About Those Synthetics and Trusting Big Names

[Dejure]

Grit dog, your generalization reflects presumptions that just aren't true.

Your experiences were far from the same as mine, or others. For example:

(1) I was a contractor, as opposed to working for someone else. I've had my share of employment jobs too.

(2) To the end of operating my business, I had a couple cars I used to get to bid sites. As well, I had a truck and a couple vans (cargo and step) to haul tools, equipment and materials to job sites.

Being able to depend on those rigs was important. It meant getting to jobs and getting materials to them. It involved putting a lot of miles on rigs. Especially since many jobs were an hour from home base, and many were far from supply sources.

SIDE NOTE: I was driving a couple different classics this site covers before a good many here were born.

(3) Long before most knew what a computer was, I was repairing them. So too it goes for the Net (actually, I played in the BBS world, before the Net) too.

Over the years, I put a lot of time in researching everything from repairing my rigs to keeping up with the latest innovations on a given matter, or studying local, state and federal laws.

Even when I worked 12 hour days, I found time to research. Yes, from that I learned there was a lot of BS out there. However, I also learned only a fool would dismiss everything he knew nothing, or just a little of. As it's said, too many who know little or nothing about something tend to be confident in their ignorance.

My post made clear I was sharing what another site posted. I could not, and did not, state I could attest to the veracity of the content. Thus my clear statement people might want to rethink. I guess, for some, I should have spelled out it might be a good idea to research on their own.

In the end, more of what we are told is Madison Avenue BS than fact, be it the con of convincing people hydrogenated oils are better for us than natural fats, Detroit had a good idea when it imposed touch screens on us, and so on.

 

[Dejure]

Camar068, thanks for the site post for comparing oils. Nice score.​

 

[Hurbal]

Hi all! Kudos to @Dejure for asking the right questions and being curious. I am curious as to whether anyone has found a source of motor oil information which is MEASURABLY better than that of 540RATblog...?? I researched oil for many months before finding his blog and I don't remember exactly how it happened but, IN MY OPINION he makes the best and most consistent case for the most important characteristic of motor oil being "FILM STRENGTH". This is the ability of the oil to keep two mechanical parts separated despite being under extreme pressure, as in the camshaft lobe-tapet/lifter surface in a high performance race engine. If the oil can do that consistently and repeatably, it makes most of the other characteristics meaningless! He has the data and the clearest, most logical explanation and credentials to back up his work supported by a plethora of testimonials from people who have used his suggestions to solve real world engine problems.
His work consists of over 250 tests of different oils including all oil types and a number (70+) of tech articles on car stuff, mostly mechanical. He is a degreed mechanical engineer who drag races 540c.i. Rat engines 800HP and 600HP flat tappet engines. His day job is as an aeronautical engineer.
The website is ALL text, so if you can't or are unwilling to read at length to get unbiased information, don't bother, and please don't judge him or me without reading, as that would be pointless. And, no you do not have to read everything word for word, there's a lot of explanatory info and myth busting which helps explain what he is doing and why but, you can scroll down past that until you get to the test results if you wish. Just know that he has done all his testing on his own dime (including buying the oil) and will not do any testing for anyone with a vested interest/ulterior motive, especially oil companies. (He will occasionally, agree to test someone's personal choice of oil without charge, if they make arrangements with him). Personally, I have not found too many bloggers on any subject, who can say that about their work.
So, happy reading for anyone who has the "guts" to find out the truth with an open mind and reconsider their OPINIONS and MYTHS about motor oils and depending on what they are using now, maybe try something with tested proof of its quality, not oil corp hype or bench-racing bs.
Happy reading to those who dare! (Yeah, that's a challenge.)
Thanks for letting me comment! (And, yeah, I used to have all those political opinions and myths about motor oil, like most of us, before finding 540RAT.)
Currently using 5W-30 Quaker State Full Synthetic (Dexos1.3)...Find out why and why I may be looking for something else, soon.

 

[Fastduramax]

Totally with ya Herb ! I discovered his blog several years ago and he's an unbiased genius. And yes it's a great read for sure hell I think it took me a week to read it end to end !

 

[ghopp24]

Just watch the Lake Speed jr Motor oil geek vids on YouTube and you will get all the true oil info you could ever want.

 

[Camar068]

Camar068, thanks for the site post for comparing oils. Nice score.​

Warren Distribution makes the oil for supertech, and used to make it for Amazon oil (how I came across them). Back when I did comparisons and geeked a bit with the contents in oil, Amazon wasn't far from Amsoil.

Amazon oil is no longer available, then I found out Warren makes Supertech so I felt comfortable going with it.

 

[Dejure]

Kinda the same thing I do when shopping filters......if WIX makes them for Bosch, Napa, Car Quest, or whoever, their reputation is tied to them and they want to keep the business of those who want the best to protect their equipment that could cost a quarter million, or millions, to repair or replace.

Too many times the next contract is awarded to Fram or. . . . , so one needs to keep up, or just stay with the name.

 

[Dejure]

Yeah, FastDuraMax, for whatever reason my post didn't show up. It talked about fools and idiots, without naming them, but who, as it's said, presume much that just isn't true. The type who make clear they think themselves unique. As in, the only ones who ever held/hold a job, let alone run/ran a business. The latter which demands/demanded far more than 99% of the jobs out there. Things like, longer hours, paper work, all the risk, the actual investment.

Many are used to researching long after others have settled for kicking up their feet and popping a beer cap. As often as not, it comes with the turf, in the course of keeping up, growing efficiency and so on. In the end, some like to play video games, while others are, instead, entertained by making them work. That could be flavored by comparing the guy or gal who has to hunt and peck to form a written sentence to those who don't have to look at the keyboard to do the same.

 

[CmuCmu]

Should I switch oil weight to 15w40? On a 292 with 300k-ish miles (420k kms) I'm currently using 20w50, but oil pressure "cold" (at 30-ish degrees C outside) is too high.

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

With the engine hot the minimum pressure is 35psi idle and 70psi wot.

 

[Dejure]

Can't provide facts relative to your oil pressure (no qualifications), but I can say I use OR lose more oil when I use lighter oils.

 

[Broken85]

Hi all! Kudos to @Dejure for asking the right questions and being curious. I am curious as to whether anyone has found a source of motor oil information which is MEASURABLY better than that of 540RATblog...?? I researched oil for many months before finding his blog and I don't remember exactly how it happened but, IN MY OPINION he makes the best and most consistent case for the most important characteristic of motor oil being "FILM STRENGTH". This is the ability of the oil to keep two mechanical parts separated despite being under extreme pressure, as in the camshaft lobe-tapet/lifter surface in a high performance race engine. If the oil can do that consistently and repeatably, it makes most of the other characteristics meaningless! He has the data and the clearest, most logical explanation and credentials to back up his work supported by a plethora of testimonials from people who have used his suggestions to solve real world engine problems.
His work consists of over 250 tests of different oils including all oil types and a number (70+) of tech articles on car stuff, mostly mechanical. He is a degreed mechanical engineer who drag races 540c.i. Rat engines 800HP and 600HP flat tappet engines. His day job is as an aeronautical engineer.
The website is ALL text, so if you can't or are unwilling to read at length to get unbiased information, don't bother, and please don't judge him or me without reading, as that would be pointless. And, no you do not have to read everything word for word, there's a lot of explanatory info and myth busting which helps explain what he is doing and why but, you can scroll down past that until you get to the test results if you wish. Just know that he has done all his testing on his own dime (including buying the oil) and will not do any testing for anyone with a vested interest/ulterior motive, especially oil companies. (He will occasionally, agree to test someone's personal choice of oil without charge, if they make arrangements with him). Personally, I have not found too many bloggers on any subject, who can say that about their work.
So, happy reading for anyone who has the "guts" to find out the truth with an open mind and reconsider their OPINIONS and MYTHS about motor oils and depending on what they are using now, maybe try something with tested proof of its quality, not oil corp hype or bench-racing bs.
Happy reading to those who dare! (Yeah, that's a challenge.)
Thanks for letting me comment! (And, yeah, I used to have all those political opinions and myths about motor oil, like most of us, before finding 540RAT.)
Currently using 5W-30 Quaker State Full Synthetic (Dexos1.3)...Find out why and why I may be looking for something else, soon.

“This is a great find, and super helpful. I fed his whole site into Chat GPT and just quizzed it for like an hour!!!”

 

[Camar068]

Should I switch oil weight to 15w40? On a 292 with 300k-ish miles (420k kms) I'm currently using 20w50, but oil pressure "cold" (at 30-ish degrees C outside) is too high.

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

With the engine hot the minimum pressure is 35psi idle and 70psi wot.

I'd start with bearing clearance first then temperature 2nd to determine what oil you'd need. If you think 30 psi is too high, yeh bump down to 40 and see how it feels/sounds. Gonna guess with 300k miles the bearings are worn and "prefers" the thicker.

30 psi to me cold starting is excellent to me. I'd leave it be and keep it going.....that's a lot of miles...don't mess with it now.

hopefully others chime in with other opinions to give you a better feeling about ur decision. just my thoughts.

 

[Terlingueno]

I'd start with bearing clearance first then temperature 2nd to determine what oil you'd need. If you think 30 psi is too high, yeh bump down to 40 and see how it feels/sounds. Gonna guess with 300k miles the bearings are worn and "prefers" the thicker.

30 psi to me cold starting is excellent to me. I'd leave it be and keep it going.....that's a lot of miles...don't mess with it now.

hopefully others chime in with other opinions to give you a better feeling about ur decision. just my thoughts.

@CmuCmu is not saying oil pressure is 30psi, he is saying the ambient temperature is 30C, as in degrees Celsius. Which is 86F.

If you watch the video @CmuCmu posted, the oil pressure at idle is over 60psi on his gauge. When giving it some gas, the pressure climbs to over 100psi on his gauge.

I think the gauge may be faulty and if I were him, I would switch out the gauge for a new one and see if that is the case.

 

[Dejure]

AND A LONG SHOT: As I mentioned above, GMC was having problems with engine knocking and isolated it to the Fram oil filters. Went to better filters and the problem went away. BUT that would seem a solution more tied to the opposite issue (vs gauges reporting too much oil pressure).

 

[Grit dog]

There are differences and like @Fastduramax said, room for both.
I selectively use pao oils when and where I think necessary or beneficial.
Right wrong or indifferent.