The surprising truth about motor oils

CarlGlas · Jan 18, 2006

A dated article, which I am sure can be found somewhere within previous discussions, but for sake of search....

Consumer Reports Article
The surprising truth about motor oils

Oil companies spend millions of advertising dollars each year to convince you that their oil can make your car's engine perform better and last longer. And purveyors of motor-oil and engine "treatments" assert that their products offer engine protection that oil alone can't provide. In our most ambitious test project ever, we set out to discover whether such claims are fact or fancy.

More: http://www.xs11.com/stories/croil96.htm

Additional study & report: http://www.unofficialbmw.com/all/misc/all_oilfaq.html

And, finally.......

AMSOIL SPEAKS OUT on Consumer Reports Article
"The Surprising Truth about Motor Oil"
(Consumer Reports, July 1996)

ignores much that's important about motor oil, particularly about synthetic motors oils.

http://members.aol.com/brnorth3/amsoil/consumer.HTM

slowrev · Jan 18, 2006

Good post, Thanks.
So it sounds like use basically any oil and change it regular and you will be fine as far as engine lubrication goes.

Of course you can still buy the designer oils if you want to. What's up with the new and old Amsoil ? I thought it was already perfection and could not be improved upon.
Oh well forgive my zing. It is not the oil but ther pushers of the oil that irks me.

Ben

Garrabo · Jan 18, 2006

I dont know about all of that, I do know that Delvac 1300 super would not give me 7000 miles in my 03 PSD without showing more metals than I care to have floating around, while the amsoil heavy duty (12TBN) does give me 7000 miles without the alarming metal content floating around.

kenmac · Jan 18, 2006

No one pushed me to use amsoil & I wouldn't push anyone to use it. Amsoil doesn't advertise like castrol & some brands to get you use their oil. The make up of the amsoil ,the 4 ball test etc, is why I'am changing to Amsoil.The cost of Amsoil is about the same as other group 4 synthetic oils so, cost wise I have lost nothing.

cp1969 · Jan 18, 2006

What does TBN have to do with reducing wear? AFAIK TBN (Total Base Number) is a measure of alkalinity which is more or less an indicator of how much detergent the oil has.

Detergents keep things clean but they don't lubricate. The oil does that.

slowrev · Jan 18, 2006

Go with the Amsoil, I am convinced it is a good product. I just have a problem with many pro amsoil types attitudes.
I use synthetics in my small engines that do not hold much oil and most have splash lubrication, so the syn will most likely be better for them and not cost me much. Cost is my main reason for not using synthetics. And I know about the extended drain intervals and all, but I am not going to do that, I like clean oil in my engines.
I have over 200k on my 90 scooby all on Castrol, I put 250K on an old plymouth with Valvoline 20w50 racing oil, the wifes 93 town car has 165K on it using mostly Dello 400 15w40. No internal engine problems in any of them. electrical stuff keeps going out on the Lincoln though /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
btw the Scooby still meets new engine compression specs.

Why take the risks associated with change when something works fine.
I have never seen any proof that synthetics make an engine last longer.
Thats all I have to say on the synthetic subject, that should do me for at least the next six months /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Thanks for enduring my rant.
Ben

SkyPup · Jan 19, 2006

What does TBN have to do with reducing wear? AFAIK TBN (Total Base Number) is a measure of alkalinity which is more or less an indicator of how much detergent the oil has. 

FYI, TBN has nothing to do with how much detergent is in the oil, it is simply an alkaline chemical (calcium or potassium hydroxide) with negatively charged hydroxyl groups to neturalize the hydrogen ion concentration of the nitric, nitrous, sulfuric, and sufurous acids produced naturally as a result of combustion.

Lack of adequate TBN levels allows these acids to dissolve, corrode, and otherwise ruin the entire interior of the engine.

Detergents are surfactants that assist in keeping soot and other particulate matter suspended in the liquid oil instead of allowing them to bind to the metal surfaces of the englne, as well as cleaning off matter that does bond to the metal.

What made you think that TBN is a measure of how much detergent is in the oil?

CT_Tree_Guy · Jan 19, 2006

What's up with the new and old Amsoil ? I thought it was already perfection and could not be improved upon.

Oh well forgive my zing. It is not the oil but the pushers of the oil that irks me. 

Here we go again. For those who are unaware of it, the Oil Wars were peacefully ended here on TBN on 12/19/05, when it was mutually agreed that top-quality synthetics are superior to top-quality conventional oils in virtually every measurable, quantifiable way, but that the added cost might or might not be worth it to any one particular person. Next topic?

Do synthetics actually suck?

CarlGlas · Jan 19, 2006

The best motor oil, the best oil filter and the best of anything else is what fits your needs, your pocketbook and what you are satisfied with. Everyone has their own opinions on just about anything based on either their personal experience, what they have read or have been led to believe. Most oils and filters should work just fine and your engine will only live its rated life as long as you pay attention to it and be diligent in your maintenance schedule.

Of course this is just my opinion, I could be wrong. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

cp1969 · Jan 19, 2006

( FYI, TBN has nothing to do with how much detergent is in the oil, it is simply an alkaline chemical (calcium or potassium hydroxide) with negatively charged hydroxyl groups to neturalize the hydrogen ion concentration of the nitric, nitrous, sulfuric, and sufurous acids produced naturally as a result of combustion. )

From Bob is the oil Guy:
Total Base Number does not measure the accumulation of oxidation products or antioxidants, rather, it measures the depletion of a detergents present in an engine oil for the purposes of neutralizing acidic blow-by gases which occurs due to low levels of antioxidants with in the oil. As the detergent is consumed in its role of neutralizing sludge and varnish, the base number decreases from its original new oil value. Monitoring this consumption allows one to proactively replenish the oil through change out before the protection afforded by that additive is lost.

Potassium hydroxide and calcium hydroxide are what we (back in the family trucking days) used to haul in a pneumatic trailer in 50,000 lb loads to a company that made....dishwashing soap. Pardon me if I associate caustic substances (high TBN) with detergents because, well....that's what they are.

From encyclopedia.com:

POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE [potassium hydroxide] chemical compound with formula KOH. Pure potassium hydroxide forms white, deliquescent crystals. For commercial and laboratory use it is usually in the form of white pellets. A strong base, it dissolves readily in water, giving off much heat and forming a strongly alkaline, caustic solution (see acids and bases ). It is commonly called caustic potash. It closely resembles sodium hydroxide in its chemical properties and has similar uses, e.g., in making soap, in bleaching, and in manufacturing chemicals, but is less widely used because of its higher cost. It is prepared chiefly by electrolysis of potassium chloride; commercial grades of it sometimes contain the chloride as well as other impurities.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_hydroxide

That's basically what made me associate TBN with detergents. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif