Re: Slick 50 & friends

[James Marriott <marriott@micron.net>]

Matt Daniels wrote:
> 
> I have seen the informercial that you are talking about. They do all
> sorts of crazy things to their test engine. Like taking off the valve
> covers and throwing sand and water into the engine, then taking off the
> oil pan to show the gunk in it. Then restart the engine and let it run.
> It seems rather impressive, but I'll let somebody else test the stuff
> out before I put it in my car.

One other thing to notice about these "experiments" is that they all
violate the basic premise of experimentation:  there's no "control"
group that runs the experiment using the "regular" set of conditions.
Sure, they drain the "stuff" and then mow the lawn. How about draining
the regular oil from another mower and then using it? Does it mow the
lawn, too?

Lawnmowers, at least, are pretty forgiving WRT lubrication. I used to
run a repair business, and many mowers had to have oil _added_, and then
the engine run for a bit, before any could be drained out for an oil
change. Folks would bring a mower in and want a tune up. "What is a tune
up?" they'd ask. "New plug, points, clean and gap the magneto, clean the
air filter, clean and adjust the carb, sharpen and balance the blade,
and change the oil." Fully 80% would get a puzzled look on their face
and say, "Oil?"

my four pfennigs at current exchange,
James

> 
> Matt Daniels
> '93 90S
> 
> >Has anyone heard of this Prolong stuff?  A friend of mine (who's into
> Mazdas,
> >but I still talk to him) saw an infomercial that claims the use of this
> 
> >product can protect an engine even once it has its oil drained.  Has
> anyone
> >seen this ad or know about their products?  He asked the Mazda board
> and no
> >one seems to have heard of it.