Question One: Thought the clutch was slipping (noticed this twice).
Nothing unusual now for a week. Could this still be a bad clutch?; In
other words, will this happen slowly (slipping) over time? Or will a
clutch just begin slipping and then the whole process goes quickly,
which means replacing with a new clutch almost right away?

Question two: 154,00 miles: So could I use, say, STP oil treatment?
Now I know Toyota doesn't recommend this. But, could STP oil treatment
really hurt the car? Couldn't it help to maintain good lubrication.
What really could be the danger? I would add it at every new oil change.

"I_Google_I" <ez_the_elf (AT) yahoo (DOT) com> wrote

Usually clutches go slowly.

You could use synthetic oil, too.

And what makes you think that STP really does any good? Their ads?


The stuff doesn't work. You're wasting your money. Plus, do you really want
to add 50-weight oil to your engine?

http://www.baileycar.com/oil_additives_html.htm

Jeff

On 26 Jan 2007 08:50:41 -0800, "I_Google_I" <ez_the_elf (AT) yahoo (DOT) com>
wrote:

If your clutch is beginning to slip, look for any adjustments that can
be made, otherwise save up for a clutch replacement.
cars. STP is short for 'stop that ping'. Studebaker engines did not
have the piston wrist pins offset to counteract piston slap. STP was
the 'glue' that attempted to silence the ping sound. If your looking
for better lubrication, then buy a better lubricant. Try to stay
away from oil additives AKA mouse milk.

And definately stay away from STP branded antifreeze. The stuff
according to the STP people is not antifreeze but some other goofy
product that allegedly acts like antifreeze. If you have a problem
with their products, you'll get the standard response of " you did it
wrong and we got your money so fuck off".

Pete

cselby (AT) mts (DOT) net wrote:
**********STP is short for 'stop that ping'.*********
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
******************Studebaker engines did not have the piston wrist pins
offset to counteract piston slap. STP was the 'glue' that attempted to
silence the ping sound. ***********************
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA and HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
again!!!
You have a vivid imagination, plus you're full of schitt!

First to reply to the original question, if your engine is worn and
tired STP really can help. I had a car that had a badly rebuilt
engine, it smoked, the oil pressure light would come on at idle, it
had no pep and made some odd noises. With STP in the crankcase it
quieted down, stopped smoking, the oil pressure light would go out and
it pepped up a bit.

STP won't cure a worn engine, and I REALLY don't think is necessary in
a healthy one, but it can really help extend the life of a sick one.

Now as to STP itself, the ONLY thing that Pete had right was that STP
was a Studebaker product. STP actually stands for "Scientifically
Treated Petroleum" and while Studebaker DID own it for a while they
didn't develop it, legend has it that it was developed by the Germans
during WWII.

Studebaker engines, especially the V8s are as tough or tougher than
anything out there, especially the soft block Chevy's, the only "odd"
noises you hear from a health Stude engine are valve noise because
they have solid lifters, and a bit of gear whine from the timing gears
(no timing chain to stretch or break).

Jeff DeWitt

On Jan 28, 3:34 am, SilverStude <rfjohnst... (AT) cox (DOT) net> wrote:

When Studebaker bought up STP it was to cure the piston slap of their
6 cly engines without an ofset on the pin boss bores. I learned
this 40 yrs ago. I don't like or dislike any Studes, but I
definately am not a slathering zealot like you over them.

Learn to spell shit correctly and read up on some history. OK
fuckmouth?

I've been messing with Studebakers off and on since the mid 70's and
have never heard that before.

We are always finding out new bits of history about these cars and the
company that built them, do you recall just where you learned that bit
about STP?

If you do have something new there are a bunch of guys over at
alt.autos.studebaker that would like to hear about it!

Jeff DeWitt

cselby (AT) mts (DOT) net wrote:

On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 00:30:46 -0500, Jeffrey DeWitt
<JeffDeWitt (AT) nc (DOT) rr.com> wrote:

some older guys who were older than I am now. I have never heard
STP as anything other than 'stop that ping'. For all you or I or
anyone knows the original German product was Schrasad Toudant
Platza-ersatzen which translates as 'gluen downen dos damnitz noisen
pistonzee'. Most German product names don't seem to translate well
into English and they get spin doctors to dress up a name with an
entirely new set of words. Like a Sonata GLC - where GLC translats
into English as 'good looking car'. Or if your a computer nut find
out what S.A.P. realy means.

I was shown how to identify piston offset when the piston head wasn't
marked as 'front' with a notch or an F. I learned that some
engine's pistons didn't have pin offset that among others included
Studes. As a mechanic for all those years, I've never worked on a
Stude V engine. Not even the last model years that came out with a
chev small block.

I learned that most every oil additive on the market at the time was
mouse milk, including STP. And that STP was more of a glue than an
oil thickener. I knew people who used the stuff to quieten those
pesky knocky noises from sloppy rod bearings (babbit), Sloppy worn
pistons from a 'rering job', or 2 cans in the oil burner you wanted
to sell. I saw one guy put it into his cast iron powerglide to
soften the hard shift. The trans didn't shift at all below 0. I've
used the stuff to lubricate a valve guide knurler and have mixed it
with lubriplate to glue needle bearings into place on assemblies. I
was only dumb enuff to use in my engine once. If you have low oil
pressure, find and repair the problem or buy thicker oil. If you want
better lubrication, buy better oils.

I went with my father and uncle to a dealer to look at a new Stude.
The sales guy was throwing in STP with the sale. This tells you there
was an issue with quality control or there was a need for the product
on a new engine. That was in the middle 50s. As an aside, my uncle
cursed that car for not starting when hot.

I do know that all the rebuilders I ever did business with hated the
stuff because it never got cleaned out of a casting and the stuff felt
like crap on the hands. The guys who think this is a good product
are the same ones who rant on about Fords being soooo much better than
Chevy without actually knowing why or voting a particular party into
power because 'that's the way we've always done it'. Before you
shoot off about how good something is, find out what exactly is in
the product what actually happens in the short and long term.

If it ever warms up I'll go into the garage and look up my old data
books and see if there is any pertinent info on the old flat engines.
If you have a flat engine from the late 40s to early 50s, measure a
piston to see if you get any pin boss offset.

I don't disagree with you about oil additives, I've never believed in
them either. However my experience has shown me that STP really can
make a difference in a sick engine. It's NO substitute for a proper
repair, but can keep a tired engine going a while longer.

And yes, it was a Studebaker flathead six I used it it, but the problem
with the engine was the incompetence of the rebuilder (suffice it to say
I learned a lot from that project <G>)

Studebaker acquired STP along with Andy Grantelli and Paxton products.
Naturally they wanted to sell the stuff so it's not surprising their
salesmen would push it... and on some engines there was a label on the
breather cap that said "Break in oil contains STP".

It was a sales thing, not a quality control thing, just like dealers
sell magic sealants today.

Oh, and SAP stands for "Systems Applications and Products"... although
those of us who have to use it are more likely to say it stands for
"Stop All Production", or "Sorry A$$ Program"

Jeff DeWitt

cselby (AT) mts (DOT) net wrote: