Amsoil not API certified

[Gary - K7GLD]

I may be worrying about nothing, But I get sorta concerned when TOO MUCH and too many changes are being made in oils or fuels - there's so much intrusion by the EPA into our engines based purely upon emissions, with LITTLE regard for lifespan and overall system reliability...



SO, wonder if these recent "oil improvements" are actually based upon longer life and reliability - or merely lower fuel consumption and tailpipe emissions - REGARDLESS of peripheral issues and potential problems their use might create...

 

[Riflesmith]

Gary,

In order to meet the new SL specification for gas engines, the allowed amount of zinc-phosphate was reduced. There is much argument about SL being a step backward in protection when compared to the SJ oils. There is an excellent site devoted to lubricants that has a wealth of information and a discussion forum as well. It is www.bobistheoilguy.com .

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

FROM Riflesmith's pointer:



"After the base oil has sheared or squeezed out, The last line of defense is an additive that puts down a barrier film. This additive usually has higher levels of strength against shearing so it helps keep the wear down. Alright, here's the catch. In 96, the lubrication industry changed from the SH to SJ API rated oil by reducing the barrier lubricant additives to help preserve cat converters on cars. Why?, It appears that the manufactures / lubrication experts are concerned with contaminating the cat converters with the standard antiwear additives in the motor oils so they have reduced the levels of antiwear additives to preserve the cats. Hmmm, guess what, When they introduced the new SL GF-3 oils, They left it the same. Ok, not out of the woods yet... Now the new GF-4 oils are in the works in hopes to be introduced next year around April. Have a guess one of the things they are going to do?, YEP, reduce the current antiwear additives again. "



NOW, THAT is depressing - or SHOULD be to any having serious interest in obtaining at least a REASONABLE measure of engine life and protection from their oil choice! It ALSO goes pretty well along with my earlier concerns about "improved" motor oils...







Amsoil looks better all the time - too bad it's so dern expensive - but like the fella sez, "ya can pay a little more NOW, or LOTS more later... "

 

[LarryB]

Originally posted by AKoperdak

I run Amsoil HD diesel and marine oil 15W40 in my truck. Recently I could not get my oil shipped fast enough. I had to change my oil I was past 6K miiles on it. So I put in delvac 15w-40. What I noticed is that my water jacket heated up faster and my running water temp was about 5 degrees F higher than with Amsoil.

Does'nt the thermostat control the water temp?

 

[Elite1]

Rifleman, Interesting read from the "oilman site" especially about synthetics... when you start to read his takes on synthetics, you realize that there is alot of deception going on in the industry, at first it seems as though he is bashing Mobil1, but then when you keep reading it seems that all the other producers of Synthetics (amsoil as well) are worse than Mobil1 as far as misleading the consumer.

One thing you have to like about Mobil1, is the fact that GM Corvette & Mercedes Benz use it as the factory fill, and recommend it.

 

[fj40charles]

Anyone know if Mobil 1 is API certified?

 

[Elite1]

yes it is. Exceeds API service SJ,SH/CF

, warranty requirements for gasoline and diesel engines.

 

[fj40charles]

>>One thing you have to like about Mobil1, is the fact that GM Corvette & Mercedes Benz use it as the factory fill, and recommend it.



Hmmmm. I see a correlation between being API certified and having Corvette and MB use it as factory fill. I wonder if the Corvette LS1 motor puts more stress (oil shear) on the bearings

than our Cummins???? I'm willing to bet yes since it is a high performance motor and many people drive it like they "stole it. "



Charles

 

[Pit Bull]

Originally posted by Elite1

yes it is. Exceeds API service SJ,SH/CF

, warranty requirements for gasoline and diesel engines.

I understand that it is not to be used in diesel engines, at least not our diesel engines. Mobil makes a synthetic product called Delvac 1 5w40 synthetic for our diesel engines.

 

[Elite1]

Here is the text I was refering to, from the "Oilman page"...

Example:

Back labels of Mobil 1 products for many years had following " * exclusive of carrier oil" statement in substantially smaller print.

While at the same time the front label declared the Mobil 1 as: "100% Synthetic * ". in really large print.



" 100 % Synthetic, exclusive of carrier oil ".



Well, that is only the beginning of our decoding mission. When asked, majority of consumers has absolutely no idea what "carrier oil" is, or what the meaning of "exclusive of" really is.



First, however, you have to either consult you dictionary (a technical one with specialties in oil industry well defined), or just have to take our word for it.



The usual suspects are: Additive, Base Oil, Base Stock, Carrier Oil, "exclusive of", Petroleum, Process Oil and Synthetic.



Additive



An agent used for imparting new, or for improving existing characteristics of lubricating oils or greases.



Base Oil



A base oil is a base stock or blend of base stocks used in engine oil, gear oil or ATF.



Base Stock



A base stock is a mineral hydrocarbon or synthetic lubricant component that is produced by a single manufacturer (independent of crude source or manufacturing location), that meets the same manufacturer’s specification, and that is identified by a unique formula, product identification number, or both.



Carrier Oil



Oil (Petroleum), usually solvent neutral or process oil, used to "carry" or dissolve and/or disperse additives, which would otherwise be too viscous or even solid, and therefore not easily mixed with the Base Stock Oil.



"exclusive of"



preposition



Not containing, devoid off, except for



Not including or considering petroleum.



Process oil



Oil not used for lubrication, but as a component of another material, or as a carrier of other products, such as additives.



Synthetic



Of, involving, or using synthesis



Produced by synthesis; specially: produced by chemical synthesis, rather than of natural origin



Not real or genuine; artificial [synthetic lubricant]



Something synthetic; specially, a substance produced by chemical synthesis



Man-made, not occurring in nature





Synthetic oils



Oils produced by synthesis (chemical reaction) rather than by extraction or refinement.





" 100 % Synthetic, exclusive of carrier oil ".







The "100% Synthetic" relates to the Base Oil or Base Stock, it and only it (the Base Stock) is synthetically made. In case of Mobil 1, it was originally PAO (Poly-alpha-olefin).



The "exclusive of carrier oil" means in English that the Carrier or the Process Oil that is used to "carry" the additives is not synthetic oil and therefore, the final product (Motor Oil)

is NOT 100% Synthetic, even though the Base Oil is 100% Synthetic.



Well then, what does Mobil (now ExxonMobil) have to say about that ?



Q: Is Mobil 1 a fully synthetic oil?



Yes, it’s 100% synthetic. The base stocks used in blending Mobil 1 are all "chemically constructed" instead of being simply segregated out of crude oil like conventional mineral oils.



Q: Then why does it say it contains a petroleum carrier for additives?



All motor oils contain additives that provide extra protection against wear, corrosion and engine deposits. These additives are usually high molecular weight materials – sometimes even solids. Conventional carrier oil is used to make these additives soluble. All motor oils will contain some of this carrier oil, usually only amounting to a small percentage of the finished product.



Are you clear on the subject NOW?



Perhaps a small question still lurks on your mind, how small a "small percentage" is?



Well, for that we have to go to a company like Infineum that produces the additive packages such a PARANOX 5043 and PARANOX 5510 for synthetic lubricants.



The active ingredients are 1. 94% to 4. 07% by Mass (weight) the balance is Petroleum Oil.



That is about 98% or 96% of the "Additive Package" in ready to blend form is Petroleum Oil.



The recommended treat rate for FULLY FORMULATED lubricant (Motor Oil) is 10 to 20% of the finished product.





SOLUTION:



When the treat rate is 10% and the Additive Package contains 2% of active ingredients,

then the finished product will be 90% Synthetic with 9. 8% Petroleum and 0. 2% of additives.



When the treat rate is 20% and the Additive Package contains 4% of the active ingredients,

then the finished product will be 80% Synthetic with 19. 2% Petroleum and 0. 8% of additives.







The "small percentage" (according to Mobil) is 9. 8% to 19. 2%.



Many investors would be thrilled to get such a "small percentage" return on their money !



(Just for the record, the average dividends for Mobil and Exxon over last 20 years have been in 2% to 4% range, and they jointly term this as "significant" return on Shareholders’ Equity in their Annual Reports).



OK then "100% Synthetic Motor Oil" is not really "100% Synthetic Motor Oil", but it is perfectly OK to say that it is 100% Synthetic Motor Oil, because the Base Stock is 100% Synthetic and that is what you really mean when the Motor Oil contains as much as 20% of Petroleum, because the Petroleum is not the Base Oil but the Carrier Oil for the Additives !





After all you just might not be willing to pay so much more for Synthetic Motor Oil if you knew it was not "100% Synthetic", or would you ?



Well, you probably are (paying too much)!

Almost Synthetic is Synthetic even when it is Petroleum.



Well, if you think that Mobil or (ExxonMobil now) is less than honest, or even down right deceptive, that is not the worst of it.



Most other (brands) of Synthetics such as Shell, Castrol, Amsoil, etc are NOT "synthetic" at all, at least by the definition used for years by chemists in all chemical companies around the World.



Some years ago SHELL in Europe and specifically in then West Germany introduced Motor Oils that were manufactured from UHVI Petroleum Base stock that although made from conventional crude oil, was subjected to additional processing not common on "normal" or "typical" Base Oil production. These (UHVI = Ultra High Viscosity Index) Base Stock containing Motor Oils were labeled by SHELL as "Synthetic".



What finally evolved from all this confusion was that the label term "Synthetic" is a marketing term, and therefore it is up to the "marketer" of the oil, to define what "synthetic" is.



So now anytime you subject conventional petroleum oil to any unconventional process or reaction, irrespective of if it works (improves) or not the Base Oil, you can for all practical purposes call it "synthetic" i. e. , Man-made.



SAE which had in its lubricant specifications not only definitions of what constitutes a "synthetic" but also a list of specific chemicals used as lubricants that were considered "synthetic".



Although SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) is US based organization, it aims at Global reach, and having one standard in the USA and yet another in most of Europe was deemed as bad as having English and Metric standards of measurements (at the same time).



The decision was made to go along with Europe (after all Metric is better), and as a result all reference to "synthetic" in respect to lubricants was deleted from ALL future SAE publications of SAE Standards relating to Lubricants.



Since SAE is a non-profit organization of Engineers, it had no desire nor financial might to involve itself in never ending lawsuits with mighty oil and chemical companies, so the simple "deletion" of all references to "synthetic" was perhaps the best and easiest decision.



When opportunity is there, it is only natural that some one will seize it.



It was CASTROL with their Syntec® Synthetic Motor Oil, which when first introduced up until December 1997 it was formulated with PAO sourced from Mobil.



In January 1998 CASTROL started to use much cheaper hydroprocessed petroleum base oils from SHELL. Mobil lost the opportunity to sell PAO to CASTROL.



Mobil Oil complained to National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, which in April 1999 finally ruled in CASTROL favor, specifically allowing Syntec® Motor Oil made from SHELL XHVI slack wax stream to be sold and promoted as "synthetic".



To celebrate the victory, CASTROL Company spokesperson said:



"CASTROL is proud to be a major worldwide provider of synthetic formulated lubricants, and looks forward to continued participation in this exciting market. CASTROL is committed to upgrading its products and producing the highest quality synthetic engine oils.



WOW, someone missed their calling to be a Politician !!!



So now "synthetic" can be marketed as "synthetic" even if it is not a "synthetic"!



A slight clue that as good as "synthetic" is really not all that good, can be found on www.castrol.com , when the recommended oil change interval for CASTROL Syntec® Fully Synthetic Motor Oil is: 3,000 miles or 3 months – just the same as for ordinary conventional Petroleum Motor Oil.



A PENNZOIL with PENNZANE® is not any better and PENNZOIL claims are downright deceptive. The PENNZANE® which is touted as "developed for and used by NASA" has been actually developed for used in vacuum pumps, and computer drives. It was never intended for or ever used in any engine! PENNZANE® in its pure form costs about $400. 00 per US quarts.

It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that in the Consumer version of the "synthetic" motor oil that sells for under $4. 00 there is about a drop of PENNZANE® in 5 Gallons !



The Back Label of PENNZOIL "Synthetic" with PENNZANE® also instructs the user to: "change motor oil EVERY 3,000 miles for best performance" !

 

[Elite1]

additional text:



2. Synthetic motor oil gets all new semantics.



Synthetic motor oil gets all new semantics. BY PATRICK BEDARD

November 2000



Now that the meaning of "is" has gotten so slippery you need to grab it with both hands, we'd better keep an eye on longer words, too.

One's already gone squirmy on us -- "synthetic," as in synthetic motor oil.

Most guys know two things about synthetic oils. First, the price is three to four times that of conventional oils. Second, they're not real oil, not made from crude.

News flash: Scratch that second part. Now motor oils derived from crude may be labeled "synthetic. " But they still cost over four bucks a quart.

Bait and switch? That's the obvious conclusion. Except in this case the advertising ethics people have given their approval.

Here's what happened, according to a detailed account published in the trade magazine Lubricants World. Late in 1997, Castrol changed the formula of its Syntec "full synthetic motor oil," eliminating the polyalphaolefin (PAO) base stock (that's the "synthetic" part, which makes up about 70 percent by volume of what's in the bottle) and replacing it with a "hydroisomerized" petroleum base stock.

Mobil Oil Corporation, maker of Mobil 1, "World's Leading Synthetic Motor Oil," said no fair and took its complaint to the National Advertising Division (NAD) of the Council of Better Business Bureaus. NAD often arbitrates between feuding advertisers on their conflicting claims.

The notion behind synthetic motor oils as we've known them is an elegant one. Instead of relying on the cocktail of hydrocarbons contained in crude oil, why not go into the laboratory and build the perfect base stock from scratch, molecule by molecule? The synthesizing of PAO starts with ethylene gas, a simple two-carbon molecule, and builds till it gets 10-carbon molecules, then combines three of those to form PAO. The result is a fluid more stable than the usual base oils derived from crude. It keeps flowing at low temperatures. It's more resistant to boiling off, and more resistant to oxidation, which causes thickening with prolonged exposure to high temperatures.

Still, there's more than one road to the point B of improved stability. Petroleum refiners in recent years have learned how to break apart certain undesirable molecules -- wax, for example, which causes thickening at low temperatures -- and transform them by chemical reaction into helpful molecules. These new hydroisomerized base oils, in the view of some industry participants, "provided properties similar to PAOs but cost only half as much," Lubricants World reported.

The argument before NAD tiptoed around the obvious -- does the consumer get four bucks' worth of value from each quart of synthetic oil? -- and plunged straight into deep semantics. Mobil's experts said "synthetic" traditionally meant big molecules built up from small ones. Castrol's side held out for a looser description, defining "synthetic" as "the product of an intended chemical reaction. "

What do unbiased sources say? It turns out that the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and the American Petroleum Institute (API) both have technical standards covering motor oils, and both of these organizations in the '90s backed away from their old definitions of "synthetic," leaving lots of room for new interpretations.

In the end, NAD decided that the evidence "constitutes a reasonable basis for the claim that Castrol Syntec, as currently formulated, is a synthetic motor oil," said Lubricants World.

The obvious question now: Has the term "synthetic motor oil" been opened up to the point that it no longer means anything? Maybe. But here's a better question: Did synthetic ever mean what we thought it meant?

"Great oil" is what most guys think it means. "At that price, it's gotta be great stuff!"



Okay, but how great? Your car's manual tells what motor oil you should use, and with few exceptions, that description will consist of only two specifications. One is for viscosity, such as 10W-30; and another is for the API service grade, SJ being the current one for gasoline passenger cars.

The buck-a-quart multigrades meet these standards, as do the synthetics.

The synthetics, on the back label, claim compliance with more standards, but even if you know what they mean, they seem beside the point for U. S. passenger cars. For example, should you care about diesels if you drive a gasoline burner? API service CF is the oldest of the current specs for light-duty diesels; some synthetics list that one. Synthetics may also list ACEA A1 and B1, which are European specs roughly equivalent to API gasoline and diesel specs. The Europeans grade their oils by levels of performance, so that A2 and A3 are tougher specs than A1. Same for diesels. Usually, the date of the spec is omitted, but A1-98 is newer than A1-96.

Completely absent is the one performance claim that would have real meaning for all of us -- some indication of longer oil life. But automakers hold synthetics to the same change intervals as conventional oils. And the oil companies, if anything, promise even less. "To give added protection and life to your engine, change your oil every 3000 miles. " This same language appears on the back of both Pennzoil Synthetic and Pennzoil conventional oils. Valvoline synthetic makes a similar recommendation.

Synthetics do get one unambiguous endorsement: Corvettes, Porsches, Vipers, and all AMG models from Mercedes-Benz come with Mobil 1 as the factory fill.

Most synthetics mention GM 4718M in their list of claims; that's the unique spec created by General Motors for Corvette oil. It's a high-temperature requirement that tolerates less oxidation (thickening) and volatility (boil-off) on a standard engine test called Sequence IIIE, according to engineer Bob Olree of GM Powertrain.

But don't expect to learn such details on any label. Mobil 1 at least uses straightforward declarative sentences. Most of the others read as though they were written by a lawyer looking for an escape clause. Why else would the following claim be so rubbery? "Pennzoil Synthetic motor oil is recommended for use in all engines requiring ILSAC GF-1, GF-2, API SJ, SH, or SG, and in engines requiring oils meeting GM 4718M. " Okay, but does it actually pass those standards?

"Yes," says James Newsom, Pennzoil's motor-oil product manager.

Castrol Syntec, on its label, "exceeds" every standard it mentions. Hmm. Now that the meaning of "is" is in play, I have to wonder, does Syntec meet those standards as well?

"It does," says Castrol's Juli Anne Oberg. While I have her on the phone, I ask if there will be a Syntec price reduction now that a lower-cost base stock has been substituted for the old synthetic. She says no.

 

[Elite1]

additional text:



2. Synthetic motor oil gets all new semantics.



Synthetic motor oil gets all new semantics. BY PATRICK BEDARD

November 2000



Now that the meaning of "is" has gotten so slippery you need to grab it with both hands, we'd better keep an eye on longer words, too.

One's already gone squirmy on us -- "synthetic," as in synthetic motor oil.

Most guys know two things about synthetic oils. First, the price is three to four times that of conventional oils. Second, they're not real oil, not made from crude.

News flash: Scratch that second part. Now motor oils derived from crude may be labeled "synthetic. " But they still cost over four bucks a quart.

Bait and switch? That's the obvious conclusion. Except in this case the advertising ethics people have given their approval.

Here's what happened, according to a detailed account published in the trade magazine Lubricants World. Late in 1997, Castrol changed the formula of its Syntec "full synthetic motor oil," eliminating the polyalphaolefin (PAO) base stock (that's the "synthetic" part, which makes up about 70 percent by volume of what's in the bottle) and replacing it with a "hydroisomerized" petroleum base stock.

Mobil Oil Corporation, maker of Mobil 1, "World's Leading Synthetic Motor Oil," said no fair and took its complaint to the National Advertising Division (NAD) of the Council of Better Business Bureaus. NAD often arbitrates between feuding advertisers on their conflicting claims.

The notion behind synthetic motor oils as we've known them is an elegant one. Instead of relying on the cocktail of hydrocarbons contained in crude oil, why not go into the laboratory and build the perfect base stock from scratch, molecule by molecule? The synthesizing of PAO starts with ethylene gas, a simple two-carbon molecule, and builds till it gets 10-carbon molecules, then combines three of those to form PAO. The result is a fluid more stable than the usual base oils derived from crude. It keeps flowing at low temperatures. It's more resistant to boiling off, and more resistant to oxidation, which causes thickening with prolonged exposure to high temperatures.

Still, there's more than one road to the point B of improved stability. Petroleum refiners in recent years have learned how to break apart certain undesirable molecules -- wax, for example, which causes thickening at low temperatures -- and transform them by chemical reaction into helpful molecules. These new hydroisomerized base oils, in the view of some industry participants, "provided properties similar to PAOs but cost only half as much," Lubricants World reported.

The argument before NAD tiptoed around the obvious -- does the consumer get four bucks' worth of value from each quart of synthetic oil? -- and plunged straight into deep semantics. Mobil's experts said "synthetic" traditionally meant big molecules built up from small ones. Castrol's side held out for a looser description, defining "synthetic" as "the product of an intended chemical reaction. "

What do unbiased sources say? It turns out that the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and the American Petroleum Institute (API) both have technical standards covering motor oils, and both of these organizations in the '90s backed away from their old definitions of "synthetic," leaving lots of room for new interpretations.

In the end, NAD decided that the evidence "constitutes a reasonable basis for the claim that Castrol Syntec, as currently formulated, is a synthetic motor oil," said Lubricants World.

The obvious question now: Has the term "synthetic motor oil" been opened up to the point that it no longer means anything? Maybe. But here's a better question: Did synthetic ever mean what we thought it meant?

"Great oil" is what most guys think it means. "At that price, it's gotta be great stuff!"



Okay, but how great? Your car's manual tells what motor oil you should use, and with few exceptions, that description will consist of only two specifications. One is for viscosity, such as 10W-30; and another is for the API service grade, SJ being the current one for gasoline passenger cars.

The buck-a-quart multigrades meet these standards, as do the synthetics.

The synthetics, on the back label, claim compliance with more standards, but even if you know what they mean, they seem beside the point for U. S. passenger cars. For example, should you care about diesels if you drive a gasoline burner? API service CF is the oldest of the current specs for light-duty diesels; some synthetics list that one. Synthetics may also list ACEA A1 and B1, which are European specs roughly equivalent to API gasoline and diesel specs. The Europeans grade their oils by levels of performance, so that A2 and A3 are tougher specs than A1. Same for diesels. Usually, the date of the spec is omitted, but A1-98 is newer than A1-96.

Completely absent is the one performance claim that would have real meaning for all of us -- some indication of longer oil life. But automakers hold synthetics to the same change intervals as conventional oils. And the oil companies, if anything, promise even less. "To give added protection and life to your engine, change your oil every 3000 miles. " This same language appears on the back of both Pennzoil Synthetic and Pennzoil conventional oils. Valvoline synthetic makes a similar recommendation.

Synthetics do get one unambiguous endorsement: Corvettes, Porsches, Vipers, and all AMG models from Mercedes-Benz come with Mobil 1 as the factory fill.

Most synthetics mention GM 4718M in their list of claims; that's the unique spec created by General Motors for Corvette oil. It's a high-temperature requirement that tolerates less oxidation (thickening) and volatility (boil-off) on a standard engine test called Sequence IIIE, according to engineer Bob Olree of GM Powertrain.

But don't expect to learn such details on any label. Mobil 1 at least uses straightforward declarative sentences. Most of the others read as though they were written by a lawyer looking for an escape clause. Why else would the following claim be so rubbery? "Pennzoil Synthetic motor oil is recommended for use in all engines requiring ILSAC GF-1, GF-2, API SJ, SH, or SG, and in engines requiring oils meeting GM 4718M. " Okay, but does it actually pass those standards?

"Yes," says James Newsom, Pennzoil's motor-oil product manager.

Castrol Syntec, on its label, "exceeds" every standard it mentions. Hmm. Now that the meaning of "is" is in play, I have to wonder, does Syntec meet those standards as well?

"It does," says Castrol's Juli Anne Oberg. While I have her on the phone, I ask if there will be a Syntec price reduction now that a lower-cost base stock has been substituted for the old synthetic. She says no.

 

[Elite1]

Originally posted by Pit Bull

I understand that it is not to be used in diesel engines, at least not our diesel engines. Mobil makes a synthetic product called Delvac 1 5w40 synthetic for our diesel engines.

Pitbull, Mobil1 does have a CF (is a diesel rating), although Cummins says to use a CH rated oil. Your right, the Delvac1 is a heavy duty diesel oil, which has a CF,CH,CJ diesel rating... .



I do know that the Mercedes Turbo-diesels come with Mobil1 from the factory.



I wonder if the Premium Blue (from I believe Castoroil) is really better than Mobil1?, that is what Cummins recommends.

 

[Texas Diesel]

Probably right. But, customers have a right to know they are taking a chance with non-API approved oil.



My original post said "Amsoil not API certified", thats it.

Am I wrong?

Is it API certified (2000/3000)?

Am I wrong in saying that the manual requires API certified oil?



No amout of posting or theorizing will change the above facts. I never said it was not good oil either.

 

[Pit Bull]

Originally posted by Elite1

Pitbull, Mobil1 does have a CF (is a diesel rating), although Cummins says to use a CH rated oil. Your right, the Delvac1 is a heavy duty diesel oil, which has a CF,CH,CJ diesel rating... .



I do know that the Mercedes Turbo-diesels come with Mobil1 from the factory.



I wonder if the Premium Blue (from I believe Castoroil) is really better than Mobil1?, that is what Cummins recommends.

Elite1, why don't you run Mobil1 in your CTD, with its CF rating it should be fine, makes you wonder why Mobil even makes Delvac 1 synthetic for diesels when we could all just use Mobil 1. I'm basing this on the fact that my 2000 service manual states that my truck only requires CE rated oil your 1996 should not require anything above a CE rated oil. By the way Valvoline makes Premium blue, they have a contract with Cummins to be the factory fill, Cummins does not "recommend" them anymore than any other oil that would meet the oil spec's for that year engine. But Premium Blue would be a good oil to use in your engine.

 

[GLASMITHS]

Texas Diesel

If my memory serves me , during the OIL WAR the reason AMSOIL (some of it) is not API rated is because the additive changes too much from the API standard, because they purchase on the open market from the cheapest source. To be API it must be a certain standard, just as ISO, that way you KNOW what you are getting. It might be better oil - but they cain't or won't prove it.

 

[Elite1]

Originally posted by Pit Bull

Elite1, why don't you run Mobil1 in your CTD, with its CF rating it should be fine, makes you wonder why Mobil even makes Delvac 1 synthetic for diesels when we could all just use Mobil 1. I'm basing this on the fact that my 2000 service manual states that my truck only requires CE rated oil your 1996 should not require anything above a CE rated oil. By the way Valvoline makes Premium blue, they have a contract with Cummins to be the factory fill, Cummins does not "recommend" them anymore than any other oil that would meet the oil spec's for that year engine. But Premium Blue would be a good oil to use in your engine.

Pit Bull, I do use Delvac1, just switched to it recently... . before that used Shell Rotella... . have used Mobil1 on my wifes Toy. 4runner for years, she have 150,000 miles so far.

 

[amsoilman]

Gary-KJ6Q,

Interesting you bring this up.

Now the new GF-4 oils are in the works in hopes to be introduced next year around April. Have a guess one of the things they are going to do?, YEP, reduce the current antiwear additives again. "

As a Direct Jobber with Amsoil, I just received word through an information letter from Amsoil dated Sept. 15th, stating GF-4 Oils have been "postponed" until 2004! The report continues stating

"Originally shooting for an April 2003 release, the International Lubricant Standardization and Approval Committee [ILSAC] which represents both Amserican and japanese Automakers, recently announced plans to postpone the newest specification for passenger car motor oils (GF-4) for one year. The [API] American Petroleum Institute does not yet have a new schedule for "licensing" the new GF-4 oils". [End Quote]



Best regards,



Wayne

amsoilman

 

[Bob Cochran]

Did Elite 1 break a record for the longest post?:--) I use Delo and change every 4,000 miles. Probably never change to synthetic, personnelk preference. Based on nothing more than I am more comfortable doing it that way. Yet I run Amsoil in transmission and rearend. Taking a big chance on transmission but I am betting if soming goes wrong with it the Stealler or DC will not test it to know it is Amsoil. It shifts better but coudl be my imagination too!!! Exciting thread this has turned out to be; gives me somnething to read other than a book. Oo.

 

[Texas Diesel]

Originally posted by Bob Cochran

Did Elite 1 break a record for the longest post?:--)

I think so, but I had to read it three times to get it all.



"Here's what happened, according to a detailed account published in the trade magazine Lubricants World. Late in 1997, Castrol changed the formula of its Syntec "full synthetic motor oil," eliminating the polyalphaolefin (PAO) base stock (that's the "synthetic" part, which makes up about 70 percent by volume of what's in the bottle) and replacing it with a "hydroisomerized" petroleum base stock. " Is this what "Hydrocracked" means?



Dictionary:

Synthetic, "... 4 a (1) : of, relating to, or produced by chemical or biochemical synthesis; especially : produced artificially"



I guess they get around it beause it is "produced artifically" i. e. , hydrocracked, even though that is not what we associate with the term "synthetic". I guess my morning coffee is "synthetic" because it is "produced artificially" i. e. , brewed