Synthetic Engine Oil Base Stocks

[Z71]

Still is.

Lubrizol is owned by Berkshire Hathaway Inc, Warren Buffett

 

[Z71]

Then Pennzoil comes along with their "Platinum / Ultra" (Shell) engine oils that claim 'made from natural gas'. But if they were, they would be Group IV, not III. Claim is less deposits than de-graded Mobil 1, so I'm trying that for 1st time in my gasoline engines.

Pennzoils (Shell GTL base oil is a Gr. III imported from Qatar.


GTL - Gas to Liquid

 

[Scooby074]

TRC doesn't seem widely distributed up here. I've heard of their products, and nothing bad that I recall, but I have no direct experience.

Petro Canada's Duron line seems to have a good rep, and is noted for their wide viscosity range, 5w or 0w40 products.

Diesel Engine Oils, DURON-E | Petro-Canada

Rgds, D.

+1 on the Duron oils. Good quality and priced right.

 

[cowpie1]

Thought the main additive supplier in U.S. was Lubrizol? Or did they get bought out by a mega-corp like everybody else?

Infineum is a relatively newer corp. But they have taken the lion's share of the market for lube additive packages. Lubrizol is still a player, but they have lost significant market share to Infineum. When I was getting a bulk oil from a local distributor, I found out all of this mess. My distributor was using Warren as the blender. Warren, the largest blender in the U.S., is getting virtually all of their add packs from Infineum. Warren is the blender for most of the proprietary labeled oils on the market. Infineum is also the primary suppler of add packs to Mobil and Shell.

And on the conventional oil side, Shell's Port Arthur, TX refinery is the largest supplier of Group II and Group II+ conventional base oils for the U.S. When it all gets sorted out, though there are a thousand different labeled oils in the market, it is all coming from a hand full of sources. If you are using a conventional, regardless of brand, most of the time the base oil is coming from Shell. If you are into a Group III synthetic, or faux synthetic as some claim, then it is most likely a Chevron base oil. If you are into the Group IV synthetic game, then the lion's share of Group IV base oil is coming from Mobil. And now Shell has it's mega refinery in Qatar kicking out GTL oils and fuels. Really doesn't bother me. Each brand has it's own particular part of the market, as that is what they do best. Find your niche and focus on that.

 

[Garandman]

Ex. - Subaru boxer 4s tend to beat the heck out of oil, showing up in the Shearing results. Is it a good idea to stretch OCI on one of these Sub engines.... probably not, even with most "Synthetics."
Rgds, D.

My WRX has 81,000 miles. They have a reputation for burning Mobil One, I should try Rotella T6 Synthetic one of these days. Subaru used to recommend 3,750 mi oil changes for turbos but increased it to 7,500 a few years ago. I go 5K and will use half a quart to a quart.

By contrast our Subaru flat six (3.0l) has an oil capacity of 7.5 quarts and uses no oil at all between changes with 171,000 miles on the odo.

 

[Cat_Driver]

So what's the problem, if PAO are the best, just keep buying the best. Just buy 100% Synthetic PAO Formulated Basestock Technology Synthetics. This oil is readily available. I use it in everything after trying them all. Mobil 1 , Redline, Royal Purple, ans a half dozen others.

I go by how the vehicle runs and feels. Don't tell me you can't tell how n engine feels because I had the PAO in my vehicle and it ran quite and smooth. The dealer changed my fluids without my permission and I could tell the difference. I drained what they put in in a week and went back to PAO.

 

[cowpie1]

But PAO is not necessarily "the best". There are some aspects to Group III synthetic that exceeds what PAO can do. But there are some things that PAO will beat out Group III on. Some aspects, it is a dead heat. That is why the best oil "blends" are those with PAO and Group III with a stout additive package. That is why I like Schaeffer oils for my stuff. There are other brands that do a similar thing. Nothing wrong with a PAO, except the higher price, but a good group III will more than do the job for almost everyone except very specialized applications. I seriously doubt anyone outside of a lab setting could tell the difference. This is one area where one does not always get the best bang for their buck. Just warm fuzzies. The marketing folks love it too.

Performance of Base Oils and Future Trends - The Evolution of Base Oil Technology - Part 3

 

[3930dave]

Good article cp1.

Didn't see obvious links to Part 1 or 2. Searching came up with:

The Evolution of Base Oil Technology Industry Focus

and

The Advent of Modern Hydroprocessing - The Evolution of Base Oil Technology - Part 2

Both are good reads.

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

My WRX has 81,000 miles. They have a reputation for burning Mobil One, I should try Rotella T6 Synthetic one of these days. Subaru used to recommend 3,750 mi oil changes for turbos but increased it to 7,500 a few years ago. I go 5K and will use half a quart to a quart.

By contrast our Subaru flat six (3.0l) has an oil capacity of 7.5 quarts and uses no oil at all between changes with 171,000 miles on the odo.

A quart in 5k isn't too bad - as street engines go, those are relatively high output. One of the things I like about T6 is that it is versatile (C*/S* rated) - nice if you only want to stock one oil, or in commercial or ag operation it helps make it Operator-proof (ie. hired help sticking gas rated motor oil in a diesel.....).

That, and T6 is easy to find. I've also used plenty of Mobil 1 in years past.

Rgds, D.

 

[sixdogs]

I never used T6 but I'm beginning to think I should take a look at it? Up until now I've been using Deere 0W40 synthetic in 5 gallon buckets to keep the cost down. It's getting a little pricey now so I'm looking for alternatives. Sorry I'm dumb on this but is T6 pretty widely used in farm tractors? h