Engine Rebuild Cost

[hucktyson]

HP I understand how motorkote cuts down wear but I can't see how it makes rod bolts or the pin bosses on pistons hold up better and longer ??

[hpmaster]

HP I understand how motorkote cuts down wear but I can't see how it makes rod bolts or the pin bosses on pistons hold up better and longer ??

Guess I am lucky but I have not lost an engine since using it and pulling them at the 1500 + lap area. As for rod bolts those are replaced every time my engines were done, my bad for not saying that. I fully understand there is your way, my way and the right way.

[MasterSbilt_Racer]

I can see both sides of this argument on the switch deal and I'll say this:
I've won races but never in a Late Model. If my oil pressure light comes on at the white flag and I'm leading, I can promise you I'm NOT shutting it down :-)

Didn't Jimmy Owens run the last several laps of one of his Eldora wins with the oil pressure light on while leading?

My point is that sometimes getting in victory lane is worth it regardless of the actual cost.

But again, I can see both sides of the debate.

I remember Kevin Weaver ran second at Eldora with no oil pressure one time.

[FlatTire]

Thanks for the info hpmaster.

Here's a interesting bit on LUCAS.....

http://web.archive.org/web/201009261...ucas/lucas.htm

I've always used Lucas and was impressed how it was so sticky. After letting an engine sit there on the shop floor for over a year, the valve train was still coated in a nice film of oil(Lucas). But after seeing this test by Bob the Oil guy, and the other test by Motorkote showing what happens with LUCAS, I'm kind of up in the air about it now. We've ran Royal Purple with LUCAS additive in our spec motors for years and always had excellent bearing wear but struggled with piston ring wear after 22 races. I imagine the excessive ring wear could be attributed to the alcohol as well.

[HuckleberryB4]

I'm headed to grab some MotorKote after work. I've spent money on worse things in racing. lol.

[hpmaster]

Thanks for the info hpmaster.

Here's a interesting bit on LUCAS.....

http://web.archive.org/web/201009261...ucas/lucas.htm

I've always used Lucas and was impressed how it was so sticky. After letting an engine sit there on the shop floor for over a year, the valve train was still coated in a nice film of oil(Lucas). But after seeing this test by Bob the Oil guy, and the other test by Motorkote showing what happens with LUCAS, I'm kind of up in the air about it now. We've ran Royal Purple with LUCAS additive in our spec motors for years and always had excellent bearing wear but struggled with piston ring wear after 22 races. I imagine the excessive ring wear could be attributed to the alcohol as well.

MotorKote said it treats the metal not the oil, for whatever thats worth.

[RACR_73s]

hpmaster, on the Motorkote site I think I read on their site that you don't make allowance for the product...in other words you would still put the same amount of oil in the crankcase. I could almost understand this on an engine that takes 4qts (8oz) but on a drysump system or in my case my diesel truck that takes 16qts, that is an extra quart. Do you know why this is or do you make allowances?

[Mosidebite]

A trucker put me onto the Motorkote several years ago. He was a trucker by trade but had a ARCA car that he played with. We were racing at a mile track where everything is abused and he noticed me draining and dumping my rearend fluid then replacing with new and cool. He said to stop and we dumped this stuff in with the old oil after the sales pitch. 6 lap heats made over 50 degrees more heat than a GWC 20 lapper...it's in everything I own now

[Necrosis]

All oil additives are detrimental to engine life. This is not an opinion. If there are things you think you're lacking in your oil, then get a better oil. Don't dump in a $5 bottle of crud and think that you're outsmarting professional Tribologists and billions of dollars of research.Now, Top Fuel engines are an entirely different story, but that is about the only exception I can think of.

[mattworx]

as far as pistons go most big engine builders don't waste there time to inspect pistons .you racers have so much money you can afford it (sarcasm!!)if you don't over heat ,detonate,dirt or any other dumb thing pistons can and will run a long time , but have to be inspected . remember even new parts brake

HP .... Which builder is recommending 1700 laps ?? The builders I know replace pistons after 1000- 1100 laps ...I'm not saying your wrong but I have never seen anyone recommend that long of an interval

[hpmaster]

All oil additives are detrimental to engine life. This is not an opinion. If there are things you think you're lacking in your oil, then get a better oil. Don't dump in a $5 bottle of crud and think that you're outsmarting professional Tribologists and billions of dollars of research.Now, Top Fuel engines are an entirely different story, but that is about the only exception I can think of.

Some 15 years ago I asked my friend, Dave Smith, who has since retired, who was high up in Goodwrench Racing about what the GM engineers stance on MotorKote was. His reply was after testing GM would not confirm that it did or did not work as advertised but that it did zero damage to components in their opinion. This combined with my own experience with oil analysis testing I would assert you paint with a rather broad brush.JMHO

[Bubstr]

Take it for what it's worth, but quite some time ago, the EPA set limits on Zink in motor oil. GM came out with their own oil supplement called EOS, engine oil supplement. The only reason was to add that zink back in.

Recently VW has recommended oils with higher zink content to keep warranty up.

We where having trouble with flat tappet cams with aggressive ramp speed and the EOS seemed to cure that problem. Before that, I would have said oil supplements was a bunch of bunk also. You could actually see the improvement on the camshaft and lifter finish after break in with a magnifying glass.

I'd like to say it helped wear and temps in the quick change also, but I installed a good filter on the hand pump at the same time. The way I see it is, a little cutting oil on a drill or mill will change the finish for the better and reduce heat, so why not.

[Necrosis]

You guys all make a great argument...FOR BUYING A BETTER OIL!!! Not dumping in a bottle of gunk. Btw, zinc (zddp) is one extremely small part of an oil's additive package. You ever hear people say that old Rotella T was the best because of it's high zinc level? Well guess what, the NEW Rotella has higher zinc content.When you add random crap to your oil, you change a carefully balanced formula. Unless you are extremely knowledgable in Tribology and blending, you are 99.9% of the time doing more harm than good.