Consensus on Lucas fuel treatment?

[RichR]

Have a guy at work swears he gets 2-3 more mpgs and power from using it.
The main reasons I want to use it is for periodic use on my son's car since I can't get him to add MMO at every fill.
O'reilley's has it on sale for $30 a gallon.
Please give me your feed back.
Thanks!

 

[clarklawnscape]

$30 per gallon is too much imo, its like $23/gallon everyday at rural king, if you have one in your area. With that said, ive used it and never noticed any diffrecne in any way, other than ive known in my mind that ive poured it in.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Lucas is 1 of the few companies I try to avoid, they are good of marketing and nothing else.

For fuel system cleaner I stay with few brands like Chevron Techron, Redline SL1 ... I use 1 bottle every year or every other year.

No fuel system treatment can give you 1 MPG and/or 1-2 HP, 2-3 MPG is not realistic.

 

[NHGUY]

I read its only a light lubricating oil.If it does anything,its very minor.Maybe just a fuel pump lube,but MMO is cheaper.

 

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: NHGUY
I read its only a light lubricating oil.If it does anything,its very minor.Maybe just a fuel pump lube,but MMO is cheaper.


+1

Upper cylinder lube.

TC-W3 is probably cheaper by the quart.

I bought a quart of it awhile back when it was $5.99 ($1 more than the tiny little bottle of it) Still have a good portion of it. I would have used it all by now if I was getting even 1 mpg better. I don't however.

 

[The Critic]

Try RLI Bio-Plus instead.

I felt that the few times I used Lucas fuel treatment it made my drivability worse. If you lived closer you can have the rest of my bottle.

 

[OilNerd]

I'm phasing out my use of it.

TC-W3 oil is cheaper and flows better at low temps. The Lucas Fuel treatment gels around zero F, unmixed; mixed in gas, who knows?

 

[gathermewool]

Originally Posted By: RichR

The main reasons I want to use it is for periodic use on my son's car since I can't get him to add MMO at every fill.


Sounds like a smart kid.

 

[EricF]

the lucas is nothing more than a lightweight machine oil, and yes, good for UCL and lubrication, little to nothing for cleaning.
I have a gallon I'm working on getting rid of myself. I can't bear to drop it in my used oil container, but I put into friends & neighbors cars.
But steer clear of the stuff..as with all lucas products.. lotsa bark, no bite.

 

[Donald]

Just say NO to anything Lucas.

They only make one thing good, and that is the thing with the gears and handles to amuse yourself while you are waiting for the parts guy.

 

[mongo161]

I love the little Lucas UCL bottles....when they are empty. I'm always on the lookout for these empty bottles so I can add a 50/50 mixed blend of TC-W3 and Chevron Techron or Gumout/Regane to these bottles.

Having a nice supply of these pre-filled with my mix....makes dosing a tank of gasoline easy when you pull up to the pump.

I don't buy the Lucas UCL....but I like their small bottles.

 

[CMMeadAM]

+1......Truer words were never spoken !

 

[dparm]

Redline SI-1 has UCL in it already.

 

[hardcore302]

I got two bottles of it for cheap, on sale. I bought them for half the price. One in each of my cars. Used them as a UCL, although I usually use MMO, cheaper, a cooler color and a nice smell!

 

[Boss302fan]

Garbage.

 

[Jax_RX8]

My, what short memories we have here on BITOG.

While not a fan of Lucas Oil in general, Lucas UCL is know the have PolyIsobutylene and PIB Succinimide in it, both dispersants. While not PEA, which is a likely the most effective dispersant for fuel additives, Lucas UCL does have cleaning abilities in addition to its lubrication properties.

In addition, PIB is known for controlling fuel droplet sizes, keeping them consistent in size and not too small, thus preventing pre-ignition and allowing a more controlled burn rate. This has also been discussed here, referencing studies, and has been shown in studies to increase fuel economy.

While not strong enough to clean up in one tank like PEA based additives, with continuous use like it is designed for, does have benefits. The question is what are you seeking in your fuel additive.

For one-tank cleanups, it is hard to beat the PEA-based additives, like Redline SI-1, Gumout Regane, AMSOIL PI, etc, but they can get expensive to use on a continuous basis, so something like Lucas UCL might be something to consider for continuous use.

Personally, I love and use Redline SI-1 every 5000 miles in all my vehicles, but during the rest of the OCI I do find that a 50/50 mix of MMO and Lucas UCL at 4 oz/10 gallons keeps things cleaned up and running smooth (get a little benefit of the best of both additives).

I now return you to your regularly scheduled programming of bashing Lucas UCL.

 

[Boss302fan]

One bottle of Redline every OCI is enough to keep you clean between oil changes... I hate the thought of adding something at every fillup. I just do not believe it is needed and it can get expensive.

 

[Jax_RX8]

Originally Posted By: Boss302fan
One bottle of Redline every OCI is enough to keep you clean between oil changes... I hate the thought of adding something at every fillup. I just do not believe it is needed and it can get expensive.


No doubt adding something to the fuel at every tank is not for everyone. I just like the idea of not letting the crud build up too bad in between oils changes so that when I use the SI-1, it has less to cleanup and ensures it gets everything.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: Jax_RX8
Originally Posted By: Boss302fan
One bottle of Redline every OCI is enough to keep you clean between oil changes... I hate the thought of adding something at every fillup. I just do not believe it is needed and it can get expensive.


No doubt adding something to the fuel at every tank is not for everyone. I just like the idea of not letting the crud build up too bad in between oils changes so that when I use the SI-1, it has less to cleanup and ensures it gets everything.


I'm with you. I treat my fuel at each fill up, its become second nature and really is no problem for me. Also, between oil changes what exactly does that mean? 3,000 mile interval, 5000 mile interval, 15,000 mile interval, etc.? Things can get a bit dirtier for the guy who does extended OCIs. JMO opinions vary.

 

[Jax_RX8]

Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Originally Posted By: Jax_RX8
Originally Posted By: Boss302fan
One bottle of Redline every OCI is enough to keep you clean between oil changes... I hate the thought of adding something at every fillup. I just do not believe it is needed and it can get expensive.


No doubt adding something to the fuel at every tank is not for everyone. I just like the idea of not letting the crud build up too bad in between oils changes so that when I use the SI-1, it has less to cleanup and ensures it gets everything.


I'm with you. I treat my fuel at each fill up, its become second nature and really is no problem for me. Also, between oil changes what exactly does that mean? 3,000 mile interval, 5000 mile interval, 15,000 mile interval, etc.? Things can get a bit dirtier for the guy who does extended OCIs. JMO opinions vary.


I do 5000 mile OCIs, so I run a bottle of SI-1 right before the oil changes and the 50/50 LUCL/MMO combo in between.

I used to run MMO only in between, but a few of my vehicles are sensitive to pre-ignition and running pure MMO (4oz/10 gallons) makes them do this. The blend stops this from occurring (maybe the PIB controlling the small droplets?)