Synthetic fortified oil and older machines

[Quasievil]

Duh 2 me
Have another go
cheers

Wouldnt weight to much on that, Each Company can prove beyond all doubt that their oil is the number one, even the worst brands.

[TripleZee Dyno]

Wouldnt weight to much on that, Each Company can prove beyond all doubt that their oil is the number one, even the worst brands.

Well the facts speak for themselves. If any of those results are erroneous then Mobil etc would be suing Amsoil and the ASTM lab that did the tests.
The fact that no-one refutes this report in itself speaks volumes.
A quick look at Mobils published specs for VTwin and 4T shows them to be much the same as those in the Oil Study, so it cant be too far off the mark.
I have read a similar study (some of the same tests) published by API comparing synthetics to mineral.
If any of you get to read it (its out there somewhere) you would never use mineral again.

Each to their own

[bsasuper]

I'd love to use mobil motorcycle oil, but kauriland is not open on saturday, so can't pick any up, Id also love to get my bike power commander tuned at triple zee, but getting an appointment seams impossible, what the?

[Quasievil]

I'd love to use mobil motorcycle oil, but kauriland is not open on saturday, so can't pick any up, Id also love to get my bike power commander tuned at triple zee, but getting an appointment seams impossible, what the?

be on the shelfs at Repco in the coming weeks mate, stay tuned, also at all good bike shops (like that "good bike shops")

[Quasievil]

Well the facts speak for themselves. If any of those results are erroneous then Mobil etc would be suing Amsoil and the ASTM lab that did the tests.
The fact that no-one refutes this report in itself speaks volumes.
A quick look at Mobils published specs for VTwin and 4T shows them to be much the same as those in the Oil Study, so it cant be too far off the mark.
I have read a similar study (some of the same tests) published by API comparing synthetics to mineral.
If any of you get to read it (its out there somewhere) you would never use mineral again.

Each to their own

I wouldnt read anything into that dude, there are so many reports that come out its impossible to challenge them all.
All I will say that on the brochures for Mobil Synthetic oil we say, "the worlds leading synthetic oil" that hasnt been challenged ever...............cause its true.

[AllanB]

$89 for 4 l of Mobil full synthetic - best I found in Christchurch for Mobil was $110 and then they would not get the 10w40 I wanted. So I went with Spectro full synthetic last Christmas.

I'd run Castrol semi synth changed to Motul 5100 and noticed a improvement in shifting, next was the Spectro and a further improvement. I swear it revs quicker now too.

Nothing like a seat-o-the-pants dyno!

AMSOL must be the most expensive motorcycle oil in NZ.

[Flip]

Hell caught between Amsol and the Mobil rep having a discussion about their flag ship oils. Its a bit like trying to reconcile the Israelis and the Palestinians.

The Amsol paper is compelling reading but it was presented by an oil company (who we all know and trust) showing a set of tests of Amsol that Amsol know their oils are strong at. To me the only real tests are the set of SAE tests that run a standard industry motor to destruction, hot, cold and upside down. All the other tests are theoretical at best or at worst misleading. Take for example the ball wear test, this is a test for EP gear oils. Reporting on the Zinc is meaningless because the Zinc is part of the emulsifier-detergent package, in reality the zinc pollutes the catalytic converter on modern euro motors, all oils after SG have to be low metal oils. So high zinc are not good to use in say new BMW's? Reporting on the TBN test for a synthetic oil is also meaningless because if you leave a oil in until it becomes acidic well you should have know better.

The moment triplezee said " The synthetic oil is still OK its the filter system that lets it down by not fully cleaning the oil. Using a bypass filter system you could run 100,000km just changing filters and topping up at filter time." I switched off. I have a couple of big pistons on my desk from a very expensive $250,000 boat motor because the operator brought into the same argument and fitted a special sub micron bypass filter. The oil was sooo acidic that his pistons were dissolving, and he is now trying to take the filter supplier to court. He did however save some money not buying much oil.

I would be temped to give Amsol a go except I won't buy any oil I cant get easily when I am away from home on a trip (rule 2). I am actually a bit of a Mobil 1 fan but don't tell the Mobil rep (I get it cheap), one race car and the Hog runs on it, but almost every other vehicle I have uses bulk Valvolene SG 20w50 mixed fleet lube.

Uncle Flips lube rules are:
1, Change the oil regularly.
2, Don't use a oil you can't easily buy in most places.
3, Don't buy a oil because it has flash packaging, the oil goes in the motor the packaging goes in the bin.
4, Change your oil regally, it is cheap.
5, Read and understand the SAE service classifications for lubricants. Don't get into the marketing hype.
6, Buy in bulk to save money and change it regually.

[Grumph]

Agree completely...

Only proviso I'd make is that while the Valvoline fleet is very good stuff, it's a high detergent oil also. Not a problem if you realise this when changing to it and plan your first couple of oil and filter changes accordingly.

[CookMySock]

Oddly, many engines and transmissions are quite oil-sensitive. I had always use X brand oil and I thought I'd give my bike a treat and upgraded to K brand synthetic oil and instantly the gearbag started finding false neutrals everywhere.. ick! I went back to X brand non-synthetic and its been mint ever since.

Another example was a diesel engine I changed to a different brand (similar oil ratings) and it completely freaked out and it missed at idle and smoked like a bitch!! Go figure!

Everyone uses different oils. The only synthetic oil I use now is 2 stroke oil, where it makes a huge difference - four stroke engines don't seem to care too much.

[CookMySock]

[...] Reporting on the TBN test for a synthetic oil is also meaningless because if you leave a oil in until it becomes acidic well you should have know better. [.....] I have a couple of big pistons on my desk [.....] The oil was sooo acidic that his pistons were dissolving

I used to use Amsoil exclusively, but only use the 2T now - it's magic shit.

[F5 Dave]

seat of pants impressions of consumables are always clouded. new oil after old oil, new tyres after old tyres, new brake pads after shot ones. Hardly a fair contest + you've bought something new & flashy. It must be better to justify your choice.

[edit] I will agree with some of Steve's observations, I've had clutches on 2 strokes that favoured or disliked other oils. I've also had clutches start to slip imediately after changing to a particular brand. Well they could have been on the limit of worn. but 3 times?? (I got it cheap for a well known MC specific brand). They used a lot of zinc apparently.

[Quasievil]

four stroke engines don't seem to care too much.

Oh, ok, I will let the Mobil technical people know that the last 30 years of development was pointless causer you said so bwaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh



*jokes DB just jokes*

[F5 Dave]

I think what gets lost is that in all the usually oil bigotry is that the big evil oil companies doubtlessly employ scientists to analyse not only their own oil, but competitors. They will know how they are produced so there is little doubt that through new R&D, research of competitors & plain old espionage the larger companies won’t be missing a trick.

Your best hope if you were a smaller specialist company say Motul for example, would be if you were owned by some enormous evil entity, like Exxon who didn’t mind you being a niche market provider.

[TripleZee Dyno]

The moment triplezee said " The synthetic oil is still OK its the filter system that lets it down by not fully cleaning the oil. Using a bypass filter system you could run 100,000km just changing filters and topping up at filter time." I switched off. I have a couple of big pistons on my desk from a very expensive $250,000 boat motor because the operator brought into the same argument and fitted a special sub micron bypass filter. The oil was sooo acidic that his pistons were dissolving, and he is now trying to take the filter supplier to court. He did however save some money not buying much oil.

Without knowing all the facts, I would have thought with a $250,000 marine engine regular oil analysis would have been part of the maintenance program.
Fitting a bypass system doesn’t mean you forget about the oil and filters.

BTW I’m not an Amsoil rep, I sell Amsoil, Mobil1 and Valvoline mineral
I prefer to use Amsoil in my vehicles because it works for me.

As I said before to each his own
cheers

[Quasievil]

Without knowing all the facts, I would have thought with a $250,000 marine engine regular oil analysis would have been part of the maintenance program.

Hell yes to that Triple Zee youre nuts if you dont do a regular test on your oil with that kind of equipment cost.