Snake oil or not

[Conn SVX]

Post what you think and find out
Snake oil= just a product that is useless and is hyped up
So has any one tried. Zmax engine conditioner ? Snake oil or not?

[svxcess]

I don't particularly like this stuff, but Carroll Shelbysays he does.

"”I’ve built over 100 different kinds of cars… Shelby Cobra, the most replicated car in automotive history, over 20,000 Shelby Mustangs, the Viper… At 77, I wanted to see if I could build another good automobile like the Cobra. I call the car the Series One. We’re putting zMAX in each and every one that leaves the factory. It penetrates the metal, decreases the friction, cleans the carbon residue out of the engine. Therefore it gives you a more efficient engine and a lot more durability. I’ve got my reputation to protect and I wouldn’t recommend zMAX unless I knew it worked.”

He probably mixes it with his morning prune juice :lol:




Personally, I'm sticking with Lubegard BioTech Engine Protectant.

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[92snowmachine]

i use it (or similar equivalent) in my '56 plymouth. i don't believe the hp or clean engine claims that they claim for new cars but it does help to protect engines with flat tappet lifters that were meant for different oil. as the new oils increase in grade the amount of additives is reduced. this can quickly wipe out the cam in a car that was meant for dirty oil and leaded fuel. bottom line: if your car was made before hydraulic roller lifters were used you need it, if not your wasting your money.

[Huskymaniac]

It is similar to and aviation additive that has been used for years to improve wear. There are conflicting reports out there on whether it makes a big difference. There isn't as big of a user base as, say, Lubegard to Auto-RX. It is most similar to Lubegard. It probably is a decent product but too little is known about it to justify the cost.

[subeman90]

Personally, I'm sticking with Lubegard BioTech Engine Protectant.

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I'm curious as to what makes you think this isn't snake oil. Not trying to start anything....like I said I'm curious

[svxcess]

I'm curious as to what makes you think this isn't snake oil. Not trying to start anything....like I said I'm curious

Tell 'em, Tony.

You can articulate this much better. I am using this for a particular reason, that can't be addressed by M1 alone.


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[Huskymaniac]

I'm curious as to what makes you think this isn't snake oil. Not trying to start anything....like I said I'm curious

The best way to get a feel for these things is to scan the BITOG forums. There are people who are experts in the field there who have the knowledge and access to data that most people don't. Some products have a consistently positive following there. Auto-Rx and Lubegard are two examples. I have personally seen incredible results with Lubegard's products. I'm not talking about subjective stuff here or observations that can be heavily influenced by driving conditions. And I'm not talking about "temporary bandaids".

Pick a Lubegard product, read their website for more information about it and then do a search on it on the BITOG website and read the stuff people post there. It will take a lot of time but you will get a good feel for their products. If you do this for enough different oils and additives you will also start to get a feel for which posters over there are the true experts and which ones are just part of the "I use it and it works great" crowd...also known as "opinions are like ***holes, everyone has one" crowd.

For most people who drive their car daily, maintain it properly and don't abuse it, the vast majority of these products are unnecessary. But there are some special cases and people who let their cars sit for long periods between drives is one of them. And there are products out there that help. Lubegard and Zmax are a couple of examples. And some oils are better than others too. If you are rich, Redline's high Moly content would surely help. Again, you can find information as to why on the BITOG web site.

And then you have cases where, maybe, the car's maintenance hasn't been so great and there is a problem or a loss of performance as a result. Some products are indeed just a bandaid. But some can really help and provide a long-term fix or improvement. Lubegard's tranny additives are a great example. Got a binding center diff on your AT? You might want to drain that old fluid and replace with fresh Subie fluid plus some Lubegard. If you didn't completely destroy the diff by driving with it that way for too long, you might be able to remedy the situation. I had binding on an '07 Outback with about 100K miles on it. I tried the Lubegard and the binding went away almost immediately and the tranny was operating perfectly when I sold it 6 years later with another 60K miles on it. Auto-Rx has been shown to work great on gunked up engines which were run in all sorts of abusive situations or on really crappy gas.

Now, trying to "fix" a leaky radiator or head gasket with a leak fix is a different story.