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LC 20 oil additive..

K1600_gtl

K1600_gtl

New member
ok, so I'm not quick to use just any additive in my vehicles, but apart from Techron in my fuel every so often, I've had good luck with LC20 in my duramax truck and BMW X5... seems to keep the engine cleaner (just thru visual inspection thru oil cap)..

I'm wondering if a dirty little engine like the boxer with it's high amount of oil burn during the breakin period couldn't benefit from LC20 to keep it clean? anyone have any experience with it in their bike? The guys over at BITOG seem to like it..

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2402552&page=1

http://www.lcdinc.com
 
R1200RClassic said:
ok, so I'm not quick to use just any additive in my vehicles, but apart from Techron in my fuel every so often, I've had good luck with LC20 in my duramax truck and BMW X5... seems to keep the engine cleaner (just thru visual inspection thru oil cap)..

I'm wondering if a dirty little engine like the boxer with it's high amount of oil burn during the breakin period couldn't benefit from LC20 to keep it clean? anyone have any experience with it in their bike? The guys over at BITOG seem to like it..

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2402552&page=1

http://www.lcdinc.com
Click to expand...

I'd go with STP, the "Racer's Edge". However, only after showering and using "Speed Stick" by MENNEN.

OK, OK, I just like the old ad jingles:)
 
I'm not much for additives other than maybe Chevron Techron which I've used a few times (I haven't used it in years and have 140,000 miles on my ultra smooth idling Honda CR-V) and Dow Corning M Gear Guard in the final drive of my R bikes (no fuzz on my magnetic drain plug ;)).

As for engine oil, I've used Mobil 1 synthetic since the first inspection in my 1999 Honda CR-V with 8000 mile oil change intervals (BTW, that oil change interval is excessively early for a quality synthetic oil). The engine internals are ultra clean.

The Porsche Carrera also sees Mobil 1. The engine internals are ultra clean as well.

There is too much hype and gabbing going on about oils on oil forums. I have yet to see an oil related engine failure unless the car was abused and neglected. But the additive companies know how to sell based on consumer fear.
 
A quality engine oil doesn't need additional additives. Regardless of what the marketing types will tell you, a petroleum engineer in any oil company knows the properties of any possible combination of additives any firm can offer, and each oil manufacturer chooses those additives they feel are best for the oils they sell. There are no dark secrets to the engineers. If the chemicals in the various oil additives were really beneficial, they would be incorporated into the oils themselves by the manufacturers. Most of this stuff is just a way to get you to part with your money.
 
42906 said:
A quality engine oil doesn't need additional additives. Regardless of what the marketing types will tell you, a petroleum engineer in any oil company knows the properties of any possible combination of additives any firm can offer, and each oil manufacturer chooses those additives they feel are best for the oils they sell. There are no dark secrets to the engineers. If the chemicals in the various oil additives were really beneficial, they would be incorporated into the oils themselves by the manufacturers. Most of this stuff is just a way to get you to part with your money.
Click to expand...

actually it is a fact that the additives do wear out and/or evaporate over time... The life of a good synthetic oil is generally dictated by the length of time the additive package is expected to last. I don't dispute that 99% of the additives are unnecessary but I did read a few good things about this LC20 and it seems with an engine prone to getting a lot of carbon on the piston and heads, this might be helpful in keeping it cleaner, as Techron has been proven to do from the fuel standpoint.
 
If you want a really clean engine simply position your air intake snorkel behind the front wheel while riding in a rain storm.

:D
 
bikerfish1100 said:
really? it is?
Click to expand...

No. As with most recent BMW engines, the engine management system keeps the motor very close to as lean as possible. There are not a lot of hydrocarbons to remain unburned. That statement is true of some Airheads but not of any injected engine since.

Babying the engine can cause some buildup from oil, from rings not sealing well, but that is entirely another issue.
 
bikerfish1100 said:
really? it is?
Click to expand...

There was a 2006 boxer engine taken apart at my local dealer with carbon all over the piston surface and on the overhead area/valves.. I asked the dealer about it and he said that it's somewhat normal on the engines that burn oil.... and this one was burning oil into the 20's...

I mean what else do you expect when you burn oil? water vapor?
 
Oil additives

After spending a life time working with marine diesel engines and a few gasoline engines I firmly believe that one can not beat a good quality engine lubricant. A good quality product does not need any additives. Consider a good lubricant as cheaper than a prematurely worn out engine.

The best way to determine wear characteristics is to send a sample of your used lubricant to a reputable independent oil lab for analysis. Many engine manufactures publish acceptable wear limits for a particular engine. Granted, that a baseline is most helpful in failure analysis, but if you use a good lab the engineer can be most helpful in the areas of "normal" wear.

Most labs can provide a TBN number (total base number) this provides approximate age of the oil and their testing can also tell you of useful oil life remaining. Some lab reports are listed in metallurgical terms, fe: Iron, cu:Copper, al:Aluminum, cr:Chrome, pb:Lead, etc. In order to fully benefit from this report you need to know what parts are made of which metal.

The report will also indicate silicone some of which is an additive except abrasive silicone, which is dirt. Moisture from coolant and/or condensation.

If anyone is interested in speaking with an engineer (owner) at the oil lab I used for somewhere close to 20 years can personally email me for name, address, phone number and email address. I have no interest is this business but admit over the years the owner and I become friends.
 
GeneT said:
After spending a life time working with marine diesel engines and a few gasoline engines I firmly believe that one can not beat a good quality engine lubricant. A good quality product does not need any additives. Consider a good lubricant as cheaper than a prematurely worn out engine.

The best way to determine wear characteristics is to send a sample of your used lubricant to a reputable independent oil lab for analysis. Many engine manufactures publish acceptable wear limits for a particular engine. Granted, that a baseline is most helpful in failure analysis, but if you use a good lab the engineer can be most helpful in the areas of "normal" wear.

Most labs can provide a TBN number (total base number) this provides approximate age of the oil and their testing can also tell you of useful oil life remaining. Some lab reports are listed in metallurgical terms, fe: Iron, cu:Copper, al:Aluminum, cr:Chrome, pb:Lead, etc. In order to fully benefit from this report you need to know what parts are made of which metal.

The report will also indicate silicone some of which is an additive except abrasive silicone, which is dirt. Moisture from coolant and/or condensation.

If anyone is interested in speaking with an engineer (owner) at the oil lab I used for somewhere close to 20 years can personally email me for name, address, phone number and email address. I have no interest is this business but admit over the years the owner and I become friends.
Click to expand...


Exactly! Thank you. I had trucks in my fleet running 20,000 miles per month and we had engines lasting past 500,000 miles with nothing more than routine maintenance, regular oil and filter changes, regular testing of the coolant (Nalcool additive in diesel engine coolant is essential to prevent pitting of the wet liners) and an "overhead "(valve) adjustment every 100K. One of our trucks that was dedicated to two careful drivers went over 900,000 miles before the engine , an older 14 liter Cummins "Big Cam" 400) needed an overhaul. If the oil you buy has the right additives to begin with, putting in additional additives is a complete waste of money. It accomplishes nothing. We used Chevron Delo 400 and changed this at 10,000 mile intervals, which is extremely conservative by modern standards. With the current synthetics oil changes are out past 20,000 miles and the engines last just fine.
 
R1200RClassic said:
actually it is a fact that the additives do wear out and/or evaporate over time... The life of a good synthetic oil is generally dictated by the length of time the additive package is expected to last. I don't dispute that 99% of the additives are unnecessary but I did read a few good things about this LC20 and it seems with an engine prone to getting a lot of carbon on the piston and heads, this might be helpful in keeping it cleaner, as Techron has been proven to do from the fuel standpoint.
Click to expand...

True, but even so do you really think the engineers that designed the oil are so stupid as to omit necessary additives from their additive package? And are you absolutely certain the people at LC 20 magically know just what additives are lacking in the oil you buy? And, if you change the oil at the recommended interval, why would you worry about the additive package in the oil wearing out?
 
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