Overhaul-in-a-can

I enjoy Tom & Ray M. on NPR's Car Talk and put their auto advise on the same high level as Tom B., Harlan, John W., et al. (a little different flavor, to be sure). On recent shows they have been talking about a product (an oil additive, I think) called Restore. I have always been skeptical of "overhaul-in-a-can" additives and such, but does anyone have any expreience or knowledge of this product.

I have seen Restore before, have heard some good things about it. I have used Rislone, Marvel Mystery oil, Gunk engine cleaner, Slick 50. Mostly used the products to clean off the varnish and carbon, which Gunk, Rislone and Marvel all do a fine job of this. I couldn't really say if Slick 50 or any other PTFE products do as they claim ( or hurt as some claim), but for around $15, what the heck I stick them in my car engines.
I once stuck a product called Tech 2000 in my B when a rod was knocking and I had to get it to Texas, gave me an extra 10 psi and quited the rod down.

Have tried STP, Rislone etc, no joy. No substitute for real parts but may work in emergency. Haven't used new PTFE products. Once poured 3 cans of STP in a knocking '53 Chev Bel-Air for 400 mi trip. Wound up pulling the pan after 50 mi and removing a couple of # 3 rod bearing shims. Quiet, uneventful trip after that.

I have used restore on some of my customers cars that needed some time to get ready for the big one. It dose work on cyl. wall that have vertical scratches in then and are letting oil get past the rings. I have had customers that couldn't pass emmissions and after running the restore for a hundred miles or so they got through. It does work on minor scoring of cylinder walls. You do have to replace it every oil change. I'm not sour if it would help rod bearings or not, it may.

I put something like it in the cc of a Triumph Bonniville years ago to try to clean up the engine a bit. Boy did it work! My crankcases started weeping oil right through the metal and at every gasket! I suppose I cleaned it up too much. Ended up painting the cc interior with red lead paint to make it hold oil. My dad always said "Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it!"

Restore isn't a cleaner. It seals small scratches in sealing surfaces. It has no cleaning properties.

Running engine cleaners through high mile engines that you have no history of cleaners being regularly run through them, same with changing to synthetic oil from non-synthetic oil. Both break down the varnish and can cause oil leaks. I just run a cleaner through the engine about every 20k miles, to prevent varnish build up.

You know the last time I did that was in 1968. I had a Chevy Two,and I drained the oil out of it. Put 5 Qts of kerocine in the crank case,ran it for about 15 min and drained. The oil had been in the car for three years. Looked like black strap molasses,with chunkes in it. That's and old way of doing it but it works. It's like pouring hot water down the carburator while the car is running at 2k to clean the carbon out of the combustion chamber. Goes way back.

I have heard of the kerosene trick but didn't trust my source. Are you saying that it might be okay to do that even in today's world. Also, the hot water trick???Still acceptable to do that?

Tom, please go back to previous posts to the wire wheels discussions. I posted a question for you about trying to seal water out of the wire wheels. Is it better to let the water pass thru to inside the wheel or seal it out which possibly could trap the water in the spoke nipples themselves creating a whole 'nother problem. I value your opinion on this. Thanks.

A while back we were discussing removal of carbon deposits, and I brought up the water-in-the-carb trick, often referred to as the "Italian tune-up" because those Italian "super cars" that many of us drool over tend to carbon up from being driven at "around town" speeds and need de-carboned frequently. It is an old trick & still works fine. BUT- don't get carried away with the amount of water or you can blow a head gasket or even throw a rod. It works by flashing the water into steam within the cylinder, breaking loose the carbon. For an added measure of safety, I prefer to put the water in a spray bottle & mist it in, instead of pouring a stream of water in. If you do it, just be careful. John D W swears by a carbon remover called SeaFoam. There are lots of others on the market, if the water method scares you off.

I'll second 'Seafoam'- great stuff. Also removes all water from tank and carb while cleaning up fuel system.

I really can't say about sealing the spoke nipples with silecone. The rubber band that the factory used was pretty tight. I feel like it wouldn't hurt. When Dayton sets them up for tubless tires they use enough silecone to feel that inner grove up. As far as using the old timers tricks on MGB's,if done right it wouldn't hurt them. As far as spraying the water in with a spray bottle, I don't feel that would be enough volumn to do any good. You need to see steam boiling out the exhause. I use to use a 16 oz coke bottle which gave me a good steady flow. Use only HOT water.

Thanks. I'll file the water trick away for the future. I haven't heard of or seen Seafoam...sounds good. Have to check around for it.