STP High Mileage Oil Treatment VOA

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wow that sucks. Basically an oil thickner, with I assume a seal conditioner since it is "High Mileage".

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Originally Posted By: spasm3
It has less zinc than the oil you are adding it to!


lol that was my thought... more of a oil detractor than additive.

you can go get a qt supertech HM oil and come out better for cheaper.
 
Originally Posted By: Texan4Life
lol that was my thought... more of a oil detractor than additive.


Oh yes. Less zinc and less detergents than the original oil. The only oils this stuff could improve are those on the PQIA's warning lists, or perhaps a non-detergent oil being used in an ICE.

If you ask me, it looks like something that might be good to add to a non-detergent oil about 60 or 70 years ago, with a formulation that has not been updated since.
 
When I was in Automotive school, we took apart an engine full of sludge.Instructor said, that's what happens with STP oil treatment, all that zinc doubles what you already got, and creates deposits. Which goes along with oils that use excessive additives, can do the same thing. But most on the Board, think double the additives the better the oil.

Too much of a Good thing
 
Speaking of viscosity only, when an oil this overly thick is added to say a 5w-30, does it evenly mix into a homogeneous mixture creating a uniformly thicker oil or does it tend to remain separate?
 
Originally Posted By: Mackelroy
When I was in Automotive school, we took apart an engine full of sludge.Instructor said, that's what happens with STP oil treatment, all that zinc doubles what you already got, and creates deposits.


Well, by using this ZDDP additive, the only way you could double the level already in the sump is if one were using something that wasn't even close to current API specifications, much less the older, higher ZDDP ones.

In just about any current oil on the market (or even within the last fifty or sixty years), this additive would DECREASE the ZDDP concentration. What a terrible, useless product. If my oil isn't thick enough, I'll buy a thicker grade, like an HDEO. If my oil doesn't have enough ZDDP, I'll buy an HDEO, or at least a proper additive.

The only conceivable use for this product in my view is if someone had a totally messed up carb that was just washing the cylinders, causing huge fuel dilution, and one had a container of this handy and couldn't do an oil change. Rolling it off a cliff would probably be kinder than using this stuff, though.
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Originally Posted By: Mackelroy
When I was in Automotive school, we took apart an engine full of sludge.Instructor said, that's what happens with STP oil treatment, all that zinc doubles what you already got, and creates deposits. Which goes along with oils that use excessive additives, can do the same thing. But most on the Board, think double the additives the better the oil.

Too much of a Good thing


It isn't the zinc that's the problem, its the thickening of the oil. Remove the zinc and I'll bet the sludge will still form over time with the addition of the STP. Don't forget some engines are more prone to sludge than others so it will occur even faster in them.
 
I wonder if some of you are forgetting that STP usually comes in pint jugs. Here's how I see it:
Let's say someone was running 4 qts of PYB 5w30 and is now a half quart low. They add the pint of STP to top off. According to PQIA, PYB has 868 ppm Zinc. If the pint of STP has 569, we now average 901 Zinc after adjusting for the loss of a half qt of PYB. So it would actually be an increase of about 4% along with a slight increase in viscosity.
Granted you'd probably be better off topping off with 20w50 to achieve similar results.
 
I don't think it works that way. The ZDDP content in the remaining 4 quarts would still be, let's say, 868 ppm, assuming that the loss of oil (consumption or leakage) took away all the ZDDP from that quart. My math shows the new ZDDP ppm would be 830.625 ppm. You made the mistake of averaging in the current sump load in quarts, while dealing with the STP in pints, or vice versa. You must use the same units in calculating this, be it pints or quarts or gallons.

(868 ppm * 7 pints + 569 ppm * 1 pint)/8 pints = 830.625 ppm ~ 831 ppm.

If you mix units, you get the exact answer you presented.
 
hmmm....just noticed....the "Capacity" they have "gallon".....surely the OP didn't send in a GALLON of STP Oil Thickener to be tested....? Or would the numbers not make a difference?
 
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IIRC, it takes an additive not originally in an oil formulation somewhere around 4,000-5,000 ppm to increase the post-oil sample reading 100 ppm. Just an estimate.
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That's a guess but it's not that far off, so I'd imagine this product might increase the UOA by 5 ppm or so. ? lol
 
Quote:
Speaking of viscosity only, when an oil this overly thick is added to say a 5w-30, does it evenly mix into a homogeneous mixture creating a uniformly thicker oil or does it tend to remain separate?


It's mainly an oil thickener. The dispersants in the oil and additive will allow it to mix with the host oil, and depending on how much you add, it simply thickens the oil.


It is better to simply use a higher viscosity oil than try and thickening the oil with this stuff.

My BIL gave some to anaylize (although I need not do it now thanks to this analysis), and I did find one use for it. I needed to put a PVC bushing through a floor sill for some Amateur Radio cabling.

I drilled the hole out but it was still too tight for the PVC bushing so I put some of this stuff on the PVC and with one hammer blow, it went in.
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Thanks for the comprehensive VOA as I always wondered what the VI was of this stuff and it's not bad at 190. Calling this stuff "high mileage" is just marketing as it's just as thick as it's always been.
I have a ton of this stuff in my oil stash that I picked up for a couple of bucks for an entire case years ago.
It does have it's uses as a concentrated viscosity improver for emergency situations. For example 10% will increase the KV100 from 10cSt to 12.5cSt or pretty much a full grade.
I've used it at the track when my oil pressure was lower than expected and my sump was already as full as I wanted. You don't have to add much to get a noticeable increase in OP.

It's real use is for serious oil burners on their last legs where a cheap 15W-40 is still not thick enough. If a couple of bottles of STP doesn't keep the blue smoke at bay then it's off to the wreckers.
 
Originally Posted By: Garak
I don't think it works that way. The ZDDP content in the remaining 4 quarts would still be, let's say, 868 ppm, assuming that the loss of oil (consumption or leakage) took away all the ZDDP from that quart. My math shows the new ZDDP ppm would be 830.625 ppm. You made the mistake of averaging in the current sump load in quarts, while dealing with the STP in pints, or vice versa. You must use the same units in calculating this, be it pints or quarts or gallons.

(868 ppm * 7 pints + 569 ppm * 1 pint)/8 pints = 830.625 ppm ~ 831 ppm.

If you mix units, you get the exact answer you presented.


ppm (Parts Per Million) is a concentration, not an absolute amount.

So yeah, STP oil treatment is diluting your additives. If you look at zinc for example, it has 569ppm. One table spoon of STP has 569 ppm, so would a 55 gallon drum of the same material. PPM is a concentration.

So, since PYB has 868ppm of zinc, you are going to dilute it out by adding a pint of STP which only has 569ppm of zinc. But in a 4-5 quart sump, not much at all.
 
Originally Posted By: Texan4Life
esrxb5.jpg

http://i46.tinypic.com/esrxb5.jpg

wow that sucks. Basically an oil thickner, with I assume a seal conditioner since it is "High Mileage".

frown.gif



I must admit that when you look at the VOA and consider the great reputation STP had back in the old days of stopping hot rattles (Good for selling a lemon), whilst causing cold start and sludge problems, it is easy to see why, as it's short of any expensive additive.
Nearly all snake oils have one thing in common, they are too cheap to work, as the Calcium and Boron detergent and dispersant content is far too low.
 
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