Lucas oil synthetic oil additive for ticking engine

[Fopeano]

On the subject of oil filters and how I said we can't get the original Mirage filters from Mitsubishi, look what was on the long block I installed yesterday...

[Wallythacker]

I remember watching that Fummins way back when I got the car. It's a similar sound to my engine that's for sure. And Wallythacker it's funny, the thing ticks but there is no oil being burned whatsoever. Whenever I check the level is right where it should be!

when I changed the oil @500kms it was down about 2/5ths of a liter. I put it down to a sloppy fill at the factory or poor PDI. I made sure the level was exact when I filled it after that first change. then when I checked it at about 2500 to see it down half a liter I was beside myself, heartbroken as I knew something serious was up. ! I topped it up and lo and behold at 5000kms it was down about 3/5ths of a liter, again. I thought it was my fault for using dino oil, it was proper weight and spec but I was kicking myself for not springing for synthetic for a few bucks more.

In retrospect coming here and reading about the odd Mirage with screwed engines, piston slap or oil loss I realized it was just the rotten luck of the draw my car had the bad engine. It was a good thing it got totalled and saved me the grief of needing to deal with a possibly long and drawn out tussle to get my engine fixed. I wouldn't have settled for anything other than a new long block and in the back of my mind I really doubted Mits would go that extra mile.

[tomrad]

Hi all,

I'm back. Singer is still running fine, ticking as usual. I got a recommendation to put Lucas oil synthetic oil additive in my next oil change. I was told it would reduce engine noise (which I don't care about) and potentially increase engine life (which I do care about).

Question is, is this worth it? Also, now that we're into winter time will it affect how oil flows on the super cold days? Thanks in advance folks.

https://www.kakimotor.com/image/kaki...1569422210.png

Let me tell you about my experience with Lucas.......
I have a 1982 Ford Econoline, retired Bell System bucket truck with a 351W engine. The motor had nearly no oil pressure at idle, and very little at higher rpm's. To get by for a short while (until I had time to rebuild the motor), I tried several concoctions of heavy oil (15W40, 20W50, etc, with Lucas oil treatment). The combination that worked enough for me to drive the thing consisted of five quarts of Lucas and one quart of 15W40.
Yes, it started and ran fine with this heavy stuff.
Used the van sparingly for several months (work truck).
One day, we had a cold snap (below 20 degrees, I think it was in the teens). I figured "no way will this beast turn over, with that thick Lucas Oil Treatment in it."
The truck spun over just fine, started right up and I drove it that cold day.
Lucas is weird stuff, I couldn't believe how a nearly full crankcase of it (not recommended by Lucas) would allow the motor to turn in the cold weather, but it did.
I rebuilt the motor a few years later and, surprisingly, the motor looked very good inside, very little wear on the crankshaft. The reason for the low oil pressure was because someone had replaced only the lower main bearing shells and not the upper ones (mismatched).

[Wallythacker]

The Windsors could tolerate a lot of nonsense as you proved. The Clevelands OTOH could be awful beasts when they acted up. I can't say I really miss old iron like that. I had my fun building them in the day. I remember a straight 6 240 cu in ford I owned was burning too much oil so I filled that pig with 90w gear oil. It ran! to my surprise and oil use was almost non-existent.

[ylekot]

Mine clatters like valve noise. I read in the owners manual I downloaded that these things need periodic valve adjustments....really?!? Like old motorcycles? I haven't had to do that in years, not sure I still know where those feeler gauges even are...

[Fummins]

Mine clatters like valve noise. I read in the owners manual I downloaded that these things need periodic valve adjustments....really?!? Like old motorcycles? I haven't had to do that in years, not sure I still know where those feeler gauges even are...

The valves aren't adjustable on these things. I don't know of anybody that's ever checked clearances. If something is off you have to replace the lifter, they come in different heights iirc. We've got Mirage's with over 310,000 miles and the engine has never been touched, no oil leaks, no timing chain etc....

Then on the other hand, I had one that was noisy shortly after I bought it and it had 22,000miles on it. I drove it for over a year then had the dealer replace the engine under warranty/recall at 30,000miles.

[Wallythacker]

The valves aren't adjustable on these things. I don't know of anybody that's ever checked clearances. If something is off you have to replace the lifter, they come in different heights iirc. We've got Mirage's with over 310,000 miles and the engine has never been touched, no oil leaks, no timing chain etc....

Then on the other hand, I had one that was noisy shortly after I bought it and it had 22,000miles on it. I drove it for over a year then had the dealer replace the engine under warranty/recall at 30,000miles.

My 2014 was a victim of piston slap and noise which I didn't recognize as noise because, well, Mirage. Oil went somewhere, I dunno where. Car was totalled at 44,000 Kms and running fine but still noisy and eating oil.

My 2nd 2014, current car, is great. No racket, no oil use. Just the plugged heater core. No alignment issues either.

[Fummins]

My 2014 was a victim of piston slap and noise which I didn't recognize as noise because, well, Mirage. Oil went somewhere, I dunno where. Car was totalled at 44,000 Kms and running fine but still noisy and eating oil.

My 2nd 2014, current car, is great. No racket, no oil use. Just the plugged heater core. No alignment issues either.

Sounds like me...My first was noisy, current car bought at 280something k and was noisy til I changed the oil. Odd....It ran pretty good until it spun a rod bearing on my way home from work in the summer. After I installed a low mile junkyard engine it's quiet now. I watched some peoples video's about clattering away for 5 seconds on startup and I really don't see that on mine, it's clatters for maybe a second then silent even when parked for 2 days.

Most work cars are pretty quiet on startup too except for the first start up after changing the oil, then I always get the feeling I forgot to put oil in cause the low(no)oil pressure light is on for a good 5 seconds and it's clattering away like a diesel then instantly stops. There are the odd ones that are noisy until warmed up though.

[Wallythacker]

Sounds like me...My first was noisy, current car bought at 280something k and was noisy til I changed the oil. Odd....It ran pretty good until it spun a rod bearing on my way home from work in the summer. After I installed a low mile junkyard engine it's quiet now. I watched some peoples video's about clattering away for 5 seconds on startup and I really don't see that on mine, it's clatters for maybe a second then silent even when parked for 2 days.

Most work cars are pretty quiet on startup too except for the first start up after changing the oil, then I always get the feeling I forgot to put oil in cause the low(no)oil pressure light is on for a good 5 seconds and it's clattering away like a diesel then instantly stops. There are the odd ones that are noisy until warmed up though.

There's so much chatter at BITOG about anti-drainback valves and nitrile or latex and it only confused the hell out of me. I realized that you'll always have a "dry" start after an oil change and some guys there consider a single dry start enough to trash an engine in the long run. There's no such thing as a "dry" start unless it's the first start after a rebuild but then everything is coated with lube. All engines have enough residual oil to lube the journals and bearings.

[ylekot]

So why is there a valve adjustment schedule? It's like 30,000 km

Mine clatters pretty bad. I was hoping they were adjustable and could be quieted down.