Engine Restore – Frequently Asked Questions
WHAT IS RESTORE AND WHY SHOULD I USE IT? Every vehicle's engine wears out as a result of friction during normal operation. This friction causes wear of the cylinder walls which leads to compression loss. Lost compression results in your engine having less power - it runs poorly and has sluggish acceleration. It also can cause increased oil burning, exhaust smoking, and poor fuel economy. RESTORE Engine Restorer and Lubricant is a unique engine additive that repairs those worn-out areas in the cylinder wall thereby restoring cylinder compression and improving engine performance to nearly new original condition.
HOW DOES RESTORE WORK? RESTORE is the only product that contains the proprietary CSL (copper, silver, lead micro-spheres) formula. This technologically advanced formulation has unique properties that actually fill in and seal micro-leaks in the cylinder wall. The result is increased engine compression and more engine power.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF USING RESTORE? By using 10% RESTORE as an initial treatment & 5% RESTORE on a regular basis at every oil change, you will keep the compression ratio of all cylinders at near original levels. You will feel the difference when you drive, your vehicle will have more power, better acceleration and it will run smoother because the compression is balanced across all cylinders. In addition, if your engine is burning oil and smoking because of blow-by and piston-slap, RESTORE will reduce and improve this situation.
IS RESTORE GOOD FOR MY ENGINE? Yes, RESTORE is an extreme pressure lubricant in its own right, but it also reverses engine wear, providing there are no friction-reducers in the oil e.g. Slick 50, Prolong, Activ8, Motorup, STP and Wynn’s friction-reducers, PTFE, Teflon, Chlorine, Moly and the new range of plant Esters such as Magnatec, and Silkolene R racing oils which contain positively charged particles which stick to metals. This kind of oil or additive will work against RESTORE being successful. If you have had friction-reducers in your engine recently, it’s best to flush the engine before using RESTORE. However, once RESTORE has worked its magic you can go back to your normal additive if you wish (see below ‘When should Restore be added to engine oil’)..
IS RESTORE SAFE TO USE IN MY ENGINE? Yes, RESTORE is an EP lubricant that enhances lubrication of your engine. That means better protection against engine wear than you can get from using plain motor oil or motor oil containing other types of additives. In addition, RESTORE cleans inside the engine to remove dirt & sludge buildup and with regular use keeps your engine clean.
It is important to note that RESTORE does not contain polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDDP), chlorinated paraffins, naphthalene, xylene, acetone, isopropanol, sulphur compounds, or any other chemicals which could potentially harm the engine.
IS RESTORE COMPATIBLE WITH SYNTHETIC OIL? Yes, RESTORE may be used with any type of inexpensive mineral or synthetic motor oil such as those available on any supermarket shelf. In other words, use plain oil with RESTORE (no friction-reducing additives)..
DOES RESTORE INCREASE THE MOTOR OIL VISCOSITY? No, RESTORE does not change the viscosity of the motor oil.
WHAT ABOUT USING RESTORE WITH "HIGH-MILEAGE" MOTOR OILS? Those types of motor oils are simply higher viscosity oil that cost more money. We recommend using a premium quality conventional motor oil..
CAN RESTORE BE USED IN DIESEL ENGINES? Yes, RESTORE can be used in diesel engines. We recommend using RESTORE in any 'common rail' fuel injection system engine with one exception: RESTORE MUST NOT be used in HEUI fuel system diesel engines such as those fitted in Ford Powerstroke and Navistar truck engines, some Caterpillar vehicles and plant and machinery with Caterpillar engines, some International brand truck engines and some Isuzu Troopers. A HEUI engine is a Caterpillar® designed high efficiency diesel engine where the injectors operate off engine oil pumped at high pressure – if you are in any doubt as to whether yours is a HEUI engine, please ask your dealer before using RESTORE.
HOW DO I KNOW IF MY CAR HAS A HEUI ENGINE? HEUI engines were designed by Caterpillar to deliver much better fuel economy in larger diesel engines and this is one of the selling points of a vehicle with a HEUI engine. In a normal Common Rail diesel engine, the whole fuel line is subjected to high pressure and the injectors are actuated mechanically by extra lobes mounted on the camshaft, with fuel pressure and rate of delivery to the injectors being entirely dependant on camshaft speed. In a HEUI engine, fuel delivery is governed by an ECM (Electronic Control Module). The ECM controls the amount of fuel delivered to the injectors, while a high pressure oil pump pumps the engine oil at pressures up to 4000 psi. The pressurized engine oil fires the injectors at the necessary rate to produce the optimum use of fuel for the engine load and vehicle speed, maximizing fuel economy and minimizing emissions. The HEUI engine was used in Ford Powerstroke and Navistar trucks, in the Isuzu Trooper 3.0 litre DTI dohc (1998 & on - engine prefix 4JX1) and also in some International trucks, Caterpillar equipment and other heavy vehicles with Caterpillar engines. This is not the sort of diesel engine you would find fitted to your average family car. If in any doubt, please contact your dealer. More information about the HEUI engine.....
CAN RESTORE BE USED IN VEHICLES WITH TURBOCHARGERS OR CATALYTIC CONVERTERS? Yes, RESTORE is safe to use in vehicles with turbo-chargers or catalytic converters.
CAN RESTORE BE USED IN LAWNMOWERS AND TRACTOR ENGINES? Yes, RESTORE can be used as long as the engines are 4 stroke engines. When adding RESTORE to small engines such as lawnmowers, add 10% RESTORE by volume when changing the oil. Be careful not to overfill the crankcase since you'll need to add less motor oil to compensate for adding RESTORE.
CAN RESTORE BE USED IN 2 STROKE ENGINES WHERE OIL IS MIXED WITH PETROL? No, RESTORE is not formulated for use in 2 stroke engines using a petroil mix, but it can be introduced down the spark-plug hole with the piston half-way down the bore. (Please refer to the attached Instructions to 2 Stroke and 4 Stroke and wet clutch users). You can also use RESTORE in 2 strokes where the oil is contained in a separate reservoir. Most modern scooters (Piaggio, Aprilia, Yamaha, Sym etc.) have a separate oil reservoir and all you do is pour 125ml into a full tank of oil.
WHEN SHOULD RESTORE BE ADDED TO THE ENGINE OIL? For best results, RESTORE should be added when changing the oil & filter. For even better results, flush the engine with a mild flushing agent (automatic transmission fluid is ideal), fit a cheap oil filter to catch all the sludge and then change the oil and filter again, this time using a quality filter, the recommended oil and adding RESTORE. To avoid overfilling, make sure to reduce the amount of oil that you would normally add by about a pint (500 ml), add RESTORE and then top up using the dipstick to get a correct oil level. After 1000 miles or 20 hours driving RESTORE will have done its job and you can either leave it in the oil until the next oil change, or if you wish you can change the oil a third time and then add in your normal friction-reducing package.
DO I NEED TO FLUSH MY ENGINE (4 STROKE ENGINES PETROL AND DIESEL)? For best results, yes. Engines build up sludge over time from the by-products of combustion mixed with old burnt oil. If your engine has been poorly maintained, cleaning it with a mild flushing agent (or ideally, automatic transmission fluid) will release all this sludge which will get caught in the oil filter. Change the filter before using RESTORE. We do not recommend back-flushing using power flushing equipment.
RESTORE is not a substitute for good regular oil changes and factory recommended oil change intervals and maintenance procedures. However, RESTORE does contain a mild cleaning agent which will clean a well maintained engine before the CSL metal particles can do their job at repairing the engine. So it is possible to add RESTORE as a top up, knowing that a well maintained engine will have a minimal amount of sludge and the existing filter will be able to keep up with the sludge. If the filter gets blocked you will see a flickering oil light. Change the filter as often as needed to keep pace with the sludge until RESTORE can reverse the wear. After 1000 miles, RESTORE has re-metalized the engine and you can change the oil and filter and go back to using whatever oil package you have been doing. RESTORE has done its job. If there is a still a remaining smoke or compression problem then have your mechanic look for something broken: piston cracked, piston rings broken, burnt valves and worn guides and seals, blocked PCV (pressure control valve controls excess pressure in the crankcase) or EGR (stuck exhaust gas recycling valve will allow the engine to smoke) etc.
How long does restore last? A noticeable difference in engine performance should be experienced after 500 miles. By the time you’ve done 1000 miles with RESTORE in the engine, the wear reversal process should be completed, but unused RESTORE particles will keep on circulating round the engine filling scratched and worn surfaces where they occur until the next oil change. Generally speaking, the benefits last for about 12,000 miles, but this will depend on driving style and use. It is recommended to add 5% RESTORE by volume to engine oil once a year, or if you prefer at each oil change, to keep the wear under control.
HOW MUCH RESTORE SHOULD I USE? The recommended measure is one 250 ml can of RESTORE for every litre of engine capacity, e.g. a 1000cc engine (small car) needs 1 x 250ml can; a 2000cc engine (family saloon or Land Rover) needs 2 x 250ml cans; a 4000cc engine (large car or truck) needs 4 x 250ml cans or a one litre can. Alternatively, you can use 10% RESTORE by volume to engine oil in the sump as a 'rule of thumb'. However, after the initial application of RESTORE at this recommended level, a 5% volume of RESTORE in your engine at each oil change should be sufficient to keep your engine protected against future wear.
Can I use RESTORE in fuel injection engines? Yes, RESTORE is equally effective with a fuel injection engine, but must not be used in HEUI (Hydraulically Actuated Electronic Unit Injection) diesel engines, where the injectors work off engine oil pumped at extremely high pressure.
Can I use RESTORE in a multi-fuel vehicle? Yes, RESTORE can be used beneficially in a multi-fuel engine (not 2 stroke petroil).
CAN RESTORE BE USED IN GEARBOXES? RESTORE can be used in a manual gearbox or conventional differential, but NOT in automatics or limited slip diffs where it would make the clutch packs slip. The amount to use would depend on the size of the gearbox, but as a general rule of thumb 5% by volume of RESTORE to gearbox oil would be sufficient. So for a small gearbox holding about 1 litre of oil, use 50ml (about an egg-cupful) of RESTORE, for a larger gearbox using 5 litres of gearbox oil, use a 250ml can of RESTORE, and so on. RESTORE won't be able to reverse wear on the teeth of the gears, as the gear metal is too hard, but will reverse wear in the bushings and ensure better engagement of the gear teeth, which will help tighten up sloppy gears and reduce whine and chattering.
From our experience of talking to our customers, there are two factors which motivate them to buy AMETECH ENGINE RESTORE OIL: Desire and/or Fear. Desire for better fuel economy, more torque, more speed, better performance, better reliability, a smoother drive, less noise, less worry and a more pleasurable driving experience all round. Fear of engine failure, resulting in a vehicle or piece of machinery being taken off the road, out of commission, putting the owner to unnecessary inconvenience and a lot of expense while the engine is tested, stripped down and eventually repaired, rebored or replaced, or even finally, leading to the vehicle/machinery being scrapped and a suitable replacement being sought out.
Our customers come to us with a multitude of problems in the hope that AMETECH ENGINE RESTORE OIL will be able to fix them; some it will, some it won't, and we will always be honest about the prospects of a satisfactory repair using RESTORE and point the customer in another direction if RESTORE is not the answer for their specific problem. Our best advice, if you suspect there is a possibility that something may be broken, is to consult your local mechanic; he will be able to advise you on the possible causes of your symptoms and whether is his opinion RESTORE is worth a try. A good mechanic is worth his weight in gold and the advice we are giving here is no substitute for his hands-on approach; we are merely trying to give you some idea as to whether RESTORE is the right solution to your engine's problem.
Here are a few examples of the problems which drive car owners to seek our help and our opinions on the causes of those problems and the prognosis for a satisfactory repair using RESTORE.
Blue Smoke on cold start up or overrun is usually due to one of two things:
1) turbo seals damaged and leaking due to low oil, or a stuck EGR valve causing overheating;
2) valve guide seals worn or shrunk allowing oil to drain into the cylinders overnight or allowing oil to be pulled through the guides into the combustion chamber under vacuum (overrun is going downhill without any throttle).
RESTORE will improve most fledgling turbo seal problems. However, it is difficult for RESTORE to splash its way up onto the valve guides so we have to provide some manual help; remove the rocker cover and use a 'turkey baster' or plastic syringe or oil can to squirt RESTORE right on to the valve stems. This will repair the metal in the guides (normally marine bronze or cast iron). Then squirt some Engine Stop Leak (Unipart) onto the valve stems as well. This will fatten up the tiny rubber valve guide seals (they are actually Neoprene or Nylon). Pour the rest of the Engine Stop Leak in the oil as normal. Replace the rocker cover and drive normally. Problem solved, hopefully, within 50 miles.
Black Smoke on start up may be cured by resetting the ECU by disconnecting the battery (make a note of your radio code or immobiliser code before you do this) or cleaning the EGR valve and inlet air filter.
Black Smoke when warm is due to overfuelling - follow the same procedure as above. Dirty fuel injectors can also cause black smoke so using a fuel injector cleaning agent may help.
White smoke on start up is due to water vapour (condensation) inside the exhaust and catalytic converter. Make sure you have a new fuel filter installed (to remove water from the fuel).
Continuous White smoke when hot coupled with a sweet sickly smell (Glycol or coolant) is usually due to a cracked cylinder head or leaking cylinder head gasket and must be fixed before cylinder wall and bottom end damage occurs (water in the oil destroys bottom end shell bearings and seizes pistons in cylinders. Try a radiator sealant such as Kalimex K-Seal or Ce-lit in the radiator for 100 miles. If you've still got white smoke the only option is probably to remove the cylinder head and repair or replace it as necessary. (Please mop up any Glycol leaks as Glycol is poisonous to animals and wildlife.)
How else can RESTORE help cure high emissions? The best way to cure high emissions quickly using RESTORE is to put 125ml of RESTORE down each empty spark plug hole and then turn the engine over a few times before replacing the spark plugs. PLUS do an oil change, engine oil flush, add RESTORE (250ml per 1000cc of engine size) to ordinary oil and drive normally for 500 miles. If there are no problems with crankshaft, big end or small end noise, then you can run the engine hard e.g. a fast 100mile motorway trip, or high revving, which will fix the engine very quickly. We have also found that by restoring the compression and keeping the smoke emissions down, RESTORE helps keep EGR valves in pristine condition. EGR valves (exhaust gas recycling valves) remain in excellent condition and do not stick as much. If EGR valves get stuck open, the engine runs cold and eratically and if EGR valves get stuck shut, the engine overheats and turbo seals fail. Mysterious emissions problems can be traced to a stuck EGR valve. An EGR repair can cost as much as £500, so using RESTORE provides real cost effective protection whilst reducing emissions and optimising MPG.
Noisy Hydraulic Tappets can be cured by simply pouring RESTORE into the normal engine oil. If you have worn valve guides and cam bushings and cam lobes we recommend removing the rocker cover (also called the valve cover) and pouring a few drops of RESTORE directly onto each moving component (you need to get the RESTORE onto the valve stems i.e. through the springs) and cam wear surfaces. An old plastic syringe works well (don't use it for anything else afterwards of course). This normally takes care of valve guide problems. RESTORE will not be able to rebuild a cam lobe that has been ground away by low oil levels though. You may need to add shims if the cam lobes have been ground away by a low oil situation, or change the camshaft.
Worn small end bearings. Small end bearings are fed by oil splashed up from the sump or by direct oil feed from the crank oil supply. By splash, the oil rebounds off the underside of the piston (cooling the piston in the process) and then drops into countersunk holes in the top of the connecting rods. This lubes the bronze small end bushings by gravity (assuming the countersunk is not 'sludged'). Expect a repair in 500 miles or 10 hours of operation. The other type of conrod is lubed by force-feed, where there is an oil-way drilled up through the connecting rod so the small end is force fed by oil coming through the crankshaft from the oil pump. Expect repairs with RESTORE in under 20 miles or 30 minutes of running the engine. We would recommend a flush just in case the conrod oil-ways are clogged up with black sludge, then add the RESTORE with new ordinary supermarket oil and a new filter and drive normally.
Fledgling big end bearing knock. This is a tough one as we need to catch the damage as quickly as possible before the main and conrod shell bearings rotate on the crank. We have had very good results if the damage is caught quickly i.e. the instant the knock is first heard. Most conrod shell bearing damage results from zero oil supply (a red oil light) or from a cracked cylinder head where the coolant water washes the oil off the metal surfaces; shell bearings silver and lead are the first to go, and the cylinder walls then heat up due to friction and eventually the engine can seize solid. So if a bottom end knock, which sounds like a constant thud, thud, thud, is heard (caused by either lack of oil or coolant water in the oil) stop immediately and do not drive the vehicle again until the problem is fixed. Then use RESTORE to try and repair the damage by running the engine very gently at first until some improvement is heard. If the parts are too far gone the noise will inevitably get worse and the parts will need to be replaced.
One cylinder ticks when cold. Check for a cracked exhaust manifold that closes up when hot, before looking at piston slap and big end knock etc.
Sounds like big end knock when hot. Check the carbon charcoal canister. See if the relief valve has seized (this is an anti-pollution device that catches excess fuel and feeds it back into the engine later). A seized valve can sound just like big end knock. True big end knock is apparent when cold all the way through to hot and doesn't go away! Try a small can of RESTORE and 'baby' the engine. If the noise reduces then try more RESTORE to gain additional improvements. No guarantees, but we are trying to help with a very expensive problem.
Drips and oil leaks. RESTORE can repair bushings that reduces the flexing on leaking oil seals, but RESTORE won't repair drips and oil leaks on its own. Try a good engine stop leak product along with the RESTORE. Chances are that if your oil has been leaking there will have been times when it has run quite low resulting in extra load and wear on the engine surfaces. Any 'stop leak' product that you use should not contain friction-reducers which will just work against RESTORE being successful. If you have recently used friction-reducing oils in your engine e.g. Slick 50, Prolong, Activ8, Motorup, STP and Wynn's friction-reducers, Ptfe, Chlorine, Teflon, Moly and the new range of plant esters such as Magnatec and Silkolene R racing oils which contain positively charged particles which stick to metal, make sure you do an engine flush and add fresh oil and filter before introducing RESTORE into the engine. These kind of oils or additives work against RESTORE being successful. However, once RESTORE has worked its magic you can go back to using your normal additive if you wish.
Mysterious oil loss - no drips and no blue smoke? Suspect that low oil has caused turbo seal damage and that the turbo is eating its own oil supply. If RESTORE doesn't work its magic in 500 miles then the turbo will have to come apart or be replaced (£800 ouch).
Piston slap. RESTORE does a good job on cushioning piston slap providing the cylinder walls haven't worn too far and the bores have not gone too oval.
Rattle that starts at 3000rpm - suspect low oil having caused hydraulic tappet damage and subsequent rattle noise (see 'Noisy Hydraulic tappets' above) try some RESTORE and make sure to keep the oil level at the top of the dipstick. If the oil level drops the rattle will return at 3000rpm or 60 mph..
Water leaking into the oil. If your water level is going down and your oil level is going up try using a product like Kalimex K-Seal or Ce-lit, available from Unipart or any auto-parts store. Just shake the can and pour it into the radiator coolant. I suggest you change the oil on a continuing regular weekly basis until the water leak is fixed by the sealant, as water in the oil will strip the silver off your con rod and main bearings. We suggest you use 250ml of RESTORE oil with each of these oil changes to protect the main and con rod bearings until the water leak has been fixed. If the leak persists then the head gasket needs to be replaced and the head is probably warped and will need skimming. Good luck!
Quick fix for worn cylinder bores. This is like a dry/wet compression test (also called a leak-down or leak-by test) usually carried out using regular engine oil. By using RESTORE oil in place of the regular engine oil you can repair the bores at the same time. Try dividing a litre can of RESTORE down the empty spark plug holes (or glow plug holes on a diesel) and turn the engine over a few times before replacing the plugs and firing it up. It will smoke for a while then the compression should improve across all the cylinders. It is worth a try - doesn't work all the time - depends on how bad the bores are. If one cylinder compression doesn't lift on the dry/wet leak-down test then you can assume the problem is a burnt valve or valve seat. In this case the cylinder head must come off.
Two stroke quick repair. This is the same way we cure worn two stroke cylinder bores quickly. Pour approximately 100ml down each empty spark plug hole and allow to drain down and settle the CSL particles down around the piston rings. This is just the same as doing a dry/wet compression test - any mechanic knows how to do this. Then use the starter to turn the engine over a few times before replacing the spark plugs and starting the engine. It will smoke for a while then hopefully it will cure the compression leakages and improve emissions and power.
Slight juddering engine. Try 500ml of RESTORE. It will smooth out the compression for you across all the cylinders. In a petrol engine there could also be arcing (high voltage tracing) inside the distributor cap. Have a mechanic remove the cap and look for telltale white lines on the inside black plastic , or wait till dark and lift up the bonnet and look for blue sparks from any of the high tension HT cables, or you can also try taking a water spray bottle (like you might use to wet down a plant's leaves with) and with the engine running, lightly mist all over the HT high voltage leads. If you get an engine hesitation and/or a blue flash, there is the problem. There are HT spray sealers available on the market that work quite well. If there is nothing to be seen, try a fuel injector cleaner liquid into the fuel tank. Finally, make sure all electrical connections are clean and tight e.g. battery etc. You might also need to have the ECU (engine control unit) evaluated by a specialist.
How can I improve my MPG?
- The obvious answer is to remove all the heavy stuff from the boot! Overloading your car with stuff that you don't need to cart around will have an effect on your fuel consumption.
- Be gentle with the accelerator and the brake!
- Find a local tyre and exhaust centre and have them do a free check that the tyres are correctly inflated and aligned properly (examine tread pattern for unusual wear pattern - bad alignment is like dragging the tyres sideways for 20 miles and wastes a lot of fuel). While the car is on the hoist, have them spin the wheels and listen for scraping, dragging brake pads that can indicate a seized caliper (one dragging pad can cost 2-4mpg).
- Use a good fuel treatment (STP, Wynns, Unipart, Forte) to clean the injectors' fuel line etc to get rid of moisture.
- Check the EGR valve is clean and not stuck closed or open. An EGR valve stuck open makes the engine run cold and erratically. An EGR valve stuck closed causes overheating and destroys turbo seals and causes emissions problems.
- Install a new fuel filter (often overlooked but a major problem in high mpg in modern cars and causes many injector problems).
- Check the spark plugs (or injector spray pattern) are ok.
- Find your radio/immobiliser code and then have your mechanic disconnect/reconnect the battery to reset the engine computer, which should cure any over-fuelling problem. Over-fuelling washes and scores the cylinder bores which increases friction and causes high fuel consumption.
- Assuming all the above have been checked and are fine, and assuming also that you have no broken parts in your engine e.g. piston rings, cracked pistons etc., if your MPG is still high it is probably down to a worn engine, and we would recommend 2 small 250ml cans (500ml total) of RESTORE in a 2000cc engine and this should be enough to return your car to being a tiger in under 500 miles.