Postby Hasbeen » 16 Sep 2009 12:17
Yes Aaron, It's what I'd expect from the Oil companies, & the car
manufacturers.
When I was racing, I had both BP, & Shell contracts, at various
times. Although not officially, their racing managere knew I was
using STP, & suggested I should stop. When I agreed, provided they
would repair anything which then broke, due to poor lubrication,
both declined the offer. They hated it, but would not back their oil
against it.
Although I believe the standard oils are now 200% better than
anything we had back then, I never run an engine, or a diff without
STP, & never will.
Please note, never put it in a synchromesh gearbox, particularly a
Moss box, used in Jags, [& Morgan +4s] in the 60s. I did, & it
reduced the friction required to make the synchros work to nothing,
& totally eliminated the syncros.
My experience with STP is as follows.
STP came to Oz, & wanted to promote their stuff with racing success,
as they did in the US. They came to us, & explained that STP was
simply ironised oil. Oil was bombarded with a gamma ray, which broke
the oil molecule into 4, [smaller ball bearings], & left it with a
negative charge, making it surface seeking, [sticky]. Just try to
wash it off your hands.
Their only claim was it produced a stronger boundary layer, which
did not drain out, & was much harder to squeeze out. It sounded
good, particularly for my problem.
In 1964 they offered technical support, & large bonuses to anyone
who would use it with SAE10 oil in their cars in the
Bathurst 500 [miles]. I was driving with a mate, in his car, & he
used it. I was impressed.
I was racing my Morgan +4 [Triumph TR3A engine] & had a major
bearing problem, at the time, as did anyone racing that hefty 4 pot
engine.
Using BP corse, racing oil, the big end slipper in the conrod cap
would be down to copper after just one race meeting, [say 50 miles].
Adding molly slip to the oil extended that to somewhere between 75 &
100 miles. Stopping that big heavy at piston at top dead centre, on
the exhaust stroke was blamed. The boundry film of oil was breaking
down.
STP wanted me to try their stuff, & when they offered to replace the
engine, if it blew up, in the first race, I had nothing to loose.
After that first race the thing stripped perfectly. I did 2, then 3,
then 4 races on the same bearings, & still no copper showing on
those bearing. I never did find out how far it would go, as I then
sold the car.
Those old TR engines with their very big oil ways, rattle like early
diesels, when started, due to the oil draining out. With STP that is
a thing of the past. They don't rattle, even after a month or more.
You can't wash it off. I always ran it in the dog [non synchromeah]
boxes in racing cars.
I had 3 Hweland crown wheel & pinion sets, from my Lotus gear box
crack tested, & found the lowest ratio had a cracked tooth in the
pinion, & 2 in the crown wheel. I had to use it in a race, while I
was waiting for a new set.
When the new ones turned up, I pulled it out of the box, & threw it
out the back door of the workshop, into the long grass by a drain.
6 months later a mate was desperate for that ratio for his Lotus for
a race. It took him half an hour to find then, in the overgrown
mess. When he did, they were as bright, & shiny as when I'd thrown them out, STP protected, from the box.
To fit the piston pin in a Hillman Imp piston, you had to heat the
piston, & chill the pin, & then they often got stuck half way in.
With a little STP, mixed in a little oil, smeared on both, you can
push it in with your hand.
I have a 50 year old Fordson Diesel tractor, which for the last 15
years is only used a couple of times a year. Without STP in it,
I'm sure the bores would have long ago, rusted to death. As it is,
it starts up no trouble, & has excelent compression.
Have you guessed yet, I like the stuff, with good reason, I believe.
Try it, if you have a problem.
Hasbeen
