using it, and no one does. However, they all DO use synthetic oil.
I always use Mobil 1 and blend it, 3qts Mobil1 & 2 qts regular oil. I raced my '67 Shelby GT500 on it, never an engine failure. Raced my Mustang GT on it, same results after 135K miles. My ZX11 Ninja, 87k miles, no problems, and my ZX9R Ninja, 60K, no problems. Both bikes have seen extensive track duty, running 11-12,000 RPM routinely.
Guess what's in my VX? Yup. Synthetic oil is all that has been used in every jet aircraft for the last 60 years. Also in every spacecraft ever launched. No additives.
Hey, that's just my 2 cents....Robert

[UtahVXer]

Quaker, the makers of Slick 50, were the subject of a consumer class action lawsuit for making false advertising claims, as well as an action by the Federal Trade Commission.
DuPont the makers of teflon stated, "Teflon is not useful as an ingredient in oil additives or oils used for internal combustion engines."
Better to spend your cash on a quality oil, rather than bogus additives. I am surprised they still sell this stuff after settling the lawsuit.

http://skepdic.com/slick50.html

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/1997/07/slick.shtm

[VX KAT]

Yeah, I saw that Slick50 lawsuit info and the pretty outrageous specific claims they made that lead to that....I'll skip the SLICK50 thank you!

I put Royal Purple 5w-30 in this week. I just thought one of those additives would help keep my high mileage VX going for another 64k miles. (I know 64k ISN'T high mileage compared to other VXs).

Found "LUBEGARD" for synthetic oil at NAPA auto store & "test results" on back of package show it's considerably more effective than SLICK 50 and Dura-Lube. Salesguy said it was the best it. It's so frustrating trying to find out what products are really good vs. what sales person says! That's why this forum is so helpful!