ZX1 Extralube friction reducer.

[splitpin]

ZX1 Extralube friction reducer. Came across this product and according to instructions it can be used in the engine, gearbox (automatic and manual), differential, fuel tank and even in the cooling system, just wonderin if anyone has used it before. In particular in the automatic gearbox and if any noticeable difference was found.

[dom_e]

Why would you want to reduce friction in an autobox?

[dreamwarrioruk]

i have used this product before on the bongo and on my old transit van that had been round the moon and back. cant say i noticed any difference really that makes it the top dog. all i know is my old transits still on the road after i got rid 3 yrs ago. and bongo still with us.
so real inconclussive help for you there. never tried it in the gearbox just engine

[splitpin]

Why would you want to reduce friction in an autobox?

Just asking as the instructions suggest it can be added to auto gearbox , presumably to enhance the lubricating properties of the transmission fluid.
Thanks dreamwarrioruk, as you say inconclusive but no harm done by adding to engine.

[dandywarhol]

I used it in my motorbike years back - even works with wet clutches!

something must be happening as I had to reduce my idle speed after about 100 miles - reduced friction??

[splitpin]

Thanks for that dandy, seems it does what it says on the box and reduces friction.

[wishmaster]

If you do buy and use this product dont forget to report back your findings

[Jacobus]

Have not been on for ages and all of a sudden I'm posting like mad.

I have been using ZX1 for more than 12 years and am a believer, every vehicle I have owned in that time has been treated with it and I have no regrets, one vehicle a Dihatsu Mira now owned by a friend is still running sweetly and the mileage must be huge by now.

Our motorhome a Mercedes 2.5 TD was treated by me at about 10,000 and it immediately ran quieter as did the engines of other vehicles I put ZX1 in. Yes you can use it in engine oil, auto gearbox (Our Bongo), front and rear diffs. coolant, add to diesel tank and though I have not done it I think also the power steering. Unfortunately last year I was unlucky to lose the coolant on two occasions and in my mind I am sure that the ZX1 saved the engine.

Difference in MPG, well I only used it a short time added to the diesel fuel tank about a couple of months but did not notice a great saving.

The Company also sells a high temp. grease which worked wonders for the sliding door but can be used in wheel bearings, oh and by the way their micro oil is fantastic for releasing rusted nuts etc and it's long lasting I have just about finished the bottle I bought back about 1999 but have a new one on the shelf.

I have nothing to do with the Company other than use their product and yes I know ... if it's that good the petrol companies would have been using it ... You go with what works for you....Jacobus.

[splitpin]

Thanks Jacobus, as you say if it works for you why stop, seems that some folk will not touch additives and others will try them, I have been using Molyslip in my vehicles engines since the seventies and unintentially put it to the test once by driving with no oil in the sump for about 4 miles with no adverse effects and I had the car for another 5 years. I usually put Molyslip in the engine every other oil change and as my car is due an oilchange now I will try the ZX1 this time.

[francophile1947]

I've never used the stuff, or even heard of it, but came across this in a CSMA forum:-

In the March issue of the magazine Charis Whitcombe's article on page 48 mentions a product called Activ8.

Does anyone have any experience of this product? I'm all for giving it a go as long as there is ZERO chance of it harming my engine.

Worryingly, I found this article on the internet:

General Remarks on Chlorinated Additives.
A number of ‘add-on’ additives intended to improve the performance of commercially available automotive lubricants have been marketed in recent years, under such names as ‘Xxtralube ZX-1’, ‘Metol FX-1’, ‘PPL Anti-Friction’ and ‘Activ-8’.All such products share the following characteristics with ‘X-1R Friction Eliminator’:-

* They all contain chlorinated paraffin ‘exteme pressure’(EP) compounds first used in the 1930s in heavily-loaded industrial gearboxes, and in some automotive transmission applications, mainly hypoid gears.

* They all corrode copper-based alloys at moderate temperatures, easily exceeded in all engine, and most transmission applications. This problem was recognised in the 1930s, and chlorinated compounds were never used in transmissions with bronze bearings or gears. No responsible manufacturer ever suggested using them in engines where their increasing activity at high temperatures could lead to piston ring corrosion and bore glazing. (For the same reason, modern ‘hypoid’ additives are not used in engines, even though they are much safer than any chlorinated additive.)

* X-1R Friction Eliminator and its clones are based upon very outdated technology, which was abandoned by responsible lubricant manufacturers for automotive transmission uses in the 1950s. Chlorinated compounds still find applications in metal working, but their use is on the decline because of health and safety considerations.

* When burnt, chlorinated paraffins produce corrosive hydrochloric acid, and organo-chlorine compounds including the highly poisonous phosgene gas. Apart from these corrosion and health hazards, with petrol engines the deactivation of exhaust catalysts is also a problem.

* Unfortunately, these additives give spectacular results in simple EP test machines such as the ‘Falex’. As a marketing ploy, a demonstration of this type looks impressive to those not aquainted with the above facts. Also attractive is the low cost of chlorinated compounds, allowing profits of several thousand percent to be made.

Does anyone have any comments? Perhaps someone from CSMA or even Charis Whitcombe herself would like to let me know if this product is 100% safe to use in my modern commonrail turbo diesel.


Don't know if it helps. Mind you, if Jacobus has been using it for 12 years, it can't be too harmful

[dandywarhol]

X-1R or ZX1?

[francophile1947]

Xtralube ZX1 is the first brand mentioned. Well, it actually says Xxtralube, but I reckon it's the same stuff