Seal Conditioners?

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restores seal size, flexibility and elasticity


restores seal size - A worn seal means the seal has had material removed. I question this claim since there doesn't appear to be any thiopropionitrile components, just esters and a base oil.

elasticity - A material is said to be elastic if it deforms under stress, but then returns to its original shape when the stress is removed. Most seals will do this if not damaged, which means none of its elastomers have diffused out of the seal material or has hardened. Some esters might restore some elasticity.

flexibility - means range of movement. Most seals will do this if not damaged as per above.
 
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Originally Posted By: MolaKule
Quote:
restores seal size, flexibility and elasticity


restores seal size - A worn seal means the seal has had material removed. I question this claim since there doesn't appear to be any thiopropionitrile components, just esters and a base oil.

elasticity - A material is said to be elastic if it deforms under stress, but then returns to its original shape when the stress is removed. Most seals will do this if not damaged, which means none of its elastomers have diffused out of the seal material or has hardened. Some esters might restore some elasticity.

flexibility - means range of movement. Most seals will do this if not damaged as per above.


Arent esters used in HM oils the cause of the elastomers coming out while swelling them therefore damaging them ?
 
Esters are used in the manufacter of seal elastomers and specifically, esters are used as plasticisers to increase the bulk materials elesticity.

From WIKI, here are some of the plasticisers used for everyday materials:

Quote:
Dicarboxylic/tricarboxylic ester-based plasticizers
Phthalate-based plasticizers are used in situations where good resistance to water and oils is required. Some common phthalate plasticizers are:
Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), used in construction materials, and medical devices,
Diisononyl phthalate (DINP), found in garden hoses, shoes, toys, and building materials
Bis(n-butyl)phthalate (DnBP, DBP), used for cellulose plastics, food wraps, adhesives, perfumes and also in cosmetics - about a third of nail polishes, glosses, enamels and hardeners contain it, together with some shampoos, sunscreens, skin emollients, and insect repellents
Butyl benzyl phthalate (BBzP) is found in vinyl tiles, traffic cones, food conveyor belts, artificial leather and plastic foams
Diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP), used for insulation of wires and cables, car undercoating, shoes, carpets, pool liners
Di-n-octyl phthalate (DOP or DnOP), used in flooring materials, carpets, notebook covers, and high explosives, such as Semtex. Together with DEHP it was the most common plasticizers, but now is suspected of causing cancer
Diisooctyl phthalate (DIOP), all-purpose plasticizer for polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate, rubbers, cellulose plastics and polyurethane.
Diethyl phthalate (DEP)
Diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP)
Di-n-hexyl phthalate, used in flooring materials, tool handles and automobile parts
Trimellitates are used in automobile interiors and other applications where resistance to high temperature is required. They have extremely low volatility.
Trimethyl trimellitate (TMTM)
Tri-(2-ethylhexyl) trimellitate (TEHTM-MG)
Tri-(n-octyl,n-decyl) trimellitate (ATM)
Tri-(heptyl,nonyl) trimellitate (LTM)
n-octyl trimellitate (OTM)
Adipate-based plasticizers are used for low-temperature or resistance to ultraviolet light. Some examples are:
Bis(2-ethylhexyl)adipate (DEHA)
Dimethyl adipate (DMAD)
Monomethyl adipate (MMAD)
Dioctyl adipate (DOA)
Sebacate-based plasticiser
Dibutyl sebacate (DBS)
Maleates
Dibutyl maleate (DBM)
Diisobutyl maleate (DIBM)

[edit] Other plasticisers
Benzoates
Epoxidized vegetable oils
Sulfonamides
N-ethyl toluene sulfonamide (o/p ETSA), ortho and para isomers
N-(2-hydroxypropyl) benzene sulfonamide (HP BSA)
N-(n-butyl) benzene sulfonamide (BBSA-NBBS)
Organophosphates
Tricresyl phosphate (TCP)
Tributyl phosphate (TBP)
Glycols/polyethers
Triethylene glycol dihexanoate (3G6, 3GH)
Tetraethylene glycol diheptanoate (4G7)
Polymeric plasticizers
Some other chemicals working as plasticizers are nitrobenzene, carbon disulfide and naphthyl salicylate. Plasticizers, such as DEHP and DOA, were found to be carcinogens and endocrine disruptors.



When these diesters are used as seal-swell additives, the esters diffuse into the seal material and increase the volume of the seal, causing it to swell and soften, but only slightly.

Most lubricants have seal swell additives for each particular application.

HM oils only have a few percentage more of Seal Swell additive than do regular PCMO's.

I agree with FRANK that a cleaned seal via ARX is a good starting point toward reducing leaks.
 
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But its still safe then to use HM oils which is not recommended by AutoRX unless used with a maintenance dose. I am looking to use a new Shell Helix Plus HMV 15W50 in Australia which is now a Hihg Mileage oil, $8 cheaper and a 15W compared to a maxlife which is a 20W50. I would like to use a maintenance dose with it regardless. It was only called Helix Plus before, but now that applies to a new 10W40. Too thin for me.
 
I would also recommend that you use a maintenance dose of ARX with any HM oil, otherwise, you won't get the seal cleaned properly.

Seal swell agents (as described above) are NOT the same as ARX's ester cleaners.

There are seal well agents, seal conditioners, and seal cleaners. I think ARX falls into the last two categories.
 
My 93 Civic has over 265,000 miles on it. Just over a year ago i used some old stock of M1 15w-50 "Advanced Formula" mixed with some M1 5w-30. Wife drove to her sister place 400 miles away and car was leaking spraying oil on the underside of the car complete with oil splatters on the trunk. Prior to this the leak was slight but never this bad. I'm sure the chemistry of the old M1 oil made it worse.

I've already done an Auto-Rx treatment. To complicate matters I was also dealing with a leaking head gasket during this time. Head gasket is fixed but the rear main seal leak still persists.

I'm currently using dino Penzoil HM 5w-30 and it's still leaking. Wife refuses to drive the car since she constantly smells the leaking oil getting vaporized as it flows down the the exhaust.

Sure I could run another dose of Auto-Rx but I really don't think it will work on this leak. Sure the best option is to replace it but at the cost of over $750 is very silly considering the tranny pump could go out at any time. Since I used Auto-Rx in the tranny last spring it would not suprise me if the auto tranny lasts well beyond 400,000 miles.

Looks like i will using some Bar's product. I have nothing to lose at this point.
 
Originally Posted By: cparksjr
Keep in mind all aftermarket additive products, including stop leaks, are not created equal. We have worked with Lubrizol on our seal conditioner additive package over the years to make sure to not damage anyones vehicle. Because of the additive package it might take a little longer to work, but will not turn your seal to "mush" like I have seen some products do. Our product is designed to slightly soften seals that have turned hard and do a minor swell to these seals.
I will be using the Bar's Rear Main seal product on my Civic mentioned previously.


Any chance you can expand on the dynamics on how the different engine oil products work? The FAQ on the web site are not addressing my questions.

I have an 85 Toyota that is NOT externally leaking any oil but I suspect it is pulling oil through the valve guides but there has never been any visible smoke via the tail pipe.
 
Crusader, how does the Bars Seal stuff work ? Why dont u try a High Mileage oil at the same time and go up a grade ? I would at least be trying to slow the leak if its that bad....
 
The Rear Main Seal Repair product works by, as you stated, restoring the seal size, flexibility and elasticity. One of the common problems we have run into with consumers is a groove being worn into the crankshaft and many customers have had leaks even after a seal replacement. The seal size portion is a combination of the slight swell to the seal along with the polymer which basically attaches itself to the seal making it larger. It is more like building a film up on the edge of the seal preventing the oil from leaking past the seal. Keep in mind this product is designed and used on older higher mileage vehicles for the most part. In surveys from repair garages and oil change shops, many rear main seal leaks can start at under 100,000 miles, even though you might not see the leak on the ground, but it is starting to show itself underneath the vehicle. In the testing of this product we used pieces of new rear main seal materials and many old seals from rebuilders and machine shops. One interesting thing we also found in testing new seals was finding some brand new seals that had been on the shelf at auto parts stores for many years that were starting to turn hard. Part of this testing included ASTM tests by Southwest Research with the most common being D471 M (M is for modified). This test is the closest thing we could find for outside laboratory testing, besides real world use. Testing include a common oil we used with all the seal tests as a control, and then others for comparison including some of the high mileage formulas. The Rear Main Seal Repair formula does include a detergent package, though this is mainly to keep in check the additives that are needed when this product is used in place of a quart of oil. I don’t disagree that in some cases cleaning the seal will help, though we have also seen many cases where that gunk and sludge on the seal was actually keeping the seal from leaking more. This is usually in neglected engines and/or engines with very high miles, over 200,000 miles. Lastly, the Rear Main Seal Repair product is meant to be used about every other oil change, as these polymers wear down and are removed with a normal oil change.
 
Excellent!

I will keep everybody posted on the results with the Bar's product. The Civic currently has Pennzoil HM 5w-30 in it now. During the summer of 2006 or 2007 I did notice that when I used some left over Napa 20w-50 the oil consumption dropped. This was also before the seal was leaking at it's current rate.

When I changed the front crank seal and the cam seal 2 years ago there was no groove what so ever from those seals. What I did discover was that my PCV valve was gunked over last year and I believe this is probably the main reason the seal went bad or has let loose.

Time will tell.
 
Reprint Of Aricle (Synthetic Oil-Seals-Dirt)

Air Compressor Lubrication
This information brought to you by http://www.auto-rx.com

Did you know that compressor oil cost is from $ 900.00 to $ 2000,00 per drum?

The compressor manufactures tells the customer its necessary to have this overpriced oil (its not )
and also sell the plant a compressor service policy for more money (this consists of cleaning the filter, visual check for leaks, check pressures and another large bill ).

Compressors get very dirty and if you use 3-Rx to clean them you can run ISO-100 Hydraulic Oil to stop seal leaks for older compressors and ISO-68 for newer units. Then clean or put in a
new filter and your good to go! No service contract. This is almost free when compared to what a plant owner has been paying for oil loaded with complex additive packages.

Synthetic oils reduce friction, primarily because all of their molecules are of similar size and shape, while traditional oils have molecules of varying shapes and additives such as paraffin wax. The test results from synthetics are impressive.

But, synthetics have a dirty secret--as do all oils. And in more ways than one. First of all, synthetics will destroy certain types of seals--seals that are in common use. These seals, made of Buna rubber or silicone compounds, do not last long in the presence of synthetic lubricants.

So, what are you going to do? You want the increased performance of synthetics, and all the attendant cost-savings. But, you can't afford the downtime, labor, and materials to replace every seal in your plant. Whether you are a print shop or a press room, that kind of downtime can put you out of business for good. Hmm.

Let's take another look at the situation. What do you do to as part of your preventive maintenance to reduce oil operating temperature? You change the oil. But, oil doesn't wear out. It just gets contaminated with carbon, metallic particles, and other abrasives--along with corrosive agents, water, and various minor substances. Not only must the oil lubricate metal-to-metal, but it must also lubricate between the metal and those abrasive particles. Worse yet, those abrasives gum together, and stick to surfaces. So, even after you change the oil, you still have destructive crud in the system. And it finds its way back into that fresh, clean oil. Hmm, again.

What happens if you disassemble the machine, clean all the parts, and then run it? It runs cooler, and uses less energy. The oil is cooler, too. Until you start to build up crud. And then you're back to the same old situation. Hmm.

Do you see a pattern, here? That's right, dirt is the enemy. So, how do you get rid of it? Changing and filtering your oil helps immensely, but such measures won't remove built-up abrasive crud. That's the bad news. The good news is you can use a a metal cleaning additive that will clean, and keep clean, all of the internal working parts of your machinery or equipment. And it works effectively with natural, petroleum derived lubricants. So, while you may not be able to replace that natural oil with synthetic, you can make it perform much, much better. Traditional oils, in combination with the right metal cleaning additive, can provide huge cost-savings and long service life. Clean metal surfaces, free of third party abrasive residues, allow the oil to do its job.

That's the dirty secret of lubrication. Now, don't take this article as a slam against synthetic lubricants. Quite the contrary. You should use them whenever you can, but the sad truth is you can't safely use them in many industrial and commercial applications. In fact, in some industries, you simply cannot use them because seals that will tolerate them will not work in the processes that industry requires.

One thing many lubrication vendors are doing is hawking synthetics as the cure-all, and they are wrong for doing so. In fact, you undercut the viability of synthetics when your oil and the guts of your machines are dirty. So, the first step is to clean that oil, using an additive designed to do the job.

The fine folks at http://www.auto-rx.com have developed such an additive and believe it is the only one formulated for industrial and commercial application. How do you know this additive will do any good? Try some in one machine, and see how it works. If you like the results, use it on your other machines.

Oh, one other thing some vendors forget to mention. No oil or additive can make up for improper machine alignment or balancing. If you are having excess vibration or excess heating, make sure your machine is mechanically set up right. Make sure it has the proper voltage on all three phases, with less than 2% phase imbalance. And make sure you are not mixing incompatible greases
(a common error).
 
Originally Posted By: Frank


The fine folks at http://www.auto-rx.com have developed such an additive and believe it is the only one formulated for industrial and commercial application. How do you know this additive will do any good? Try some in one machine, and see how it works. If you like the results, use it on your other machines.




But Franks has stated many times ARX is NOT an additive here....
 
Hehe, pot stirrer. It is by definition an additive as it is added to the oil separately. I think what Frank means its not your run of the mill Slick 50 type additive, Teflon etc.
 
What i mean it does not change or alter the oil chemistry (thats one of the reasons i got a patent) Thats what most additives chemically do. Auto-Rx changes nothing.

Dargo glad you read the article the writer chosse his word to describe Auto-Rx not me.

One last piece of info. No commercial printer who paid "Millions" for a 6 tower offset web press is putting any swelling or other invasive chemistry (oil only) in that gear box,most of the time they won,t even shut down to stop a seal leak. 3-Rx (Auto-Rx) has to stop the leak and clean the gear box on the fly.
 
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So to add this, ARX works, as noted 5 months ago (an additive now) and so does Bars Seal leak stop. USe what makes you happy or stops the leak(s)....Off soap box.
 
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