| Knowing a little about oil can go a long
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| | additives!). Other additives contain
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| way to helping you decide where to put
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| | "questionable" materials that could harm
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| your hard-earned cash...What is
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| | engines. Engine oils are complex mixtures
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| Oil?Nearly everyone is aware that crude
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| | and adding the wrong chemical compound to
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| oil was formed by the decomposition of
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| | a properly formulated blend can cause
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| plant and animal life from hundreds of
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| | failure of other critical additives.Your
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| millions of years ago. This material was
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| | engine was designed by competent
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| compressed under vast sea-bottom deposits
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| | engineers and a lubricating oil was
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| and the pressure and heat created
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| | specified for it. Properly maintained
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| hydrocarbons: that is, mineral, or crude,
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| | (and brought up to correct operating
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| oil.Lubricating oils are the product of
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| | temperature at each use), it will easily
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| the refining of crude oils. These oils
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| | last 150-200,000 miles on ordinary
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| are materials made up of many chemicals,
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| | mineral oils. Under normal operation
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| including detergent and paraffin.
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| | (startup to redline) the extremes of
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| Paraffin (wax) is an inherent component
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| | load, temperature and wear claimed by
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| of crude oil and not all is refined out.
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| | additive advertisers don't exist in your
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| Paraffin is the chief reason oil thickens
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| | engine.We can't stress the following
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| up when it gets cold. Anyway, back to our
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| | enough:No oil manufacturer recommends the
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| engines...Engines would quickly seize-up
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| | use of off-the-shelf additives in their
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| without lubrication and oils are designed
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| | products, nor do any automobile
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| to prevent bearing wear and
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| | manufacturers. Most additives do nothing
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| metal-to-metal contact. This is
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| | (remember, those high loads and stresses
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| accomplished by pumping the oil under
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| | don't take place in normal engine
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| pressure so that it forms a film between
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| | operation) and some actually can
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| those parts. Manufacturers put special
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| | contaminate the oil. No manufacturer's
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| additives to oil to allow it to perform
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| | warranty will cover failure if it is
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| properly over varying engine conditions
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| | found that an additive was present in the
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| and time. Some additives slow thinning as
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| | engine oil.Virtually all additive
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| engine temperatures rise, hence the
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| | advertisements (and synthetic oil ads as
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| "multigrade" designation on the
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| | well) claim better fuel mileage. This is
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| container. Other additives help to limit
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| | anecdotal, unprovable and non-scientific
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| the breakdown of oil under loads.Internal
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| | (before you write back with your
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| combustion causes byproducts such as
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| | rebuttal, consider this: if any claim of
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| water and carbon. These byproducts are
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| | better mileage could be proved to be
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| what create the "dirt" in oil,
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| | repeatable, the government (NHTSA, in
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| necessitating scheduled changes. These
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| | fact) would require the manufacturers to
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| can create deposits and acids, so other
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| | use the product. The manufacturers
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| additives are in place to do the
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| | themselves would specify it because it is
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| following:- Antioxidants are there to
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| | all they can do to reach those CAFE -
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| minimize the formation of acids, varnish
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| | Corporate Average Fuel Economy -
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| and sludge.- Detergents are added to keep
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| | standards). It just ain't true.So you
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| engine parts clean by lifting deposits
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| | used an additive once and found the
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| (mostly carbon) from surfaces.- Corrosion
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| | engine ran better and you got better fuel
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| Inhibitors also work against the
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| | economy? Of course you did, because you
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| formation of acids that can attack
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| | were paying closer attention to its
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| bearing surfaces.- Rust Inhibitors keep
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| | operation than you normally would! This
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| water from mixing with the oil film and
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| | is known as the "Hawthorne Effect" and it
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| causing rust.- Foam Inhibitors prevent
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| | works because of that very fact. If you
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| the formation of foam bubbles in the oil,
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| | collected random records of the engine's
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| due to detergents and the physical
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| | performance you would find no change from
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| churning of the oil during engine
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| | before.How About Synthetic Oil?Today's
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| operation.- Friction and Wear Reducers,
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| | motor oils are very high-quality
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| Dispersants are there to help keep
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| | products. However, synthetic oils are
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| insoluble combustion byproducts in
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| | becoming very popular, especially used in
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| suspension and to minimize wear in
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| | high-performance engines. Synthetic oils
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| bearings.So Far, So Good, But What About
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| | are blends of synthesized hydrocarbon
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| Aftermarket Additives?All mineral oils
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| | fluids (SHF) and esters, all derived from
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| are graded by the Society of Automotive
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| | the refining process. The chief material
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| Engineers (SAE). These grading criteria
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| | of synthetic oil is polyalphaolefin,
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| are based upon the expected load and
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| | derived from ethylene. Synthetics can be
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| temperature ranges under which a given
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| | called petrochemicals, and while they
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| engine will be used. Viscosity grades are
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| | appear chemically similar to mineral oils
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| available in a wide range. These grades
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| | they are "pure" chemicals. No waxes or
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| are most frequently seen in forms such as
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| | other impurities are present in synthetic
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| 5W-30, 10W-30, etc., in multi-vicosity
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| | oils. Since they don't contain parafin,
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| blends. Straight viscosities are also
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| | synthetics tend to flow better at lower
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| available (20 W, 30W, etc.).It is true
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| | temperatures and not thin out as much at
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| that most engine wear takes place during
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| | higher temperatures. They are available
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| startup, since virtually no measurable
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| | in multi-viscosity grades from 0W-30 to
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| wear takes place during running. The
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| | 15W-50.Synthetic oil has some
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| faster an engine is revved during
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| | advantages:- Relatively constant
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| startup, the more the wear, so keeping a
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| | viscosity over a wide temperature range-
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| light foot on the accelerator pedal
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| | Higher detergent properties. They are
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| during startup -and warmup - is the
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| | naturally detergent- Non-toxic when
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| secret to long engine life.Oil is viscous
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| | handled properly- No harmful impurities-
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| and has capillary action. That is, it
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| | Better lubricative properties- Less
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| remains on the engine parts as a film
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| | breakdown tendency under high
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| indefinitely after running. Contrary to
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| | loadsSynthetic oils cost about three
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| advertisements, your engine's parts don't
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| | times that of regular oils and aren't
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| scrape against each other (as bare metal)
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| | really necessary for most people. There
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| just because you haven't started it in a
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| | are some situations wherein the extra
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| few weeks (granted, if it's 10-degrees
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| | expense of synthetic oils is warranted,
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| outside and you haven't started that '59
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| | however.1. Racing: Engines are run
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| Corvette in six months, there will be a
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| | full-time at high rev and there is
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| little wear when you start it up.
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| | tremendous heat. You need all the help
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| However, if you crank the starter for 30
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| | you can get.2. Extremely cold
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| seconds or so and then start the engine,
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| | environments. Maybe your engine won't
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| little significant damage will result
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| | know the difference, but you'll save
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| because you will have pumped oil into the
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| | money on batteries.3. Engines which don't
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| system under minimal loads).For decades,
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| | use camshaft bearings
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| however, a huge industry has made
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| | (Lamborghini,Ferrari and others,
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| billions of dollars by convincing the
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| | including 30s and 40s cars).4. Engines
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| public that their engines are wearing out
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| | that won't regularly get up to proper
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| prematurely due to lack of "complete"
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| | operating temperatures. Improper warm-up
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| lubrication. The aftermarket oil additive
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| | is the biggest killer of engines. Cold
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| industry - there are many of them and
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| | sludge and varnish will build up and
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| they advertise everywhere - claims to
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| | create lots of friction, hence wear and
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| show "proven" results, longer life,
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| | failure. Synthetic oils will not form
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| better mileage, etc. by using their
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| | these deposits.5. Carbureted cars that
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| products. None of this is true.What these
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| | run exceptionally rich (if the oil
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| marketers are selling falls generally
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| | dipstick smells like gas, yours is
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| into two categories: either their product
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| | one).Myths About Synthetics:It can't be
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| is a variety of soluble chemicals
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| | mixed with regular mineral oils.Not so.
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| (chiefly, chlorinated paraffin) or solid
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| | Mobil 1 and the others are perfectly
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| particles suspended in a "carrier." The
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| | compatible with mineral oils (but not
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| chlorinated paraffins work fine for your
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| | with each other).You get longer oil life
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| drill press (cutting oil is chlorinated
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| | with it.Not so. You have to change your
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| paraffin) but don't do anything in your
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| | oil according to manufacturers'
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| engine. Solid particle additives, chiefly
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| | instructions (it's the exhaust byproducts
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| PTFE or Teflon, is a suspension of
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| | which get into the oil and turn it black,
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| ground-up particles in oil. It won't
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| | requiring change. Synthetic oil can't
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| work, period.Many of the aftermarket
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| | hold any more of these particles than
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| additives contain compounds already added
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| | mineral oil).Synthetic oil will destroy
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| by the oil refiner (No, more is not
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| | seals and gaskets in older vehicles.Not
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| better! The refiner put in the right
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| | so. If the seals are functional no harm
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| amount for the job and more would only
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| | will be done. If they are hardened and
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| upset the mixing proportions of the other
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| | shrunken, you need to rebuild the engine.
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