Stp

[Terry NJ]

What are you planning? To dope the car and push it off on some unsuspecting newbie? Or are you just trying to extend the life a little? STP is a good all around oil treatment (Thickener) and it's good as a lube for trans' and rears.
And I'm told that it cannot be removed with solvents from iron or steel surfaces. It Clings! So the stuff has value. How much improvement you will get from a running engine is anybody's guess, but there will always be some. One of my main uses for STP is preserving an engine is going into storage. So if you like STP, It's a good product, If you don't think it's much more than a money maker, you'll hate it. As far as the smoking goes, have you changed the oil recently? Sometimes, oil consumption is caused by sticky rings from too few oil changes. Also, I normally would Not recommend this, but go to a single weight oil (SAE 30 or 40) if you can get it. Tractor supply has SAE 30, but I would prefer 40 (NOT 15-40) in this case. With some STP it should slow down the oil consumption.
Terry

I'm looking for a Band-Aid....

My original motor is worn out and never rebuilt at 84k.

I plan on a full rebuild this winter, but until then it smokes blue in a heinous way.
Runs great other than that!

I'm looking for a way to reduce the oil burn so we can at least enjoy the car this fall, because right now its too embarrassing to chug down the road with a cloud behind...

Any suggestions would be great!

 

[Hotchief]

What are you planning? To dope the car and push it off on some unsuspecting newbie? Or are you just trying to extend the life a little? STP is a good all around oil treatment (Thickener) and it's good as a lube for trans' and rears.
And I'm told that it cannot be removed with solvents from iron or steel surfaces. It Clings! So the stuff has value. How much improvement you will get from a running engine is anybody's guess, but there will always be some. One of my main uses for STP is preserving an engine is going into storage. So if you like STP, It's a good product, If you don't think it's much more than a money maker, you'll hate it.
Terry

Nope, I'm not trying to "dope the car & push it off to a newbie", I am a newbie to the Model "A" - but have been a gear-head into cars all my life...

I just acquired this car, my Grandfather's car I helped him restore in Kansas 35 years ago...It's not going anywhere.

Since it rolled out of the car transport, (I've had it about a month) it smokes.
When my Grandfather restored the car he didn't go through the motor because at that time it ran great, it still does however we've got a #2 cylinder compression loss and obviously oil slippage through the rings.

I've never used STP but, as I indicated previously I am looking for a solution to minimize the oil burn so my family & I can drive the car a bit this fall prior to my winter motor rebuild project.

Thanks in advance.

 

[katy]

I've found that continual use of STP as an oil additive causes lots of oil leaks, it seems that it is so slippery that when mixed w/engine oil it seeps through where straight oil doesn't.

 

[George Miller]

Nope, I'm not trying to "dope the car & push it off to a newbie", I am a newbie to the Model "A" - but have been a gear-head into cars all my life...

I just acquired this car, my Grandfather's car I helped him restore in Kansas 35 years ago...It's not going anywhere.

Since it rolled out of the car transport, (I've had it about a month) it smokes.
When my Grandfather restored the car he didn't go through the motor because at that time it ran great, it still does however we've got a #2 cylinder compression loss and obviously oil slippage through the rings.

I've never used STP but, as I indicated previously I am looking for a solution to minimize the oil burn so my family & I can drive the car a bit this fall prior to my winter motor rebuild project.

Thanks in advance.

Give stp a try it might help. I use it in my tractors years ago when working hard. Not every one will agree, use your judgment.

 

[prpmmp]

http://ferrarichat.com/forum/faq.php?faq=haas_articles Good reading! Pete

 

[JAKEFORD]

Back in the day, I found out that coffee grounds worked best for rear end and transmission noise. Also notice on taking these things apart for permanent repairs a nice finish on the gears. I think the coffee oils helped a lot.

I never had a lot of success with STP. I did my graduation thesis in Mechanical Engineering on Automotive Engine Lubrication and Studebaker-Packard STP didn't even respond to my request for technical information to assist in my thesis. That should have been the tip-off for their product. Subsequent use of this product proved it out.

 

[hardtimes]

Is it recommended to add any STP to the engine oil? Any recommendations would be appreciated.

Thank You;

Hey Brian,
'recommended', probably by those selling such product ! Many decades ago, when old Ford six burned more oil than gas, I used a can or two of STP in every part of car to stop / slow down leaks and oil burning. When/if I could afford a can of STP, I used it In place of adding oil , at times. Seemed to work for slowing down oil burning/fouled plugs, but one warning is to not use tooo much in engine in COLD weather

 

[MrTube]

AND, it doesn't need zinc!

I misread your response and at first was going to say "since when does it have strong springs on the valves" and the noticed you said "doesn't".


The the OP, if it was mine and I needed to get by the most I'd do is try 20W50. STP is useless IMO.

They sell thicker oil, no point in spending the same on thinner oil and then spending more to thicken it.

 

[Kahuna]

You may just have stuck rings. If so, there are chemical additives that may help. Available at your local auto parts store. An old product called CD-2 comes to mind

 

[packrat5]

Wow! Lots of opinions to say the least. I and others I knew used it years ago for assembly lube on cam and lifters. It was never intended as a cure for worn out junk. I went thru a lot of cams in my chev 409 looking for that "special one" and used STP as assembly lube. When I eventually tore down the engine after it sat in my garage for 3 or 4 years, the inside was coated, and slippery still with the lube. I read out of it something different than all these comments. Arguing about oils and additives is kind of like arguing about religion or politics. No one wins.

 

[MrTube]

Wow! Lots of opinions to say the least. I and others I knew used it years ago for assembly lube on cam and lifters. It was never intended as a cure for worn out junk. I went thru a lot of cams in my chev 409 looking for that "special one" and used STP as assembly lube. When I eventually tore down the engine after it sat in my garage for 3 or 4 years, the inside was coated, and slippery still with the lube. I read out of it something different than all these comments. Arguing about oils and additives is kind of like arguing about religion or politics. No one wins.

Keeps traffic going through the forum though.
Kind of like putting items on sale in a store which causes people to intentionally walk past other ones which the store is actually trying to move.

People being, I feel, it benefits the forum overall even though no one wins the oil debate.

 

[Mike V. Florida]

Wow! Lots of opinions to say the least. I and others I knew used it years ago for assembly lube on cam and lifters. It was never intended as a cure for worn out junk. I went thru a lot of cams in my chev 409 looking for that "special one" and used STP as assembly lube. When I eventually tore down the engine after it sat in my garage for 3 or 4 years, the inside was coated, and slippery still with the lube. I read out of it something different than all these comments. Arguing about oils and additives is kind of like arguing about religion or politics. No one wins.

But like i said, there is no one that said it will harm anything but your wallet.

 

[Terry NJ]

I apologize if my comments didn't apply to the situation, but more than one smoker has been pushed off onto an unsuspecting newbie by concealing the fact that it had a worn out engine. That's why stuff like STP is used very often. That being said, the product can be useful in other ways. Actually, in reading your comments, I think you said the engine ran great and now it doesn't. Was this a sudden change? If so, I would look for sticking valves, low compression, and or sticky rings. If this is your problem, it may be solved with top cyl. oil like Marvels Mystery Oil, or for that matter, ATF in the gas and oil. If I read it right, the problems came on due to 35 years of non use, not wear and will correct themselves with use.
Terry

Nope, I'm not trying to "dope the car & push it off to a newbie", I am a newbie to the Model "A" - but have been a gear-head into cars all my life...

I just acquired this car, my Grandfather's car I helped him restore in Kansas 35 years ago...It's not going anywhere.

Since it rolled out of the car transport, (I've had it about a month) it smokes.
When my Grandfather restored the car he didn't go through the motor because at that time it ran great, it still does however we've got a #2 cylinder compression loss and obviously oil slippage through the rings.

I've never used STP but, as I indicated previously I am looking for a solution to minimize the oil burn so my family & I can drive the car a bit this fall prior to my winter motor rebuild project.

Thanks in advance.

 

[insomniacshotrods]

My Dad was a mechanic for most of his life, and took apart an engine a guy had always used stp in. When removing the crankshaft to build a stroker engine for the guy, he had a hard time holding onto it because it was so slippery from the additive. He has used it every since as have I. We rebuilt a 350 for my nova back in 1984 and its still going strong as ever. Tore it down 4 years ago to check bearings and change to bigger cam, still had cross hatches in cylinder walls and bearing looked almost new. Its been in every project ive built except my model A lol. Sawdust in the trans and rear end remind me of the Andy Griffith show where Barney bought the doctored up car from the con artists, which they made more shows like that today instead of all the crap tv.

 

[rocket1]

I used stp for years,when I dropped the pan I found clumps of a jelly substance,I think it was the stp that never really mixed with the oil.I don't use it anymore.

 

[Tom Wesenberg]

You may just have stuck rings. If so, there are chemical additives that may help. Available at your local auto parts store. An old product called CD-2 comes to mind

I was thinking the same thing. I'd add a can of Sea Foam to the gas, and add another can to the oil and give it a try.

I've had very good luck with Sea Foam on an engine with sticking hydraulic lifters.

 

[Patrick L.]

Another thought if you think you may have some sticky rings, ATF. If the car is going to be sitting around for a couple days, just put some in the cylinders and let it do its thing. As long as you don't put too much in you should be able to start it up when you're ready to drive. If you put a lot in, you may want to leave the sparklers out and spin the engine over before starting it.
ATF has been used for this and also for freeing hydraulic lifters for a long time.

 

[Hotchief]

Thanks for all your feedback Gents.

I certainly did not want to hi-jack the thread but felt my situation aligned with the notion of additives like STP.

The motor runs great.
It seems to have adequate power and idles well too, starts right up as well.

It just smokes blue like there's no tomorrow.

I suspect it has been sitting for the most part since 2011, when Dave at Durable in MN. last tuned it.

I hope it may be a partial fix like stuck rings.
I'm going to change the oil and look for some type of additive that could help the smoke - for a couple months until the motor gets pulled.

Thank you all, great forum!

 

[FL&WVMIKE]

Back when STP, first came out, they had a commercial on TV where, Rocky Marciano, the undefeated Heavy Weight boxing champion, would hold the tip of a screwdriver, dipped in motor oil, upside down. No problem. Then, they would dip the same screwdriver into STP and he was not able to hold it. The harder he would squeeze, the faster it would squirt out of his grip.
TRY IT ! ....... You will find out just how slippery it is !

I'm not saying that it will do wonders in your engine, I don't know. But for slow moving gears, like your steering box, I don't think you can beat it ! I have been using it for decades, in my cars, without any problems.
MIKE (mikeburch)

 

[Terry NJ]

Mike, I was glad to see someone else remembered that commercial! The last time this "discussion" came up, I tried it and it worked for me too! As far as I'm concerned, STP has proved it case. It is more than just an oil thickener.
Terry

Back when STP, first came out, they had a commercial on TV where, Rocky Marciano, the undefeated Heavy Weight boxing champion, would hold the tip of a screwdriver, dipped in motor oil, upside down. No problem. Then, they would dip the same screwdriver into STP and he was not able to hold it. The harder he would squeeze, the faster it would squirt out of his grip.
TRY IT ! ....... You will find out just how slippery it is !

I'm not saying that it will do wonders in your engine, I don't know. But for slow moving gears, like your steering box, I don't think you can beat it ! I have been using it for decades, in my cars, without any problems.
MIKE (mikeburch)