Oil Brand?
11-26-2005, 06:01 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: 09-02-05
Location: Salt Lake, UT
Posts: 5,446
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Oil Brand?
Hey all... It's getting close to oil change time for me. So I was just wondering...
All the major brands make a full synthetic oil, any specific brand that y'all prefer to the others? I've been told by several people around here that Royal Purple is the best on the market, just thought I'd test the waters on this subject.
All the major brands make a full synthetic oil, any specific brand that y'all prefer to the others? I've been told by several people around here that Royal Purple is the best on the market, just thought I'd test the waters on this subject.
11-26-2005, 06:23 PM
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: 11-14-05
Location: www.mp5t.com
Posts: 4,425
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ok, Here is a collection of information I have put together on the subject of Motor Oil, Mainly, Why bother to spend the extra sometimes 400% cost for a quart of oil.
Definitions to start with.
Oil, a suspension of minerals that are separated from crude oil in the cracking tower. The Crude is heated to different temperatures and then removed, graded, filtered and packaged by characteristic.
Synthetic Oil, A Completely man made lubricant. It has no natural waxes and is usually made to a much higher tolerance than regular oil.
What Do The Numbers Mean?
On every bottle of motor oil there is a seal that gives you three pieces of information:
* The API service rating
* The viscosity grade
* "Energy Conserving" indicator (it either is or it isn't)
The API service rating is a two-letter rating that tells you the type of engine the oil is meant for (gasoline or diesel) and the quality level.
The viscosity grade (for example, 5W-30) tells you the oil's thickness, or viscosity. A thin oil has a lower number and flows more easily, while thick oils have a higher number and are more resistant to flow. Water has a very low viscosity -- it is thin and flows easily. Honey has a very high viscosity -- it is thick and gooey.
The standard unit used to measure viscosity is the centistoke (cSt). According to the Automotive and Industrial Lubricants Glossary of Terms:
Viscosity is ordinarily expressed in terms of the time required for a standard quantity of the fluid at a certain temperature to flow through a standard orifice. The higher the value, the more viscous the fluid. Since viscosity varies inversely with temperature, its value is meaningless unless accompanied by the temperature at which it is determined. With petroleum oils, viscosity is now commonly reported in centistokes (cSt), measured at either 40°C or 100 °C (ASTM Method D445 - Kinematic Viscosity).
The centistoke rating is converted into the SAE weight designation using a chart like the one shown on the Superior Lubricants Web site.
Multi-weight oils (such as 10W-30) are a new invention made possible by adding polymers to oil. The polymers allow the oil to have different weights at different temperatures. The first number indicates the viscosity of the oil at a cold temperature, while the second number indicates the viscosity at operating temperature. This page from the Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ offers the following very interesting description of how the polymers work:
At cold temperatures, the polymers are coiled up and allow the oil to flow as their low numbers indicate. As the oil warms up, the polymers begin to unwind into long chains that prevent the oil from thinning as much as it normally would. The result is that at 100 degrees C, the oil has thinned only as much as the higher viscosity number indicates. Another way of looking at multi-vis oils is to think of a 20W-50 as a 20 weight oil that will not thin more than a 50 weight would when hot.
This is why some companies choose to offer Single Weight Oil for Racing. The Royal Purple Synthetic that I run has a weight of 30W, they offer multi weight oil such as 05W30 and 10W30, but the single weight oil gives a more consistent oil. This is only recommended for cars that require this level of thought such as a motor designed to run at much higher HP than the original design permitted. It is not recommended to change the oil rating just because... You should research your oil requirements based on precise calculations or stick with the OEM recommendations..
Ok,
Why Pay the Extra money.
Basically, unless you need it, you don't have to pay. As long as your Oil meet the basic OEM requirements, Bob's your Father's Dog. Your Precious Warranty will fix any problems you might have. Hell, Millions of people have and will continue to run Conventional Oil.
End Of Discussion...
Now, for the rest of us who thing that good is not acceptable and want excellent... Enter the Synthetic. Right off the bat you are paying at least double the cost by volume. Why... The cost of R&D and the materials themselves. You are getting a better product.
All oils have a point of breakdown, as oil is heated it will still lubricate metal on metal contact and cool the parts as well. This is the point of having it there to begin with. So regular oil, regular driving, regular engine. No problem.
Synthetic oil has a much higher tolerance for chemical breakdown. Basically, it will continue to lubricate under harsher conditions.
It has the added feature of not Gelling in the winter. Conventional oils have suspended waxes in them that are natural. If you were to freeze 1 L of Conventional Oil and a MOBIL 1 down to -40 Deg and then pour them out, the Conventional Oil will run like cold honey. The Synthetic will pour almost as well as when it was warm. So cold starts in the winter... The oil is pumping much faster during those critical first second. The start is also easier because the oil pump isn't being forced to pump Gel through your filter.
Definitions to start with.
Oil, a suspension of minerals that are separated from crude oil in the cracking tower. The Crude is heated to different temperatures and then removed, graded, filtered and packaged by characteristic.
Synthetic Oil, A Completely man made lubricant. It has no natural waxes and is usually made to a much higher tolerance than regular oil.
What Do The Numbers Mean?
On every bottle of motor oil there is a seal that gives you three pieces of information:
* The API service rating
* The viscosity grade
* "Energy Conserving" indicator (it either is or it isn't)
The API service rating is a two-letter rating that tells you the type of engine the oil is meant for (gasoline or diesel) and the quality level.
The viscosity grade (for example, 5W-30) tells you the oil's thickness, or viscosity. A thin oil has a lower number and flows more easily, while thick oils have a higher number and are more resistant to flow. Water has a very low viscosity -- it is thin and flows easily. Honey has a very high viscosity -- it is thick and gooey.
The standard unit used to measure viscosity is the centistoke (cSt). According to the Automotive and Industrial Lubricants Glossary of Terms:
Viscosity is ordinarily expressed in terms of the time required for a standard quantity of the fluid at a certain temperature to flow through a standard orifice. The higher the value, the more viscous the fluid. Since viscosity varies inversely with temperature, its value is meaningless unless accompanied by the temperature at which it is determined. With petroleum oils, viscosity is now commonly reported in centistokes (cSt), measured at either 40°C or 100 °C (ASTM Method D445 - Kinematic Viscosity).
The centistoke rating is converted into the SAE weight designation using a chart like the one shown on the Superior Lubricants Web site.
Multi-weight oils (such as 10W-30) are a new invention made possible by adding polymers to oil. The polymers allow the oil to have different weights at different temperatures. The first number indicates the viscosity of the oil at a cold temperature, while the second number indicates the viscosity at operating temperature. This page from the Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ offers the following very interesting description of how the polymers work:
At cold temperatures, the polymers are coiled up and allow the oil to flow as their low numbers indicate. As the oil warms up, the polymers begin to unwind into long chains that prevent the oil from thinning as much as it normally would. The result is that at 100 degrees C, the oil has thinned only as much as the higher viscosity number indicates. Another way of looking at multi-vis oils is to think of a 20W-50 as a 20 weight oil that will not thin more than a 50 weight would when hot.
This is why some companies choose to offer Single Weight Oil for Racing. The Royal Purple Synthetic that I run has a weight of 30W, they offer multi weight oil such as 05W30 and 10W30, but the single weight oil gives a more consistent oil. This is only recommended for cars that require this level of thought such as a motor designed to run at much higher HP than the original design permitted. It is not recommended to change the oil rating just because... You should research your oil requirements based on precise calculations or stick with the OEM recommendations..
Ok,
Why Pay the Extra money.
Basically, unless you need it, you don't have to pay. As long as your Oil meet the basic OEM requirements, Bob's your Father's Dog. Your Precious Warranty will fix any problems you might have. Hell, Millions of people have and will continue to run Conventional Oil.
End Of Discussion...
Now, for the rest of us who thing that good is not acceptable and want excellent... Enter the Synthetic. Right off the bat you are paying at least double the cost by volume. Why... The cost of R&D and the materials themselves. You are getting a better product.
All oils have a point of breakdown, as oil is heated it will still lubricate metal on metal contact and cool the parts as well. This is the point of having it there to begin with. So regular oil, regular driving, regular engine. No problem.
Synthetic oil has a much higher tolerance for chemical breakdown. Basically, it will continue to lubricate under harsher conditions.
It has the added feature of not Gelling in the winter. Conventional oils have suspended waxes in them that are natural. If you were to freeze 1 L of Conventional Oil and a MOBIL 1 down to -40 Deg and then pour them out, the Conventional Oil will run like cold honey. The Synthetic will pour almost as well as when it was warm. So cold starts in the winter... The oil is pumping much faster during those critical first second. The start is also easier because the oil pump isn't being forced to pump Gel through your filter.
11-26-2005, 07:02 PM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: 10-08-05
Location: AZ
Posts: 5,295
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I would read your manual and get the specs BrianMP5T mentioned (nice write up by the way). I know the SS S/C requires you use an oil that meets a certain spec found in the Mobil 1 synthetic, well only required if you want to keep your warranty. They say Mobile 1 because GM was paid to say Mobile 1, but any that meet those specs will work.
I see you have the SS, so I don't know what yours requires.
I just took mine to the dealer. I'll let them worry about the oil. They screw it up, they fix it. Plus I'm lazy, and I heard that the filter is tucked under the S/C, making it difficult to get to and remove.
Hope this helps.
I see you have the SS, so I don't know what yours requires.
I just took mine to the dealer. I'll let them worry about the oil. They screw it up, they fix it. Plus I'm lazy, and I heard that the filter is tucked under the S/C, making it difficult to get to and remove.
Hope this helps.
11-26-2005, 09:17 PM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: 11-14-05
Location: www.mp5t.com
Posts: 4,425
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
ROYAL PURPLE...
Engine Masters
For the third year running, Royal PurpleŽ synthetic motor oil was the oil of choice for the winner of the Popular Hot Rodding Engine Masters Challenge. This years 3rd annual competition saw 50 engine builders vying for up to $100,000with the top three finishers all using Royal Purple products.
Engine Masters
For the third year running, Royal PurpleŽ synthetic motor oil was the oil of choice for the winner of the Popular Hot Rodding Engine Masters Challenge. This years 3rd annual competition saw 50 engine builders vying for up to $100,000with the top three finishers all using Royal Purple products.
11-27-2005, 06:15 AM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: 11-14-05
Location: www.mp5t.com
Posts: 4,425
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Mobil One is a Semi Synthetic.
It is a very popular oil and it has a great following. DOn't switch if you are happy.
I was able to cook my Mobil until it was black and was no longer oil. Boosting hard and increased heat have forced me to look into a bit more expensive oil.
Royal Purple and AMSOIL are the only two that will ever end up in either of my cars. No flame or hate towards anyone who runs Mobil 1. It's a great oil, just if you are going to spend on that, why not drop another $5 and get a better product. Mobil is 10,000% better than the Dollar Store Oil I see my next door dude put in his Tiburon..
It is a very popular oil and it has a great following. DOn't switch if you are happy.
I was able to cook my Mobil until it was black and was no longer oil. Boosting hard and increased heat have forced me to look into a bit more expensive oil.
Royal Purple and AMSOIL are the only two that will ever end up in either of my cars. No flame or hate towards anyone who runs Mobil 1. It's a great oil, just if you are going to spend on that, why not drop another $5 and get a better product. Mobil is 10,000% better than the Dollar Store Oil I see my next door dude put in his Tiburon..
11-27-2005, 10:44 AM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: 11-20-05
Location: Kingsville, MD
Posts: 845
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
some of you are making this too complicated. the only real way to determine the best oil for your car is to run it and then have it sent out for an oil analysis when you change your oil. but, as long as you change the oil on time, along with the filter, your car will be fine.
personally i run either RP or Mobile1 5W-30. unless you are driving an all out race car, Amsoil, Redline or RP arent necessary, but theres nothing wrong with using them. if you need that peace of mind knowing you have oil that costs $5/quart in your car, (like me) then use it.
as a minumum, use what grade your owners maual calls for. the factory generally doesnt call for regular, blend or full synthetic. if it would say to use synthetic, then use that. if not, theres nothing wrong with using plain old dinosaur oil as long as you change it at regular intervals along with the filter. and as far at those 7500, 10000 and 15000 mile oils go, what they dont mention is that the filter still needs changed. as far as i know, and i could be wrong, there isnt an oil filter meant to last that long. so keep that in mind. the key is keeping your oil in your engine clean by chaniging it and the filter at recommended intervals. personally im a little old fashioned, so i wont go a mile past 3000, even with RP.
personally i run either RP or Mobile1 5W-30. unless you are driving an all out race car, Amsoil, Redline or RP arent necessary, but theres nothing wrong with using them. if you need that peace of mind knowing you have oil that costs $5/quart in your car, (like me) then use it.
as a minumum, use what grade your owners maual calls for. the factory generally doesnt call for regular, blend or full synthetic. if it would say to use synthetic, then use that. if not, theres nothing wrong with using plain old dinosaur oil as long as you change it at regular intervals along with the filter. and as far at those 7500, 10000 and 15000 mile oils go, what they dont mention is that the filter still needs changed. as far as i know, and i could be wrong, there isnt an oil filter meant to last that long. so keep that in mind. the key is keeping your oil in your engine clean by chaniging it and the filter at recommended intervals. personally im a little old fashioned, so i wont go a mile past 3000, even with RP.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post