Why do people use lucas "oil stabilizer"?

I've always "liked" the line: "Keep that engine alive". Like somehow if you didn't use Lucas.. It would DIE!


When Mercedes first tested the MBE4000 in North America, they ran them for something like 600,000 miles without oil or filter changes. That says something about how good oil is right from the bottle.

 

i like powerpuch because it hangs on so there is lube during start up... same therory about lucas

 

A few years back I ran Lucas for two oil changes, saw no benefit, and for $25 a gallon they can keep their crappy thick molasses. They should put a picture of a snake on their bottle.

 

Two things, ask your oil supplier how far the will warranry an oil related failure if you tampered with their additive package. Also at the cost of lucas you can do 1 complete service extra a year. I am an ASE master truck tech I have been working on trucks for 30 years . Waste your money on lucas if you want I would preferre to take the misses out for dinner, I guarantee you will get more out of that than los. This is just like the turbo 3000 I would never admitt it didn't work if I spent money that foolishly.

 

Why is it so hard for some folk's to deal with extended drain intervals? When oil is kept cleaner, via bypass filtration, and the engine is already in good condition, and regular oil samples are taken to monitor the oils condition, it is very conceivable that engine oils (regardless of brand) can go way, way further before needing changed out. I realize that we have become conditioned for so many years on 10,000 - 15,000 - 20,000 mile drain intervals, but done properly, that isn't necessary. And with the increasing costs associated with dumping and replacing oil, it seems like properly doing extended drains is a sound move.

Calling someone stupid for doing it does not make a very good case for not doing it. And it shows how misinformed you are. His doing extended drains may sound stupid to you, but that is because you are technically challenged. And a bit myopic.

 

When I do a service and cannot get the soot of my hands you went to long. 15/18k is tops. The fleet I worked for went from 15 to 20 at cummins recommendation based on samples. Oil consumption increased to almost 1 gal per extra thousand miles. How cost effective is that. If you move them at the end of the warranty who cares if it will go a million miles extend all you want. I can smell when the oil needs changed.
We ran t600 with 435 n14 most made it to over a million without the pan and usually the heads never removed, 15000 on services.

 

750,000 on the jugs and bearings only it took 3 sets of heads and 2 turbos to get it there.

 

And I took an N-14 to 1.4 mil without it ever being opened up either and still in good shape when I got out of it doing 30,000 mile oil changes, Kendall 15w40 oil, Baldwin filters, no bypass filter. So your point is you base oil changes on what you get on your fingers and the sniff test? Well, I guess that is ok. Each person has to live within their comfort level. I like to base my oil condition and services on oil sampling done by the lab. The cost is the same as a gallon of oil at the truck stop and I know for a fact what kind of condition my oil is in and what is going on inside the engine that may need to be addressed. It is the 21st century now, and I like taking advantage of the technology available nowadays.

You wondered how adding an extra gallon of oil by going from 15,000 to 20,000 mile oil changes was cost effective? Lets look at that....

In 100,000 miles, at 15,000 mile oil changes, you would do almost 7 complete oil changes at 10 gallons each (ballpark) and filters. That is 70 gallons of oil and 7 oil filters. Lets say you did only 6 oil changes in that time. 60 gallons of oil and 6 filters.

In 100,000 miles at 20,000 mile oil changes, you would do 5 oil changes. 50 gallons of oil, 5 filters, and based on your story, 5 extra gallons of oil. Total of 55 gallons of oil and 5 filters. Now, I am not sure how you add things up, but saving 15 gallons of oil and 2 filters is not a bad deal compared to the 70 gallons and 7 filters, or even the 60 gallons and 6 filters. And the 20,000 mile interval meant less time wasted on stopping the truck and getting this done. Not to mention labor cost associated extra oil changes for those that do not do their own.

Now take a look at my N-14 that got 30,000 mile oil changes, maybe 2 gallons added in between oil changes. And the numbers are even better.

So, to your question... that is how it is cost effective.

To be fair here, not every engine can do the extended drain thing. Each engine has its own little quirks. One engine can do extended drains fine while another cannot. And how extended those extended drains are has to be determined. That is the beauty of oil sampling. One can actually test the quality of the oil and determine a general oil change policy. But if one wants to stick with the old way, who am I to stop them. It is their money. And there is no way, based on a lot of evidence to the contrary, that doing more oil changes is "cheap insurance". If that was the case, then we should all be dropping the oil each and every weekend!