BENCH TESTS|GASOLINE ENGINES|SERVICE LIFE · RUNNING WITHOUT OIL
REPORT ON TEST PROGRAM KSQ-005
Engine without oil: far longer before failure, a seized one runs again
PRODUCTPBC-TechnologyPBC Lubricant — into the engine oil · PBC Restore Compound — onto the friction surfaces
TEST OBJECTThree Ryobe gasoline engines4-stroke, air-cooled, 26.2 cm³ · 6800-7800 rpm at full throttle · SAE 30 oil
DOCUMENT TYPELaboratory report
under assignment KSQ-005
under assignment KSQ-005
Key results
↑14.2×
run time without oil to seizure, control 15 min 43 s → treated 3 h 43 min
↓48min
full throttle after restorative treatment of the seized engine, no parts replaced
| ENGINE | CONDITION AT START OF TESTING | WHAT WAS MEASURED |
|---|---|---|
| A · S/N 004230680 | Serviceable, baseline cycle completed; ran on regular oil for the whole test | Reference for sound operation |
| B · S/N 004230675 | Serviceable, baseline cycle completed; PBC added to the oil and stirred in, then the oil drained | Run time to seizure without oil |
| C · S/N 004240677 | Serviceable, baseline cycle completed; no treatment, oil drained | Run time to seizure without oil — control |
| C — after failure | Seized: piston scuffed, rings stuck, second compression ring broken, aluminium on the cylinder wall | Operation after treatment with Restore Compound, no parts replaced |
Running without oil: treated engine versus control
| ENGINE | RUN CONDITIONS | RUN TIME TO SEIZURE |
|---|---|---|
| C — untreated, control | Oil drained; 10 min idle, then full throttle | 15 min 43 s |
| B — treated with PBC | Oil drained; 10 min idle, then full throttle | 3 h 43 min |
| A — regular oil, reference | Same cycle, oil not drained | Ran the whole test without failure |
| Treated versus control | One and the same procedure, two units of one model | 14.2× longer |
Run time is the timed duration of the run. The control unit sits inside the same experiment: one model, one program, one day.
Condition of the parts at failure
| ENGINE | WITHOUT OIL | WHAT THE TEARDOWN SHOWED |
|---|---|---|
| C — untreated | 15 min 43 s | Piston scuffed, compression and oil control rings stuck, second compression ring broken, aluminium smeared onto the cylinder wall |
| B — treated with PBC | 3 h 43 min | Piston scuffing minimal, top compression ring free in its groove; crankshaft turns without binding |
The laboratory recorded that the failure mode was the same, yet the damage to engine B was markedly less — with 14 times more run time without oil.
Seized engine C: restorative treatment with no parts replaced
| STAGE | WHAT WAS DONE | RESULT |
|---|---|---|
| Failure | Run without oil at full throttle until seizure | Thermal seizure of the piston in the cylinder |
| Treatment | No parts replaced: rings freed, piston crown cleaned, aluminium removed, friction surfaces liberally treated with Restore Compound | Started without particular difficulty — with the broken ring in place |
| Repeat run | Full throttle | 48 min continuously, then normal idle; no overheating and no second seizure |
| Teardown after the run | Inspection of piston, rings, cylinder, rocker assembly | Rings free in their grooves, cylinder wall clear of aluminium; no additional wear found |
In total the second run lasted about 55 min. The broken second compression ring stayed in the engine that whole time.
Laboratory conclusion
The Kerberos Solutions test laboratory characterizes the test plan as gruelling: the normal duty of these engines is cyclic, with most of the time spent off full throttle. The laboratory recorded the following: 1. Engine B, after treatment with PBC-Technology Lubricant, ran for 3 hours 43 minutes without oil; compared with engine C, which lasted only 15 minutes, this shows that the manufacturer's claims about the engine's ability to run without oil deserve trust. 2. The failure mode is the same, but the damage to engine B is incomparably less — especially considering the accumulated running time without lubricating oil. 3. Engine C, reassembled with no parts replaced and treated with the restorative compound, showed signs of recovery: it did not overheat and did not seize again, despite running with a broken ring; at first it would not hold idle, but after some time in operation this improved noticeably.
The results apply to 4-stroke air-cooled Ryobe gasoline engines of 26.2 cm³ displacement in a bench regime that the laboratory characterizes as gruelling; with other engines and operating conditions the figures may differ. The product is named PBC-Technology in the report — it is given the same way here. The original report is published in full and is available for download.
Current equivalent
- Revitalizant gel for cylinder restorationEngine cylinders, deep wear
- Revitalizant gel for petrol enginesPetrol engines
How such units are treated: