S.T.P. Oil Treatment..

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I know a few guys over the years that say S.t.p. oil treatment is really good to slow wear...I always thought it was just an oil thickener. I was watching someone putting it into his crankcase of his 1970 chevrolet impala 350 which has the original engine but the camshaft and lifters and timing gear and chain were replaced by us due to wear in 2006
He claims he has used this all his life and loves it he is in his late 60's and he used to own a transmission shop.. He claimed it even cleaned..I dont like to add anything to oil but im curious how many of us on here use it
 
My understanding of STP over many decades has been that it is nothing more than a viscosity index modifier. If true, I cannot fathom how use of such a product can be reconciled with multi-vis modern oils.

The owner's manuals of most/all modern vehicles recommend avoiding 'mouse milks', i.e. engine oil additives. I'll adhere to the manufacturer's advice.
 
I used to use it years ago in my oil-hungry 4 cylinder engines back when it was popular and on sale alot. Yes, I was a victim of marketing. It does have a little bit of zinc in it and a little detergent. But I wouldn't touch it now.
 
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It won't clean anything. It may even cause more sludge.

I know a lot of people who use it in their motorcycles because the motor oil is also used to lube the gears.

I tried it once in a Honda Accord and noticed nothing beneficial. I used it once in my truck to see if it would stop the CSK. It didn't. I have used it quite a few times in my Motorcycle to stop oil consumption, but it makes the clutch plates stick when cold and released for the first time.
 
Good stuff for leakers and oil burners
wink.gif
 
my neighbor uses it with every oil change at 2000 mile intervals (YESSS, I said 2000 mile drain intervals).

I peaked into his valve cover during a oil change once and it looked like everything had a thick, clear-coat coating. Whatever it was it couldn't be good for the oil galleries.

Details:

Valvoline conventional oil used at 2000 mile intervals
Motorcraft filters always used
STP oil additive used every oil change
Engine was a 5.0 liter pushrod design
Car was a 1993 Ford Mustang
Mileage on engine at time of replacement - 315,000

My neighbor was the original owner.

Based on what I saw,, I don't think I'd use these thickeners at every oil change.
 
It is good for leakers and oil burners as others have mentioned. Other that than that I don't see a use for it. JMO
 
Originally Posted By: crazyoildudue
I was watching someone putting it into his crankcase of his 1970 chevrolet impala 350 which has the original engine but the camshaft and lifters and timing gear and chain were replaced by us due to wear in 2006
He claims he has used this all his life and loves it he is in his late 60's and he used to own a transmission shop..


Since this person had to replace the camshaft and lifters, maybe it was because of the STP Oil Treatment. Maybe this person was using the STP during the wintertime, maybe the STP thickened up the oil so it did not flow as well during the winter months and it took awhile for the oil to lubricate the camshaft and lifters. JMO
 
Originally Posted By: PontiacFan
Originally Posted By: crazyoildudue
I was watching someone putting it into his crankcase of his 1970 chevrolet impala 350 which has the original engine but the camshaft and lifters and timing gear and chain were replaced by us due to wear in 2006
He claims he has used this all his life and loves it he is in his late 60's and he used to own a transmission shop..


Since this person had to replace the camshaft and lifters, maybe it was because of the STP Oil Treatment. Maybe this person was using the STP during the wintertime, maybe the STP thickened up the oil so it did not flow as well during the winter months and it took awhile for the oil to lubricate the camshaft and lifters. JMO


A car 36 years old needs a cam, lifters, timing chain, and gear. I'd say it did pretty well. Maybe the STP is what made it last that long, seeing that oil from the 1970's compared to todays oil was probably garbage. Devils advocate
smile.gif
 
My mechanic friend said his Dad always swore by STP Oil treatment. Knowing what's in it, I would suggest it only for a 70's car that is EXPECTING ZDDP in the oil. Alternately, there are other oil treatments that are said to suppliment in the same fashion, like Justice Bros, Motor Honey, etc. Having experimented with JB's Oil tretment.. after getting a flame war started on this board, I have actually found it to have some cleaning properties to it.. along with a "ZDDP Substitute"... Their Customer service is secretive about it. Again, OK for hotter than [censored] summers, or vintage motors.. I don't choose to use it at ALL in winter or in young motors.

If you have an 30 year old engine that burns a little oil, the product will be more at home in that engine than it will in a younger engine.
 
I've used Schaeffers Moly EP stuff. Seems to work well, and slowed down a drip in my Taurus for awhile. Maxlife seems to be doing a better job right now. I topped off a few hundred miles ago with Liqui Moly MOS and that seems to be helping with the little drip also.

I'm planning on running some Lubro Moly Oil Saver stuff either this or the next oil change.

I'd trust their brands of "Oil thickeners" over STP.

Part of it is cost (STP is CHEEP in a bad way), part of it is the fact I have never seen a quality product come from anything labled "STP". I've picked up STP from wally world for $0.50 a large bottle for smoke blowing lawn mowers that should of been scrapped, we mixed it with 20w50 and it seemed to slow down their death.

Just how much good do you expect to do for something so cheap?
I cant see any value under most circumstances, and with the proof that there are almost no additives to their thickening properties...that is what gets me.

Some of the "oil thickeners" are effectively vasoline that you are adding to your engine. Not a good thing as they break down quickly with heat.

And in cold weather I don't think the majority of additives make any sense, especially anything that THICKENS oil.
 
I used to use Valvoline XLD or Castrol GTX (only 20W-50 was available in the day - early 1980s),with a tin of STP.

Used to use the STP as assembly lube too.
 
STP's 'glory days' were the 1970's, for sure.

They had their oil treatment (no. 1 selling brand); their 10W-50 '15,000-mile' oil; their 'silver bullet' double filter.

It's all petered out since then - they don't sell oil anymore, andf their oil and fuel treatments are just cash-cows for Clorox - there's no real 'research' or passion to them anymore.

I don't think STP is bad stuff at all...I actually still believe it helps protect engine parts by coating them. But in an age of 'thin is in' oil specs, they are seriously out of date.
 
They are back selling oil at Dollar Gen... LOL.

I don't want to rip up STP too bad... but there's nothing in their line that I want to feed my cars... Many lines of products can be argued as dated... I was shocked to see Bardahl having NEW products on the shelf... rather than the old "Disco Can".. that had likely been there since Clear Pepsi was in style...
 
If ya want a small boost in ZDDP then its okay. If ya want to boost ZDDP a little in an engine that burns oil or leaks, you kill multiple birds with one stone.

Has its purpose, but in a healthy engine, if you need more zinc, just buy VR1 or use a Diesel Oil.
 
Originally Posted By: crazyoildude
those old 350's were known to have cam wear some with 40,000 miles his engine was original..


THANK YOU !
 
Early 305 motors were death on cams as well. I have seen many of em with lobes run off the cams. Just had a 350 Olds come into the shop a month ago with an exhaust lobe run off on number 5.
 
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