Red X

[colonel c]

Following on from the 'Easy Start' thread. Who uses fuel additives these days and why?

Back when I was a forecourt monkey we sold Red X for 2p a squirt and very popular it was too.

[plasticpig]

I use Tetraboost (tetraethyl lead additive). I use it to stop the car pinking under heavy load.

[jenpot]

I thought this thread would be about the 'Red X is mandatory' matrix signs. Maybe it's a sales pitch, not a road safety message.

[Ozzie Osmond]

plasticpig said:

I use Tetraboost (tetraethyl lead additive). I use it to stop the car pinking under heavy load.

Would it not be better to adjust the engine correctly? Pretty odd to be adding unnecessary lead when everyone else on the planet has decided it's a bad idea.

[plasticpig]

Ozzie Osmond said:

plasticpig said:

I use Tetraboost (tetraethyl lead additive). I use it to stop the car pinking under heavy load.

Would it not be better to adjust the engine correctly? Pretty odd to be adding unnecessary lead when everyone else on the planet has decided it's a bad idea.

Not heard of valve seat recession then?

[Stu3500]

CVL Turbo, as required by judd. 4 extra octane 'points' i believe. Dont know anyone that uses it in road cars though and not really sure of the technical reason for using it. Would make life pretty expensive, an extra £10 per 20L.

[Poledriver]

I used to try all of the additives when I was younger!

RedeX Didn't seem to do anything as a fuel additive. When used in quantity to clean carbs, head bores etc. it was very succesfull in removing all gum and carbon deposits, including those around valves and piston rings, causing massive loss of power due to lack of compression!

Molyslip Seemed quite effective in improving compression in worn engines (See above).

Wynns/STP Improved noisey engines/gearboxes. I normally use Wynns when rebuilding engines as it sticks to the surface forever and avoids that 'metal-to-metal' moment on the first start of a rebult engine.

Xado Have a friend who swears this works! I heard his car rattle and saw the smokey exhaust before he added it and must say that 14,000 on it still seems to be doing what it says on the tin tube! I'm not about to put it in any of my engines though.

Slick 50 Luckily I'd read reprts of dagae caused due to the Slick 50 blocking oil filters so I never tried it!

These days, however, engines/gearboxes etc all seem to be made to much finer toerances and modern oils/fuels are full of all the additives you'll ever need so I see no point in lining the pockets of these 'dubious' chemical miracle workers!

[poprock]

jenpot said:

I thought this thread would be about the 'Red X is mandatory' matrix signs. Maybe it's a sales pitch, not a road safety message.

Me too. I’m disappointed now.

[Poledriver]

[toast boy]

I use Castrol additive in the classics which has an octane booster and lead additive, it is definitely necessary to stop pinking under load. Haven't used any other additives in any of the modern cars, am I right in thinking that to use an octane booster correctly the car would have to be remapped to make use of it?

[Poledriver]

toast boy said:

I use Castrol additive in the classics which has an octane booster and lead additive, it is definitely necessary to stop pinking under load. Haven't used any other additives in any of the modern cars, am I right in thinking that to use an octane booster correctly the car would have to be remapped to make use of it?

Or, in an older car with 'conventional' ignition, you can advance the ignition. But beware of the dreaded 'pinking' as this will result in damage!

[Ozzie Osmond]

plasticpig said:

Not heard of valve seat recession then?

You said you use it to prevent pinking, not valve seat recession!!

[toast boy]

Ozzie Osmond said:

plasticpig said:

Not heard of valve seat recession then?

You said you use it to prevent pinking, not valve seat recession!!

The Tetraboost is similar to the Castrol one I use, it's for both