7 Must-Have Chemicals In Your Garage This Year

February 20, 2024January 18, 2024 Mark Williams 0 Comments Brake Systems, Car Fluids, DIY, Engine Performance, Fuel System, Lubricants, Lucas Oil, Maintenance

Your vehicle is highly dependent on chemicals and fluids for survival. Without them, the moving parts will fail, leaving you with nothing but a rotting piece of metal to deal with. That’s why you need to stay on top of keeping fresh, clean fluids inside of it. However, that doesn’t mean the only products you want to keep around are those that regularly run through the vehicle.

Lucas Oil is an industry titan that prides itself on producing chemicals that keep cars on the road for as long as possible. Its inventory is stacked with products that will help you do exactly that. Each is a tool for a job, though, and you need to know which is right for you.

That’s what we’re here to help you do. We’re discussing seven chemicals every garage needs in 2024 — all of which you can find in the Lucas Oil lineup. Of course, there may be others that you’ll want to include based on your needs, but the list below will help you set up a bulletproof baseline that’ll keep your rigs running for many years to come.

1. Oil Stabilizer

Engines create violent conditions for oil. Naturally, those conditions cause it to break down over time, impacting its ability to perform. That’s why you need to replace it regularly. Oil stabilizers are a great way to keep that oil closer to its original state throughout its life cycle.

While dirt and debris will demand that oil still be changed on time, you can help ensure its lubricating and protective properties are strong throughout, greatly improving engine life. Lucas Oil has an array of these products, including High Mileage stabilizers, Heavy-Duty stabilizers, Pure Synthetic stabilizers, and Low-Viscosity stabilizers. All you have to do is pick the best match for your engine and add it to the oil between changes. A spare bottle in the shop will keep you from forgetting it during routine oil changes.

2. Fuel Stabilizer

Most machines, including cars, are seasonal. While you may have a daily you lean on year-round, there’s a good chance you also have a vehicle you reserve for certain occasions – whether that’s a summer cruise-in or ATV trip with the crew. Not only that, but small machinery like lawnmowers will be stored for large portions of the year.

If you have anything that uses gas that’s stored for longer than a month, fuel stabilizer is a must-have product. It’ll keep fuel from breaking down and gumming up the system, ensuring you don’t get left with a machine that needs a heavy cleaning when you pull it from storage.

3. Fuel System Cleaner

Fuel systems get dirty. Even with filters and the right treatments, your system is going to get plugged up with all kinds of debris and deposits that slow performance down. That’s why you want to periodically run a fuel system cleaner through the works. Keeping a few bottles on the shelf to toss in the tank will go a long way. Not only will regularly running it keep you from having to perform major services, but it’ll also keep performance and fuel economics from falling off over time, making this stuff worth its weight in gold.

4. Oil Stop Leak

Oil leaks happen, and never at a time that’s convenient for you. Chances are, they’ll pop up in the dead of winter when you’re not about to crawl under the car to do some work or whenever servicing isn’t an option for whatever reason.

So long as it’s not a major leak, an engine oil stop leak is the perfect solution to get you by. It’s added directly to the engine oil, where it will seek out and stop minor leaks. It goes a long way in keeping a small issue from turning into a major problem and just might save your engine if you can’t replace a gasket or seal immediately.

5. Penetrating Oil

Rusted-on nuts and bolts are just a fact of automotive life. While there are all kinds of tricks you can use to knock stubborn fasteners loose, nothing is more convenient than penetrating oil. Simply spray it on, let it creep into the threads and do its thing, then come back with a wrench and work that fastener out of your way. It’s a proven product that’s incredibly handy, and you’ll want to keep a couple of cans hanging around the garage just in case.

6. Cleaner and Degreaser

Cars are dirty. They’re greasy machines that travel down grimy roads, with all kinds of debris just dying to collect in any bit of oil, grease, and moisture available. If you’re working on cars, then you will spend far more time cleaning parts than you actually do tinkering with them. That’s why you’ll want to keep some cleaner and degreaser nearby.

This chemical does a great job of breaking down grime that’s covering parts, reducing the amount of scrubbing you need to do. You’ll be glad you have it on the shelf when the only thing keeping a project from being assembled is a quick cleaning.

7. Brake Cleaner

Brake parts need a little more help to shine up than typical cleaners and degreasers can produce. The dust mixed with grime calls for the kind of help only a dedicated brake cleaner can deliver. Trust us, you will want a couple of cans in the storage cabinet because brake work has a way of taking you by surprise. Not only that, but it’s a great cleaner for really tough deposits in any case. (Just remember to use caution, as the strong nature of this product can actually harm bits of rubber and other materials.)