WARNING THREAD FROM HELL Was: Re: Prolong Patent and Slick 50

[Elliott Potter <epotter@abraxis.com>]

> >
> > Snake oil is still snake oil. The claims of some sort of magical ionized
> > substance which clings to metal is just so much bull butter.
> >
> 
> Like Zinc? If you knew what was in motor oils, you wouldn't make a
> statement like that.

Well, zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (hereafter zinc) is in just about
every brand of motor oil sold today, usually varying from .1% - .2%. 
Such zinc compounds are used as extreme pressure anti-wear additives, so
they're found in larger amounts in oils specifically blended for
high-revving, turbocharged or racing applications.
The zinc only comes to play when there is actual metal-to-metal contact
within your engine, which should never happen under normal operating
conditions.  If you occasionally play tag with the redline on the tach,
the zinc is your last line of defense.  Under extreme conditions, the
zinc compounds react with the metal to prevent scuffing, particularly
between cylinder bores and piston rings.
So in the end, under normal conditions, more zinc does not give you more
protection, it merely prolongs the protection if the rate of
metal-to-metal contact is abnormally high or extended.  Also keep in
mind that high zinc content can lead to deposit formation on your
valves, and spark plug fouling, and could possibly lead to premature
failure of your catalytic converter.

While I can't totally agree with Mr. Myers that it's all snake oil, I
also can't agree with John that they're all useful, at least for me.

Elliott