Posted: Aug 20 2007 at 12:03am | IP Logged

If you want to see some testing comparing AMSOIL and Mobil 1 then go to this site:  http://www.genuine-synthetics.com/AMvsM1.html

And then there is testing of about ten different oils including AMSOIL and Mobil 1 Extended Performance:  http://www.amsoil.com/performancetests/g1971/index.aspx?ZO=1 513149

The only testing that I am aware of that includes Royal Purple is of motorcycle oil, but the results should be somewhat relevant to their vehicle oils:  http://www.amsoil.com/lit/g2156.pdf?ZO=1513149

Make no mistake, not all oils are created equal.

Posted: Sep 01 2007 at 9:44pm | IP Logged

Royal P is good i now one of the paper companies here uses it on the big machines and Mobil is what i use the breakdown is differnet for the area and what weight you use 5 is most commom but 10 is good and the best oil as far as conventinal is what has the least amont of wax in it that is penn state oil any thing from Penn. the syn stuff is about the same just check and see what deturgent are in it some are for dirty trail runner and others for long highway miles it's up to you

the army use to recycle their oil back in the 30's-50's idk about 2day but recycle oil is the cleanest you can buy the least amount of wax and detergents that keep the old jeeps and detroit deisels going

Posted: Sep 04 2007 at 12:45am | IP Logged

i would agree that not all oils are created equal, however, i would venture to say ALL oils, virtually, will go 4k easy including conventional dino oil. synthetics longer for sure, some say that if you have OCI's shorter than 5k with synths, you are just wasting money. I still haven't made up my mind on that issue as i believe it would depend on driving conditions, environmental conditions, blah blah blah.

however, if you are going to compare oils and look at "test" data, sorry amsoil guys..don't go looking at sites run by independent distributors or whatnot. i have not heard anything bad about amsoil, but for some of y'all to be posting in response to almost any problem that amsoil will fix it, then why not offer a free OCI for some people so they can run an extended OCI and see if they notice a huge difference.

Amsoil and royal purple may very well be "superior" oils, but for most people, including myself, i dont' see myself here in south texas running 10k on any oil and running a run of the mill oil synth such as PP (penz. platinum) or M1 for 5k-7500 miles will be just fine. if one wanted to get the real tale of the tape, then oil analysis would indicate better wear metals, TBN numbers that don't plummet, viscosity numbers that don't go outside of grade and don't drop significantly to indicate resistance to shear.

Posted: Sep 06 2007 at 8:58pm | IP Logged

hmmm

sounds like the usual.  Who here has the money to run oil analysis'?  I just put in the infamous Amzoil and decided that I will watch it like a hawk and change filters every 5k and go for the 20k kms run.  According to the Amzoil info, that is still 17k kms inside of their recommended oci.  I feel taht is still a very substantial safety buffer.  I do agree with the cost assessment too.  That's why I am running like this.  I should be able to make the oil pay for itself that way.  I have not found a lab for oil testing here in Calgary.  So, for now I'll just trust like a dummy and wath the fuel mileage and stuff.  Wish me luck.

Posted: Sep 08 2007 at 11:50am | IP Logged

Oil analysis isn't as expensive as you think, and you know having one done is beneficial, there are sites out there where you can gather information on virgin oil analysis as well as used oil analysis, but the used oil analysis are more helpful to your specific vehicle when done on your oil obviously.

I guess my main point was this, anyone running a certain oil cause it has worked for them will say "you can't go wrong" with brand X, it does me right. Hell i used to use Castrol GTX in my old 240SX all the time, because my dad used it all the time in their vehicles, and it never failed me, and i abused the hell out of it, and drove the car hard. If you look at Amsoil's site even, you see their oil compared to other ones and Castrol GTX is right up there in the ballpark with the synthetics in a lot of the properties they test. (and it's 2.**/qt) Now I use Mobil 1, cause i never heard anything bad about it and wanted the "extra" protection of a synthetic. it should hopefully resist shearing better than dinos. Whether that is the case, I will hopefully learn. Even tho I could justify the extra money on M1, I couldn't justify the added cost of RP or Amsoil, and there is no way I'd run my engine for a year on ANY oil as some manufacturers tout their oil can do. i think i've mentioned before that a buddy of mine at work uses nothing but the cheapo wally world stuff in his ranger that has over 300,000 miles on it...of course he is a mechanic by trade and always does 3000k changes on his oil and i think he uses cheapo tranny, gear oils and stuff too. he just feels like it will last as long as he's on top of the maint. he also swears by marvel mystery oil and puts it in his engine. Bottom line is, if the oil works for you and your vehicle, use it.

btw, prices on synths around here have come down recently which is nice to see....a couple bucks maybe but that's a couple bucks saved i guess lol.

Posted: Sep 08 2007 at 2:49pm | IP Logged

SOme comments from an organic chemist on synthetic oils.  First, the molecules are engineered to have a very narrow MW range and so are all similar.  There are no little moecules to boil away right after you change the oil.  And there are no large wax-like molecules to help form sludge.  And with all good synthetics there are no double donds present that can be subject tp oxidative polymerization that forms a hard crud.  This is similar to the chemistry of old oil paints when they dry.  Synthetic oils are generally poly-alpha-olefin (PAO) or a type of polyester fluid.  Mobil 1 is a blend of these.

But you do have one issue that I am aware of with synthetics.  Mobil 1 does not use certain zinc compounds and as such it is particularly good on maintaining the long term activity of your catalytic converter.  Some of the other oils do use this ( they use it because they need it to prevent wear) and these oils are not recommended for your by the American Petroeum Institute for long term catalytic converter activity.

Posted: Sep 14 2007 at 1:55am | IP Logged

In the interest of full disclosure synthetic oil, are you a distributor of the famed Amsoil? Also, Oil Analyzers is owned by Amsoil isn't it? Not trying to bust balls, but I just think it's fair to note, I disclosed that I am a Mobil 1 user. How did I come about this decision, well before I learned about oil analysis and all that good stuff, I was a Cast. GTX user religiously, why because it always worked for my father as I said before. Even by Amsoil website comparisons, GTX is right up there with the synthetics in test data. I went with Mobil 1 based on that I have never heard anyone really really crap on it's performance and wanted the "extra" properties of synethetic oil. That could be from additive packages that are put in for anti-wear or of the detergent/dispersant variety. Or the fact that it is (depending on the oil) a blend of PAO base and others such as Group IV, or III. In all actuality, it is the combination of those factors that make synthetics superior as far as extended OCI's in my opinion. Different manufacturers use their own version of additive packages and are constantly refining them to improve the oil longevity and ability to protect engines.

I am going to be getting UOA's done on my truck as well, simply because I want to know what the lifeblood of my engine is doing in there. It will definitely be interesting to note if you post your data SAR on UOA's with diff brands of oil. I will also post data if you guys would like to see it.

As far as still wanting to change your filter even on extended oil changes, I dont' see any problem with that, in fact I would err on the side of caution and do that myself if I was going to run over 5-6000+ miles on an oil change. Also when you do that and are forced to top off with fresh oil, synth was right in stating that you might be getting better protection because you are adding fresh oil to the mix, although you have to understand when you get a UOA with that factored in, the lab will most likely tell you as well, that your TBN number could be skewed from the fresh oil added as well as possibly the viscosity, so it might not totally tell the story of how that oil is protecting. But in that case if everything is lookign good anyway, lol then it can't be doing that bad no?

I've read about guys who even blend diff oils for their engines because I am assuming they want to get the best of both worlds, such as some that have a more robust additive package, with some that seem to shear less, whatever you get the idea. I haven't yet become brave enough to turn my truck into a guinea pig for that.

On a final note, the MMO (marvel mystery oil) that the mechanic I know uses, he likes it, I'm not sure I made that clear, as I said before he uses super cheap oil and throws that in there with it and says it does a great job.

Oh, for the Royal Purple guys and gals, I have seen it in wal-mart for like 6 something/quart. That might be cheaper than other auto parts places, not sure.

Ok, a final, final note, really, if you want to look at a great site that will definitely be an educational experience on automotive lubrication, take a look at www.bobistheoilguy.com their forums there have UOA's, VOA's on diff fluids, discussions on all the diff oils. Very interesting IMO. I recently became a member over there.