changing oil

[blueman]

I thought I read on one of the posts adding STP in their oil for even smoother gear shifting. Whats up with that. I just changed my oil for the third time. The first at 550 miles second at 1700 and will next probably at around 5000. I have been using yamaha lube 20 40 as book recommends. I can feel the trany breaking in nicely.

 

[kindofblue]

Many think that adding .25 qt of STP makes the shifting smoother. I started adding it when I switched to Shell Rotella synthetic at 5k. I don't know if it was the synthetic or the STP but shifting was noticeably smoother after the change.

Others have reported not noticing an improvement with adding STP. YMMV.

 

[twowheelnut]

Snigger.

I know Andy Granatelli - casually. I asked him about that stuff over a beer one day at the local watering hole while he was waiting for his wife for dinner. His only comment was, "Yeah, that stuff made me a lot of money." That comment was followed by a wink and a snicker.

I have this ocean front property in North Dakota, if you're interested...

 

[MCRIDER007]

I have this ocean front property in North Dakota, if you're interested...

That sounds like some pretty hard to find real estate. Ah....which ocean are we actually talking about?

 

[twowheelnut]

I have this ocean front property in North Dakota, if you're interested...

That sounds like some pretty hard to find real estate. Ah....which ocean are we actually talking about?

Your choice, but it's on the PT Barnum Sea of Suckers...

 

[JimLor]

I still can't figure out how Lee puts in a gal of oil AND the STP. I did my oil and filter change and only had a gallon of oil - put in in and it came low on the site glass. After about 500 miles it is now right at the top of the glass!

 

[Toecutter]

I still can't figure out how Lee puts in a gal of oil AND the STP. I did my oil and filter change and only had a gallon of oil - put in in and it came low on the site glass. After about 500 miles it is now right at the top of the glass!

Maybe you didn't get all the old stuff out or something. My changes have all taken 1 gallon plus 8 ounces (4.23 quarts according to the owner's manual). There's a thread here somewhere about this STP stuff. I seem to recall the bottom line was use at your own risk.

 

[radman]

I have used the Rotella and STP combo, and despite the ribbing from numnuts there, the combo works. The 5w cold spec on the oil seems to be key here, for I found much the same result using 15w50 M1 instead. The tranny just likes a little thicker oil than one would expect. Run the 5w40 M1 oil, much the same as when using the Rotella Syn 5w40-tranny gets a little notchier. Thicken up the lube and it goes away.

 

[jestal]

Somehow I always thought that STP and wet clutches were incompatible......hmmm....

 

[twowheelnut]

I have used the Rotella and STP combo, and despite the ribbing from numnuts there, the combo works.  The 5w cold spec on the oil seems to be key here, for I found much the same result using 15w50 M1 instead.  The tranny just likes a little thicker oil than one would expect.  Run the 5w40 M1 oil, much the same as when using the Rotella Syn 5w40-tranny gets a little notchier.  Thicken up the lube and it goes away.

I ain't ribbin'. The man - in no uncertain terms - admitted to it being nothing more than snake oil. Now, go back and arrange your oil cans. They should be in the NW corner of the garage, asymmetrically stacked, to enhance better thinking abilities - Feng Shui, ya know?

And, it's 'numbnuts', dickwad. :****:

 

[radman]

I have used the Rotella and STP combo, and despite the ribbing from numnuts there, the combo works.  The 5w cold spec on the oil seems to be key here, for I found much the same result using 15w50 M1 instead.  The tranny just likes a little thicker oil than one would expect.  Run the 5w40 M1 oil, much the same as when using the Rotella Syn 5w40-tranny gets a little notchier.  Thicken up the lube and it goes away.

I ain't ribbin'. The man - in no uncertain terms - admitted to it being nothing more than snake oil. Now, go back and arrange your oil cans. They should be in the NW corner of the garage, asymmetrically stacked, to enhance better thinking abilities - Feng Shui, ya know?

And, it's 'numbnuts', dickwad. :****:

For the claims he made-perhaps. But there's no doubt that it would thicken up crankcase oil. This was one tried and true method of reducing oil burning-one of the big claims the product made. This is why I came to the conclusion that all it was doing in conjunction with the 5w-40 Rotella Synthetic was making it a 15w-40 or so lube-and so I just went back to good old 15-50 Mobil 1. Turns out technique made more difference in shifting smoothness than anything else-but when last fall the weather turned cold, I changed oil using Mobil 1 5w-40 Synthetic-and lo and behold, shifting became a little notchier. Not bad, but a noticeable difference. Thats why I think thats where STP made a difference when used in combo with the Rotella, not due to any miracle additives. And, for what it's worth, the clutch worked fine before, during, and after use of STP. One forum regular has used it for years on several scoots ( the original promoter of the blend) with high miles and mega-clutch life. It's apparently just.........really thick oil. We used to use it years and years ago as an assembly lube on our race motors, before dedicated assembly lubes came on the market (or at least until we found them). And it's 'Richardwad' nimblenuts.. :****:

 

[twowheelnut]

Well, okay then.

 

[blueman]

Thanks,I got the answers I thought I would. I am sure you guys have seen those adds on T.V. where there selling some sort of slick 50 or other crap. And a dude drains the oil from a running engine. Or a former race car drives a Dodge Viper with no oil in it around after adding some advertised crap. Has anybody done that with a bike yet. And would any of you like to donate your bike for that. I started feeling very unconfortable after thinking of what my bike would sound like with no oil in it. And just depending on what some dude told me on T.V. would work.

 

[leebunyard]

Don't EVER use Slick 50 or any of the other Teflon based or super slick oil additives. I made the mistake of using Slick 50 one time years ago in my GL1200. I thought I had ruined the clutch, MAJOR SLIPPAGE. I continued riding the bike and the clutch finally returned to normal after 500 miles or so, but I'd never recommend any of the super slippery additives to any mc that uses the engine oil for tranny lubrication. I have over 166,000 miles now on the original clutch on the GL1200 and it still works fine.

The STP Oil Treatment is not a super slick additive, it's basically just a viscosity increaser. You can certainly get the same result in viscosity by going to a heavier weight motor oil but I prefer adding 8 ounces of the STP to the one gallon of Rotella 5W-40 full synthetic oil when I do an oil and filter change on my '04 FJR because the STP contains a significant amount of zinc additive, which a number of articles over the years in mc magazines have indicated enhance smooth gear shifting. I think that most mc specific motor oils contain more zinc additive than general automotive oils for this reason. In any event, the one gallon of Rotella synthetic plus 8 ounces of STP is just about exactly the 4.23 quarts that the FJR requires for oil/filter changes, so it works out great. And the tranny shifting stays SUPER smooth thru the entire 5000 miles I go between oil and filter changes. I'm using the Rotella synthetic plus 8 ounces STP additive in all my bikes, including the GSXR's that my son and I have, except for my GL1200. I'm using the regular Rotella 15W-40 in the GL1200 because of the high mileage on the engine. I've tried Mobil One and other synthetic oils in the bikes but simply like the way the Rotella/STP blend works in our bikes and see no reason to change. Our Gixxers are super smooth shifting also. Most of our sportbike riding buddies have also switched to the Rotella synthetic plus 8 ounces of STP blend.

My two cents worth, use whatever you're comfortable with.

Lee in the Mountains of Northern California B)

 

[radman]

And there you have it.

 

[jestal]

The "zinc" antiwear additive you mention is some folk's reference to ZDP or the zincdialkyldithiophosphate that I've mentioned before. Zinc alone is not used as an antiwear compound. "Zinc" or "ZDP" or "ZDDP" are all the same thing.

As of a few years ago (the last time I checked) STP had absolutely no zinc or ZDP or ZDDP or anything else regarding "antiwear" in it at all. STP's marketing of "reducing wear" was specifically called into question. Their claims of "reducing wear" were supposedly defended on the basis of increased viscosity alone. Their claim was that increased viscosity "automatically" improved the hydrodynamic film thickness and would thus "automatically" decrease wear. Since then STP may have added a trace amount of ZDP to eliminate any further questions but I would absolutely never, ever consider STP a source of anti-wear compounds at all. Period.

If you are looking for more "zinc" use a produce like GM EOS that is specifically blended as an assembly lube and antiwear fortifier with copious amounts of ZDP. Do NOT depend on STP to do any antiwear protection, as an assembly lube or for anything except depleting your wallet. If you really want more viscosity then just buy thicker oil. Don't try blending your own with STP. BTW.... ZDP is very expensive so that is one reason that EOS costs so much. Really. That and the low volume of the product. Not likely that any aftermarket product is going to use much if any ZDP due to the cost. Especially something like STP.

ZDP is not likely to improve transmission smoothness. It is an anti-wear compound that prevents micro-welding at surface contact points where surface asperities break thru the oil film thickness. It doesn't do anything unless there is actual metal to metal contact and , even then, it doesn't do anything other than prevent wear. The change in viscosity of the lube due to the addition of the STP might influence the trans operation but it is not likely the ZDP.

The motorcycle and HD oils do have more ZDP in them but for antiwear protection due to the added number of rubbing elements inside a motorcycle trans compared to automotive engines.

Basically, STP is trash. Period. It does not belong in anything. I wouldn't even use it on door hinges. The most charitable thing you can say about it is that it made Andy Granatelli rich so he could spend more on his race teams.

Same with all the other snake oils like Prolong, Slick50, Lucas, etc.....

 

[radman]

And there you have it.

 

[panthercity]

And there you have it.

I thought we'd had it this morning... :bleh:

 

[Shane]

I'm getting a very bad feeling in my stomach...

The last thread that involved Radman, Jestal, and other people's inventions went sour... :erm:

Now, to the mix add Leebunyard... :blink:

Please, for the love of Mike, end this now

I love oil threads!

Shane