Which Oil Additive Brand Wins?
A head-to-head test of 2 oil additive options with the measured results for each. See how they ranked and watch the full test video.
Some figures on this page were transcribed from the test video and have not been independently re-verified. Treat the numbers as a close guide and watch the full video for the exact readings.
Lucas Heavy Duty Oil Stabilizer
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The measured results
Every number below is read straight from the test. Scroll sideways to see all measurements. Products are listed in the order they finished.
| Product | Mix Ratio | Msds | Lubricity Bearing Test | Running Temperature | No Oil Destruction Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Lucas Heavy Duty Oil Stabilizer | 1 part Lucas to 4 parts oil (20% system capacity) per Lucas's own instructions; 3 oz added to the test engine | 60 to 100% lubricating oils, petroleum hydrotreated bright stock base | tested at 100% Lucas first, described as very thick with a lot of trapped air bubbles; two 30-second lubricity tests (bearing spun at 800 RPM under a fixed 12.4 lb downward force) gave a consistent measurement across both runs. The narrator states Lucas outperformed STP in this bearing wear test, but the actual wear/scoring numbers were measured off camera and promised as an end-of-video chart rather than narrated verbally; no such numbers appear in the transcript (likely on-screen only, see videoNotes). The narrator attributes the outperformance to using a stronger 1:4 mix ratio for Lucas versus 1:8 for STP, not necessarily to product quality | ran 10 to 15 degrees F warmer than the STP-treated engine during the 3-hour treated run | crankcase fully drained and the low-oil shutoff sensor disabled, then run until failure alongside the STP engine, started simultaneously. Suffered massive engine failure/total destruction: the connecting rod broke apart, with heavy scoring on the crankshaft, cylinder wall, and piston. No narrated time-to-failure or on-screen timer value appears in the transcript (likely on-screen only, see videoNotes) |
| 2STP | 1 part STP to 8 parts oil per STP's own instructions; the narrator calculates this as roughly 2 oz (about 4 tbsp) from the 15 oz bottle for the test engine's oil capacity, though the exact capacity figure in this part of the transcript reads as a compressed/unclear "15 16 oz capacity" | 60 to 100% mineral oil and petroleum distillates, plus less than 5% calcium long chain alkylphenate sulfide, which the narrator identifies as ZDDP | tested at 100% STP, an STP/oil mix, and plain oil for comparison; described as very thick. The narrator states Lucas outperformed STP in the bearing wear scoring, but the actual wear/scoring numbers were measured off camera and promised as an end-of-video chart rather than narrated verbally; no such numbers appear in the transcript (likely on-screen only, see videoNotes). The narrator attributes the gap to the weaker 1:8 mix ratio required by STP's own instructions versus Lucas's 1:4, not necessarily to product quality | ran 10 to 15 degrees F cooler than the Lucas-treated engine during the 3-hour treated run; the narrator speculates STP's ZDDP content may be responsible | crankcase fully drained and the low-oil shutoff sensor disabled, then run until failure alongside the Lucas engine, started simultaneously. Suffered massive engine failure: the connecting rod blew apart, aluminum melted from the heat, with heavy scoring on the crankshaft and cylinder wall. This engine's teardown is shown first in the video's edit, but no narrated time-to-failure or on-screen timer value appears in the transcript (likely on-screen only, see videoNotes), so the edit order should not be read as confirmation of which engine actually failed first chronologically |
How it was tested
- lubricity/bearing wear test using a bearing tester spun at 800 RPM under a fixed 12.4 lb downward force, two 30-second runs per sample (100% product, product/oil mix per manufacturer instructions, and plain oil as a baseline); wear was measured off camera with only a qualitative outperformance conclusion narrated
- 4-hour engine break-in per engine, followed by a 3-hour run with the additive/oil mix added, monitoring running temperature
- run-to-failure test with all crankcase oil drained and the low-oil shutoff sensor disabled on both engines, started simultaneously, run until seizure or self-destruction
Data notes and caveats
Video's title poses the question "which engine self-destructs first" but the narrator never answers it in the transcript; both engines suffer catastrophic, similarly-described failure in the drained no-oil test, and the video closes with the narrator explicitly asking viewers "so, which do you think won the competition?" rather than declaring a winner himself. Two separate pieces of core comparison data appear to be on-screen only and are not present in the transcript: (1) the numeric lubricity/bearing-wear scoring between Lucas and STP, which the narrator says was measured off camera and promised as an end-of-video chart, and (2) the actual run time to failure/seizure for each engine in the destructive test, despite that being the video's central premise and the final chapter ("STP engine smoking and knocking", 591-883s) running nearly 5 minutes with very little narrated data. Flagged for video-frame recovery.