Do you miss the days of Everything PTFE / Teflon? Any positive snake oil experiences?

From Mom & Dad's basement, good ol' Slick50 w/ PTFE! Oh, IIRC that vintage Die Makers Grease has enough white lead to rearrange DNA :ROFLMAO:
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When I was in A&P school in the late 80's, I had an instructor that swore by Slick 50. He put it in everything he drove. He was a retired Army helicopter mechanic. He said they would put PTFE in the copter gearboxes in case of lubricant loss. I had no reason not to believe him, but maybe someone with military copter experience can chime in.
 
This is one of the very few I trust. Extremely tacky, the blue tint makes it easier to read on dipstick after a fresh oil change and its only half a qt with very precise measurements windows. Does well on sticky lifters, better ring seal, reduces blow by and has some positive materials to contribute and not totally dilute a oil detergent package like most that we know. Look to use this with a high mileage oil to slow this leak down. Only other product i have had some success other is with LM Motor Oil Saver only every 20k miles and not any more often and not with hm oil in conjunction.

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I had a 1976 Datsun 280z back in the day that I kept for 12 years and wish I still had. Anyway, when Slick 50 came out, I poured a bottle into the Z's butter-smooth inline 6 at my next oil change, and the idle went up 200 rpms. I had to adjust the idle back down, so something was obviously slick in their formulation.
 
I had a 1976 Datsun 280z back in the day that I kept for 12 years and wish I still had. Anyway, when Slick 50 came out, I poured a bottle into the Z's butter-smooth inline 6 at my next oil change, and the idle went up 200 rpms. I had to adjust the idle back down, so something was obviously slick in their formulation.
Good memories as I had a 76 and a 77 280Z, I LOVED those cars and so did all my best friends as WE all had Z cars. My Girl Friend purchased a used 78 without my knowledge or input ( she was super independent like that ) but it was a Northern rust bucket! She got took! I'm surprised it din't break in half!

I never used Slick50 in my Z but I remember always used Kendall Racing 20W-50, I don't hear much about Kendall oil any more?
I too wish I had my 77 as it was a garage kept queen when I sold it in 86.
 
This is an oil additive the quick lube I work at wants us to shove down everyone's throats 🤣🤣View attachment 288554View attachment 288555
VERY interesting read about the PTFE in this bottle of Engine Max by True Brands, Correct me if i'm wrong but isn't the TRUE brand ONLY sold a quick lube places?

I think Jiffy Lube sold me a head light restore service on my old Crown Vic and used the True Brand headlight restore kit. I was so impressed I found the same kit on eBay and did a few cars myself and was very impressed with that product!

Reading this attached TDS is like reading the back of the bottle of Skick50 in the 80's.
Check out what it says about the PTFE, Flashback to me standing in PepBoys 1986 with a bottle of Slick50 in hand...

I was 100% Sold on PTFE back in the day as my then new 1990 Mazda tick went away and never returned after that one PTFE oil change!

I would use a bottle of this stuff in a second if I ever had a engine tick in something as PTFE did fix my tick problem and it NEVER came back!

Notice how it says it stays on the metal after a treatment. I remember hearing that with the Slick50, perhaps on those 80's late night TV spots? PTFE did work for me one time back around 1992 and I never had to retreat.

I see I can buy 3 bottles now on eBay for $22!

$7 a bottle of 80's PTFE, I'm sure I'll one day have something with a tick again, I may just buy a few bottles, will make me feel like i'm in High School in the 80's again!

I googled that TRUE Brand company, interesting read about the Company and as I understand the products are made in house in Florida USA...




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DURA-LUBE 1993 infomercial for your enjoyment. 32 minutes of testing and cheering from the live audience.


That's the late great astronaut Pete Conrad, one of the "Next Nine" (2nd astronaut group, from 1962), and the 3rd man on the moon.

I'm enough of a space nerd that I bought some Dura-Lube after seeing him touting it on closed-circuit TV at Canadian Tire around 1993. It did not seem to hurt either our 1980 Plymouth Volare wagon (225 Slant Six) or our '82 Mazda GLC (1.5 l), but both engines were pretty much bulletproof.
 
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I used Tufoil since the mid 80s in every vehicle and OPE without incident. I was once a distributor of it. Today the formula has changed as I remember what it used to look like. Resembles Lubegard these days.

I have several bottles left from the day and I haven't but would use it in my new vehicles Without issue. Too lazy to dig it up.... Last time I used it was in 2022.... stumbled on a 16 ouncer...
 
I miss those days. The only thing I can think of regarding the PTFE Snake Oil days is this: I wish I could reverse my age to the days that Slick 50 was one of the Snake Oil Kings. The odds of that happening are the about the same as an engine benefiting from using it. ;)
Still have these products for the gullible, Blaze Ecotech fuel tablets peddled by the MLM crowd for unbelievable gas mileage etc. These shysters never quit.
 
...Any positive snake oil experiences

Not PTFE, and not personal, but snake-oil...Yes: Prolong.

A retired mechanic friend of the family who still does some side-work for a few people, including on my wife's 40 year old Subaru, swears by Prolong Engine Treatment.
He says he has seen it keep engines on the road that should have gone to the scrapyard and it has stopped wear on an engine that was rapidly destroying itself. He is younger than me, but not by much, so has plenty of years worth of anecdotal stories to support his belief.

I'm not a believer, at least not yet, but a couple things convinced me he actually believes it. First, he doesn't sell it. He says go to the auto parts store and buy it. So, no financial incentive to push it. Second, he uses it in his own cars. He even fished an empty box out of his trash can to show me what to look for at the parts store.
 
How about the FITCH Fuel Catalyst? Been around forever, I never tried it but people say it works?
The Fitch Catalyst comes in a car / truck gas line mounted version and a drop in version that you permanently drop in a gas tank like a ATV, lawn mower or Motorcycle.
Promises to:

IMPROVE
Fuel Economy
Exhaust Emissions
Horsepower & Torque

ELIMINATES
Low Octane Ping
Carbon Build-Up
And Need For Additives ( suggested Fuel Stabilizer is NO longer required for gas storage )

The Drop in is $75 on Amazon, Has almost 100 reviews and 4.4 stars!
I been thinking about dropping one in my old Harley gas tank and the idea of no more Sta-bil required over winter is a thought?

I been watching this product for years and never see anything but positive reviews about it...
What do you think?

 
I gotta mention Marvel Mystery Oil and Sta-bil.
I don't use MMO in my oil ( I have in the past in something old that the valves were ticking ) but I DO use Marvel Mystery Oil mixed WITH Sta-bil fuel stabilizer in my older 1997 Harley I purchased new in 1997 that has had my mix in almost every tank of gas the last 26+ years!

I also use it in my new no cat Harley and all my 25+ year old lawn mowers.
Makes a Pingel gas tank petcock ( turn-off ) rubber O-rings slick as glass and you can actually feel the slick when turning the gas on and off, run a tank of pure gas without the MMO you can feel it don't have the MMO in the mix and is not a slick or smooth!

I did contact both MMO and Sta-bil and asked about mixing both products and both gave me the go ahead.

I get the benefit of always fresh fuel from the Sta-bil. Sta-bil does have a small amount of fuel injector mild cleaners in it as I have been told and mixed with the Marvel I get the top cylinder lube benefits and I know first how how well rubber o-rings react to the MMO! Its got to be good for the rubber seals in the carb and I believe will benefit the fuel system in my new modern fuel injected Harley.

The Marvel actually makes the new Harley fuel pump have less noise. I skip a dose and the pump will get louder, add my MMO / Sta-bil mix and I will once again have a quiet fuel pump!

Also my gas tank on my 28 year old bike, the inside looks as new with NO rust!

ALL my small engines and toys with engines get my mix!

In the 80's a head Industrial maintenance mechanic turn me on to Marvel. He was responsible for keeping a huge multi million $ company room size metal lathes up and running. He would mix MMO with the gear oil in those huge machines that had to run and could simply never go down. He believed the MMO was his secret.. I never used it with gear oil myself.
 
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