Diesel Tech

46 DIESELTECHMAG.COM MARCH 2016 DIESEL TECH When we first started our DT TESTED section in our magazine, it was these types of product reviews we had in mind. The purpose of our in-house evaluations is to weed through all the hype and get down to answering the basic questions of does the product really work and if so, is it worth the cost? In this case it's actu- ally two products from Archoil that we really wanted to test. Normally I'm not one to get caught up in celebrity endorsements, but when an auto enthusiast like Jay Leno starts raving about a product, I tend to take notice. It's not too hard to find online videos of Leno promoting Archoil, yet I was still a little hesitant. At first glance it appears to be a little more money than other additives that I've tried in my diesel trucks over the years. However, when you start looking at the cost per treated gallon it's actually one of the lowest-priced products out there. Getting Started Despite my hesitation to try some- thing new, I was actually a little excited to add AR9100 Friction Modifier to my oil and AR6200 Fuel Modification Complex to my fuel. In order to get my hands on the Archoil products, I just had to make a trip to my local shop. Adrenaline Performance in Shelley, Idaho, is a distributor for Archoil, so after changing my engine oil so I could start fresh, we headed to their shop. This was the week before the SEMA show in Las Vegas, Nev., so with a 1,300-plus-mile road trip coming up we figured the tim- ing couldn't be better to give this prod- uct a try. We added a full 16-ounce bottle of the Archoil AR9100 Friction Modifier ($41.95) to the engine oil as recom- mended and also added the Archoil AR6200 Fuel Modification Complex to the fuel tank. The 8-ounce bottle treats 640 gallons and has a suggested retail price of $49.95. And because the fuel additive is an extremely "condensed" concentrate and contains no unnec- essary "fillers," my 2010 Ford F350 needed less than 15 milliliters or a half an ounce per fill up. I'm used to pouring half bottles worth of fuel additive into my tank for my 6.4L so it almost seemed pointless to add only half an ounce, but the results would later prove otherwise. Worth noting, the bottle is designed to easily pour small amounts so it wasn't hard at all to add the proper amount each time. The cost breaks down to 7.8 cents per gallon of fuel treated, which is comparatively inexpensive on a cost- per-gallon basis. Before we get to the results however, it's important to cover the details of both products. AR9100 Friction Modifi er AR9100 oil additive is a friction modifier based on advanced nanobo- rate technology suspended in an ester complex. It is absorbed on metal friction surfaces where it forms a protective solid boundary lubricating film. It also reduces friction and provides outstanding extreme pressure, anti-wear, and anti- corrosion protection to engines, gear- boxes and hydraulic systems. AR9100 also helps keep the crankcase clean and extends oil life. The product improves lubricity by fill- ing surface asperities, creating a smooth hard film. AR9100 has a lower shear ARCHOIL AR9100 Friction Modifi er & AR6200 Fuel Modifi cation Complex TESTED N o . 0 0 0 1 5 At SEMA, Diesel Tech's Austin Carlisle (from L to R) met up with Bill Hewitt from powerstrokehelp.com, Archoil CEO David Zevetchin and Premier Performance Marketing Director Matthew Davis.

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