That reverse lag thread got me thinking (and wondering) how many of those "miracle fix in a can" products actually work. Ive been plowing alot of snow lately with my 97 Ram, that has a 46 RE (518) trans in it and upon checking the fluid at the gas station the other day I noticed the ATF wasn't as bright red as it had been before winter and was starting to burn.... Ive been wanting to do a fluid/filter for a few months on it since the fluid was still normal looking but been putting it off (yeah I know) The trans still seems to be working normal and there was no pile of clutch material in the pan when I dropped it today, but I was wondering if adding a little Lucas trans additive would help in keeping it that way....... the only trans additive Ive ever used other than the correct fluid for the application was trans X a time or two over the years on doing a fluid/filter job(not in this truck, though).
My dad was a firm believer in many of those miracle fix products
as a matter of normal maintenance (although HE usually didnt do it, I had to) he always bought things like Rislone and Bars leak that he insisted that I put in as part of the refill.
So c'mon guys, whats your take on some of these products like Lucas oil, trans X, Seafoam, and the like?
I havent seen Sam from the cable TV show "Two Guys Garage" pushing that line of additives that he used to....
could he have found that they really don't do what they are supposed to?????

Very, very, very, very, very, very few of them.
No, adding a little Lucas trans additive would increase the extent and cost of the damage being done to your transmission by running it with oxidised fluid.
Many dads are great sources of incorrect information regarding the proper operation and maintenance of motor vehicles. "Let it warm up in the driveway for 15 minutes if it's cold out", "rev the engine before you shut it off", "engines run better a quart low", that kind of thing. There is nothing such as a miracle. The reason those products exist is plain, simple human psychology: As a rule, we are highly gullible and suggestible. That gullibility and about an hour's work on ad and package copy and design are all it takes to make the sale. Once the sale is made, our brains take over and we think we see/hear/feel all kinds of wonderful benefits directly attributable to the Slick-50/Lucas supplement/Scamsoil/Sylvania Silverstar headlight bulbs/Whatever we just spent money on. Simple human psychology.
Wanna see what Lucas oil "supplement" really does? Go here. The link points to a page on www.bobistheoilguy.com, widely regarded as an excellent source for information on automotive fluids, even though the place is infested with Scamsoil salesdroids.
Masks transmission symptoms in the short term. Burns down transmissions in the long run.
Said to be a decent cleaning agent when used thoughtfully.
See? Marketing psychology. Those TV shows/race drivers/celebrities push those products for one reason and one reason only: they have been paid to do it.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Most additives are not worth the container they come in. It is like putting a band aid on a hemmorage. As for your fathers advice, at one time it might have been true, but no longer, times change. Back in the 60's I used STP, and it did what it was supposed to do, but oil was vastly inferior, back then. I would not think of using it today.
As Dan said, I have had good results with Seafoam, when used as directed. Also Chevron "techron" fuel injection cleaner, but used ocasionally, not every 5 tank fulls. The fuel today is pretty good with their detergent package.

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

Thats kinda what I thought , Dan and Charlie, but theres so many of these sort of products out there, that Im sure that many out there had the same kind of questions. For the record I was gonna put about 1/2 a bottle of Lucas in my truck (they suggest 1 bottle for "small" transmissions like FWDs, and 2 bottles for bigger transmissions.) I got a funnel full out maybe 1/4 bottle, it's the consistency of STP!!!!!And thats after setting the bottle in the house for a couple hours to warm up...... I'd never used any of their products before... definitely wont buy that one again! Any input on which ones are worthwhile?

What exactly are you trying to accomplish?

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Just figured that since I'd been using the truck so hard lately and knowing that a simple pan drop wont empty all of the fluid, just trying to replenish a few of the depleted additives in the fluid left in the converter and such. Ive been working on cars long enuf to know that I can't "miracle coat" the clutches, bands and seals so that worn material "grows" back or anything like that. I just thought more than anything I'd open up a discussion on these sort of products, both for the newer less experienced people on the board and maybe some feedback from those that have used (or have worked for the companies making?) different additive products and their feedback on them.

If i was going to add anything to an auto tranny, it would be to change the oil to some tractor tranny/rearend/hydraulic fluid, but probably not...

Uh...no.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Bar's Leaks, when used according to the instructions, also does what it's supposed to do. It's also used in the factory fill by most vehicle manufacturers.

I'm going to argue with that assertion. It's been used as factory fill and specified for service usage by particular automakers (GM) as a stopgap (literally!) for their crappier engineering efforts (Cadillac 4.1 litre engine, for instance). Gookums like Bar's Leaks are risky business even when used as directed.

By the way, gearhead1, it looks like you're new here on the board. Care to introduce yourself?

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

I have to agree, most of that stuff is junk. It's sort of like octane booster....People fill up with 87 octane, then go buy a $8.00 bottle of
"0-60 Super Boost". You'd be better off(Cheaper) to just buy Premium.
And you would get the same results. I really don't believe there's a whole-lot of difference between fuel brackets; around here anyway....
Just buy some good oil, and go with it. I do think gas is "over-worked".
If I ran it through my still,.....it would be different.

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225 Cubic Inches of Iron-Head American Muscle

225 bored .040 /.100 off block, Schneider Cam 224@.050~ .480 lift - Stock valves, blended bowls, Offenhauser intake with 500 Edelbrock carb

I started the lag in reverse thread, the last message I got there was:
So, after reading your posts in here I believe that the use of an additive is not such a good idea...

Ed

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My other car is... another DUSTER!!! .·.

The best thing to help a trans that is still working well is a service that includes draining/flushing the torque converter. Replacing as much fluid as possible will help it out. Put an external cooler on to if you don't have one, no matter how cold it is where you live. Sloshing around in snow heats up the trans. I would avoid any additives if you can, leakstop can help you out by buying some time, but is not a permanent fix. You can only soften and swell the seals so many times, it tires them out. If you do go that route, trans-x does work, as well as Bars, Trans fusion and probably others. I would try to stick with a major manufacturer. External seals usually are not that expensive and it is better to re-seal anything you can rather than using additives. The real hazard is softening and blowing out a piston seal on one of the clutch packs, then it's over. Never put anything thick into an automatic, and never anything other than ATF for fluid. It will not work with hydraulic fluids that don't have the required friction modifiers for the clutches, not for very long anyway. I have used seafoam as a decarbonizer thru the carb, it worked OK. The older formulation of GM Top engine cleaner was the best, but its a thing of the past. The new one is so-so. Water and a little kerosene works too. Offtrack? Well cleaning is where solvents really belong, not in your trans.