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Motor Oil Basics

Lets Talk Motor Oil – It is So Very Misunderstood

Chapter One - Motor Oil 101

I think it is time to go over passenger car automotive engine oils in detail. I will be writing several articles to be published soon so I will try to get some of it out here. I feel this is a very general topic for all car owners on this board.

This is a very difficult topic to comprehend. Everybody including good mechanics think they are experts in this field but few understand engine oils. Most of what I hear is the opposite of the truth. It is however easy to see how people get mixed up as there is always some truth to the misconception.

Please forgive me if I am too wordy or even verbose at times. I will be redundant for certain. This will be in areas that people have to hear things over and over again to get it right. Some will never be able to understand these concepts unfortunately. I base my thoughts on those whom I have been listening to in various automotive chat rooms and discussion with mechanics. I will try to minimize technical terms and be somewhat vague rather than exact. I will round and average numbers to make the point simple rather than mathematically exact. Thickness has the same meaning as viscosity. Viscosity is a measure of the resistance of a fluid (liquid or gas) to flow. Fluids with high viscosity, such as molasses, flow more slowly than those with low viscosity, such as water. Again, I am trying to explain general principals as I know them.

The greatest confusion is because of the way motor oils are labeled. It is an old system and is

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confusing to many people. I know the person is confused when they say that a 0W-30 oil is too thin for their engine because the old manual says to use 10W-30. This is wrong.

More confusion occurs because people think in terms of the oil thinning when it gets hot. They think this thinning with heat is the problem with motor oil. It would be more correct to think that oil thickens when it cools to room temperature and THIS is the problem. In fact this is the problem. It is said that 90 percent of engine wear occurs at startup. If we are interested in engine longevity then we should concentrate our attention at reducing engine wear at startup.

Oils are chosen by the manufacturer to give the right thickness at the normal operating temperature of the engine. I will say this average oil temperature is 212 F, the boiling point of water. On the track that temperature is up to 302F. It is important to realize that these are two different operating environments and require different oils.

I will discuss driving around town first. Everything I say will be based on these conditions. At a later time I will discuss track conditions. Everything I say will be as accurate as possible without looking everything up and footnoting. I am trying to be general not ultra specific.

One thing that is no longer important is the ambient temperature. Older automotive owner manuals often recommended one oil for the summer and another for the winter. This is still necessary for air cooled engines but is no longer a consideration in pressurized water cooled engines. These engine blocks are kept at around 212 F all year round. The oil is around the same temperature as well. This allows for a single grade oil all year round. Again, this is not the same as on the track where the coolant temperature is slightly higher and the oil temperature is much higher.

Please forget those numbers on the oil can. They really should be letters as AW-M, BW-N or CW-P. The fact that we are dealing with a system of numbers on the can makes people think that they represent the viscosity of the oil inside the can. The problem is that the viscosity of oil varies with its temperature. A “30” grade oil has a viscosity of 3 at 302 F ( 150 C ) and thickens to 10 at 212 F ( 100 C ). It further thickens to a viscosity of 100 at 104 F ( 40 C ) and is too thick to measure at the freezing point of 32 F ( 0 C ).

Oils are divided into grades (not weights) such as a 20, 30 or 40 grade oils. This represents the viscosity range at operating temperature. But it is NOT the actual viscosity as we shall see. The issue is that viscosity is temperature dependent. Let’s look at a 30 grade oil and how the viscosity of this grade of oil varies with temperature:

30 grade oil (often referred to as a 30 “weight” oil):

Temperature ( F )....Thickness

302...........................3212..........................10104..........................10032..........................250 (rough estimate)

The automotive designers usually call for their engines to run at 212 F oil and water temperature with an oil thickness of 10. This is the viscosity of the oil, not the weight or grade as labeled on the oil can. I want to stay away from those numbers as they are confusing. We are talking about oil thickness, not oil can labeling. This will be discussed later. Forget the numbers on that oil can for now. We are only discussing the thickness of the oil that the engine requires during normal operating conditions.

The engine is designed to run at 212 F at all external temperatures from Alaska to Florida. You can get in your car in Florida in September and drive zig-zag to Alaska arriving in November. The best thing for your engine would be that it was never turned off, you simply kept driving day and night. The oil thickness would be uniform, it would always be 10. In a perfect world the oil thickness would be 10 at all times and all temperatures.

If the thickness of oil was 10 when you got in your car in the morning and 10 while driving it would be perfect. You would not have to warm up your engine. You could just get in the car and step on the gas. There would be little wear and tear on you engine, almost none. Unfortunately the world is not perfect.

The night before when you drove home from work the car was up to the correct operating temperature and the oil was the correct thickness, 10. Over night the engine cooled to room temperature and the oil thickened. It is 75 F in the morning now (I do live in Florida). The oil thickness is now around 150. It is too thick to lubricate an engine designed to run with an oil having a thickness of 10.

It is time to introduce the concept of lubrication. Most believe that pressure = lubrication. This is false. Flow = lubrication. If pressure was the thing that somehow lubricated your engine then we would all be using 90 grade oil. Lubrication is used to separate moving parts, to keep them from touching. There is a one to one relationship between flow and separation. If you double the flow you will double the separation pressure in a bearing. The pressure at the bearing entrance is irrelevant.

In fact the relationship between pressure and flow is in opposition. If you change your oil to a thicker formula the pressure will go up. It goes up because the resistance to flow is greater and in fact the flow must go down in order for the pressure to go up. They are inversely related. Conversely if you choose a thinner oil then the pressure will go down. This can only occur if the flow has increased.

It seems then that we should all be using the thinnest oil money can buy. This is partly true. Let me use my old 575 Ferrari Maranello as an example. I drove this car around town. The manual of this car states the target pressure is 75 PSI at 6,000 RPM. The gold standard is that all engines should have a pressure of 10 PSI for every 1,000 RPM of operation, not more, not less. After all, you do need some pressure to move that oil along, but only enough pressure, not more. More pressure is not better, it can only result from the impedance of oil flow. Remember that oil flow is the only thing that does the lubricating.

Note that Ferrari is not saying what thickness of oil to use. That can only be determined by experimentation. My engine oil temperature was running around 185 F as I drove around town on a hot Florida summer day. I have found that the thinnest oil I can buy that is API / SAE certified is Mobil 1’s thinnest oil. Even with this oil I get 80 PSI at 2,000 RPM. It is too thick for my application yet it is the thinnest oil money can buy. If I was on a hot Florida track in mid-summer the oil temperature would probably get up to 302 F. I will guess that the pressure would only be 40 PSI at 6,000 RPM. The oil I am using would not meet the requirement of 75 PSI at 6,000 RPM from Ferrari. I would have to choose a thicker oil for this racing situation. The oil I use now would be too thin at that very high temperature. (This is only partly true. Higher RPM running engines use thinner and thinner oils to get more and more flow. I will discuss this later).

High flow does more than lubricate. It is one of the things used to cool the hottest parts of your engine, the pistons, valve areas and bearings. This cooling effect is as important as lubrication in your engine. If your engine is running hot you may need to use a thinner oil. The flow will increase and so will the cooling. This is even more important in the racing condition.

Let us go back to the Ferrari manual. My older 550 Maranello only specified 5W-40 Shell Helix Ultra as the oil to use in all conditions. This car was designed for racing. As it turns out Ferrari now recognizes that not every owner races their cars. The newer 575 manual now states to use 0W-40 for around town situations even though Shell does not make this oil in the Helix Ultra formulation at this writing. They also recommend the 5W-40 by Shell if you insist on the Shell product. It is also the recommended oil for most racing conditions.

Ferrari recommends Helix Ultra Racing 10W-60 “for hot climate conditions racing type driving on tracks”. Note that they now realize the difference between the daily urban driver like me and the very different racing situation. These are widely different circumstances. I want to emphasize that they only want you to use this oil while racing in “hot climate conditions”. If you are racing in Watkins Glen up north use the 5W-40. If you are racing in Sebring in the middle of the Florida summer use the 10W-60. Around town in any climate, use the 0W-40.

It is time to dispel the notion that 0W-30 oil is too thin when our manual calls for 10W-30. A 0W-30 is always the better choice, always. The 0W-30 is not thinner. It is the same thickness as the 10W-30 at operating temperatures. The difference is when you turn your engine off for the night. Both oils thicken over the evening and night. They both had a thickness, a viscosity of 10 when you got home and turned your engine off. That was the perfect thickness for engine operation.

As cooling occurs and you wake up ready to go back to work the next day the oils have gotten too thick for your engine to lubricate properly. It is 75 F outside this morning. One oil thickened to a viscosity of say 90. The other thickened to a viscosity of 40. Both are too thick in the morning at startup. But 40 is better than 90 on start up. Your engine wants the oil to have a thickness of 10 to work properly. You are better off starting with the viscosity of 40 than the honey - like oil with a viscosity of 90.

I repeat: More confusion occurs because people think in terms of the oil thinning when it gets hot. They think this thinning with heat is the problem with motor oil. It would be more correct to think that oil thickens when it cools to room temperature and THIS is the problem. In fact this is the problem. This is why multi-viscosity oils were developed.

This is the end of lesson number one.

Motor Oil 102Chapter two. It gets more difficult.

We left off discussing that a 0W-30 grade oil is not thinner than a 10W-30 oil. They both have the same thickness at operating temperature. The 0W-30 simply does not get as thick on cooling as the 10W-30. Both are still way to thick to lubricate an engine at startup.

I have heard several people say that Porsche specifically prohibits a 0W-XX engine oil, that it is too thin. Now here is the partial truth I spoke of earlier. We will discuss multi-grade oils. Earlier we said that a straight 30 grade oil has a thickness of 10 at the normal operating temperature of your engine. The multi-grade oils 0W-30 and 10W-30 also have a thickness of 10 at 212 F.

The difference is at 75 F, your startup temperature in the morning.

Oil type... Thickness at 75 F...Thickness at 212 F

Straight 30...... 250......................1010W-30............100......................100W-30..............40 ......................10

Straight 10........30....................... 6

Now you can see that the difference between the desired thickness your engine requires ( = 10 ) is closest to the 0W-30 oil at startup. It is still too thick for normal operation. But it does not have far to go before it warms up and thins to the correct viscosity. Remember that most engine wear occurs at startup when the oil is too thick to lubricate properly. It cannot flow and therefore cannot lubricate. Most of the thick oil at startup actually goes through the bypass valve back to the engine oil sump and not into your engine oil ways. This is especially true when you really step on that gas pedal. You really need more lubrication and you actually get less.

Note that a straight 10 grade oil is also too thick for your engine at startup. It has a thickness of 30. Yet at operating temperatures it is too thin having a thickness of 6. It needs to be around 10. The oil companies have added viscosity index improvers or VII to oils to solve this dilemma. They take a mineral based oil and add VI improvers so that it does not thin as much

when it gets hotter. Now instead of only having a thickness of 6 when hot it has a thickness of 10, just as we need.

The penalty is the startup thickness also goes up to 100. This is better than being up at 250 as a straight 30 grade oil though. Oil with a startup thickness of 100 that becomes the appropriate thickness of 10 when fully warmed up is called a 10W-30 grade motor oil. This is NOT as thick as a straight 30 grade oil at startup and it is NOT as thin as a straight 10 grade oil at full operating temperature.

The downside of a mineral based multi-grade oil is that this VII additive wears out over time and you end up with the original straight 10 grade oil. It will go back to being too thin when hot. It will have a thickness of 6 instead of 10. This may be why Porsche (according to some people) does not want a 0W-30 but rather a 10W-30. If the VII wears out the 0W-30 will ultimately be thinner, a straight 0 grade oil. When the VII is used up in the 10W-30 oil it too is thinner. It goes back to a straight 10 grade oil. They are both still too thick at startup, both of them. The straight 0 grade oil, a 5 grade oil and a 10 grade oil are all too thick at startup.

This is just theory however. With normal oil change intervals the VI improver will not wear out and so the problem does not really exist. In fact, oils do thin a little with use. This is partly from dilution with blow by gasoline and partly from VI improvers being used up. What is more interesting is that with further use motor oils actually thicken and this is much worse than the minimal thinning that may have occurred earlier.

Synthetic oils are a whole different story. There is no VI improver added so there is nothing to wear out. The actual oil molecules never wear out. You could almost use the same oil forever. The problem is that there are other additives and they do get used up. I suppose if there was a good way to keep oil clean you could just add a can of additives every 6 months and just change the filter, never changing the oil.

When the additives wear out in a synthetic oil it still has the same viscosity. It will not thin as a mineral oil. The fear that some say Porsche has that oils thin when the VII runs out is not applicable to these synthetic oils. These oils will always have the correct thickness when hot and will still be too thick at startup as with all oils of all types, regardless of the API / SAE viscosity rating.

Automotive engine manufacturers know these principals of motor oils. They know there is thinning or thickening that will occur. They take these things into account when they write that owners manual. Mineral oil change recommendations will generally include shorter time intervals than those of synthetic oils.

The reality is that motor oils do not need to be changed because they thin with use. It is the eventual thickening that limits the time you may keep oil in your engine. The limit is both time itself (with no motor use) and/or mileage use. The storage of motor oil in your garage, particularly mineral based oils, slowly ages the oil limiting its use later. Do not store huge volumes of oil in your garage that is exposed to extremes of temperature.

End of part two.

Motor Oil 103Part Three. You have a synthetic mind.

Let us compare mineral and synthetic oils. I will not talk about chemical but rather functional differences. We discussed before how mineral oils are too thick at startup yet too thin when hot. The viscosity was corrected with the hot engine by adding VI improvers.

A 10W-30 multi-grade mineral based oil is made from a 10 grade oil and has VI improvers added to thicken the product in a 212 F engine. It acts as a 30 grade oil when hot. It acts more as a 10 grade oil at startup. I remind you that a 10 or 5 or 2 grade oil is still too thick to provide lubrication at startup. They are all too thick at startup. There is currently no engine oil thin enough to operate correctly at startup. They all cause excessive wear at startup. Again, we are discussing the needs of my single hypothetical engine for around town driving.

Oil type.. Thickness at 75 F ..Thickness at 212 F (For mineral based oils)

Straight 30..........250....................1010W-30...............100....................100W-30.................40.....................10

Straight 10..........30.....................6Straight 5...........20.....................4Straight 2...........15.....................3Straight 0...........12.....................3 est.

Let’s look at the make up of synthetic based oils. A 10W-30 synthetic oil is based on a 30 grade oil. This is unlike the counterpart mineral oil based on a 10 grade oil. There is no VI improver needed. The oil is already correct for the normal operating temperature of 212 F. It has a thickness of 10 while you drive to work. It will never thin yet has the same long term problem as the mineral based oil. They both thicken with extended age.

Synthetic oils are derived in the laboratory. They are pure, usually nearly clear. I describe mineral based motor oils as a distilled, concentrated product. The impurities need to be removed from the raw petroleum. These oils are therefore less clean and contain many impurities. Again, the problem is really more of theory than practice but the difference does exist.

People repeatedly say that synthetic oils are more stable in a hot engine. I hear that they lubricate better. The answer is yes and no. Oil molecules do not break down, just the additives. Generally, the synthetic oils do not have VI improvers so have less to lose.

There are some properties of synthetic oils that actually result is less wear than with mineral

oils. These help increase your gas mileage as well. Due to a reduction of internal friction of the synthetic oil your engine will run a bit cooler. Wear increases as temperature increases, all other things being constant.

A main advantage that the synthetic has over the mineral based oil is the ability to lubricate at startup. Both types of oil have the same specifications at 104 F, 212 F and 302 F. It is the startup viscosity characteristics that separate these oils. Synthetic oils do not thicken as much on cooling. They have better fluidity as the temperature drops.

A synthetic oil that is labeled as 10W-30 is less honey like as a mineral based 10W-30 motor oil at startup. They both have a thickness of 10 at normal operating temperatures. At 75 F the synthetic is not as thick. At 32 F the difference between the two is even greater. At 0 F the mineral oil is useless yet the synthetic works fairly well. Just keep the RPM to a minimum.

At temperatures below zero you will not be able to start your car with mineral oils while the synthetic oils may be used to -40 or - 50 F. Oils are so thick that the normal method of viscosity measurement is not possible. Instead we measure if the oil can even be pumped or poured. Again, we are only discussing a single category of oil, the multi-grade 10W-30 API / SAE grade.

I took an except from the web about Mobil 1 oils. They compared a 5W-30 synthetic Mobil 1 oil to a mineral based 10W-30 and a 10W-40 in ice cold conditions. The engine turned over at 152 RPM with the synthetic 5W-30 Mobil 1. The 10W-30 and 10W-40 mineral oils turned over at 45 and 32 RPM respectively. Neither of those engines started.

Motor oil becomes permanently thicker with exposure to northerly winter type weather. This is more of a problem to mineral based oils. Waxes form. This is why it is a bad idea to even store a bottle of oil in a cold garage. It goes bad on the garage self just because it is exposed to the cold.

To recap, synthetic oils have similar characteristics as mineral oils at operating temperatures. The synthetic oil will however be less honey - like at startup even though it has the same API / SAE rating. Yet the synthetic 10W-30 grade oil is based on a heavier 30 grade oil while the mineral based 10W-30 oil is based on a thinner 10 grade oil. They are both similar at operating temperatures yet the 30 grade based synthetic is actually less thick at startup and much less honey - like at low temperatures. This is the opposite of what common sense dictates.

This is worth repeating: The synthetic 10W-30 grade oil is based on a heavier 30 grade oil while the mineral based 10W-30 oil is based on a thinner 10 grade oil. They are both similar at operating temperatures yet the 30 grade based synthetic is actually less thick at startup and much less honey - like at low temperatures. This is the opposite of what common sense dictates.

As one can see this is no easy topic. Are you with me?

Motor Oil 104Part Four. It is not what we thought.

Now let us finish talking about the differences of mineral verses synthetic oils. I will compare the same weigh or grade of oils showing that the operating viscosities are the same whereas the startup viscosities vary:

Mineral oil:

Oil type...Thickness at 75 F... at 212 F...at 302 F

Straight 30..........250....................10..........310W-30...............100....................10........ ..30W-30..........There are none in this range......

Synthetic oil:

Oil type...Thickness at 75 F... at 212 F...at 302 F

Straight 30...........100...................10...........310W-30.................75...................10........ ...30W-30...................40...................10...... .....3

Since the synthetic oil thickens less on shutdown your startup will be easier and so will the stress on your engine. This is perhaps the best thing the synthetic class has over the mineral based oils.

People sometimes use a thicker oil to minimize gasket leaks. This seems obvious to me. Repair the gasket. Do not destroy your engine with an oil that is too thick for proper function.

Some people have said they use thicker oils because they only use their cars every 2, 3 or 4 weeks. They are afraid that thin oils will fall off the engine parts and result in a lack of lubrication at startup. Think about your lawn mower over the winter. I gets gummed up solid. The oil and fuel thicken over time resulting in engine failure. Anyway, oil on the surface of parts does not lubricate. It is the FLOW of oil between parts that lubricates. Thick, old, waxy oil can only be bad.

I have seen several car owner manuals that are now stating that oils do not need to be changed but every 7,500 miles or more. The same manual also states OR every 12 months, whichever occurs first. My feeling is that you can probably go 5,000 miles on the average (in a sports car) but you must change your oil in the spring time at a minimum, particularly up north. Oils form

waxes in icy cold weather. There is a permanent thickening of the oil.

Some automotive manufacturers are backing down on oil change intervals to 5,000 miles or less and some advocate changing the oil at least every 6 months as well. I think this is because of the tendency for oils to thicken in very hot engines (not ambient conditions, just hot engines). Also because of thickening from the cold of winter and from sludge build up that cannot be filtered out.

I truly believe that oil is much better being too thin than too thick. Over the years we have been going to thinner and thinner oils despite hotter engines with turbos and the like. The tendency is that people figure they need a 40 grade oils but then use a 50 instead. Better thinking is that if you think you need a 40, use a 30 grade oil instead. I firmly believe this based on all I know about oils.

As it turns out synthetic oils do cling to parts better as they have higher film strength than mineral oils. Synthetics are thinner overall. They have greater slipperiness. Yet they stick better to engine parts. Again, this concept is the opposite of normal thinking.

The thickness of moving oil is measured in centiStokes or cS. Most engines want the oil viscosity to be around 10 cS at normal operating temperature. The really thick multi-grade oils have a viscosity of 20 cS at operating temperature. One is not twice as thick as the other, it is only 10 cS thicker.

As we increase the heat from 212 F to 302 F the most commonly recommended oil thins from 10 cS to 3 cS. The thicker oil drops from 20 cS to 4 cS. Note that in a very hot engine the difference between the two oils is now only 1 - 2 cS. In other words they have about the same thickness. There is little advantage to a thicker based oil as a 20W-50 at very high temperatures. No, the 4 cS oil is not twice as thick as the 2 or 3 cS oil. This difference is almost insignificant.

There is a huge advantage of using the thinner, 10W-30 at startup where 90 percent of the engine wear occurs. At 75 F the thicker oil has a viscosity in the range of 250 cS while the thinner oil has a viscosity of 100 cS. The thicker stuff is 150 cS thicker. This is a very big difference. I am using the 20W-50 as my thicker oil example here.

People are always asking about adding things as Slick 50 into the oil tank. Do not do this. The oil companies and engine manufacturers work together very hard to give you the product you need. Engines are running hotter, longer with more BHP from less CID. Smaller, more efficient engines are getting us more MPG and yet better acceleration. These engines last longer and are more reliable.

Part of that reason is the nature of the lubricants. There is a lot of competition to get us the best working motor oil. Independent additives cannot make the oil better and in many cases makes things worse. There have been engine failures as a result of adding some of these aftermarket additives to motor oil.

Motor oil that is labeled for RACING ONLY is not usable for every day driving. Often these have more additives that are toxic to your catalytic converters and the environment. These oils generally do not have detergents. These are very important for your engine unless you plan on taking it apart every few weeks and cleaning every single surface. The oils do not meet the API / SAE requirements for ratings as SJ, SL or now SM.

You do not need to use the exact oil type and brand that your car manual tells you to use. Oils are pretty general. They are not that different. Ferrari is married to Shell. If you call them up and ask to use Valvoline instead they will tell you that they have not tested that brand in their cars. They only tested the engine with Shell oils. They cannot comment on the performance of other oils in their engines. This is a fair statement. The reality is that the Shell and Valvoline oils of the same specification (viscosity, API and SAE ratings, synthetic or not) are very similar. ( I do have my bullet proof vest on ).

People often say that their old 1980 car manual says to use a specific Brand-X motor oil. They keep trying to locate these older oils. First, just about any oil brand that meets the original specifications will do. Second, all oils are much, much better now. They are all much better. One could say that synthetic oils are better than mineral oils but it is hard to say that one brand is that much better than any other. Personally, I do stick to the big names. It does not mean that small motor oil companies are not as good. They could be better for all I know.

Using an oil that is less thick at startup has other benefits. Let us compare a synthetic 10W-30 to a mineral based 10W-30. Both give you a viscosity of 10 cS at normal engine operating temperatures. They both thin to 3 cS at high temperatures. At 75 F tomorrow morning the story will be different. The startup viscosity of the synthetic will be 50 whereas the mineral based 10W-30 will be 100. Again, both are too thick at startup but the synthetic will cause less startup time period wear and tear. You will get a little better gas mileage too.

The synthetic lubricated engine will turn over easier. This has the effect of using less power from your starter motor. It will last longer. Your battery has less of a current draw. This will also last longer. The battery was discharged less during the start so the alternator will rob less power from your engine to recharge. The alternator lasts longer and you get a little better gas economy. The only downside of synthetic lubricants is the cost. They cost 2 or 3 times as much as mineral based oils. Never-the-less I use plain Pennzoil multi-grade mineral based 5W-20 in my Ford Expedition. This oil is thin enough at startup to have many of the attributes I just mentioned.

Motor Oil 105Part Five. Let’s use top gear:

Let’s go racing. I will discuss driving in traffic jams in the Florida summer as well as racing in Sebring though there is no commonality. People lump these two driving situations together but there is no overlap.

On the race track one usually uses all the BHP their engine can give them. You briefly step on the brakes for the corner then put the pedal to the metal the rest of the time. Your oil will get up to 302 F, but your cooling system is around 212 F. The engine produces tremendous heat but can only pass it off so fast to the cooling system. There is a lot of air moving past the cooling radiator so the antifreeze / coolant is able to get rid of the extra heat from this part of the system with relative ease.

The temperature of oil on your gauge is not as hot as it really gets. This temperature is an average with oil from different parts of the motor. Some parts are hotter than others. It is said that some of the oil gets as hot as 400 or 500 F in these racing situations.

In an earlier section I said that thicker oils are usually needed in racing situations but not necessarily. Remember that a major function of oil is to cool the inside of your engine. In ASTM D 4485 3.1.4: “Terminology: Engine oil- a liquid that reduces friction and wear between moving parts within an engine, and also serves as a coolant.” Since the oil with a viscosity of 10 cS at 212 F thins to a viscosity of 3 cS at 302 F we will get more flow. The pressure will go down some as well. This is OK as long as we have a minimum of pressure to move the oil.

This increased flow will result in increased cooling by the oil. This is a good thing. You would probably want more oil flow in these situations and you get it. The hotter oil thins and this increases flow. The higher flow works harder to separate the engine parts that are under very high stress. It all works out for the better. Higher revving engines need thinner oils. You do not necessarily need to go to a thicker oil while racing. Only experimentation will tell.

The best way to figure out what viscosity of oil you need is to drive the car in the conditions you will use. Then use the oil viscosity that gives you 10 PSI per 1,000 RPM under those circumstances. For some reason very few people are able to get this simple principal correct. I cannot explain further.

These same rules apply to engines of any age, loose or tight. Just because your engine is old does not mean it needs a thicker oil. It will need a thicker oil only if it is overly worn, whether new or old. Yet the same principals of 10 PSI per 1,000 RPM still apply. In all cases you need to try different grade oils and see what happens. Then choose the correct viscosity.

I used 0W-20 in my Ferrari 575 Maranello. It had over 5,000 miles on the clock. There will be a day (my estimate is 50,000 miles) when one will have to go to a 0W-30. In the future one will have to increase the viscosity to a 0W-40, then a 0W-50, maybe. You should use whatever it takes to get 75 PSI at 6,000 RPM during the lifetime of the engine. This formula works in all situations.

Some people have tried this and occasionally get a somewhat low oil pressure while at idle. This is fine. There is no stress on parts at idle, the smallest oil flow will do the trick. It is at higher RPM where more BHP is produced. This is where we need the flow. Remember that Ferrari uses 75 PSI at 6,000 RPM as the place to test your oil viscosity needs. If your oil gives this value under your driving conditions then your lubrication system has been maximized.

Period.

Do not go 5,000 miles with the same oil if you are racing your car. You should change the oil every 1 or 2,000 miles. If you drive your car around town then you need to change the oil for that situation. Use racing oil on the track and urban oil around town. The best situation as described by Ferrari is to use the 0W-40 around town and the 10W-60 “racing oil” on the track. It has to be that “hot” track though. A compromise situation would be to use the 5W-40 for both but this may not be optimal. Certainly, if you are just an urban driver as me use the 0W-40 or even a thinner oil as I do in my Maranello. Again, I used the 0W-20 grade.

FYI. The Formula 1 cars that run at 15,000 RPM and higher use straight 5 and 10 grade oils.

Now let me discuss what people think is a similar situation to racing. That is hot summer traffic jam driving. Your car should be able to handle this. If you have problems then you have a problem with your car, most likely in need of a cooling system overhaul.

When you drive that car down the road mid-winter in upstate New York or mid-summer in Florida the engine and oil temperatures will be around 212 F. But your Florida vacation is suddenly altered by a hurricane. You have to get out of Tampa, but so do a million other people. It is now 95 F and you are in a snarl. Everyone thinks they need a thicker oil for this situation. This is false.

Your engine is not producing much heat at low RPM and low BHP output. The production of heat is relatively slow. It can easily be transmitted to your cooling system. The problem is that your cooling system has trouble getting rid of the heat. The oil and the coolant will slowly rise in temperature. They both rise together. The increase is no big deal for your oil. It goes to 220, then 230 F. The problem is that the cooling system can only handle heat up to 230 F. After that you overheat the cooling system and the car must be shut off. The oil never got that hot, It was just that the water got a little hotter than its system design.

You now see that overheating in traffic is a cooling system problem and not an oil system problem. Do not change to a thicker oil based on your traffic situation.

Motor Oil 106Part Six. A personal recommendation. (Updated in 2010)

These are the motor oils I recommend. This is based on information that I just happened to collect. I have not gotten the specifications of all oils out there. My opinion on these oils is most based on viscosities. By this I mean less honey like at start up temperatures and appropriate for the required viscosity at operating temperature. I also looks at the oil tests others have done.

I broke it down to several classes, 1-Fully Synthetic, 2-Race Track Oils for Street Use, 3-Semi-Synthetic, 4-Mineral (dinosaur) Oils. The asterisk (*) is my preferred from each group of very similar products. And these are usually easier to find in my experience. Remember, all oils are too thick at start up. There is no such thing as an oil that is too thin below 100 F. The thinnest motor oil made is still too thick at start up temperatures of 75 F.

It seems that many engines work best with a multi-grade 30 weight / grade oils. Others would do better with a 20 grade oil and few would require a 40 grade oil. You can only determine what is best by experimenting. Admittedly I did not think my Ferrari Maranello would need a 20 grade oil. In truth I could actually have used a 10 grade oil. A 0W-10 would be good but it simply does not exist for normal use. Red Line does make 2W, 5W and 10W oils (this acts as a 0W-10 multi-grade oil) but they are for racing only. One Formula 1 team has actually used these very oils off the shelf from Red Line.

…..Synthetic Class…..

60 Grade:Agip Synthetic PC 20W-50 (a thick 50 wt oil)Redline straight 60 wt racing oil (racing only, acts as a SAE 20W-60 oil)*Penn Ultra Synthetic 10W-60Shell Helix Ultra Racing Oil 10W-60

50 Grade:Castrol Syntec 5W-50Penn Platinum Synthetic 5W-50Red Line 5W-50*

40 Grade:Amsoil 0W-40Castrol European Formula 0W-30 (a thicker 30 grade oil, almost a 40 grade oil)*Mobil One 0W-40Penn Ultra Synthetic 5W-40Renewable Lubricants Inc. 5W-40*

30 Grade:Mobil One 0W-30Penn (Any) Synthetic 5W-30Red Line 5W-20 (a thick 20 grade oil)*Renewable Lubricants Inc. 0W-30*

20 Grade:Mobil One 0W-20Pennzoil Platinum Synthetic 0W-20Renewable Lubricants Inc. 0W-20*Valvoline SynPower 5W-20

…..Race Oils for Street Use…..Use these when continued sump temperatures over 240 F are expected.

60 Grade: Redline straight 60 wt racing oil (racing only, not for the street, acts as a SAE 20W-60 oil)Shell Helix Ultra Racing Oil 10W-60Valvoline SynPower 20W-50

50 Grade:Castrol Syntec 5W-50Shell Helix Ultra 15W-50

40 Grade:Red Line 5W-40Penn Ultra Synthetic 5W-40Shell Helix Ultra 5W-40

30 Grade:Red Line 10W-30

20 Grade:Amsoil 5W-20Red Line 5W-20

…..Synthetic Blends…..

60 Grade:Castrol Syntec Blend 20W-50

50 Grade:Valvoline 20W-50

40 Grade:Agip 4-Synt 10W-40Valvoline Durablend 10W-40*

30 Grade:Castrol Syntec Blend 5W-30Motorcraft Blend 5W-30Valvoline Durablend 5W-30*

20 Grade:Motorcraft 5W-20*Valvoline Durablend 5W-20

…..Non-Synthetic…..

50 Grade:None recommended - all relatively too thick at start up.

40 Grade:Penn regular Multi-grade 10W-40*Valvoline All Climate 10W-40

30 Grade:Penn regular Multi-grade 5W-30*Valvoline All Climate 5W-30

20 Grade:Penn regular Multi-grade 5W-20Mobil Clean 5000 5W-20*

If while on the road you are forced to add oil there are rules. Let us say for example that our engine has synthetic Mobil One 0W-30. Use the same type and brand if you can. If you are using Mobil 1 then it is acceptable to mix different grades but use a close grade when possible. It is not a good idea to mix say 1/2 your oil tank with 0W-30 and 1/2 with 15W-50 Mobil 1. If there is no Mobil 1 available then use the mineral based Mobil oils next,.

The last choice is to mix a synthetic of another brand. They should not react adversely if mixed but it may dilute additives. This is not a good combination. Use this combination if you must but only until an oil change can safely be performed some time soon.

I personally used 0W-20 Mobil 1 in the 575 Maranello and for the first oil change I drained the Murcielago’s (OEM) 5W-40 Agip and replaced it with 0W-30 Mobil 1. The engine became much quieter. A valve tappet noise disappeared. I then used the 5W-20 Red Line in the Lamborghini. Used oil analysis showed that this oil worked well for my non racetrack application. The same oil went into my Maybach 57. My Enzo Ferrari calls for the Shell Helix Ultra racing 10W-60 but I have used the Castrol Syntec European Formula 0W-30. This is different than the easy to find plain 0W-30 Syntec. It MUST say European Formula across the front of the label. I buy it at AutoZone stores but it is often mixed with the plain stuff. I am now using Renewable Lubricants Inc. (RLI) 0W-30 in the Enzo and 0W-20 RLI in the new Maybach 57s AMG.

You have to try by experimentation what operating oil grade your engine requires. In all cases however, you want the oil that gets least honey-like at startup and thins to the appropriate thickness for normal operation. Always recheck the oil label as they change a lot.

Motor oil 107

Chapter Seven. What is the terminology from SAE and API.

Many think that the “W” in 10W-30 means “winter”.From SAE J300 p.2:"Two series of viscosity grades are defined in Table (1): (a) those containing the letter W and (b) those without. Single viscosity grade oils with the letter W are defined by maximum low temperature cranking and pumping viscosities and a minimum kinematic viscosity at 100C. Single grade oils without the letter W are based on a set of minimum and maximum kinematic viscosities at 100C and a minimum high shear rate viscosity at 150C. The shear rate will depend on the test method. Multi-grade grade oils are defined by both of these criteria....The W is just a designation of one type of testing vs another.

What is the viscosity of the various grade oils? The definitions are as follows:

From SAE J300, viscosities at 212 F...

20, range - 5.6 to 9.230, 9.3 - 12.440, 12.5 - 16.250, 16.3 - 21.860, 21.9 - 26.1

By a modified analysis the min. viscosity at 302 F...

20, 2.630, 2.940, 2.9 - 3.750, 3.760, 3.7

Note again that the difference between the 20 grade and 60 grade oils at 302 F is only about 1 (one). Whereas the difference in viscosity at 104 F is 120 units. The 20 grade has a viscosity of 40 and the 60 grade a viscosity of 160. The difference at startup (75 F) is even higher, probably 250 or 300. At ice cold temperatures the difference is in the thousands.

The American Petroleum Institute, API, and Society of Automotive Engineers, SAE, have rated engine oil performance over the years. We have seen the ratings go from SA, SB, SC, SD, SE, SF, SG, SH, SJ, SL with SM to follow. SI and SK were eliminated as they are used by other businesses. There are over 3 dozen tests that oil now must pass in order to make the next higher rating. The tests are defined by the American Society for Testing and Materials, ASTM. Some tests have progressed to a zero tolerance level. For example there can be no sticking of any piston rings any more. I will compare the SL rated oil to the previous SJ oil in a few categories. For simplicity I will skip the units of measurement:

.......S J........S L......

.......30........20......maximum cam plus lifter wear

........9.........7.8.....sludge build up

........5.........8.9.....varnish rating (more is better)

.......60.......45.......high temperature deposits

.......17.......10.......high temperature volatility

Other categories include: Resistance to rust, resistance to foaming, resistance to oil consumption, homogeneity and miscibility, flow reduction with varying amounts of absorbed moisture, gelation index and others.

As one can see just going from the previous SJ to the SL rating is a significant improvement. I cannot wait to get the upcoming SM oil into my cars. This is the current rating as of April 2010.

Regarding cool whether gel formation, a small except from SAE j300 1999:4. Because engine pumping, cranking and starting are all important at low temperatures the selection of an oil for winter operation should consider both the viscosity required for oil flow as well as cranking and starting, at the lowest expected ambient temperature.Pumping viscosity is a measure of an oils ability to flow...during the initial stages of operation. Test in ASTM D 4684. ....samples are tested after a slow cool cycle. This cycle has predicted as failures several SAE 10W-30 and 10W-40 oils which are known to have suffered pumping failures in the field after short-term (2 days or less) cooling. These field failures are believed to be the result of the oil forming gel structures that result in excessive yield stress and viscosity of the engine oil...A.2.1...After preliminary warming, the sample is subjected to a controlled temperature/time cycle over 5 1/2 to 7 days. The cycle reproduces ...instability or reversion which has occurred during storage of oils in moderately cold cyclic conditions. Recent work shows relevance to engine oil pumpability failure. Oils exhibiting pour reversion have solids resulting from wax gel formation, at temperatures significantly higher than their ASTM D 97 pour points.Extracted, from ASTM D 4485-03 Standard Specification for Performance of Engine Oils, copyright ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, Wets Conshohocken, PA 19428, USA.

My point is that tests are not just laboratory concoctions. They design tests to match real life conditions.

I used 5W-20 Pennzoil mineral based multi-grade oil in my Expedition as it has many of the low temperature characteristics of higher grade synthetic oils. My '04 manual states that the SUV is delivered with a Ford semi-synthetic oil and although regular oil can be used they recommend a semi or full synthetic oil. For the differential gear oil they used 75W-140 in my ‘98 Expedition but now recommend 75W-90. If I was towing 8,000 lbs. then I would need the semi or full synthetic 5W-20. But for my usual around town driving a plain, mineral based oil is plenty good.

Please note that it makes no difference what oil you are using. The 0W-20 Mobil 1 that is SL

rated meets the same criteria as that SL rated 10W-30 synthetic or mineral based Pennzoil. That SJ or in particular that SH oil some people are looking for (from their older automotive owners manual) is no where near as good as any SL oil of today. Always use the most currently available, highest rated motor oil, even in the oldest, most worn engine. You may require a thicker grade but just make sure it is SL or SM rated.

The SH rating was used in oils starting 1993. The SJ rating started in 1997 while the SL became effective in 2001 oils. According to ASTM D 4485, SL rated oils are superior to previous oils and from:X2.3.1 and 2: SL oil is for use in current and all earlier passenger cars, sport utility vehicles, vans, and light trucks. This SL rated oil can be used in engines requiring SJ and All Earlier Categories.

Concern: People are worried about the SM oils not having as much ZDDP as the SL and older oils. The reason ZDDP has been used for years is not because of its superior performance but rather its low cost and dual function as an antioxidant. It also has anticorrosive properties.

There are other additives. Some newer oils do not have any ZDDP, and they are excellent products. Just the same, I prefer oils with ZDP for now. The research shows that 0.03 is all that is needed and has the same function as higher levels. The only reason to have more is because your engine is consuming the ZDDP secondary to borderline lubrication from oil alone.

And lastly, too much can be corrosive itself and has shown in some tests to actually increase wear.

See: American Society for Testing and Materials- www.astm.org........Society of Automotive Engineers- www.sae.org........American Petroleum Institute- www.api.org

Motor Oil 108Chapter Eight. Odds and ends.

I have some stories that I collected. First, my architect drives a big SUV. He was running with Mobil 1 brand 15W-50. He changed it to Pennzoil Multi-grade (mineral oil based, non-synthetic, cheap) 5W-20 at my suggestion. His gas mileage went from 10 to 13 MPG around town. What really impressed him the most was the “robust” increase in “get up and go.” He changed from a thick synthetic to a thin mineral oil. His venue is stop and go city traffic in Florida, mostly short trips. The oil just never got that hot to require a 50 grade oil. Short trips means that the oil temperature never gets up to the normal operating range. It was too thick on short trips and too thick when it did get up to temperature.

The lower temperatures he saw with the thinner oil occurred because of reduced friction and

internal drag and higher oil flow.

One of the members of the Ferrari Chat web site went from a 40 to a 30 grade oil in his Ferrari 355 for racing in Texas. He noticed a drop in temperature but no change in oil pressure. This may seem odd but really makes perfect sense. Since the 30 grade oil is thinner he got better flow and therefore better cooling. The oil was at a lower temperature so it was not as thin than it would have been at the previous higher temperature. Cooler engines last longer. Fact: The higher the temperature, the greater the wear, all other things being equal.

People say that their old car manual says to use a 10W-40 so they would never think of using a 0W-40. Again, both are the same viscosity at normal engine operating temperature. The 0W-40 just does not thicken as much after you turn off your engine. There are now several cases when manuals for older cars have been updated to reflect this. My 550 Ferrari Maranello manual said to use 5W-40 yet the 575 manual says to use the 0W-40. The engines are the same except the 575 has more BHP. It has better acceleration and more top speed. The engines have the same tolerances.

All manufacturers I have seen are specifying 0W-XX or 5W-XX oils now. Honda, Ferrari, Ford, Mercedes, Porsche, and others specify a 0 or 5W-XX oil to mention a few. These are appropriate for all engines of all ages of all levels of wear. This second number is the only thing that may change with an older, lose or worn engine. This can only be determined by experimentation. If you are using XW-50, go to a 0W-40. If your pressures are still too high go to a 0W-30 and so on.

When I took delivery of my 575 Maranello I drove for 500 miles then changed the oil to 0W-30 Mobil 1. There were no changes in operating pressure or temperature. Starting the engine seemed faster though. I called up FNA and was told that all new Ferrari Maranellos are delivered with 5W-30 Shell Helix Ultra. That is when I decided to try the 0W-20 Mobil 1. I could have gone to a 10 grade oil as my pressures were still excessive while driving around town. I do not drive on the track.

What about the break in period? For one thing you could just follow the car’s manual and gradually break your engine in. Some cars like Ferrari and Lamborghini run engines and the cars for a period of time before you even take delivery. They often run up to full power. Some representatives at least from Ferrari hinted that the traditional break in period was not really needed, at least in their cars.

Most people who buy high powered cars that I have experienced will just get in there cars and step on the gas fully. They do not wait for the oil to warm up. Personally I would not mind running full BHP for short bursts during the break in period but I always fully warm up the engine first. Water / coolant warms up on just a few minutes but oils takes up to 30 minutes to get up to just the normal operating temperature of around 200 F.

Older engines may in fact benefit from thinner oil use. Over time permanent deposits of carbon and sludge build up in the engine oil ways. It is like a clogging of arteries in humans. We are now all on blood thinners. This is an area I specifically studied while a general surgeon

resident at Chapel Hill.

Thinner oils, and specifically synthetic products are better. Some people say their engines were “designed” to run on mineral based lubricates. I have not seen anything to support this theory. The synthetic of the same viscosity as the mineral oil you are now using will be an improvement. If you go from a mineral to an even thinner synthetic you may be better off still. The pressures go up in many older engines because of this “clogging” of the arteries. Most think this is good but it is really a lessening of flow and therefore accelerates engine wear even further.

For those engines with excessive varnish and carbon buildup the engine oil additives of the detergent type may be of benefit. On the other hand you could just use a thin synthetic oil and change it every 200 miles for a while and end up with an even cleaner engine. With everything working properly you may actually need a thicker oil if that engine is overly worn. The thicker oil would be a disaster however, if the arteries were narrowed from deposits.

Remember, the only difference between a 0W-40 and a 10W-40 is that the 0W-40 thickens less after you turn off your engine. It is still too thick in the morning at startup but not as thick as the 10W-40. Yet, they are still too thick to use until they both warm up to operating temperature at which point they have the save viscosity, around 13 to 14. Remember that the 0W-30, 10W-30 and straight 30 grade oils all have a viscosity of around 10 at normal engine operating temperatures. They all thicken when you turn off your engine. The 10W-30 will thicken the most.

There is one more thing. A 20 grade oil is not half as thick as a 40 grade oil. The real scale is more like the oils having an absolute thickness of 108 and 114. Now it can be seen that the 40 grade oil is only around 10 percent thicker than the 20 grade oil. The difference is not that much at operation but at startup the difference is significant. Pressure / flow dynamics go along with this 10 percent figure. A 30 grade oil should be thought of as having an absolute viscosity of 110 and a 50 grade oil has an absolute viscosity of 120. I am talking about the viscosity at operating temperatures.

I thought everyone knew that 90 percent of engine wear occurs during the startup period because oil is just too thick. Some think it is good to have a thicker oil for startup since the parts shrink when cold and would otherwise “rattle.” Sure, your piston diameter will shrink on cooling but so will the diameter of your bore. The net result is about the same clearance hot and cold. This is not true for your valves. They lengthen when extremely hot. In the Murcielago they use shims instead of self adjusting valve tappets. You need to put a millimeter of clearance there so that after expansion the valve will not be held partly open when it is supposed to be closed.

If it were true that thicker oils were needed at startup then the manufacturers would not be requesting oils that thicken less on cooling. They would just specify that one should use a straight 30 or 40 grade oil. Instead, over time, they have been specifying thinner and thinner oils.

The manufacturers know what parts shrink or expand and the clearance changes that result. You do not have to worry about this. If it was that easy to design engines we would all be making them.

I would like to go back to the worry that oil falls off the parts when a car is stored or sees long periods of inactivity. For the first oil change in my 575 Maranello I drained the Shell and put in 0W-30 Mobil 1. This was at a few hundred miles on the odometer. I drove the car home from work, put it on the lift and drained the transaxle and engine oils. I also opened and drained the oil cooler and took off every line that is in the oil system. I wanted to get every speck of the Shell oil out of there. For optimal results you are not supposed to mix synthetic oils of different brands.

The system takes 12 quarts with a “normal” oil change but took 15 quarts for this change. It all took about an hour. I then started the engine to check for leaks. The multitude of mechanical engine noises that followed nearly broke my eardrums for about 10 long seconds. Then it was suddenly very quiet. You could hear a pin drop. There was certainly the most possible amount of surface oil on all the internal parts as the engine was only off for an hour. But it was not until the oil circuit primed, filled, then sent flow into all the parts that any lubrication was occurring. Hence all oil filters that are manufacturer certified have back flow limiters to keep the oil filter full even with the engine off.

Here is an interesting tidbit of information. A 75W-90 gear oil has the same viscosity as a 10W-40 engine oil at 212 and 302 F. Once again, those numbers on that oil can are misleading and certainly add to the confusion I see among automotive enthusiasts. At 75 F gear oils are much thicker than motor oils. There are no start up issues so pour point depressants are not added that minimize the thickening with cooling in gear oils.

Motor Oil 109Chapter nine. Let’s start over.

We have seen that 0W-30, 5W-30, 10W-30 and straight 30 grade oils all have the exact same viscosity at 212 and 302 F. What about startup viscosities? Do 0W-20, 0W-30 , and 0W-40 all have the same viscosity at a 75 F startup. The answer is no. The SAE J300 standard allows for this discrepancy. Here are some examples:

..Viscosity at 75 F startup..

...0W-20.....0W-30.....0W-40

.....40............50...........60

The numbers are not exact but they show clearly that the ”0” represents different startup viscosities. This is unlike the 0W-30, 5W-30, 10W-30 and straight 30 grade oils that all have the exact same viscosity in a hot engine = 10 cS.

I would like to comment on the following statements made by a knowledgeable automotive enthusiast:“Pressure and flow are tied together with viscosity, but none have anything to do with lubrication. Lubrication is a property of the fluid, not the force. The oil pump would pump water just as well, but it would offer no real lubrication. If we double the pressure, we double the flow. If you decrease the viscosity to a lighter oil, you increase flow at a loss of pressure. High flow helps to carry away more heat. High pressure helps to keep metal parts like the bearings out of contact with each other (scuffing).”

Here is one example. Take an air conditioner closed bearing compressor for your home’s A/C unit. Put a nipple on the bearing at one end of the shaft. Now pressurize the bearing. It will do nothing extra to reduce wear, nothing.

I give you the following example to help visualize what is happening with motor oil. This assumes the oil has no internal resistance. In actuality doubling the pressure will not double the flow but will be slightly less. And thicker oils have more resistance than thinner oils for all situations. But simplified we get the following:

For a 30 grade oil at operating temperature:RPM....Pressure..Flow1,000......20 PSI....12,000......40 PSI....24,000......80 PSI....48,000... 160 PSI....8 The maximum flow because of the oil pop off valve at 90 PSI will be 5

For a 30 grade oil at operating temperatureand a higher output oil pump:RPM....Pressure..Flow1,000......30 PSI....1.52,000......60 PSI....34,000....120 PSI....6 The maximum flow because of the oil pop off valve at 90 PSI will be 58,000... 240 PSI....12

If we stick with the same grade oil and increase the oil pump output we will increase the pressure and the oil flow too. If we double the oil pump output we will double the pressure and we will double the oil flow (in an ideal system). But we are always limited by the oil relief valve:

RPM....Pressure..Flow1,000......40 PSI....22,000......80 PSI....44,000....160 PSI....8 The maximum flow because of the oil pop off valve at 90 PSI will be 5

8,000... 320 PSI....16

Let us compare a 40 grade oil at operating temperature:The oil is thicker, has more internal resistance and therefore requires more pressure to get the same flow (baseline engine).RPM....Pressure..Flow1,000......30 PSI....12,000......60 PSI....24,000....120 PSI....4 The maximum flow because of the oil pop off valve at 90 PSI will be 38,000....240 PSI....8

For a 40 grade oil at operating temperatureand a higher output oil pump:RPM....Pressure..Flow1,000......45 PSI....1.52,000......90 PSI....3 The maximum flow because of the oil pop off valve at 90 PSI will be 34,000....180 PSI....68,000... 360 PSI....12

For a 40 grade oil at operating temperaturewith the original pressures:RPM....Pressure..Flow1,000......20 PSI....0.52,000......40 PSI....14,000......80 PSI....28,000... 160 PSI....4 The maximum flow because of the oil pop off valve at 90 PSI will be 3

Increasing the pressure while using the same oil will increase the oil flow but increasing the pressure by increasing the oil thickness will result in less flow. It takes more pressure to move a thicker oil. When you go to a thicker oil the pressure goes up because of the increased resistance, and therefore reduction of flow. Because the pressure is higher sooner, the relief valve cuts in sooner. Flow will actually be less when the RPM is up and the flow is needed the most.

There is more to these graphs but I will continue with the next chapter.

Furthermore, in review, pressure does not equal lubrication. Let us look again at a single closed “lifetime lubricated” bearing. We could hook up a system to pressurize the bearing. This can actually be done. We could have the oil at ambient pressure. We could then double, triple, quadruple the pressure of the oil. The oil is non-compressible. Regardless of the pressure we would have the exact same lubrication, that of the ambient pressure lubrication.

The physics of lubrication as I said earlier show a 1:1 relationship of flow to separation pressure. Lubrication itself is pressure independent. I will not go into the mathematical equations for this.

Even water can be used as a lubricant. This is partly because of its high surface tension. It is used in many medical devices and other systems that are under or exposed to water. It is just that water rusts metal parts making this unsuitable for automotive engines. It actually has a higher specific heat than oil. It can therefore carry away more heat than oil from bearing surfaces. In this respect water is a better lubricant than oil.

Motor Oil 201Chapter 10, The graduate.

I am going to bring up the constant flow pump concept. First, it goes back to the principal that doubling the pressure of the same grade oil does not exactly double the flow but it is close. Also doubling the RPM for the same reason does not exactly double the flow but again it is close.

This shows the problem best:

(A) For a 30 grade oil at operating temperature:RPM....Pressure..Flow1,000......20 PSI....12,000......40 PSI....24,000......80 PSI....48,000... 160 PSI....8 The maximum flow because of the oil pop off valve at 90 PSI will be 5

(B) For a 30 grade oil at operating temperatureand a higher output oil pump:RPM....Pressure..Flow1,000......30 PSI....1.52,000......60 PSI....34,000....120 PSI....6 The maximum flow because of the oil pop off valve at 90 PSI will be 58,000... 240 PSI....12

If we stick with the same grade oil and increase the oil pump output we will increase the pressure and the oil flow too. If we double the oil pump output we will double the pressure and we will double the oil flow.

(C) For a 40 grade oil at operating temperature:The oil is thicker, has more internal resistance and therefore requires more pressure to get the same flow. Compare this with (A):RPM....Pressure..Flow

1,000......30 PSI....12,000......60 PSI....24,000....120 PSI....4 The maximum flow because of the oil pop off valve at 90 PSI will be 38,000....240 PSI....8

(D) For a 40 grade oil at operating temperatureand a higher output oil pump:RPM....Pressure..Flow1,000......45 PSI....1.52,000......90 PSI....3 The maximum flow because of the oil pop off valve at 90 PSI will be 34,000....180 PSI....68,000... 360 PSI....12

The situations (A) and (C) are close to real life, assuming no loss in the system. This is what happens when you change the 30 grade oil to a 40 grade oil in your car:

(A) For a 30 grade oil at operating temperature:RPM....Pressure..Flow1,000......20 PSI....12,000......40 PSI....24,000......80 PSI....48,000... 160 PSI....8 The maximum flow because of the oil pop off valve at 90 PSI will be 5

(C) For a 40 grade oil at operating temperature:The oil is thicker, has more internal resistance and therefore requires more pressure to get the same flow.RPM....Pressure..Flow1,000......30 PSI....12,000......60 PSI....24,000....120 PSI....4 The maximum flow because of the oil pop off valve at 90 PSI will be 38,000....240 PSI....8

At 6,000 RPM the maximum rate of flow has been reached with the thinner oil (A). When you go to 7, 8 or 9,000 RPM you do not get any more flow. You only get a maximum rate of 5. The internal forces on the bearings increase but there is no additional flow of oil.

With the thicker oil you reach maximum flow at 3,000 RPM (C). Worse yet is that the maximum flow is now only 3. As we increase RPM to 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,000 RPM we get no additional pressure and no additional flow, no increase in lubrication.

Next let us look at a 20 grade oil at operating temperature. We get the same flow out of our constant volume pump but the thinner oil requires less pressure to move through the system. This even goes along with the rule that we should use an oil that gives us 10 PSI per 1,000 RPM:

(D) RPM....Pressure..Flow

1,000......10 PSI....12,000......20 PSI....24,000......40 PSI....48,000.. ...80 PSI....8

The maximum flow rate has not been reached. If the engine went to 9,000 RPM then the flow would be 9 at 90 PSI, our maximum pressure at pop off. The engine now has 3 times the flow rate as with the 40 grade oil at full RPM. The nozzles at the bottom of each cylinder are spraying 3 times the amount of oil lubricating and cooling this section. Everything runs cooler and the separation forces in the bearings are 3 times higher.

For engines that redline at 5,000 RPM they usually pop off the oil pressure at 50 to 60 PSI. For engines that go to 8-9,000 RPM the pressures max out at 90-100 PSI. You can now see that you can only get the maximum flow rate if you follow the 10 PSI / 1,000 RPM rule.

The winner: 0W-20 grade oil for my Maranello. I said earlier that I could have used a 10 grade oil. I actually only ran with 185 F oil temperatures around town and the pressures were similar to the 40 grade oil example in (C) above. This is why I also said that in the racetrack condition, with hotter, thinner (0W-20) oil, I may actually get the optimal results as in (D) above.

Now let us go back to the Ferrari recommended parameters in my 575 Maranello manual. It calls for 75 PSI at 6,000 RPM. The pop off pressure has not been reached. As we now increase the RPM we still get an increase in flow rate. This is what we need and this is exactly what they are recommending. We get our maximum flow at the maximum system pressure, at about the maximum engine RPM of 7,700. There is no bypassing of the oil. All oil pumped goes through the system. There is no wasted BHP pumping oil past the bypass valve back to the oil tank. It is the perfect system.

Finally I will compare a single, 30 grade oil, at normal (212 F) and at racetrack (302 F) temperatures:

(A) For a 30 grade oil at normal (212 F) operating temperature:RPM....Pressure..Flow1,000......20 PSI....12,000......40 PSI....24,000......80 PSI....48,000... 160 PSI....8 The maximum flow because of the oil pop off valve at 90 PSI will be 5

(E) For a 30 grade oil at elevated (302 F) operating temperature. The oil is thinner at 302 F. It requires less pressure to get the same flow:RPM....Pressure..Flow1,000......10 PSI....12,000......20 PSI....24,000......40 PSI....48,000......80 PSI....8 The maximum flow because of the oil pop off valve at 90 PSI will be 9

The hotter (302 F) 30 grade oil is thinner than the cooler (212 F) 30 grade oil. It has the same flow rate in the constant volume oil pump but at a lower pressure than the oil at normal operating temperature. This allows for a doubling of the flow rate at peak RPM. The thinning of oil at higher temperatures is a benefit. You get more flow, more cooling and more lubrication.

The 30 grade oil at 302 F has the exact same flow rate and pressures as the 20 grade oil at 212 F. See (D) above. Therefore, use the 20 grade for around town driving and the 30 grade on the hot track. You get maximum flow at each situation.

For YOUR engine, substitute the actual flow at 1,000 RPM. If your engine puts out 1.5 liters/min. at 1,000 RPM it would put out 3 liters/min. at 2,000 RPM and 6 liters/min. at 4,000 RPM and so on. The maximum flow in (A) would be 7.5 liters/min. In situations (D) and (E) you would get a maximum of 13.5 liters/min.

Conclusions:The reason that multi-grade oils were developed in the first place was to address the problem of oil thickening after engine shutdown. Over the years we have been able to reduce the amount of thickening that occurs. Never-the-less there is no oil that does not thicken after you turn your engine off. This is why we have to warm up our engines before revving them up. Engine designers always pick the recommended oil based on a hot engine and hot oil. There is no issue with oil thinning as they are both matched when hot. The problem is oil thickening when the engine cools.

Cold engine showing very high pressures because of the thickened oil at startup:

For a 40 grade oil at 75 F at startup:The oil is thicker, has more internal resistance and therefore requires more pressure to get the same flow.RPM....Pressure..Flow1,000......60 PSI....12,000....120 PSI....2 The maximum flow because of the oil pop off valve at 90 PSI will be 1.54,000....240 PSI....48,000....480 PSI....8

At 1,500 RPM you reach the maximum oil flow rate and if you run to 8,000 RPM it is the same rate. The flow cannot increase and it is insufficient. This is why we must wait until our oil temperature comes up to 212 F or higher. The maximum flow rate in this case will then double, up to 3. To get even more flow in our test engine you need to use a lower viscosity grade.

If you have absorbed and digested the information here you should be able to pick out the proper operating oil grade for your car, be it a 30, 40, 50 or even 20 grade oil. I have always used oils that were a grade thinner than recommended even though many use a grade thicker than recommended. I showed evidence that the starting grade should always be 0 or 5 (0W-XX or 5W-XX for thicker oils). If you want the best protection and highest output from your motor

use a synthetic based oil. The actual brand is not as critical as the viscosity. The rating must be the SL or SM rating. Change your oil every 3 - 5,000 miles and at least every spring.

Final examination to follow later.

THE END

Motor Oil Midterm ExaminationAnswer questions without looking back. This is a closed book exam. Base your answers on the information provided in these past chapters.

1- At normal operating temperature, 212 F, a straight 30 grade oil has a viscosity of how many centiStokes?A- 3B- 6C- 10D- 20E- 30

2- While racing at 95 F, mid-summer in Florida, which of these synthetic oils gives the best protection at 302 F oil temperature?A- 0W-40B- 5W-40C- 10W-40D- Straight 40 gradeE- They are all exactly the same

3- While starting up your car at 75 F, mid-winter in Florida, what is the approximate viscosity of a straight 10 (ten) grade motor oil?A- 3 cSB- 6 cSC- 10 cSD- 20 cSE- 30 cS or higher

4- The biggest problem with mineral based motor oils with long term use is:A- ThinningB- ThickeningC- Loss of VI (viscosity index) improversD- Both A and CE- None of the above is correct

5- Which of the following mineral based motor oils are still too thick at a 75 F startup

temperature? A- 20 gradeB- 10 gradeC- 5 gradeD- All of the aboveE- None are too thick

Answers to the Oil Midterm ExamI feel these were all difficult questions. You would be doing well to get 3 correct.

1- At normal operating temperature, 212 F, a straight 30 grade oil has a viscosity of how many centiStokes?A- 3B- 6C- 10D- 20E- 30The correct answer is C- 10 cS.

2- While racing at 95 F, mid-summer in Florida, which of these synthetic oils gives the best protection at 302 F oil temperature?A- 0W-40B- 5W-40C- 10W-40D- Straight 40 gradeE- They are all exactly the sameThe correct answer is E- They are all exactly the same.

3- While starting up your car at 75 F, mid-winter in Florida, what is the approximate viscosity of a straight 10 (ten) grade motor oil?A- 3 cSB- 6 cSC- 10 cSD- 20 cSE- 30 cS or higherThe correct answer is E- 30 cS or higher.

4- The biggest problem with mineral based motor oils with long tern use is:A- ThinningB- ThickeningC- Loss of VI (viscosity index) improversD- Both A and C

E- None of the above is correctThe correct answer is B- Thickening

5- Which of the following mineral based motor oils are still too thick at a 75 F startup temperature? A- 20 gradeB- 10 gradeC- 5 gradeD- All of the aboveE- None are too thickThe correct answer is D- All of the above

Motor Oil Final ExaminationAnswer questions without looking back. This is a closed book exam. Base your answers on the information provided in these past chapters.

1- While starting up your car at 75 F, mid-winter in Florida, which of these synthetic oils provides the least startup resistance, minimal battery and starter motor load?A- 0W-20B- 0W-30C- 0W-40D- 0W-50E- They are all exactly the same

2- While vacationing in Orlando, it is 104 F mid-summer in Florida. The rental car company put a straight mineral based 30 grade oil in their car because they wanted the operating temperature viscosity to be at 10 cS. What will be the approximate viscosity of the oil when you start up your engine now? (Closest answer)A- 10 cSB- 20 cSC- 30 cSD- 100 cSE- 400 cS

3- While vacationing in Florida you are able to race your car at the Sebring track. At an oil temperature of 302 F what is the approximate difference in viscosity between a 20 and 40 grade oil. (Pick the closest number)A- 1B- 10

C- 20D- 40E- 400

4- Assume there are no losses in the system and your oil pump is truly volume based. Also assume there is no cut off pressure valve and you are using a 40 grade motor oil. If at 1,000 RPM your pressure is 30 and your pump output is 1 (one), what will the pressure and output be at redline, 8,000 RPM?A- 240 PSI, flow = 8B- 180 PSI, flow = 8C- 240 PSI, flow = 4D- 180 PSI, flow = 4E- 120 PSI, flow = 8

5- Water can be used as a lubricant.A- TrueB- False

6- If you increase the pressure in a bearing, all other things being constant, the force of separation between the parts increases.A- TrueB- False

7- The best grade oil for racing any Ferrari or Lamborghini is a 40 grade multi-grade synthetic oil like Mobil One 0W-40.A- TrueB- False

8- For my Maranello 575 the 0W-20 grade Mobil 1 oil was actually too thick for my driving conditions.A- TrueB- False

9- The major problem with engine oil is that it thins with increasing temperature.A- TrueB- False

10- Your 1993 sports car manual states to use an API / SAE SH rated 10W-40 mineral based motor oil. Your engine has only 1,550 miles on the odometer. On your next oil change it would be better to use a SM rated 0W-40 synthetic oil.A- TrueB- False

11- According to SAE J300 a 30 grade oil has a viscosity of between 9.3 and 12.4 centiStokes at operating temperature (212 F).A- True

B- False

12- In my list of recommended oils what did I list as the best mineral based motor oil in the 50 grade class?A- Pennzoil multi-grade 20W-50B- Castrol GTX 15W-50C- Red Line 10W-50D- Valvoline Durablend 0W-50E- No oil was recommended

13- You are running 5W-40 Shell Helix Ultra fully synthetic motor oil in your Mercedes Benz. You are in a K-Mart shopping center and checked your oil and it is 1 1/2 quarts low. You will need to add one can of oil. Which of the following is the best choice.A- Mobil 1 - 0W-40B- Pennzoil Synthetic 5W-40C- Red Line Synthetic 5W-40D- Castrol Syntec 0W-30E- Shell mineral based 10W-40

14- Motor oils that are labeled “for racing only” should not be used for everyday driving because:A- They do not have detergentsB- They may have harmful levels of some additivesC- They are generally unrated, there is no SJ, SL or SM approvalD- You would have to take your engine apart and clean it periodicallyE- All of the above

15- ASTM stands for:A- Automotive Standards and Test MethodsB- Automotive Society for Tooling and MachiningC- American Society for Testing and MaterialsD- American Standards Trade and ManufacturingE- Society for American Standard Testing Methods

16- If your engine is running too hot at higher RPM one thing you can try to bring the temperature down is to use a thinner oil.A- TrueB- False

17- Oil with a startup thickness of 100 (at 75 F) that becomes the appropriate thickness of 10 when fully warmed up (212 F) is called a 10W-30 grade motor oil.A- TrueB- False

18- A main advantage that the synthetic has over the mineral based oil of the same grade is the ability to lubricate better at startup.

A- TrueB- False

19- In ASTM D 4485 3.1.4: Engine oil is defined as - - “a liquid that reduces friction and wear between moving parts within an engine, and also serves as a coolant.” A- TrueB- False

20- I am (single best answer):A- SurgeonB- BiochemistC- ‘Halfass mechanicD- Absurdly interested in motor oilsE- All of the above

Answers below:

Answers to the Oil Final ExamI feel these were all very difficult questions. You would be doing well to get 10 correct.

1- While starting up your car at 75 F, mid-winter in Florida, which of these synthetic oils provides the least startup resistance, minimal battery and starter motor load?A- 0W-20B- 0W-30C- 0W-40D- 0W-50E- They are all exactly the sameThe correct answer is A- 0W-20.

2- While vacationing in Orlando, it is 104 F mid-summer in Florida. The rental car company put a straight mineral based 30 grade oil in their car because they wanted the operating temperature viscosity to be at 10 cS. What will be the approximate viscosity of the oil when you start up your engine now?A- 10 cSB- 20 cSC- 30 cSD- 100 cSE- 400 cSThe correct answer is D- 100 cS

3- While vacationing in Florida you are able to race your car at the Sebring track. At an oil temperature of 302 F what is the approximate difference in viscosity between a 20 and 40 grade oil. Pick the closest number.A- 1B- 10C- 20D- 40E- 400The correct answer is A- 1

4- Assume there are no losses in the system and your oil pump is truly volume based. Also assume there is no cut off pressure valve and you are using a 40 grade motor oil. If at 1,000 RPM your pressure is 30 and your pump output is 1 (one), what will the pressure and output be at redline, 8,000 RPM?A- 240 PSI, flow = 8B- 180 PSI, flow = 8C- 240 PSI, flow = 4D- 180 PSI, flow = 4E- 120 PSI, flow = 8The correct answer is A- 240 PSI, flow = 8

5- Water can be used as a lubricant.A- TrueB- FalseThe correct answer is A- True

6- If you increase the pressure in a bearing, all other things being constant, the force of separation between the parts increases.A- TrueB- FalseThe correct answer is B- False

7- The best grade oil for racing any Ferrari or Lamborghini is a 40 grade multi-grade synthetic oil like Mobil One 0W-40.A- TrueB- FalseThe correct answer is B- False. It can best be determined by driving the car with one type of oil and follow the pressures and temperatures of your oil.

8- For my Maranello 575 the 0W-20 grade Mobil 1 oil was actually too thick for my driving conditions.A- TrueB- FalseThe correct answer is A- True

9- The major problem with engine oil is that it thins with increasing temperature.

A- TrueB- FalseThe correct answer is B- False. The problem is thickening when the engine is turned off. With long term use the problem is also thickening. Engine oils grades are matched at operating temperature. It is after the engine cools that viscosities are an issue.

10- Your 1993 sports car manual states to use an API / SAE SH rated 10W-40 mineral based motor oil. Your engine has only 4,550 miles on the odometer. On your next oil change it would be better to use a SM rated 0W-40 synthetic oil.A- TrueB- FalseThe correct answer is A- True. Although it may actually be preferential to use a modern 0W-30 grade oil.

11- According to SAE J300 a 0W-30 and a straight 30 grade oil must have a viscosity of between 9.3 and 12.4 centiStokes at operating temperature (212 F).A- TrueB- FalseThe correct answer is A- True

12- In my list of recommended oils what did I list as the best mineral based motor oil in the 50 grade class?A- Pennzoil multi-grade 20W-50B- Castrol GTX 20W-50C- Red Line 15W-50D- Valvoline Durablend 20W-50E- No oil was recommendedThe correct answer is E- No oil was recommended. They all are too thick at startup for daily use.

13- You are running 5W-40 Shell Helix Ultra fully synthetic motor oil in your Mercedes Benz. You are in a K-Mart shopping center and checked your oil and it is 1 1/2 quarts low. You will need to add one can of oil now. Which of the following is the best choice.A- Mobil 1 - 0W-40B- Pennzoil Synthetic 5W-40C- Red Line Synthetic 5W-40D- Castrol Syntec 0W-30E- Shell mineral based 10W-40The correct answer is E- Shell mineral based 10W-40. You can mix any SM rated oil in there but this is my first choice based on my research.

14- Motor oils that are labeled “for racing only” should not be used for everyday driving because:A- They do not have detergentsB- They may have harmful levels of some additivesC- They are generally unrated, there is no SJ, SL or SM approval

D- You would have to take your engine apart and clean it periodicallyE- All of the aboveThe correct answer is E- All of the above

15- ASTM stands for:A- Automotive Standards and Test MethodsB- Automotive Society for Tooling and MachiningC- American Society for Testing and MaterialsD- American Standards Trade and ManufacturingE- Society for American Standard Testing MethodsThe correct answer is C- American Society for Testing and Materials

16- If your engine is running too hot at higher RPM one thing you can try to bring the temperature down is to use a thinner oil.A- TrueB- FalseThe correct answer is A- True

17- Oil with a startup thickness of 100 (at 75 F) that becomes the appropriate thickness of 10 when fully warmed up (212 F) is called a 10W-30 grade motor oil.A- TrueB- FalseThe correct answer is A- True

18- A main advantage that the synthetic has over the mineral based oil of the same grade is the ability to lubricate better at startup.A- TrueB- FalseThe correct answer is A- True

19- In ASTM D 4485 3.1.4: Engine oil is defined as - - “a liquid that reduces friction and wear between moving parts within an engine, and also serves as a coolant.” A- TrueB- FalseThe correct answer is A- True

20- I am (single best answer):A- SurgeonB- BiochemistC- ‘Halfass mechanicD- Absurdly interested in motor oilsE- All of the aboveThe correct answer is E- All of the above

For the ultimate in Firearms and Flash-Searchlights:www.ultimatefirearmtechnologies.com

Garage Queens

Why are there low mileage sports cars that have ruined engines? Why do they have electrical problems?

Ferrari automobiles are perhaps the most problematic. But Why? It seems that most of those who purchase a Ferrari do not often drive them, and when they do they abuse them. Let me explain.

Each morning the lawn is wet with dew. This is because as the temperature drops the dew point is reached and the moisture in the air condenses. This happens in your engine as well. There is air and moisture in the engine. As it sits over night the moisture condenses. It is a repeating cycle. It is actually worse than the outside air. After driving the engine is very hot so as it cools it sucks in a lot of moist outside air.

Remember the products of combustion are water and CO2. The water condenses in the engine during start up and even steam blows by the piston rings for another source of water.

There are additives that help the oil absorb water but if the engine is not started then the water that condensed in all parts of the motor keep it wet. If the car lives near water or worse, salty water, then the situation is compounded. Another thing that makes things worse is mildew and fungal growth, yes it can even grow in oil!

Water is bad but there is another source of corrosion, acids. These result from byproducts of combustion that slip past the piston rings and from fuel dilution of the oil. Again, the oil has additives to neutralize these acids but work only when the oil is splashed around the inside of the engine.

Corrosive products and water in the atmosphere also take their toll on electrical components. Electrical switches are problematic. These are helped by using the switches. When you get in the car and role down the windows and click all the switches they scrape some of the thin corrosion off the contacts. Again, use of the car helps whereas sitting around is detrimental.

Fan and timing belts age at accelerated rates when static and in cold climates. Cold is also bad for plastic, leather and all rubber like parts. Winters are tough on cars. Up north it is cold and the cars get little use. And down south it is moist all the time. Moisture is an independent factor increasing engine wear. Engine tests are usually performed in controlled humidity environments.

People think that taking the car out for a 10 or 15 minute spin will keep it in good shape. Well that is better than nothing because at least everything is splashed down with oil in the engine and some switches are activated that helps remove corrosion. But to burn off excess fuel and water from the oil it must be brought up to full operating temperature. This takes 20 or 30 minutes. Your coolant heats up in as little as 2 – 3 minutes but oil takes up to half an hour to get up to full operating temperature. You should drive the car for another half hour or more

after the oil is up to temperature.

People do not realize that “severe” driving conditions that require more frequent oil changes include stop and go city driving of only 20 minute drives or less. This is a severe condition because the oil never gets hot and never burns off the extra fuel or water. For this reason the oil must be changed more often.

Now for my favorite topic, cavitation. This is what accounts for the greatest wear in minimally used engines (in my thinking). Cavitation occurs in fluids when they cannot be moved fast enough. In the bearing the oil is thick at start up (75 F) and yet the parts are moving fast. Vacuum bubbles result. When they collapse there is a huge force that pulls chunks of bearing material from the lining. The chunks may include the full thickness of the bearing. Sometimes pits are seen on bearings and blamed on corrosion or improper lubrication but the culprit is more likely to be cavitation.

People start up their cars and rev up the engines. They impress their friends with the Vroom, Vroom, Vroom over and over again. Then they take the car out for a spin and rev up the RPM. They do this immediately, while the oil is well below operating temperature and relatively thick. I know of engines ruined in this very manor.

The moral of the story is drive your cars often and do not rev them up until the OIL is fully warmed up. Using an oil that is not as thick during the start up period should minimize the effects of cavitaion. This is why I advocate the 0W-XX oils, they are less thick at start up.

aehaas

Thread: http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=136204

Research Paper Reviews

From old posts:SAE Congress -

I reviewed articles from the SAE conferences on power train and fluid systems in Tampa, Fl of October 2004 and the Paris 2000 conference. See SAE SP-1894 and SP-1550. Here are some excepts:

A New Method of Measuring Aeration and Deaeration of Fluids, Morgan et al:Air in oil causes oxidation, wasted power, higher oil temperatures, loss of lubricity among other adverse effects. Higher RPM increases aeration, so does increasing oil viscosity. (‘Just FYI).

Effect of Break-In and Operating Conditions on Piston Ring and Cylinder Bore Wear in SI (Spark-Ignition) Engines, Schneider et al:The rate of wear is much higher within 15-20 minutes of start-up than after reaching normal operating temperature. There was a lot of data but I conclude that the initial start-up time

period (first 20 minutes) result is 100 nanometers of wear whereas the steady state wear rate was only 4 nanometers per hour thereafter. (Hence we should be concerned about start-up oil thickness more than running thickness. This justifies the statement that 95 percent of engine wear occurs just after start-up).

Application of a Biodegradable Lubricant in Two Flexible Fuel Vehicles, Jesper Schramm:Vegetable biodegradable oils were used showing good wear characteristics despite excessive thinning over time. (These may be next! Animal and plant oils have esters as in Red Line oils.)

The SMAC, Under Pressure Oil Aeration Measurement System in Running Engines, Bregent et al:Oil aging, valve train and bearing problems and thermal problems occur with aeration. Below 110 C there is no problem but as one goes up the aeration ratio increases rapidly. (A cooler running engine from a thinner, faster flowing oil may lubricate better for this reason alone - aeration was a “hot” topic).

Development of the Sequence IV A Valve Train Wear Lubrication Test:Part 1, Sagawa et al:Viscosity data reveals that the more viscous oil did not significantly alter the cam angle of minimum oil film thickness. Of greater importance is the finding that the higher viscosity oil continued to exhibit boundary layer lubrication. (Ergo thicker is not necessarily better).The effect of engine intake air humidity was significant so that tests are now done with specified humidity conditions.It was postulated that fuel dilution of oil would elevate cam wear. Fuel dilution of 4.5 percent did not effect wear. (This would have the effect of lowering the viscosity about 1 grade).

The Effects of Crankcase Oil Viscosity on Engine Friction at Low Temperatures, Cockbill et al:By using lower viscosity oils there is less friction, improved cold weather starting, improved fuel economy, a savings of starting system components and less wear by increasing the rate of oil pressurization and flow in the upper oil galleries.

Evaluation of Oil Performance Using the Tu High Temperature Engine Test With a View to Extending Oil Drain Intervals, Bouvier et al:Oxidation and thickening is the limiting factor for oil longevity. Generally modern oils thin only 10 percent then thicken up to 60 percent within as little as 96 hrs. of operation ( -in the accelerated test engine. Let me comment that all test criteria are designed to mimic real engine operating conditions but at an accelerated rate).There is accelerated acidification and corrosive wear that occurs.Oil thickening was also time dependent. Thickening at 30,000 km was 2 times more when done over 21 months than over a 10 month period. (Change your oil every spring as I suggested before).

Development of the Sequence III G Engine Oil Certification Test, Clark et al:Engine tests were made more severe again. (Over the years the oil ratings have improved but this has always been despite the increase in testing severity. It was III ...D, E, F, and is now III G). The oil inlet temperature was decreased from 155 to 150 C. The test was 80 and is now 100

hours. There were 8 oil level adjustments allowed now there are 5. The inlet engine air temperature was raised from 27 to 35 C. The engine load was increased 25 percent.Despite all this the current 0W-20 oils were still GF-4 compliant and showed minimal wear characteristics as long as ZDP levels were higher than 0.03 percent. (The SM rated oils I have seen so far have levels of 0.08).

Other papers showed how they always consider older engines when formulating new oils for full backwards compatibility. There was a lot on using thinner oils and how they do not result in excessive wear as previously feared. This is in part because of modern additives.

This stuff was very, very interesting. I will reiterate that you should use the latest, highest rated oil in your car regardless of it’s age. By definition all oils are backward compatible.Use a grade thinner than you may at first think is best. Always use the oil with the lowest first number in the grade - use 0W-30 instead of 10W-30 and for many reasons use synthetic but mainly because of less wear and tear at start-up!

aehaas

More:Another question posed to me was the importance of viscosity index. I say look at the numbers not the index. The index does not tell you what thickness the oil is at various temperatures. It is actually outdated and arbitrary. A less arbitrary indication of the change in viscosity with temperature is the viscosity temperature coefficient. From:Physical and Chemical Properties of Mineral Oils That Affect Lubrication, Douglas Godfrey, William R. Herguth, Herguth Laboratories Inc., 101 Corporate Place - P.O. Box B - Vallejo, Ca. 94590-6968, 1995.

Here is some comparative viscosity data form 3 years ago.Kinematic Viscosity in cSt of several Mobil 1 oils compared to the Red Line 5W-20:

T(C)* 0W30 * 5W30 * 10W30 * 0W20 * RL 5W20

-20° 1994.8 2225.1 3424.8 1712.7 2995.8-10° 872.4 944.7 1332.9 730.8 1165.30° 428.3 452.9 595.7 352.8 521.4 ( zero F)10° 231.3 240.1 298.3 188.5 261.820° 135.3 138.3 164.1 109.5 144.5 (68 degrees F)30° 84.6 85.5 97.6 68.3 86.340° 56.0 56.0 62.0 45.1 55.0 (104 degrees F)50° 38.8 38.5 41.6 31.3 37.060° 28.1 27.7 29.2 22.6 26.170° 21.0 20.6 21.4 17.0 19.2 (158 degrees F)80° 16.2 15.8 16.1 13.1 14.590° 12.8 12.4 12.5 10.4 11.3

100° 10.3 10.0 10.0 8.4 9.1 (212degrees F)cP @ 150°CHTHS 3.0 3.1 3.2 2.6 3.3

From: Lubrication, Tribology & Motorsport, R.I. TaylorShell Global Solutions (UK), Cheshire Innovation Park, PO Box 1, Chester, CH1 3SH, UK:

We discuss the effect of lubricant viscometry onpiston assembly friction. For the Formula 1 engine, usingthe same data as for Figure 4, and assuming a top ringradius of curvature of 10 cm, Table 6 summarizes thepredicted top ring friction power loss, and the predictedminimum oil film thickness, for different lubricants:Table 6:Lubricant....Power loss (Watts)....Minimum oil film thickness (Pm)SAE-20W/50........402.................0.76SAE-15W/40........375.................0.73SAE-10W/30........313.................0.62SAE-0W/20..........259.................0.51

People think that a 20 wt. oil is 60 percent thinner than a 50 wt. oil, not so. It is only 30 percent thinner.

aehaas

Previously reported:I peeked at my neighbors manual from his Mercedes SL 65 AMG V12 biturbo with around 650 BHP?and 700 of torque. It calls for any MB 229.5 certified engine oils that include:Mobil 1 SuperSyn European Car Formula 0W-40 or Pennzoil European Formula Ultra 5W-30 or Quaker State European Formula Ultra 5W-30 oils.All 3 of these oils are specified to run at all ambient temperatures from well below freezing from Alaska to Orlando, Florida. Two of the 3 recommended oils are 30 wt. oils. Ferrari is delivered with Shell Helix Ultra 5W-30 but for the Enzo.

Motor Oils - Fuel Economy vs. Wear By Blaine Ballentine, Central Petroleum Company:

Viscosity and Wear Thinner oils have less drag, and therefore less friction and wear...

Any abrasive particles equal to or larger than the oil film thickness will cause wear. Filters are necessary to keep contaminants small. The other side of the equation is oil film thickness. Thicker oil films can accommodate larger contaminants.

Temperature has a big effect on viscosity and film thickness. As a point of reference, one SAE grade increase in viscosity is necessary to overcome the influence of a 20°F increase in engine temperature. At a given reference point, there is approximately a 20°F. difference between

viscosity grades SAE 30, 40 and 50. SAE 20 is somewhat closer to 30 than the other jumps, because SAE 30 must be 30°F higher than SAE 20 to be roughly the equivalent viscosity.

In other words, an SAE 20 at 190°F is about the same kinematic viscosity as an SAE 30 at 220°F, which is about the same viscosity as an SAE 40 at 240°F. This approximation works well in the 190°F to 260°F temperature range.

Ford is bumping up against its CAFE requirements and recommends SAE 5W-20 oil for most of its engines in the United States. It claims SAE 5W-20 is optimal for fuel efficiency and wear.

(If your engine is 20 F cooler running a thinner oil then the viscosity is the same as the next higher weight grade. Also, as wear diminishes with lesser operating temperatures then we have a benefit. Another benefit is that the thinner oil is better at startup where the majority of wear occurs.)

aehaas

Folks, this is it, all I have, enjoy...

Thread: http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=136338

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Conventional wisdom states that engine oils that increase fuel economy allow less friction and prolong engine life. The purpose of this article is to challenge conventional wisdom, particularly concerning modern (GF-3 ILSAC/API Starburst) engine oils.

Fuel Economy: Does Anyone Really Care? First, we should face the fact that the American consumer does not typically care about fuel economy except during difficult economic times. The No. 1 selling passenger vehicle is the Ford F-Series Pickup. Five of the top 10 best-selling vehicles are trucks, and trucks outsell cars. Some of the trucks are called sport-utility vehicles, otherwise known as SUVs, because their owners don’t want to admit they are trucks. The mass (size, weight) of these vehicles is not conducive to great fuel economy.

Additionally, consider how most vehicles are driven. Anyone accelerating slowly or driving at the speed limit to conserve energy is a danger to himself and other drivers who are in a much bigger hurry.

Auto manufacturers, on the other hand, are concerned about fuel economy. The manufacturer faces big fines if the fleet of cars it produces falls short of the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) requirements imposed upon them by the federal government.

Figure 1. Bearing Wear

The March to Thinner Oils Thinner oils are being used these days for three reasons: They save fuel in test engines, the viscosity rules have changed, and manufacturers are recommending thinner grades.

The Sequence VI-B is the test used to evaluate fuel economy for the GF-3 specification. The VI-B test engine is fitted with a roller cam where the old Sequence VI test used a slider cam. The old Sequence VI test responded well to friction modifiers, but the Sequence VI-B responds to thinner oils.

The test oil’s fuel efficiency is compared to the fuel efficiency of a reference oil in the Sequence VI-B test. To pass, the test oil must improve fuel economy one to two percent, depending on viscosity grade. SAE 5W-20 must produce higher relative fuel efficiency than SAE 5W-30.

It is interesting to note that the reference oil is fully PAO synthetic SAE 5W-30. To qualify for the GF-3 Starburst, ordinary mineral oils had to beat the fuel economy of the full synthetic reference oil. (It seems there is more to fuel economy than a magic base oil.)

Another factor in fuel economy is temporary polymer shear. These polymers are additives known as viscosity index improvers (or modifiers). Polymers are plastics dissolved in oil to provide multiviscosity characteristics. Just as some plastics are tougher, more brittle or more heat-resistant than others, different polymers have different characteristics.

Polymers are huge molecules with many branches. As they are heated, they uncoil and spread out. The branches entangle with those of other polymer molecules and trap and control many tiny oil molecules. Therefore, a relatively small amount of polymer can have a huge effect on oil viscosity.

As oil is forced between a bearing and journal, many polymers have a tendency to align with each other, somewhat like nesting spoons. When this happens, viscosity drops. Then when the oil progresses through the bearing, the polymer molecules entangle again and viscosity returns to normal. This phenomenon is referred to as temporary shear.

Because the Sequence VI-B test responds to reductions in viscosity, oil formulators rely on polymer shear to pass the test. A shear stable polymer makes passing the GF-3 fuel economy test much more challenging.

New rules defining the cold-flow requirements of SAE viscosity grades (SAE J300) became effective in June 2001. The auto manufacturers were afraid that modern injection systems might allow the engine to start at temperatures lower than the oil could flow into the oil pump. Consequently, the new rules had a thinning effect on oil.

The auto manufacturers now recommend thinner oils for their vehicles than in the past. Years ago, SAE 10W-40 was the most commonly recommended viscosity grade, later migrating to SAE 10W-30. SAE 5W-30 is most popular now, but Ford and Honda recommend SAE 5W-20. It is likely that more widespread adoption of SAE 5W-20 and other thin oils may occur to help comply with CAFE requirements.

Because of the change in cold-flow requirements and the fuel economy test pushing formulators toward the bottom of the viscosity grade, today’s SAE 10W-30 oils are more like yesterday’s (GF-1 spec) SAE 5W-30 oils. On top of that, there is a trend toward auto manufacturers recommending thinner grades. This seems ridiculous. SUVs and trucks, with their inherently less-efficient four-wheel drive and brick-wall aerodynamics, need powerful, gas-guzzling engines to move their mass around in a hurry. In response, auto manufacturers recommend using thin oils to save fuel. Incredible!

Viscosity and Wear Thinner oils have less drag, and therefore less friction and wear. Right? Perhaps in the test engine or engines that experience normal operation. But somewhat thicker oils may offer more protection for more severe operations such as driving through mountains, pulling a boat, dusty conditions, short trips, high rpm, overloading, overheating and overcooling.

Any abrasive particles equal to or larger than the oil film thickness will cause wear. Filters are necessary to keep contaminants small. The other side of the equation is oil film thickness. Thicker oil films can accommodate larger contaminants.

Temperature has a big effect on viscosity and film thickness. As a point of reference, one SAE grade increase in viscosity is necessary to overcome the influence of a 20°F increase in engine temperature. At a given reference point, there is approximately a 20°F. difference between viscosity grades SAE 30, 40 and 50. SAE 20 is somewhat closer to 30 than the other jumps, because SAE 30 must be 30°F higher than SAE 20 to be roughly the equivalent viscosity.

In other words, an SAE 20 at 190°F is about the same kinematic viscosity as an SAE 30 at 220°F, which is about the same viscosity as an SAE 40 at 240°F. This approximation works well in the 190°F to 260°F temperature range. One might be surprised at the slight amount of difference between straight viscosity vs. multiviscosity oils with the same back number (for example, SAE 30, SAE 5W-30, and SAE 10W-30).

If an SAE 50 oil at 260°F is as thin as an SAE 20 oil at 190°F, imagine how thin the oil film becomes when you are using an SAE 5W-20 and your engine overheats. When an engine overheats, the oil film becomes dangerously thin and can rupture.

Ford is bumping up against its CAFE requirements and recommends SAE 5W-20 oil for most of its engines in the United States. It claims SAE 5W-20 is optimal for fuel efficiency and wear.

To determine if SAE 5W-20 oils provide the same level of protection as SAE 5W-30 oils, Dagenham Motors in England, one of the largest Ford dealers in Europe, was consulted. SAE 5W-30 is required for warranty purposes in England, and SAE 5W-20 is not even available. If SAE 5W-20 were better for both fuel economy and wear, why would Ford not recommend it for its same engines in Europe?

Antiwear Property Changes Another change that occurred in passenger car motor oils with GF-2 and GF-3 is a more stringent limit on phosphorus, which is part of the zinc phosphate (ZDDP) antiwear additive. The auto manufacturers are concerned that phosphorus will deposit on surfaces of the catalytic converter and shorten its life.

This is a complicated issue, and the deposits depend on the specific ZDDP chemistry and the finished oil formulation. The industry was unsuccessful in designing an engine test for an oil’s catalytic converter deposit forming tendencies. Therefore, the auto manufacturers set an arbitrary limit for motor oil of 0.1 percent phosphorus.

Antiwear additives are important in the absence of a hydrodynamic film, such as in the valve train. The antiwear additives are activated by frictional heat, which causes them to react with the hot surface and form a chemical barrier to wear.

The mechanism by which phosphorus deposits form on catalytic converter surfaces is not fully understood. It does not correlate directly with oil volatility or oil consumption. On the other hand, if engine wear causes oil consumption to increase, the risk of forming phosphorus deposits in the converter would increase dramatically. It seems that preventing wear and oil consumption should be a priority.

In the past, oil formulators could make a premium product by simply adding more ZDDP. A similar move today would result in an oil formulation that would not support new car warranties.

Short-term Thinking As wear increases, the efficiency of an engine declines. Valve train wear slightly changes valve timing and movement. Ring and liner wear affect compression. The wear hurts fuel efficiency and power output by an imperceptible amount at first, but then the difference in fuel economy between an SAE 10W-30 and SAE 5W-20 is hardly noticeable. Efficiency continues to decline as wear progresses. Perhaps optimizing wear protection is the way to reduce fuel consumption over the life of the engine.

Certainly engines that have experienced significant ring and liner wear benefit from thicker oils. Thicker oil use results in compression increases, performance improvements and reduced oil consumption.

High-mileage oils are a relatively new category of passenger car motor oils. These products typically contain more detergent/ dispersant and antiwear additives than new car oils. They

typically contain a seal swell agent and are available in thicker viscosity grades than most new cars recommend. “High mileage” seems to be defined by “as soon as your car is out of warranty.”

Figure 2. Ring Wear

What To Use Although thinner oils with less antiwear additive outperform more robust products in the 96-hour fuel economy test, it is not clear that such products save fuel over the useful life of the engine.

Every fluid is a compromise. Oils recommended by the auto manufacturers seem to compromise protection from wear under severe conditions to gain fuel economy and catalyst durability. It is important to recognize that to use a product that offers more protection from wear will most likely compromise your warranty. Thicker oils also compromise cold temperature flow, which may be of concern depending upon climate and season.

The best protection against wear is probably a product that is a little thicker (such as SAE 10W-30 or 15W-40) and has more antiwear additives than the oils that support the warranty. The best oil for your vehicle depends on your driving habits, the age of your engine and the climate you drive in, but it is not necessarily the type of oil specified in the owner’s manual or stamped on the dipstick.

To stay current on lubrication best practices, begin a free subscription to Machinery Lubrication magazine.

Machinery Lubrication (7/2003)

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Motor Oil Selection Advice

Jim Fitch, Noria Corporation  Tags: automotive, motor oils

When it comes to automobiles, people have sharply different motives and objectives. This is reflected not only in the cars they own but also in the way they drive, the fuel they purchase, routine maintenance and general upkeep. Therefore, a good starting point in customizing motor oil selection and lubrication practices for automobiles is to get a better handle on car owners’ objectives and how they relate to lubrication. Perhaps you will recognize yourself in the list that follows.

Manipulating Engine Life Expectancy For many people, the only thing they care about engine failure is that it doesn’t occur while they own the car. These are often the same people who buy only new cars and sell them after just a few years. Others buy new cars too but hold on to them for many years, even decades. They take great care of them by nurturing the car with painstaking effort and detail. Conversely, those who buy used cars know that engine reliability and life expectancy are less certain due to the possible lack of maintenance vigilance by the previous owner.

Most automobile engines have a life expectancy of 150,000 to 500,000 miles. It is due to the wide range that many see special opportunity - perhaps you see it as well. The specific life of a particular engine is largely influenced by its wear rate, that is, the amount of metal that is worn away from frictional surfaces per highway mile, per year, per gallon of fuel, etc. This wear rate in turn is influenced by such things as driving patterns, climate, engine design, environmental contamination and lubrication. A few of these things are in the realm of car-owner control, but many are not.

Let’s take as an example the car owner who buys a new vehicle for getting around town - someone who plans to sell it before it reaches 100,000 miles. He or she will generally have few issues or concerns with respect to motor oils and filters.

Nearly all motor oils that bear the American Petroleum Institute (API) marks and have a viscosity recommended by the owner’s manual will achieve such a modest goal. So too, there is little need to spend extra money for filters, engine treatments or more-accelerated oil change frequency.

However, if the above description doesn’t fit you because of where you drive and how you drive or because you plan to own your car long after it becomes a classic, then read on. As stated, an engine wears at a certain rate - sometimes slow, sometimes fast. The rate at which this wear occurs can indeed be influenced by lubrication in many ways. In certain exceptional cases, wear can be nearly held in check. Nurture your oil and you nurture your engine. After all, what comes in more regular contact with the engine’s critical frictional surfaces than the lubricant that bathes them?

Letting Fuel Economy Put More Jingle in Your Pocketbook The careful selection of a motor oil and filter can have a noticeable positive influence on fuel consumption. However, for many car owners, better gas mileage is of little concern as evidenced by the kinds of cars they choose to own. For others who are more frugal, anything to save a penny gets their attention. However, some lubrication options that offer enhanced fuel conservation might also be more expensive (such as oil and filter costs) and perhaps also provide less protection against engine wear and endurance. Incidentally, if you are an environmentalist, any lubricant that also saves you gas money, by default, is good for the environment. When there is less fuel burned by your car’s engine, there is less harmful emission being exhausted out the tailpipe.

The Hassle of the Oil Change Some people don’t want to be bothered with having to change their oil. They would prefer to buy lubricants that offer the longest life and service interval, even if it costs them more and even if the life expectancy of the engine is affected. Convenience drives their decision.

Money is Not an Option Of course there are those fortunate few who can afford the best of everything. They are surrounded by all the high-quality possessions of a life of luxury. As such, they would not settle for anything short of the best for their automobile and its accessories, including the best motor oil and the best filter. However, when it comes to lubrication, the best is indeed a foggy concept - after all, don’t most of the major suppliers of lubricant claim to have premium products that are the best? What defines the best? Cost? Aggressive advertising?

Brand Loyalists Many automobile enthusiasts and gear heads are totally preoccupied with the love affair they have with their car. They belong to auto clubs, hang out at garages and auto parts stores, have an extensive collection of tools, and of course take great pride in talking about the specific motor oil they use. Their lubrication decisions are often rooted in tradition, loyalty and the habits they have formed.

Fear of Criticism A surprising large number of us are controlled by fear of criticism and embarrassment. We want

to know what everyone else is doing so that we can go with the flow. If our father, brother, sister and best friend all use a conventional 10W-30 Brand X motor oil, we wouldn’t dare consider anything else. After all, we can’t be criticized if we follow the recommendations of our network of personal advisors.

Oil is Oil This last category is for those car owners who really don’t care. They trust that any oil sold commercially by a household-name oil company is good enough for them. They don’t want to be bothered with the details of having to analyze the available alternatives. To them, ignorance is bliss.

Next year, the new ILSAC/API GF-4 passenger car motor oils will be introduced. The objective of the GF-4 oils is to enhance protection of new emissions control devices (for example, lower phosphorous levels), improve fuel economy, enhance cold-temperature performance, boost engine durability under high temperatures and extreme loads, and provide overall improved protection of the engines in existing cars.

While these improvements have good intentions, according to some motor oil formulators and additive companies, there may be real challenges ahead. One concern is the backward compatibility of the GF-4 motor oils for use in older engines. Another is pure economics. Because the GF-4 oils will be made from higher-grade base stocks, the concern is that new formulations will be significantly more expensive than the GF-3 motor oils available today. Some have speculated that the cost may nearly double.

With this news, we now have new motives for optimizing the selection of both our motor oils and our drain interval.

Machinery Lubrication (9/2003)

About the Author

Jim Fitch Jim Fitch, a founder and president of Noria Corporation, has a wealth of experience in lubrication, oil analysis, and machinery failure investigations. He has advised hundreds of companies on ... Read More

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What does the SAE Viscosity rating on your Motoroil bottle mean?How do they come up with this rating . . .really?

Most of the time when viscosity is explained words are used that are too technical for the average person to quickly grasp. This leaves them still wondering what the viscosity numbers really mean on a bottle of motor oil. Simply put, viscosity is the oil's resistance to flow or, for the layman, an oil's speed of flow as measured through a device known as a viscometer. The thicker (higher viscosity) of an oil, the slower it will flow. You will see oil viscosity measurement in lube articles stated in kinematic (kv) and absolute (cSt) terms. These are translated into the easier to understand SAE viscosity numbers you see on an oil bottle.

OK . . .What does a 5W-30 do that an SAE 30 won't?When you see a W on a viscosity rating it means that this oil viscosity has been tested at a Colder temperature. The numbers without the W are all tested at 210° F or 100° C which is considered an approximation of engine operating temperature. In other words, a SAE 30 motor oil is the same viscosity as a 10w-30 or 5W-30 at 210° (100° C). The difference is when the viscosity is tested at a much colder temperature. For example, a 5W-30 motor oil performs like a SAE 5 motor oil would perform at the cold temperature specified, but still has the SAE 30 viscosity at 210° F (100° C) which is engine operating temperature. This allows the engine to get quick oil flow when it is started cold verses dry running until lubricant either warms up sufficiently or is finally forced through the engine oil system. The advantages of a low W viscosity number is

obvious. The quicker the oil flows cold, the less dry running. Less dry running means much less engine wear.

SAE Viscosity Chart (High Temp)100° C (210° F)

SAEViscosity

Kinematic(cSt)100° C Min

Kinematic(cSt)100° C Max20 5.6 <9.330 9.3 <12.540 12.5 <16.350 16.3 <21.960 21.9 <26.1

Winter or "W" Grades

SAEViscosity

Low Temp (°C) Viscosity cP

Kinematic(cSt)100° C Min

CrankingMax

PumpingMax (NYS)0W 3,250 @ -30 60,000 @ -40 3.85W 3,500 @ -25 60,000 @ -35 3.810W 3,500 @ -20 60,000 @ -30 4.1

15W 3,500 @ -15 60,000 @ -25 5.620W 4,500 @ -10 60,000 @ -20 5.625W 6,000 @ -5 60,000 @ -15 9.3

Obviously, cold temperature or W ratings are tested differently than regular SAE viscosity ratings. Simply put, these tests are done with a different temperature system. There is a scale for the W, or winter viscosity grades and, depending on which grade is selected, testing is done at different temperatures. .

If you look at the table, SAE Viscosity Chart (High Temp) you'll see that if a measured amount of motor oil flows through the viscometer at 210° F (100° C) faster than 5.6 but less than 9.3 seconds, then it will be considered a SAE 20 viscosity. Consequently, if a motor oil flows through faster than 9.3 and slower than 12.5 seconds, then it will be a SAE 30 viscosity.

Now if you look at the table labeled Winter or "W" Grades, you can get valuable information on how the W or winter grade viscosities are measured. Basically, as shown by the chart, when the oil is reduced to a colder temperature it is measured for performance factors. If it performs like a SAE 0 motor oil at the colder temperature, then it will receive the SAE 0W viscosity grade. Consequently, if the motor oil performs like a SAE 20 motor oil at the reduced temperatures (the scale varies - see the chart), then it will be a SAE 20W motor oil.

If a motor oil passes the cold temperature or W (winter grade) specification for a SAE 15W and at 210° F (100° C) flows through the viscometer like a SAE 40 motor oil, then the label will read 15W-40. Getting the picture? Consequently, if the motor oil performs like a SAE 5 motor oil on the reduced temperature scale and flows like a SAE 20 at 210° F (100° C), then this motor oil's label will read 5W-20. And so forth and so on!

I can't tell you how many times I have heard someone, usually an auto mechanic, say that they wouldn't use a 5W-30 motor oil because it is, "Too thin." Then they may use a 10W-30 or SAE 30 motor oil. At engine operating temperatures these oils are the same. The only time the 5W-30 oil is "thin" is at cold start up conditions where you need it to be "thin."

So how do they get a motor oil to flow in the cold when it is a thicker viscosity at 210° F?The addition of Pour Point Depressant additives (VI) keep the paraffin in petroleum base oils from coalescing together when temperature drops. Pour Point Depressants can keep an oil fluid in extreme cold temperatures, such as in the arctic regions. We will not go into Pour Point Depressing additives at this time except to say they are only used where temperatures are very extreme to keep the motor oil from becoming completely immobilized by the cold temperature extreme. For now we will just discuss the Viscosity Improvers (VI) additives.

Why don't we just use a SAE 10 motor oil so we can get instant lubrication on engine start up?The reason is simple: it would be a SAE 10 motor oil at 210° F! The lower the viscosity, the more wear will inevitably occur. This is why it is best to use the proper oil viscosity recommended by the auto manufacturer as it will protect hot and at cold start ups. Obviously a 10W-10 motor oil won't have the film strength to prevent engine wear at full operating temperature like a 5W-20, 10W-30 or 5W-30 motor oil for example.

The VI additives have the effect of keeping the oil from thinning excessively when heated. The actual mechanics of this system are a little more complex in that these additives are added to a thinner oil so that it will be fluid at a cold temperature. The VI additives then prevent thinning as the oil is heated so that it now can pass the SAE viscosity rating at 210. For example; if you have a SAE 10 motor oil it will flow like a 10W at the colder temperature. But at 210 degrees it will be a SAE 10 giving us a 10W-10 or SAE 10 viscosity rating. Obviously this is good at cold start up, but terrible at engine operating temperature especially in warmer climates. But by adding the VI additives we can prevent the oil from thinning as it is heated to achieve higher viscosity numbers at 210 degrees. This is how they make a petroleum based motor oil function for the 10W-30 rating. The farther the temperature range, like with a 10W-40, then more VI additives are used. With me so far? Good, now for the bad news.

Drawbacks of Viscosity Improving additivesMulti-grade motor oils perform a great service not being too thick at cold startup to prevent engine wear by providing more instantaneous oil flow to critical engine parts. However, there is a draw back. These additives shear back in high heat or during high shear force operation and break down causing some sludging. What's worse is once the additive begins to be depleted the motor oil no long resists thinning so now you have a thinner motor oil at 210 degrees. Your 10W-30 motor oil can easily become a 10W-20 or even a SAE 10 (10W-10) motor oil. I don't have to tell you why that is bad. The more VI additives the worse the problem which is why auto manufacturers decided to steer car owners away from motor oils loaded with VI additives like the 10W-40 and 20W-50 viscosities.

The less change a motor oil has from high to low temperatures gives it a high Viscosity Index. Synthetic motor oils that are made from Group IV (4) PAO base stocks have Viscosity Indexes of more than 150 because they are manufactured to be a lubricant and don't have the paraffin that causes the thickening as they cool. But petroleum based motor oils (Group I (1) & II (2)) usually have Viscosity Indexes of less than 140 because they tend to thicken more at the colder temperature due to the paraffin despite the addition of Viscosity Improving additives. The higher the Viscosity Index number the less thinning and thickening the motor oil has. In other words, high number good, low number bad. Low numbers thicken more as they cool and thin more hot. You see these Viscosity Index ratings posted on data sheets of motor oils provided by the manufacturer.

As already mentioned, VI improving additives can shear back under pressure and high heat conditions leaving the motor oil unable to protect the engine properly under high heat conditions and cause sludging. Also there is a limit to how much viscosity improving additives can be added without affecting the rest of the motor oil's chemistry. Auto manufacturers have moved away from some motor oils that require a lot of viscosity improving additives, like the 10W-40 and 20W-50 motor oils, to blends that require less viscosity additives like the 5W-20, 5W-30 and 10W-30 motor oils. Because stress loads on multi viscosity motor oils can also cause thinning many racers choose to use a straight weight petroleum racing motor oil or a PAO based Synthetic which do not have the VI additives. But only the Group IV (4) PAO based synthetics don't need VI additives. Read on to learn why:

What about synthetic motor oils? Do they need Viscosity Additives?Group IV (4) and Group V (5) base oil (synthetics) are chemically made from uniform molecules with no paraffin and don't need Viscosity Additives. However, in recent years Group III (3) based oils have been labeled "synthetic" through a legal loophole. These are petroleum based Group II (2) oils that have had the sulfur refined out making them more pure and longer lasting. Group III (3) "synthetic" motor oils must employ Viscosity Additives being petroleum based.

Group V (5) based synthetics are usually not compatible with petroleum or petroleum fuels and have poor seal swell. These are used for air compressors, hydraulics, etc. It's the Group IV (4) PAO based synthetics that make the best motor oils. They are compatible with petroleum based oils and fuels plus they have better seal swell than petroleum. Typically PAO based motor oils use no Viscosity Additives yet pass the multi-grade viscosity requirements as a straight weight! This makes them ideal under a greater temperature range. One advantage of not having to employ Viscosity Improving additives is having a more pure undiluted lubricant that can be loaded with more longevity and performance additives to keep the oil cleaner longer with better mileage/horsepower.

How do I know what motor oil is a Group IV (4) based PAO synthetic motor oil?As more and more large oil companies switched their "synthetic" motor oils to the less expensive/more profitable Group III (3) base stocks it has become much easier to identify which are PAO based true synthetic. Of the large oil companies, only Mobil 1, as of this writing (12-15-2007), is still a PAO based true synthetic. The rest, including Castrol Syntec, have switched to the cheaper/more profitable Group III (3) petroleum based "synthetic" motor oil. AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oils are PAO based true synthetic motor oils with the exception of the short oil drain XL-7500 synthetic motor oils sold at some Auto Parts Stores and Quick Oil Change Centers. This leaves more than 20 PAO based true synthetic motor oils manufactured and marketed by AMSOIL with only 4 Group III (3) based synthetic motor oils identified by the "XL-7500" product name.

So as you can see, the average performance of motor oils can be affected by how they change during their service life. Multi grade petroleum can lose viscosity and thin causing accelerated wear as the VI additives shear back. Straight weight petroleum (i.e. SAE 30, SAE 40) thicken a lot as they cool meaning longer time before lubricant reaches critical parts on cold starts, but have no VI additives so they resists thinning. However, they can degrade and thicken as heat and by products of combustion affect the unsaturated chemistry. Group III (3) synthetics resists this degradation much better, but being petroleum based employ some VI additives which is a negative and typically don't have as good performance in the volatility viscosity retention areas. Only the Group IV (4) PAO base synthetics have the saturated chemistry to resist degrading when exposed to the by products of combustion and heat, plus typically employ no VI additives making them very thermally stable for longer periods. For this reason the Group IV (4) synthetics maintain peak mileage and power throughout their service life

Modern motor oils are a marvel of chemistry to be sure. There are a lot more additives in play than the few mentioned here. The API (American Petroleum Institute - sets oil standards in the U.S.), ILSAC (International Lubricants Standardization and Approval Committee - U.S. & Japanese auto/truck manufacturers standards for motor oil) and ACEA (Association des

Constructeurs Europeens d'Automobiles - European auto/truck manufacturer oil standards) are some of the different organizations you will see providing rating information on the service grades of different motor oils. Plus there are some auto manufacturers like Mercedes, BMW and Volkswagen that have unique oil standards for their cars. You need to read your owner's manual clearly to be sure you are using the proper oil for your application.

Some of these organizations, such as the API and ILSAC, have reduced friction modifier amounts in order to extend the life of catalytic converters and reduce pollution. These will increase wear but will be still within the "acceptable wear" range. Because of the increased wear and expense of licensing these oils some companies will not certify for API & ILSAC in order to achieve a higher level of performance. People with older engines that do not have roller cams find these oils especially attractive to maintain a reduced level of engine wear. AMSOIL only has 5 motor oils certified for the API & ILSAC for this reason (the four XL-7500 Branded motor oils and the semi-synthetic 15W-40 PCO). The rest of the nearly 30 synthetic motor oils are not certified in order to maintain the higher levels of friction modifier to maintain the enhanced level of performance necessary for their targeted market. In other words, the less expensive motor oils made by AMSOIL are API & ILSAC certified while the high end more expensive performance motor oils are not. One reason companies like AMSOIL and Mobil are at odds with the reduced friction modifier standards is they don't take into consideration the reduced volatility of PAO based motor oils which leads to much less pollution and thereby less problems for the catalytic converter. Even with the full wear preventing additives these oils do not produce the pollution of petroleum motor oils. For this reason AMSOIL has left the friction modifier levels high and skips certification for these higher performing motor oils. For more information read the Motor Oil Quality Progresses With Engine Technology (Good information on motor oil service ratings)

Answered by Smart Synthetics - Amsoil Synthetic Lubricants Independent Dealer

AMSOIL0w-30 and 5w-30 vs 0w-20 and 5w-20

What’s the difference?

Here's my write up:

The 5W-20 recommended is strictly a move on the automakers part to get better CAFE #'s that they can report to the Federal Govt. I am very familiar with the reasoning behind this by the auto manufacturers. It basically saves about 0.06 MPG, which is nothing to the consumer but multiplied by millions of vehicles it allows them to meet the strict and tightening EPA CAFE regulations and by doing that they can sell more profitable SUV's and have the CAFE #'s offset by the cars and smaller vehicles that get better fuel economy. It's all a numbers game.

Recently several automotive manufacturers started using 5W-20 or 0W-20 motor oil as a factory fill. Most consumers have many questions about this "new" oil and why after all these years specifying a 5W-30 that they would make the change to 5W-20 or 0W-20. First I must explain that 5W-20 ( or 0W-20) is not a new viscosity motor. 5W-20 has been around since the early 1970's, but not used by consumers or marketed to consumers by manufacturers, until recently.

My research has uncovered the following from a SAE technical paper written by Mobil Research and Development Corp. in 1975 (o): "Research Oil 5 (RO-5) is a conventional 5W-20 viscosity mineral oil product containing an API SE quality additive treatment, but that it may be deficient in some API SE engine performance requirements. RO-6 is also a 5W-20 viscosity and API quality SE but utilizes all-ester (synthetic) base stock components. Adequate wear protection with conventional 5W-20 viscosity mineral oils has been difficult to achieve under moderate and high temperature operating conditions." Mobil's new 5W-20 synthetic formulation, XRN 1669 "has been evaluated in both laboratory and field tests to determine its antiwear performance. In all cases, wear protection equal to or better than premium API SE quality SAE 10W-40 mineral oils has been provided by this experimental formulation"

Now, keep in mind that this is from about 30+ years ago. My intent here is to show that 5W-20 is not a new viscosity of oil. It just never became widely used. The most popular motor oils back in that era for automotive use were typically 10W-40 and in later years 10W-30 and 5W-30. What this data indicated is that a 5W-20 petroleum oil provides adequate engine protection under normal operating conditions, but does not compare to a premium quality 5W-20 synthetic in moderate and high temperature operating conditions. The new 5W-20 oils of today are formulated to meet the latest API SL performance specifications and are perfectly suitable for use in your new vehicle that specifies 5W-20, however my personal opinion is that there are superior oils to use that not only meet the 5W-20 performance specifications, but also exceed them.

Here is a brief discussion of some of the most common questions consumers have regarding the 5W-20 motor oil that is specified for their new vehicle.Question: Do I really need to use 5W-20 or 0W-20 oil?

Answer: You certainly can if you choose to, however there are also other viscosities you can use such as 5W-30 and 0W-30 that also meet manufacturers and API specifications. One of the main reasons 5W-20 or 0W-20 was specified for your engine is to increase the CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) reported to the Federal Government. CAFE is the combined average fuel economy of all of a vehicle manufacturers product line. Minimum CAFE levels are specified by the Federal Government. In order for a vehicle manufacturer to continue selling profitable large trucks and SUV's, which typically have poor fuel mileage ratings, as compared to smaller cars, and still meet mandated CAFE requirements, they must also sell enough of the smaller cars which have much better fuel economy ratings to offset the poor fuel economy ratings of the larger vehicles. The change to a 5W-20 or 0W-20 oil will allow a manufacturers overall CAFE to increase by a very small amount, typically in the tenths of a mile per gallon range. 5W-20 and 0W-20 oil is a lighter viscosity than a 5W-30 oil and therefore has less internal engine frictional losses, or less drag on the crankshaft, pistons and valve train, which in turn promotes increased fuel economy. This increased fuel economy is virtually undetectable to the average motorist without the use of specialized engine monitoring and testing equipment under strictly controlled test track driving when compared to a 5W-30, 10W-30 or a 0W-30 viscosity motor oil. Note that certain specific vehicles, such as those with cylinders that selectively cut out to save energy, typically specify a 5W-20 or 0W-20 and for those vehicles it is best to use the viscosity recommended by the manufacturer.

Question: Could using a 5W-30, 10W-30, 0W-30 or even a 10W-40, oil in my vehicle which recommends a 5W-20 oil void my new car warranty?

Answer: Vehicle manufacturers recommend using motor oils meeting certain viscosity grades and American Petroleum Institute service requirements. Whether a motor oil is a 0W-20, 5W-20, 0W-30, 5W-30, 10W-30 or 10W-40 or even a synthetic vs. a petroleum based oil will not affect warranty coverage. The manufacturer is required by Federal Law to cover all equipment failures it would normally cover as long as the oil meets API service requirements and specifications and was not the cause of failure. In addition, the Federally mandated Magnuson - Moss Act states that a manufacturer may not require a specific brand or type of aftermarket product unless it is provided free of charge. If your dealership continues to tell you that you must use 5W-20 or 0W-20 motor oil and or/ a specific brand of 5W-20 or 0W-20 motor oil (and will not provide it free of charge), then ask them to put it in writing and then contact an attorney. Their position is inaccurate, and, in fact violates existing law.Additionally, if there is ever a question of whether or not particular motor oils are the cause of an engine failure make sure to get a sample of the used oil in a clean bottle, typically 6 oz. minimum. The oil can then be sent to an independent ASTM certified testing lab for analysis. This is standard procedure for most commercial vehicles, trucking, construction/excavation and fleet companies and there are many certified test labs all over the country. Remember, a knowledgeable and informed consumer is your best defense against being taken advantage of by a car dealership service center.

Question: My car dealership service center states that I must use 5W-20 or 0W-20 because the oil passages inside my engine are smaller and a higher viscosity oil will not properly flow through them. Is this a true statement?

Answer: That is ridiculous to assume that a manufacturer would purposely make the oil galleys and passages smaller. There is no technical or cost/performance benefit to doing this in reference to recommending a 20W motor oil over a 30W motor oil. My inspection of oil galleys, pistons, bearings, crankshafts, oil pumps and passages from pre-5W-20 and 0W-20 recommended oil engines to the same size and brand of engines that now specify 5W-20 or 0W-20 indicate there are no measurable differences in the oil passages in these components.

For those consumers that desire to use a 5W-20 oil, AMSOIL INC., does manufacture an excellent extended drain interval 5W-20 synthetic motor oil, called XL Synthetic Oil in 5W-20 viscosity. It is a 7,500 mile/6-month motor oil (or longer if you have an electronic oil life monitoring system). AMSOIL's 5W-20 synthetic motor oil provides outstanding wear protection and increased power, performance and fuel economy in high and low temperatures and also meets and exceeds the manufacturer's specifications. AMSOIL also offers a a 25,000 mile/1-year change interval 0W-20 that is an excellent choice.

My recommendation is for even better performance and protection to use AMSOIL's Signature Series 0W-30 synthetic motor oil. This is the top performing AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oil for gasoline powered light trucks and passenger cars. It uses race-proven technology and provides unsurpassed fuel efficiency and superior wear protection than other conventional and synthetic motor oils. It is a 35,000 mile/1-year change interval motor oil. Use it in conjunction with

AMSOIL's Absolute Efficiency Oil Filter's that specifies a change interval of 25,000 miles/1-year, whichever comes first under normal service conditions. AMSOIL also offers 5W-30. 10W-30 and 10W-40 Synthetic Motor Oils with a change interval specification of 25,000 miles/1-year.

Best Regards,

joe leeAuthorized Amsoil DealerLino lakes mn763-213-9163www.syntheticmotoroilfilter.comjoe@synthetic-distribution.com

Today, if you ever take a ride down to AUTOBACS in Singapore, you will find yourself flooded with at least 100 different oil brands laying on the shelf hoping you will pick them. Aggressive brands like X-Rev, OWS and/or other makes of oil from all over the world gather here. It is like a union for all oils gather in one place, each with their own marketing materials pushing to sell you the idea, that they are the best.

For those of you whom had literacy over engine oils, you will realize that there is no such thing as the best oil. Motul being the leading brand in performance series may not outshine HKS in their effort to deliver the best quality. The true fact is, each oil is made for a reason, and these brand owners investment to engineer these products have their business agendas, including cost cutting, brand positioning so on and so forth.

For AMSOIL (amsoil), particularly the hardcore fans of the Signature Series 0W30, we have customers that complained about the performance, down right to the fuel savings and the expectations on them were under delivered. Tall fairy tales were illustrated on web forums and blogs, none of each may be the same engine specifications and/or usage that is similar to yours. If you are one of these “victims” read on; because AMSOIL delivers the best performance to optimum quality that exceeds the standards set by API (American Petroluem Institute) most of

these incidents happened because of application procedures and/or non-compliance to the selection from your original vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations.

Likewise for those of you that had good reviews on AMSOIL Signature Series 0W30, good for you. Share this article with your friends, we do encourage more like minded people to make the best selections for motor oils besides mobil 1.

Truth about AMSOIL Signature Series 0W30.

Car Model : Proton Waja

Engine Type : 1.6 liters, 4 cylinder

Mileage : 180,000km

Car Owner : Ah Heng (more details on contact number to verify, feel free to contact the AMSOIL Showroom)

I drive my car up and down the North South Highway in West Malaysia very regularly for my work. Usually one tank of 50liters will last me about 420km – 460km. I use to take different brand of Synthetic oil for my oil change. Recently when i am in Singapore, i spoke to a friend that introduce me to the 0W30 AMSOIL Signature Series.

I am not a car fanatic, after my oil change in Kuala Lumpur, i notice a better responsse in my throttle control, and the car is smoother. There is a lot more power which i can feel immediately after the oil change. I was happy with my car and the oil change although i paid more than $126.00 for 4 quarts of oil. I can also clock close to 500km for every tank of 50 liters petrol.

The incident happened after approximately 5,000km. My petrol consumption drops back to normal… subsequently, it went below. The power of the car was not as effective anymore. I do not understand why… as the Signature Series is suppose to be designed to run on an extended drain interval. The worst was, the oil level drop significantly and there was a leakage but this was not the case when it comes to other oil that i used.

The matter was brought up to AMSOIL customer service in Singapore, where we did a review on the customer’s feedback and found out the following.

1. The vehicle takes mineral oil since the day it was manufactured, service by various workshops with different grade of oils.

2. The vehicle has run a certain mileage with in consistent oil change intervals.

3. Vehicle pumps different Octane of Petrol from different brands depending on conditions.

4. The tyres were old with threads that are deformed. Wheel Alignment and tyre rotation has not been done for a very long time.

5. The Spark Plugs and air filter changes were compromised from time to time.

6. The oil filter that was replaced during the AMSOIL oil changes is not an original oil filter from the manufacturer, it was an unnamed brand of a poor quality.

7. because of pure power and pleasure, he decides to get a new set of rims and tyres 1 inch larger than his previous one.

True enough if you are a car fan and you know about cars, you probably realize where i am coming from with these. AMSOIL Signature Series 0W30 is a oil that exceeds the standards of API SM grade. Till date, the new Signature Series with 4 different selections gives you a better performance with the SN grade on PAO base group 4 Synthetic base oil.

THE OIL IS TOO THIN???

There is a damage oil seal from path of the engine unit to the engine oil reservoir. This was caused by the previous oil blend mixed that were used, irregular additives that derived the oil seal from different engine oil. AMSOIL 0W30 Signature Series is a very low viscosity oil that sips through the finest hairline crack to ensure seal effect is maximise. Because of the beyond repair damaged done, AMSOIL Signature Series over flows and sips out of the engine causing a leakage. The multiple hair line cracks made from wear and tear and defective engine oil used previously will affect your oil pressure and engine operating temperature by a drastic level.  AMSOIL Signature puts your investment at risk because of this point.

You will probably hear things like Synthetic oil are too thin to stay in the engine from the mechanics or street rats that race at night. The truth is in order for a lubricant to be classified in any SAE Grade… 0W30, 10W40 etc. it has to meet certain guidlines with regard to viscosity. Nobody will make an oil to slip out of your engine. If they do… probably cannot attain an SAE, or an API donut first to speak.

Recommendations : Use AMSOIL Signature series 0W30 only when you are confident that your car has been serviced and maintained properly to ensure maximise efficiency from the amoun of money you spend. You probably will pay through your nose to afford a good oil engine for maximum effect.

If you have not be looking after your car and you decide that you want to use AMSOIL, Use the AMSOIL engine flush during the oil drain, select a thicker 10W40 High Zinc oil for your first oil change and let the AMSOIL additives formula blend in the oil to repair your damages first, slowly upgrade to a 5W40, thereafter the 5W30 and so on.

Choose your oil wisely, there are “synthetics” which are not true PAO synthetics base. Some of these oil includes Pennzoil, Castrol Syntec, Ultraman, KIC etc. These oil are usually produced with grade 3 synthetic base oil which are blended. The additives may not withstand the performance that other synthetic oil does. So read the fine prints; oil prices that are lower than S$90.00 per 4 liters are usually benchmarked in this category of synthetic oils.

MANAGING FUEL CONSUMPTIONS TO ENSURE YOUR SAVINGS…

Octane in your fuel is a critical issue to attain a consistent fuel to mileage ratio on your car. If you are a Exxon Mobil 95 user, keep it to 95. If you are a Shell 98 user, keep it to Shell 98. Petroluem is like the food for your car. It creates the combustion in your engine unit whenver you fire up. It is a phenomenon, but if you do not remember wrongly, whenever you change a brand of petrol or the octane selection, your fuel consumption from its first tank tends to fluctuate a little. It will then “recover” to its original if you consistently use it.

Additives in Petrol (gasoline) have different formulation in different oil brand and oil octanes. Each of these have “vitamins” for your car which will determine the combustion ratio as your piston moves. The ECU of most vehicles will read the octane, the air-conditioning power and your engine motion patterns to “balance” the car’s fuel intake to the injectors. When you change it… it will become different, like every human, it learns to adapt to the new octane and additives ratio. This will indirectly affect your Oil pressure, Air intake ratio, Oil termperature and your engine operating temperature itself.

AMSOIL Signature Series 0W30 is designed with the best additives to ensure consistent low operating temperature for your vehicle. If most of these readings are changed, AMSOIL Signature Series 0W30′s additives will react accordingly to ensure that the behavior of the engine operation is kept at a consistent pace.

Although the oil change interval for AMSOIL 0W30 Signature Series is boast to go as far as 56,000 miles. In Singapore and most region of South East Asia, don’t even think about it. Like i mentioned in my previous article, your engine is moving even when you are in a traffic congestion. These additional mileage is clocked in your engine without moving the odometer. Use a calculations of at least 30% more for the reading on your odometer when you do your oil change measurement. The 56,000 miles guideline is to let you have a gauge of how long the additives will last before it starts to breakdown in your engine and lose its protection effect,  and that if you are a city car… like a start stop suituation is happening every day, change your oil at the original manufactuerer’s recommendation or buy the AMSOIL OE Series instead.

OIL FILTERS

Filtration is an art, its not a technology. If you have more fibers, you will filter better, meaning to say the residues from the carbon build up and other foreign particles formed during your combustion and chemical reaction taking place will be removed. Thus your oil efficiency can be miaximised. Using unknown brand filters will reduced this tremendoulsy. The $5.00 you pay to select an oil filter will determine how long you like oil’s lifespan will last.

Good brands like AMSOIL, MANN, Denso, BOSCH have spend millions of dollars in filtration technology to ensure the oil lifespan in your car is not compensated. Unleaded fuel and good engine oils can determine that. They work hand in hand with a good selection of motor oil.

AMSOIL oil filters however is currently not for sale in Singapore. They available for order in the AMSOIL showroom, where we can place an order for your car. AMSOIL Signature Series 0W30

is designed to maximum efficiency with the use of AMSOIL oil by pass or the AMSOIL nano technology filter.

Recommendations : If you do not choose to use the AMSOIL nano filters, pick a brand name oil filter, we recommend that you change your oil filter regularly and top up your AMSOIL Signature Series from the change. AMSOIL Signature series can last longer than the regular drain interval if your oil filter is replaced regularly. Brand name oil filters from after market can provide you with better filtration system as well, but it does not have the same efficiency as compared with AMSOIL nano filters. Alternatively, you can replace and use oil filters that are recommended from your original vehicle manufacturer.

OTHER  POINTS TO NOTE.

Your engine performance and fuel consumption ratios can be compensated through your air filters (usually 20,000km), your spark plugs, your tyre pressures to your fuel pumps and your batteries. The rim size of your wheels, wheel alignment and your steering alignment are factors that need to be considered as well.

The other things that affect your performance also include the vehicle height (aerodynamics), your velocity to rotation ratio, balancing to weight ratio. Selections of accessories that increase the weight of your vehicle in particular are some terms that you need to be clear when you decide to add on a few gimmicks as cosmetics to your car.

AMSOIL Signature Series 0W30 delivers the power and performance as required for your vehicle. The other changes you make can compromise them as well. Because of the significant differences which you can feel it immediately, compromise of such can affect it to a drastic manner.

If you are an owner of a vehicle that had been compensated because of AMSOIL. Think again, we promise the highest quality of product that you can ask for in the best oil selections. Our pure deliverables are competitive in terms of price and performance to your driving pleasure.

Last of all, we are the original exclusive distributor in Singapore. Buy from the original source to ensure your quality is not compromise.

Relevant Materials are extracted from:

First Published in National Oil and Lube News by Ed Newman

Ed Newman is Marketing Manager for AMSOIL INC., manufacturer of the original synthetic motor oil for automotive applications. He has published more than 200 articles as a freelance writer on a wide range of important topics.

website

http://www.synthetic-motor-oil-change-and-filters.com/amsoil_articles/myths-of-synthetic-oils/

Want to know more about AMSOIL? Call us now!

our website:

www.amsoil-sg.blogspot.com

www.amsoil.com.sg

Understanding Shear StabilityBy Tudor M Ratiu

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For any lubricant to be useful it must remain stable while in use. For example, if equipment requires a specific viscosity for effective operation, the ability of a lubricant to retain its designed

viscosity is one measure of stability. One of the elements that can break this stability is the natural stress or shear that occurs within a fluid during use. Lubricants must retain shear stability to remain effective at lubricating and protecting equipment.

Shear stability refers to a lubricant's ability to resist shear. Generally, shear occurs when one layer of a fluid begins to move in a direction different from another layer of that same fluid. For example, where two components are separated by a lubricant, such as a piston and cylinder, some of the lubricant film would naturally move in the direction of the piston. The lubricant layer in contact with the cylinder would begin to shear away from the lubricant layer in contact with the piston. This is known as the shear point. This resulting shear can reduce lubricant viscosity; loss of fluid viscosity can occur from conditions known as temporary or permanent shear.

Temporary shear occurs when long viscosity index improver molecules align themselves in the direction of the stress or flow. This alignment generates less resistance and allows a reduction in fluid viscosity. Yet, when the stress is removed, the molecules return to their random arrangement and the temporary loss in viscosity is recovered.

Permanent shear occurs when shear stress ruptures long molecules and converts them into shorter, lower-weight molecules. The shortened, lighter molecules offer less resistance to flow, which minimizes their ability to maintain viscosity.

Mechanical activity within an engine creates shearing forces that can negatively affect a lubricant's protective viscosity. Even base stocks that provide consistent viscosity through a wide temperature range (high natural viscosity index) are susceptible to shearing forces that reduce viscosity and load-carrying ability. Engines operating at high RPM and those that share a common oil sump with the transmission, like many motorcycles, experience high shear rates.

Viscosity Index improvers used in multi-viscosity oils can shear back when subjected to the combination of high operating temperatures and shearing actions found in modern engines. Permanent shearing of VI improvers can result in piston ring sticking (due to deposit formation), increased oil consumption and accelerated equipment wear. Some VI improvers are significantly more shear stable than others. Although the type of base stock used and the intended application determines the need for VI improvers, many synthetic stocks may not require them at all as they are naturally multi-grade.

Because VI improvers can be subject to shear conditions, formulating an oil using little or no VI improvers can be advantageous. In addition to the problems caused by shear stability, VI improvers' quality varies dramatically and cannot always be easily determined.

When comparing oils, small differences in shear stability indicate a significant drop in performance (all other things being equal).

The High Temperature/High Shear Test simulates shearing conditions at elevated temperatures. The viscosity of the oil is measured at 150°C under shearing forces, and results are reported in centipoise (cP). The higher the result, the greater the level of protection offered by the oil. A

temperature of 150°C is necessary because bearings and other components require the greatest protection during high-temperature operation which is easy to achieve by many engines used in moderate to severe conditions. Remember that the oil's temperature is a lot of time higher than your water/glycol's and represents an average of all hot spots in an engine. The hottest spots are at a minimum of 20°C over the average oil temperature you see on your gauge (in case you have one). Most of today's engines run an average temperature of around 95°C (give or take 10°C). These hot spots are also the ones where most of your oil goes and they determine your (resistance to) oil pressure as the engine lubrication system is of the force-feed type.

We think that the oil grades as defined by the J300 document are really not as corelated to oil pressure, protection, fuel economy as the HT/HS viscosity and therefore consider that kinematic viscosity at 100°C (as in J300) is outdated and can cause partial miss-information. However kinematic viscosity remains a critical indicator for an oil and is best kept at the lowest level (for the desired HT/HS value) to minimize windage losses and maximize engine cooling. We call oils with high HT/HS viscosity percentage compared to the kinematic viscosity as robust and very shear stable. High Temperature High Shear Viscosity of engine lubricants is a fluid property that relates to the viscosity requirements of an operating engine. The regions in an engine where HTHSV are of particular importance are crankshaft bearings, camshaft bearings, and piston ring - cylinder wall contact. The temporary shear rate in the bearings is on the order of 106 s-1 while piston ring - cylinder wall contact shear rates are believed to be greater than 107 s-1. ASTM and SAE archives contain a many papers on the significance of HTHSV to engine operation, shear rate and temperature. It should be noted that the relationship between HTHSV and engine performance have a dependency on engine design. Some of these design criteria are oil flow rate, bearing clearances, and finish of contact surfaces.

To truly move down to a lighter grade for fuel economy and horse-power or a higher grade for more protection (also well-worn engines, or ones built with looser bearing clearances, require heavier oil to maintain pressure at lower RPM) we recommend changing to an oil with the right HT/HS viscosity regardless of the SAE J300 100°C kinematic viscosity grade. We can say that around 70% of times a higher grade will also mean a higher HT/HS viscosity and vice-verso.

Visit: syntheticoil-europe.eu for more information.

Tudor Ratiu Lubrication SpecialistBoutique Oils

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tudor_M_Ratiu

Naturally Aspirated Gasoline Engine - Low Friction Energy Conserving OilBy Tudor M Ratiu

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Thinner oils are being used these days for three reasons: they save fuel in test engines, the viscosity rules have changed because modern injection systems allow lower start-up temperatures and manufacturers (e.g. Honda, Toyota, Ford, GM, Mazda ) are recommending thinner grades. We must give credit to the OEM (original equipment manufacturers) who over the years have produced better and better metallurgy with tighter and tighter tolerances that go through micro-polishing processes. The better finishing of parts has allowed for better lubrication even at a lower viscosity such as SAE 5W-20 or 0W-20 helping with pumping and winding losses without sacrificing robustness and HTHS (high temperature high shear) viscosity as much.

As far as energy conserving 30 weight multigrades go, a big factor in fuel economy is temporary polymer shear. These polymers are additives known as viscosity index improvers (or modifiers) but also pour point depressants. Polymers are plastics dissolved in oil to provide multi-viscosity characteristics.

As oil is forced between a bearing and journal, many polymers have a tendency to align with each other. When this happens, viscosity drops. Then when the oil progresses through the bearing, the polymer molecules entangle again and viscosity returns to normal. This phenomenon is referred to as temporary shear and is measured by the HTHS test.

Oil formulators rely on (temporary) polymer shear to pass the fuel economy test for resource conserving xW-30 multigrade oils. The HTHS viscosity is therefore a lower number (compared to other more robust 30 weights).

HTHS viscosity has become the single, most important measure of motor oil and you can tell how much an oil has wear protection and fuel economy from the HTHS viscosity alone. Note that most modern gasoline engines don't require too high HTHS viscosity to protect against wear and you can benefit from fuel economy of small HTHS viscosities without causing significantly more wear than with larger HTHS viscosites (in normal driving conditions).

High quality and very polar friction modifiers like organic molybdenum and boron or certain esters also play a big part in fuel economy. High levels of friction modifiers may negatively impact the performance of detergents and dispersants since they all compete on the same (limited) surface. Just the reason why HDEO are wet clutch compatible and also make for a good slow acting/safe engine flush/cleaner.

We think that these oils represent a very careful compromise between fuel economy vs. protection and long drain intervals vs. slipperiness/lubricity. A motor oil is only as good as its weakest link. Balance is of the essence in this case!

Formulating wear resistant thin oils is a challenging task for the manufacturers especially now when the best last resort protection mix -zinc, phosphorus (anti-ware additives) and moly (extreme-pressure additive)- is lower and lower. A good abrasion resistance can be obtained as long as most of the (high) shear resistance is based on a high quality base oil (e.g. POE, PAO) and not on polymer viscosity improvers.

Besides the fuel economy and minimum power losses, these high quality oils offer very good start-up viscosity and good pumping and flow attributes helping with the growing conscience of start-up wear and arctic capable injection systems. They reduce warm-up time transferring heat better but also reduce operational temperatures over thicker oils acting as a better coolant (lower internal friction).

The ACEA defines a Fuel Economy lubricant as a lubricant in compliance with ACEA C1, C2, A5/B5, A1/B1 standards (C-catalyst compatible, A-gasoline engines, B-Diesel).

The API and ILSAC following categories apply to 0,5,10W(winter) multigrades - for gasoline engines only: API SN - RESOURCE CONSERVING and ILSAC GF-5.

These lubricants are mostly suited for service of late model naturally aspirated gasoline engines (low torque at low RPM per cylinder) that are built with tight clearances. (e.g. USDM, JDM)

Read more here

Tudor M Ratiu

Lubrication Specialist

http://syntheticoil-europe.eu

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tudor_M_Ratiu