One more liqui moly cera-tick

[OneFordGT]

You arnt kidding, that looks bad. I won’t know for a while but I will document and report back when I do.

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[accel]

You arnt kidding, that looks bad. I won’t know for a while but I will document and report back when I do.

If your additive was transparent to begin with - you are fine. Ceratec is whitish not transparent substance, like buttermilk. Knowing that the picture above does not look too bad. But still....

 

[OneFordGT]

If your additive was transparent to begin with - you are fine. Ceratec is whitish not transparent substance, like buttermilk. Knowing that the picture above does not look too bad. But still....

The diesel version is dyed green like this stock photo. The small engine version I used in my Focus was red. Guess we’ll see what color they come out when I change my oil, it’s such a small amount I don’t think it’ll be noticeable but you never know.

 

[TheLion]

My worry with off the shelf oil additives is the effect they might have on the corrosion inhibition built into the oil by the manufacturer. That horrible looking oil that came out of accel's car must have a different chemistry to the finely formulated oil it started out as. It might cure a ticking noise (though nobody knows why) but it might also be corroding your engine.

There must be a better solution to the LHD ticking noise than this.

Both hBN and MSH show extremely high resistance to oxidation. I would bet they perform as well if not better than most oil's existing additive packages in terms of corrosion inhibitors. Remember they have a polishing effect, they create an actual layer of coating over the wear surfaces and are chemically inert due to their molecular structure (i'm guessing no free electrons). You can't have oxidation if you have an already non-reactive coating over the metal surface....don't make assumptions you can't back up with facts. Take a look at the R&D testing report from Tibology International and also the R&D from Washington State University for MSH's use in Hydropower plants.

Regarding Cera Tec and it's color, why does it matter? If Mobil 1 put purple dye in your motor oil would you say it's garbage because your used to it being a different color? It's completely irrelevant to the matter. What really matters is how well does it prevent wear, how well does it reduce friction, does it react negatively with existing additives like ZDDP, does it prevent or resist oxidation and how much does it cost? Those points matter, not what color it turns your oil. Unless your concerned about what a dealer would think. I change my own oil so it's irrelevant to me either way.

Straight from the horses mouth:

[13]. However, among the economically viable nanopowder additives, talc powder is
commercially available as a filler for plastics. Talc (Mg3Si4O10(OH)2) is a 2:1 layered
3
magnesium hydrosillicate that is composed of an octahedral magnesium hydroxide layer
sandwiched between two tetrahedral layers of silica. Those layers are weakly bonded together,
giving talc its remarkable softness under sheer deformation. Talc is the softest known mineral
with a hardness of 1 on the Mohs’ scale. It is already widely used as a solid lubricant in medicine
[14] and plastics [15] and extensive testing has been done on its safety [16]. Moreover, specific
properties of talc such as hydrophobicity, and inertness are also well established and beneficial in
wet environments where corrosion can be a problem [17].

Take a look at the safety data sheet and some of the supporting R&D, I also included another paper done for use of MSH in Hydropower plants in the generator bearings:

By the way, the MSH based TriboTEX was tested in 3 different vehicles for 40,000 miles each, with each vehicle having a complete engine tear down at the end of testing. You know what they found? All the metal wear surfaces had a very highly polished appearance and were extremely slick to the touch. Sounds like a far cry from "corroding your engine" after 40,000 miles of use in cars that already had between 150k and 200k miles already on them, so plenty of wear and tear.

Taking a well worn engine an adding a mixture that is corrosive will cause more rapid degradation and failure than on a new and unworn engine. MoS2 is also another great friction reducer, however it's toxic to catalysts in higher concentrations just like ZDDP and the most optimal concentrations are very problematic on street cars. MoS2 is also a ceramic anti-wear additive, however it can oxidize and when it does it forms MoO3 which is abrasive and does the opposite, so it's not chemically inert.

MoS2 is commonly used in CV axle joints, which is why they last 100k+ miles without changing the grease...it's very good at reducing friction AND wear. However they must remain completely sealed from the outside, once the seal fails there's exposure to water and other contaminants the ceramic grease will begin to oxidize and failure of the joint soon follows. That's why it's had limited use in engines and must be paired with anti-oxidation additives and in limited concentrations.

Nano ceramic dry lubricants aren't new by any means. There are many different types, some are inert while others are not. Neither hBN nor MSH oxidize, however hBN can absorb water before it decomposes and forms a tribo film, if that occurs then it can actually increase friction and won't bond to the wear surfaces. That is likely why Cera Tec and Archoil are suspended in a substantial amount of base oil. It also takes significantly more raw material with hBN to achieve the same lubrication performance as MSH, so another reason you need to use bottles vs. a syringe.

hBN additives work well, but hBN is not quite as "ideal" as MSH, so just be aware of how it works and it's limits. Cera Tech is popular on the Prius forums as Prius owners are using it to extend the life of the gas engines which are prone to starting excessive oil consumption around 150~200k miles due to the constant starting and stopping. Some of them have been running it for 50k+ miles with improvements in oil consumption (as in less), increased fuel economy and less mechanical noise.

There's quite a few cars running Cera Tech, Archoil and TriboTEX now that if they were causing major issues it would be well known at this point. Those are the only three I know enough about to actually recommend. There might be others, but most oil additive are indeed snake oil or have very marginal impact, sometimes even negative impacts. But those additives are not hBN or MSH based, they are chemical friction modifiers and some are ZDDP additives. So know what your adding and how it works before you add it and for the love dont' assume because it isn't in wide spread use it's not a viable technology.

German auto makers have been using Turbo Charging, Direct Injection and higher compression ratios for decades while the US continued on happily using Port Injection and low compression architectures. Just in the last 10 years or so have they finally adopted those technologies and are finally competitive in power and fuel economy. Does that mean because US auto makers didn't adopt the technology it was ineffective? No, they didn't' adopt it because there was no push to and they made plenty of profits as is.

During the financial crisis of 08 that all changed. They had to adapt or die off. hBN and MSH ceramic dry lubricants are born out of the need to improve upon existing technologies which are still lacking. Boundary layer lubrication has always been an area where motor oils perform very poorly. We've had greases with ceramic additives like MoS2 for decades, but as I mentioned MoS2 is prone to oxidation and not well suited for engine use without being diluted or paired with anti-oxidation additives which affect it's performance. It's also highly toxic to catalysts so that makes it ill suited for engines, but it works great in CV axles!

 

[accel]

My worry with off the shelf oil additives is the effect they might have on the corrosion inhibition built into the oil by the manufacturer. That horrible looking oil that came out of accel's car must have a different chemistry to the finely formulated oil it started out as. It might cure a ticking noise (though nobody knows why) but it might also be corroding your engine.

There must be a better solution to the LHD ticking noise than this.

Ceratec is whitish non dissolvable substance. It disperses, so oil coloration is expected to be less transparent and more whitish, just like at the picture above.

I think that additives may be used in cases when dealership(s)/ford refused to take customer's issue seriously - i.e. - not an issue/normal/will not fix. Based on the poll it is the case with 50% of the complaints.

But it is probably best to first go to the dealer.

 

[Catax]

Ceratec is whitish non dissolvable substance. It disperses, so oil coloration is expected to be less transparent and more whitish, just like at the picture above.

I think that additives may be used in cases when dealership(s)/ford refused to take customer's issue seriously - i.e. - not an issue/normal/will not fix. Based on the poll it is the case with 50% of the complaints.

But it is probably best to first go to the dealer.

My CeraTec is actually yellow-ish when I looked at it.

 

[TheLion]

One more piece of the puzzle, this is a really good read those that are interested, actual engine tear downs of three different vehicles using TriboTEX (it's somewhat valid for Cera Tech and Archoil as hBN has similar properties of lubrication / anti-wear):

 

[GT Pony]

There must be a better solution to the LHD ticking noise than this.

There have been a few RHD reported tickers too.

 

[TheLion]

There have been a few RHD reported tickers too.

They do exist! I knew it all along, I'm not crazy, I swear

 

[GT Pony]

Not really any in Mustang6g except for one guy who knows someone with what sounds like a broken engine. Try asking in the Aussie section.

RH drive UK Mustang with the BBQ Tick. Buddy of @spogshd.

https://www.mustang6g.com/forums/th...empt-to-understand.108944/page-7#post-2342868

 

[FilipV8]

Not really any in Mustang6g except for one guy who knows someone with what sounds like a broken engine. Try asking in the Aussie section.

Not a Mustang6g but RHD.

 

[FilipV8]

Perhaps we are just used to noisy engines over here with all the clattering diesels on our streets. Maybe mine is actually ticking but I'm thinking it's normal?

This is a good route to madness.

I think you will know if it happens to you. It doesn't sound healthy at all according to YouTube videos. You're still before first service, so safe for now

 

[TheLion]

30 psi is high for idle compared to mine. Mine is at 20 psi once the oil is up to temp. It's been at 20 psi since I bought the car factory re-certified with only 5,600 miles on it, fresh motor craft semi-syn 5W-20 and MC FL500-S filter courtesy of auto nation in my area, stock everything except the corsa extreme cat back and some window tint that was already on it from the previous owner. It hasn't change one bit, even with TriboTEX which has had zero effect on my oil pressure despite providing 2-3 mpg on average gains in fuel economy, noticeably more torque (as in like I put a power pack 1 on top of my power pack 2 almost), smoother operation and noticeably quieter.

I now have about 1,100 miles on it since the TriboTEX and I have never had better performance, refinement, and economy that I have now, I'm quite impressed at how it all turned out. I typically see around 80 psi in the higher rev ranges. I forget who, but another GT owner on this forum reported identical behavior regarding oil pressure. As far as I know all 2015-2017's should see about 20 psi (give or take a few depending on oil) at idle and around 75~80 ish psi at higher RPMs unless I got a "special one"....

 

[TheLion]

Just a thought, Cera Tec and Archoil do contain chemical friction modifiers. It shouldn't affect viscosity of the oil. But can anyone else running Cera Tech confirm this? Maybe they contain stabilizers that alter the oils viscosity slightly? As GT Pony pointed out, in hot climates 5W-30 should be just fine, even heavier weights can be used but if you live in a 4 season state cold start wear will be much higher with anything above 5W-xx.

Cera Tec doesn't list what chemical friction modifiers are in that particular additive. They only list the testing and general data on it. But it absolutely has real and positive effects on lubrication similar to TriboTEX, the data below speaks for itself. As always, you mileage may vary.

 

[TheLion]

And some more on hBN technologies for those that want to know how hBN works:

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