[F ROCK]

Any horror stories about STP oil filters?
I've been using them for fifteen years or so without any issues.
I've got a NAPA nearby, i could get their filters just as easily; but I usually just go to autozone, and get whatever oil is on sale and the stp filter. (Because it's that, or a FRAM filter. They dont have any others that i'm aware.)

So far i've only read good things about their filters. Nothing special but no horror stories.
However... Their oil treatment claimed to be a "ZDDP Supplement"; but Project Farm guy sent STP lube to a lab and found that it contained less zddp than a quart of cheap motor oil. When I was a kid it was advertised as "The racers edge" with Richard Petty.

I knew an old schoolbus mechanic. (my mom drove a crappy old school bus; as a kid I spent lots of time at that garage.)
He always put a small bottle of STP in the manual transmissions.
I put a bottle in my muncie, in his honor lol.
Some folks say it shifts smoother? I dont know. Mine always shifted smooth.
Thoughts on STP?

[phil400]

I've read many times that too much ZDDP is as bad as not having enough, perhaps the makers of STP oil supplement take that into consideration so as to only add the required amount? Don't know just a thought.

[AG]

I use Crane Superlube for flat tappet cam oil changes. I looked up the ZDDP levels in a bottle and calculated I needed a half a bottle to supplement off the shelf oil to bring it to the proper levels.

[25stevem]

Watch out with adding STP to manual transmissions as it may reduce the protection that the synco's need from the proper gear lube being used.

[mgarblik]

Originally Posted by F ROCK

Any horror stories about STP oil filters?
I've been using them for fifteen years or so without any issues.
I've got a NAPA nearby, i could get their filters just as easily; but I usually just go to autozone, and get whatever oil is on sale and the stp filter. (Because it's that, or a FRAM filter. They dont have any others that i'm aware.)

So far i've only read good things about their filters. Nothing special but no horror stories.
However... Their oil treatment claimed to be a "ZDDP Supplement"; but Project Farm guy sent STP lube to a lab and found that it contained less zddp than a quart of cheap motor oil. When I was a kid it was advertised as "The racers edge" with Richard Petty.

I knew an old schoolbus mechanic. (my mom drove a crappy old school bus; as a kid I spent lots of time at that garage.)
He always put a small bottle of STP in the manual transmissions.
I put a bottle in my muncie, in his honor lol.
Some folks say it shifts smoother? I dont know. Mine always shifted smooth.
Thoughts on STP?

STP oil filters are made by Champion Brands. They are a mid-line oil and air filter company. They make filters for the majority of the Quick lube type oil change stations under dozens of private label brand names. I am not one to get all wound up about oil filters. If you change your oil and filter on a regular basis, they are probably fine. It's a decent $5.00 oil filter. Better filters are out there. As far as STP OIL Treatment:, (Scientifically Treated Petroleum). It is an oil viscosity thickener primarily and a filler. In a 5 quart fill, it takes a 5W-30 oil and makes it a 10W-40. It takes a 10W-40 and makes it a 50W-50. IMO, start with the oil the engine needs to begin with and save a couple bucks. It won't directly help or hurt the engine. It's been around for about 75 years, so it has that going for it I guess. The decal is kind of cool.

[Sirrotica]

STP does work in manual transmissions, and yes it does make them shift smoother in old boxes such as an old Muncie. I've used it when I rebuild many 4 speeds, Muncie, and BW ST10. In the old monthly periodicals (Hot Rod etc.) it would appear as a 10 top speed secrets occasionally to use in manual transmissions for smoother shifting.

In lieu of GM EOS, I used to pour it all across the cam and lifters when I was replacing HFT cams. It never wiped a cam lobe, so I'm assuming it worked.

If you ever heard of the screwdriver test that consists of dipping the end of a flat blade screwdriver in oil, then pinching the blade between your thumb, and forefinger and trying to hang onto it just suspended from your 2 fingers you will be able to hold it up. If you dip the end in STP and try it, you absolutely will not be able to hold onto the screwdriver. STP marketing trick, but it does work as described.

One night back in the 70s we lost some oil pressure in the 61 Catalina dirt track car with a 389. I went and bought a can of STP and poured it into the engine to try to crutch it for the feature race. By pouring it in while cold, it congealed in a lump in the bottom of the pan, and killed the oil pressure further, so we sat out the feature that night. Now I know why my Grandfather used to heat it up in a pan of hot water on the stove, before he poured it into his old Kaiser straight 6 flathead.

The following week I pulled the engine, and sure enough the STP sank to the bottom of the pan, restricting the oil pickup so that it couldn't pull oil into the pump. Lesson learned.

Back in the 60s the STP corporation had a contest to make up an acronym for the letters STP and what clever words you could put the letters to. The real acronym is, Scientifically Treated Petroleum. Switch to Power was one, and a humorous one was Studebaker Tickled Pink, probably not a well known fact is that the Studebaker Automobile Company owned some of the the STP corp, at one point. I believe Andy Granitelli (known for being an Indy car race team owner) then bought it when Studebaker folded in around 1964. He then brought the brand into Auto racing by sponsoring Indy cars, and then through Richard Petty into NASCAR.

That sums up my knowledge of it, but this was 40, plus years ago, I have no idea how, or if formulation may have changed, since then. It has always been a viscosity index improver, (makes the oil thicker) so usually worn out engines is the market they catered to.

Last I knew Champion made their oil filters, they are an adequate filter, nothing spectacular, probably the similar to Walmart's Super Tech brand.

[Shiny]

I apologize to OP for the distraction but for some reason I pulled this out of the drawer today and was wearing it when I opened this thread.

Kind of creeped me out...a psychic connection for sure...

I think it was a mail-in promo back in the 80s or 90s?

[KEN CROCIE]

My Step dad could pass the screwdriver test. He was a cement mason and extreamly rough and cracked hands. Really suprised the owner of the Sinclair station (showin off his new product line)

[Stuart]

When I was a kid I put an STP sticker on the rear bumper of my dad's '61 Catalina. He made me peel it off.

[mgarblik]

Now that's a pit crew!!

[stevep]

I had an oil filter factory rep come in my shop and he told me that STP filters were fine. I have used them for years with no issues.
Just stay away from Fram.

[78w72]

Originally Posted by AG

I use Crane Superlube for flat tappet cam oil changes. I looked up the ZDDP levels in a bottle and calculated I needed a half a bottle to supplement off the shelf oil to bring it to the proper levels.

just curious but what are the proper levels of zddp & how do you determine that?

every brand of off the shelf oil has different amounts of zddp as well as all other additives formulated by the oil makers. those additives also change with every new Sx rating. so adding half a bottle of additive will have different results based on what brand or rating of oil is used.

ive said this before but if the cam isnt too big verging into true race cam specs or the valve springs arent super strong for bigger cams, modern off the shelf oils with ~900ppm zddp & other advanced anti wear additives are perfectly fine for any broken in stock pontiac cam or even ones a little bigger with ~.450-.470 lift & matched springs maybe one step above a stock spring. thats a generalization of course for all the nit pickers, but most these street cams dont need a bunch of zddp additive to a quality oil.

remeber the recent thread about how theres newer longer lasting versions of zddp, so not as much is needed as what the older oils had to use. valvoline specifically states this about zddp levels, longer lasting zddp doesnt need as much & guessing at what amount is proper is just that, a guess. but im not claiming any harm or damage from using an additive, within reason.

[78w72]

Originally Posted by F ROCK

Any horror stories about STP oil filters?
I've been using them for fifteen years or so without any issues.
I've got a NAPA nearby, i could get their filters just as easily; but I usually just go to autozone, and get whatever oil is on sale and the stp filter. (Because it's that, or a FRAM filter. They dont have any others that i'm aware.)

So far i've only read good things about their filters. Nothing special but no horror stories.
However... Their oil treatment claimed to be a "ZDDP Supplement"; but Project Farm guy sent STP lube to a lab and found that it contained less zddp than a quart of cheap motor oil. When I was a kid it was advertised as "The racers edge" with Richard Petty.

I knew an old schoolbus mechanic. (my mom drove a crappy old school bus; as a kid I spent lots of time at that garage.)
He always put a small bottle of STP in the manual transmissions.
I put a bottle in my muncie, in his honor lol.
Some folks say it shifts smoother? I dont know. Mine always shifted smooth.
Thoughts on STP?

i have used STP filters many many times over 30+ years as well as other budget brands, yes even fram & walmart on cheaper beater cars. never had any oil/filter related issues in any of my vehicles, (neither has anyone in my family/friends, some driving for 60 years) daily drivers with 200k+ or classic pontiacs, some werent classics back in the 80s/90s.

i have used STP additive many years ago but not for any real reason other than it was cheap & i thought it had a benefit... i have used some marvel mystery oil on occasion to help clean a new to me used car engine with unknown history but probably wasnt needed. today & for the last 20 years i just trust the oil as its designed.

[srmmmm]

As a young automotive engineer at GMI, I was impressed with the STP Oil fiter's unique filtering media and decided to try one. I think it was early 1975. I must have gotten a bad one by chance because the shell leaked horribly at the first startup after my oil change. I never used one again after that. I do use their air filters though on my BMWs and am pleased with the price/performance level.

STP oil treatment is a synthetic based lubricant and viscosity index improver. It is a good engine assembly lube for bearings, cams and lifters but keep it off the cylinder walls or it will take a long time for your rings to seat. There are issues with it settling out of the engine oil depending on the chemistry of the normal additives in the oil and this can lead to sludge retention in the pan. In wintertime temperatures, there is a noticeable reduction in cranking rpm when starting a cold engine. If it's being used to quiet noisy lifters or improve oil pressures, I'd rather switch to a higher viscosity engine oil to start with.

My father was a mechanic at Palmer Buick in Chicago in the 50's. He met Andy Granatelli when he came to the dealership with some engineers to test a new engine oil - probably an early synthetic. They flushed the factory oil out of a new engine, refilled it with the STP oil, and sealed the engine making all the engine block bolts and speedometer cable fasteners with telltale paint stripes. They came back each month to inspect the car until it reached 10,000 miles. Then they pulled the engine and took it to their headquarters. Dad put the replacement engine in the donor car so it could be sold.

My favorite Indy car of all time was the STP Turbine Car driven by Parnelli Jones in the 1967 Indy 500. I remember listening to the entire race on the radio and being so disappointed when he didn't finish.

[Jim Moshier]

When I started working on cars in the 70 doing the 3/4 race cam changes in high school we used to use one can of STP additive and qt 30wt oil for the cam and lifter installs. We never lost a cam or a lifter . I think they hadn't made the cam lube they have today or we were just too poor to purchase it! it appears it was a early day engine honey but Andy Granitelli and Petty used it....it must be good!

Jim

[jd0n88]

Originally Posted by Stuart

When I was a kid I put an STP sticker on the rear bumper of my dad's '61 Catalina. He made me peel it off.

HAHA...me too. Except the car was a '66 Bonneville and I put the sticker on the rear fender. It was a paper sticker and took forever to peel off.

[geeteeohguy]

Here's an old, unopened can of mine. From about 1962. Still has Studebaker on the can.