More snake oil?

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I did search this and couldn't find anything specific to the Sta-bil Oil Stabilizer, just other additives so feel free to point to the right thread and/or move it to a better thread.

Went online to check out the new 360 Sta-bil to see if I wanted to start using it but since I can still get gas without corn in it I'll stick with the red storage.

My question is about the 360 Sta-bil Oil Stabilizer I seen on their site, more snake oil or are they on to something? Since the hardest thing on an engine is the first few seconds on start up if this works as they claim it would be great. My thinking is if its coating the engine will it build up, I mean the whole reason for oil changes is to avoid any build up.

I guess I'm worried about this as I inherited a 1989 GMC with 72,000 miles on it from my father in law who only owned if for a few months before he passed and and found out the previous owner/s didn't take care of it and had to replace the engine as it had no oil pressure after it got good and warmed up. My mechanic pulled off the valve cover and I couldn't believe how much gunk was laying there,he said it probably had very few oil changes if any. Good news is he had a crate motor laying around that only had 12.000 miles on it.

Thanks in advance for any help.
 
It's a waste of money. And don't warm up your truck before driving it as it's bad for the oil and your engine.
 
Originally Posted By: skyactiv
It's a waste of money. And don't warm up your truck before driving it as it's bad for the oil and your engine.
Strange, I always warm my vehicles up before I go and I have never had any engine issues.
 
First of all,
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to the ... show!

I'd use it to stabilize gas during storage.

But otherwise, it is just a waste of your hard earned money. They suggest using at every fill up...really? That just maximizes their profits...
 
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VCI Technology is a well proven technology for prevent corrosion so i wouldn't be so quick to dismiss it as snake oil.
On engines that are stored for long periods like snow blowers and other small engines and engines stored in high humidity climates it may have some real benefits like prevent rust on the iron cylinder liners without pulling the plugs a putting oil down the cylinder.

In a daily driver its probably not much value. The new 360 line of products relies heavily on VCI Technology so the new 360 fuel stabilizer should protect the upper areas of carbs on small engines from corroding inside, fuel injectors on stored vehicles and prevent rusting of metal fuel tanks internally.
Again not a real concern in frequently used engines or vehicles.
 
Thanks Kuato.

I only use sta-bil in the 2.5 gallon can for the mower and blower and only have to fill it up twice a year, so two ounces a year doesn't add up to much and then I don't have to worry about adding it before each one goes into storage. I don't have to use corn gas so I don't worry about my vehicles. But I agree with you about companies trying to over sell you on a product.
 
Originally Posted By: skyactiv
It's a waste of money. And don't warm up your truck before driving it as it's bad for the oil and your engine.


What he said.

On a cold engine, I start it and drive off slowly for the first 5 or so minutes. This allows everything(engine, trans, tires, brakes, differential, etc) to warm up evenly.

Dan
 
Trav, that makes sense on a stored engine and I do live in high humidity. It also says you only need to use 20% of the engines oil capacity so 4 ounces an oil change once a year would be cheap. You don't think it would benefit on a daily driver, watching the video it explains how it coats the engine so on start up the engine doesn't have to wait for the oil to be pumped thru out the engine to be protected. Made sense to me if it works. It also says it prevent slug build up.
 
From their description, I'm having trouble determing what it does that your oil doesn't already do.

Originally Posted By: Duffyjr
Trav, that makes sense on a stored engine and I do live in high humidity. It also says you only need to use 20% of the engines oil capacity so 4 ounces an oil change once a year would be cheap. You don't think it would benefit on a daily driver, watching the video it explains how it coats the engine so on start up the engine doesn't have to wait for the oil to be pumped thru out the engine to be protected. Made sense to me if it works. It also says it prevent slug build up.
 
Originally Posted By: Duffyjr
Trav, that makes sense on a stored engine and I do live in high humidity. It also says you only need to use 20% of the engines oil capacity so 4 ounces an oil change once a year would be cheap. You don't think it would benefit on a daily driver, watching the video it explains how it coats the engine so on start up the engine doesn't have to wait for the oil to be pumped thru out the engine to be protected. Made sense to me if it works. It also says it prevent slug build up.


VCI Technology is the component that has some value IMO the rest is just fluff, having had many engines apart over the last 45 years i have yet to find a dry crank bearing in an engine that has been running previously.
Cylinder wall rust commonly occurs above the top ring on stored engines because there is little oil there. VCI's should prevent that.

If you don't need the storage capability then just use LC20, it claims the same benefits other than VCI's and its a lot cheaper.
 
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