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Anyone use or know anything about the product "Liqui Moly"? I own a 1987 Firebird Formula 350tpi, with 150,00 miles on it. Still runs strong, but the high mileage is tapping at the back of my brain. I will eventually rebuild or have it rebuilt, but wondering if a friction modifier will do any good. Will it thin my 10/40 oil to much, does it actually work. I run 10/40 valvoline high mileage oil year round because of the age and mileage of my Bird. It's just my weekend toy, which I like to drive a semi hard on weekend, just a little. I'd love someone to let me know there experience with modifier's.
Quality oil, quality filter, regular changes. That's all you need.
The oil manufacturers test their oils without "modifiers". If they needed the modifier to meet spec, they'd add it.
I agree with alice. I've never had any engine "go bad" due to fluids. I've never used synthetic oil or any fancy schmancy additives.
My daily driver was a 1995 {cough} Ford Explorer that was lucky to see Wally World oil every 6000 miles - just sent her to boneyard because of slipping tranny - she had 318k miles and engine ran great. I replaced her with another {cough} 1995 Ford Explorer - can't say on mileage 'cause odometer stuck on 121k before I got her.
Until last week, my Camaro had an early 70's gen1 350 carbed engine with nobody knows k miles - I bought the engine whole for $650 in 2007?. I didn't have time money motivation to do anything but swap it in. It had a rod knock, so I ran a quart of STP honey with the 10w40 dino to thicken the sauce a bit. A weekend car so only 2 oil changes a year, but that old unknown 350 was so much more fun than the factory 305 that I always had my foot in her knee deep. 14 years later she needs new gaskets and I need more power so I'm swapping in a fresh build as we speak.
I've never in my whole life ever bought a car with less than 80k miles. I've never let one go with less than 250k miles. I've had just about every major emblem on the hood and never did anything but {what was on sale} dino oil changes at (mostly) regular intervals. I've also never owned anything newer than 1998 and hopefully never will ... gosh I sound like a stingy old fart!
I've personally never used such products in my cars, but, if your really interested in oil additives that actually do provide benefits, look to the aviation world. This article details two additives that are FAA approved for use in aircraft engines.
150,000 miles are nothing to worry about. The engine is just getting warmed up!
The best thing you can be doing for the engine is to use the oil that you're using: Valvoline Max Life. Max Life already contains the detergents and polymers needed to maintain the engine and the seals, so it will last "forever," easily 300,000+ miles, or as many miles as you're likely to put on it.
Max Life came out in the Y2K, or so, at which time I began using it immediately, and exclusively, in all of my cars and trucks, all of which I've owned since brand new: my existing cars at that time, one, a new 2000, then my new trucks (2006 and 2015). Cumulatively, I've put over 1,000,000 miles (not a typo, that's one million) on my vehicles with Max Life, with the two trucks @ well over 300,000 each, still running strongly, getting the same mileage as when new, with no leakage, smoking, or burning. My Formula's engine LOVED it when I started feeding it Max Life in 2000!
Here's the odometer of my 2015, as of this Dec. 28 edit, two weeks ago (333,000 tonight). Still my daily driver. Engine is still 100% factory original: plugs, coils, injectors, cats, you name it. Max Life and 91 octane, exclusively, from day 1. Similar mileage on the 06, still going strong, but owned by a friend since 2015 @ 309,000 miles.
It's far more likely that the belts and outdated accessories will leave you stranded, than the engine. So tend to the battery, alternator, water pump, starter, belts, etc., and all should remain well.
However, if you still want to try one of those additives, it's not likely to hurt anything. But even if they really do what they're advertised to do, and many do, it's still not likely that your engine will need the help, with Max Life already coursing through its veins.
Last edited by LAFireboyd; Dec 28, 2021 at 02:30 AM.
Reason: added picture
