Just went grocery shopping today (Lowes Foods) and low and behold on the shelf was a half dozen Red and half dozen Blue bottles of STP oil treatment!! I bought all the Red bottles as I have not been able to find it anywhere (all the parts stores only carry the Blue around here) and that way they'll keep stocking it. I'm new to NC and never heard of Lowes "Foods" until I got here, but it's worth checking if you have one near you.

I never much cared for STP oil treatment. I put some in a 327 once (oil fill tube on front). Six months later when I disassembled the engine for a rebuild, the STP was sitting there as a blob in the lifter gallery right underneath the oil fill tube.

I never much cared for STP oil treatment. I put some in a 327 once (oil fill tube on front). Six months later when I disassembled the engine for a rebuild, the STP was sitting there as a blob in the lifter gallery right underneath the oil fill tube.

That is what scares me about it...It is REALLY thick. I know the Red isn't as thick as the Blue, but they are both pretty thick. The Blue is like molasses.

If you have a Big Lots around you, go check it out for CD2 Street Legal Oil Boost. It's a pink container with a ricer on it (yea, I know), BUT it has nearly 1/4 more ZDDP than STP, is nowhere near as thick, AND you can literally buy 20 bottles of it for $20. Search the Bob is the Oil Guy site for more info in SLOB..

There was a critcial review re: STP a few years ago in a professional trade magazine for aerospace engineers. It concluded that STP was worthless!

There was a critcial review re: STP a few years ago in a professional trade magazine for aerospace engineers. It concluded that STP was worthless!

Where are all the guys from last week that were RAVING about this stuff? That's the only reason I bought it because everybody was saying I HAVE to use it in a flat tappet cam engine because oil today does not have the proper protection! Where's Scott Wheaton!!??

There was a critcial review re: STP a few years ago in a professional trade magazine for aerospace engineers. It concluded that STP was worthless!

What magazine and what issue? Is there a link you can provide? What were they trying to determine about STP? I'm not sure how STP factors into use by aerospace engineers.

What magazine and what issue? Is there a link you can provide? What were they trying to determine about STP? I'm not sure how STP factors into use by aerospace engineers.

don't question the aerospace engineers.. they wear cool white lab coats and work on jets and stuff. they know what they are talking about.
on the other hand, Richard Petty won all those championships running STP in his race car- which was blue, not red, so i'd stick with the blue bottle- so it has to be good stuff.

Where are all the guys from last week that were RAVING about this stuff? That's the only reason I bought it because everybody was saying I HAVE to use it in a flat tappet cam engine because oil today does not have the proper protection! Where's Scott Wheaton!!??
Mike, the red bottle is the stuff you want....addd a bottle @ each oil change.

I just picked up a case of it also. gonna run it WITH my rotella T:yes:

Thanks Dan, that's what I plan on doing. We all can't be priviledged enough to have a roller valvetrain!

What magazine and what issue? Is there a link you can provide? What were they trying to determine about STP? I'm not sure how STP factors into use by aerospace engineers.

They tested STP for high stress lubrication properties/applications in engines.
STP failed to provide any statistically significant protection of any sort compared with control samples, and in some instances resulted in poorer results. In conclusion, the authors recommended avoiding STP like it was the plague. I don't remember which journal it is in, but I do remember reading it.

STP has been fined at least twice by the FTC in the past 30 years for false, unsubstantiated claims. In 1995, they had to pay a $888,000 civil penalty for false claims. Do a google search & check it out.

I never much cared for STP oil treatment. I put some in a 327 once (oil fill tube on front). Six months later when I disassembled the engine for a rebuild, the STP was sitting there as a blob in the lifter gallery right underneath the oil fill tube.



No offence and please don’t take this the wrong way but… if it sat in there as a blob and didn’t drain into the pan there were already major sludge problems with that engine before the STP ever got poured in there.

STP is still a great way to achieve the proper levels of ZDDP in an engine maybe not the best but until they start making a viable solution to the ZDDP dilemma STP and others like it will have to do.

So if todays oil doesn't have all that Graphite/Molybdenum/ZDDF, whatever it is, in it anymore, then what are we supposed to use for an additive to protect the flat tappet cam?

So if todays oil doesn't have all that Graphite/Molybdenum/ZDDF, whatever it is, in it anymore, then what are we supposed to use for an additive to protect the flat tappet cam?

gm eos (which they stopped making) or the crane super lube or comp break in lube.

My Dad always used 1 Quart of Marvel Mystery Oil added to 5 Quarts of Quaker State 10-W-40 every Oil Change. My Father In Law always did the same, but his story is impressive. He is the Original Owner of a 1983 Camaro. When the head gasket went, the motor was disassembled and both head gaskets were replaced. At the time, he had over 375,000 miles on the original motor. Everything was super clean with no sludge buildup. He always changes the oil every 2500 miles. The car now has almost 600,000 miles on the original motor. I know that marvel Mystery Oil is much lighter than Motor Oil, but, if you read the back of the container, it handles friction better despite being lighter. I don't know if a scientist can prove or disprove this, but 600,000 miles on the original motor is enough to convince me.

I dont see a problem with the 4 Cyl stp oil treatment in the red container and here are the reasons why.

There are people that have been using the stp in the red container in t/chevelle(MR4speed/Chris)for yrs now with perf flat tappet cams & have had very good results/no bad cams.

The stp in the red container is not being recommneded for its ability to strengthen or beef up the viscosity etc in the oil which is what the Nasa eng's may have tested the STP for.

We are suggesting it soley because of the known healty amount of Zinc/Phos it has in it to help protect our flat tappet cams when mixed with the crankacse oil and thats it,nothing else.

It's also noticeably thinner then the traditional stp in the blue container so it makes it down to the crankcase much easier then the original older blue formula stp so it should not be an issue in that respect either.

Also,finding new old stock GM EOS & CD2 oil boost are also good alternatives for the same reason of the additional Zn/Ph they have added to todays oils to boost the Zn/Ph lvl's. But even doing that may no be enough depeding on how much Zn/Ph your starting with in the 1st place VS the spring rates your running.

Scott

My Dad always used 1 Quart of Marvel Mystery Oil added to 5 Quarts of Quaker State 10-W-40 every Oil Change. My Father In Law always did the same, but his story is impressive. He is the Original Owner of a 1983 Camaro. When the head gasket went, the motor was disassembled and both head gaskets were replaced. At the time, he had over 375,000 miles on the original motor. Everything was super clean with no sludge buildup. He always changes the oil every 2500 miles. The car now has almost 600,000 miles on the original motor. I know that marvel Mystery Oil is much lighter than Motor Oil, but, if you read the back of the container, it handles friction better despite being lighter. I don't know if a scientist can prove or disprove this, but 600,000 miles on the original motor is enough to convince me.

This is a very impressive example. and I would suspect that the regular oil changes are the primary reason for the long engine life. Just curious about the type of driving? Probably not mostly short trips and stop and go; but more highway miles?

When the heads were off, did he have valves ground and replace valve springs or any other components? How about the rings? When you say motor disassembled, does that mean pistons removed and bearings removed or just remove the heads and replace gaskets. leaving everything else in place?

This is a very impressive example. and I would suspect that the regular oil changes are the primary reason for the long engine life. Just curious about the type of driving? Probably not mostly short trips and stop and go; but more highway miles?

When the heads were off, did he have valves ground and replace valve springs or any other components? How about the rings? When you say motor disassembled, does that mean pistons removed and bearings removed or just remove the heads and replace gaskets. leaving everything else in place?
Everything was just put back in place with the new gaskets. The bottom half of the motor was left in place. Anti Freeze was changed at the time as well as the oil and filter. My Dad always sold his cars in excess of 100,000 miles, but again my Father In Law with 600,000 miles is just downright impressive. There is a lot to be said about regular maintenance.

So if todays oil doesn't have all that Graphite/Molybdenum/ZDDF, whatever it is, in it anymore, then what are we supposed to use for an additive to protect the flat tappet cam?

What about my '91 Chevy pick up? My 305 also is flat tappet and there are lots of these trucks on the road still.

use diesel engine oil with the older ratings.