Thursday, April 16th, 2009
So many articles are written regarding how aftermarket additives do not work; buyer beware, fine chemical balance, waste of money and they just do not work. Most of the time these comments come from marketers of motor oils. Their customers ask them if an aftermarket additive will benefit their vehicle. The marketer, who sells motor oil, doesn’t want the customer to think his oil is inferior so tells the customer do not use. It becomes such a hassle explaining many have invested a great deal of time on blogs and other web activities telling the public to beware of additives. They often cite FTC rulings back in the late 90’s when some limited aftermarket additive marketing companies made claims that couldn’t be supported. (more…)
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Monday, October 15th, 2007
ZDDP (Zinc Dithiophosphate)
In 2006 when a new motor oil warranty category for gasoline engines was developed GF-4, problems started occurring with older cars. When a new warranty specification is put on the market and licensed by the American Petroleum Institute (API) it makes all other previous specifications obsolete. All cars are supposed to be able to run on the new oil, however this is not the case with GF-4. (more…)
Posted in Additives in motor oils, Technical | 5 Comments »
Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007
Air is whipped into the oil by rapidly moving engine parts. Air is also trapped in the oil during high-pressure or when the pump sucks air in with the oil. The result is a mass of oily froth called foam. The presence of small amounts of water increases this engine oil problem. The basic cure is an engine design that prevents air from being whipped into the oil and excludes water. Even the best design, however, will not eliminate foaming completely. (more…)
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Tuesday, June 26th, 2007
Excessive engine heat causes oil oxidation, which in turn results in permanent thickening of the oil. Oxidation products can attack some bearing metals. This was a common problem in engines until research produced a chemical compound capable of interrupting or slowing down the rate of oil oxidation. It was discovered that several different oil-soluble chemicals would accomplish this. (more…)
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