Noer
06-08-2015, 04:59 PM
So I was doing some hard research and came across this test.
Contrary to what the diehards have been conditioned to believe. The amount of zinc/phos is not the “be all” and “end all”, regarding engine protection. It is no secret in the oil industry that a number of other components besides zinc/phos, can also provide excellent engine protection. Modern API oils use some of those other components (often proprietary), so as not to foul the cats in newer vehicles.
And that is the reason I did all that oil wear torture testing in the first place. To find out just how all the various oils compare regarding engine protection. When you see the results with your own two eyes, it makes a believer out of you. Some high zinc/phos oils did very well, and some did not. Some modern low zinc/phos oils did very well, and some did not. It depends on the base oil and its additive package “as a whole”, not just a couple of components in the oil alone.
And if that is not complication enough for you, consider that there is also fast burn zinc that is activated with less heat and load than slow burn zinc. Nothing is ever as simple as it might appear on the surface. My testing was done at modest temperature of 230*F so it may have favored the fast burn zinc, since slow burn zinc may need higher temps to be activated fully. So, I plan on doing some additional testing at higher temps to see how they all shake out.
Some folks did not like the original 230*F test results because some modern low zinc/phos oils performed better than some high zinc/phos oils. But the fact is, modern low zinc/phos oils simply cannot test that well, unless they truly are capable oils. They cannot just magically perform well for no reason (and remember that the tests were repeated to ensure accuracy. There were no flukes here). They have to be excellent oils in order to perform well. And my test results showed the real deal, even if some folks were not comfortable with the results. The numbers are what they are.
•The higher the psi result, the higher the “Load carrying capacity/Film strength”, and the better the oil is at preventing wear.
•All oils were tested at 230* F (representative of actual running temperature).
•Multiple tests were performed on each oil, and those results were averaged to arrive at each oil's final value shown below.
•Test Result differences between oils of less than 10%, are not significant, and oils within that range can be considered approximately equivalent.
•All oil bottles were thoroughly shaken before the samples were taken. This ensured that all the additive package components were distributed uniformly throughout all the oil in the bottle, and not settled to the bottom.
•All oils are full synthetic unless otherwise specified.
•All oils are suitable for street use unless otherwise specified.
Oil categories:
•Over 90,000 psi = OUTSTANDING protection
•75,000 to 90,000 psi = GOOD protection
•60,000 to 75,000 psi = MODEST protection
•Below 60,000 psi = UNACCEPTABLE protection
********** OUTSTANDING PROTECTION ************
1. 5W30 Pennzoil Ultra, API SM = 115,612 psi
I have not been able to find this oil with the latest API SN certification. The bottle says, “No leading synthetic oil provides better wear protection”. For once, a product’s hype turns out to be true.
zinc = 806 ppm
phos = 812 ppm
moly = 66 ppm
2. 10W30 Lucas Racing Only = 106,505 psi
zinc = 2642 ppm
phos = 3489 ppm
moly = 1764 ppm
NOTE: This oil is suitable for short term racing use only, and is not suitable for street use.
3. 5W30 Mobil 1, API SN = 105,875 psi
zinc = 801 ppm
phos = 842 ppm
moly = 112 ppm
4. 0W30 Amsoil Signature Series 25,000 miles, API SN = 105,008 psi
zinc = 824 ppm
phos = 960 ppm
moly = 161 ppm
******* 10% below number 1 = 104,051 psi ********
5. 10W30 Valvoline NSL (Not Street Legal) Conventional Racing Oil = 103,846 psi
zinc = 1669 ppm
phos = 1518 ppm
moly = 784 ppm
NOTE: This oil is suitable for short term racing use only, and is not suitable for street use.
6. 5W50 Motorcraft, API SN = 103,517 psi
zinc = 606 ppm
phos = 742 ppm
moly = 28 ppm
7. 10W30 Valvoline VR1 Conventional Racing Oil (silver bottle) = 103,505 psi
zinc = 1472 ppm
phos = 1544 ppm
moly = 3 ppm
8. 10W30 Valvoline VR1 Synthetic Racing Oil, API SL (black bottle) = 101,139 psi
zinc = 1180 ppm
phos = 1112 ppm
moly = 162 ppm
9. 5W30 Chevron Supreme conventional, API SN = 100,011 psi
This one only costs $4.29 per quart at the Auto Parts Store where I bought it.
zinc = 1018 ppm
phos = 728 ppm
moly = 161 ppm
10. 5W20 Castrol Edge with Titanium, API SN = 99,983 psi
zinc = 1042 ppm
phos = 857 ppm
moly = 100 ppm
titanium = 49 ppm
11. 20W50 Castrol GTX conventional, API SN = 96,514 psi
zinc = 610 ppm
phos = 754 ppm
moly = 94 ppm
12. 30 wt Red Line Race Oil = 96,470 psi
zinc = 2207 ppm
phos = 2052 ppm
moly = 1235 ppm
NOTE: This oil is suitable for short term racing use only, and is not suitable for street use.
13. 0W20 Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy, API SN = 96,364 psi
zinc = 742 ppm
phos = 677 ppm
moly = 81 ppm
14. 5W30 Quaker State Ultimate Durability, API SN = 95,920 psi
zinc = 877 ppm
phos = 921 ppm
moly = 72 ppm
15. 5W30 Castrol Edge with Titanium, API SN = 95,717 psi
zinc = 818 ppm
phos = 883 ppm
moly = 90 ppm
titanium = 44 ppm
16. 10W30 Joe Gibbs XP3 NASCAR Racing Oil = 95,543 psi
zinc = 743 ppm
phos = 802 ppm
moly = 1125 ppm
NOTE: This oil is suitable for short term racing use only, and is not suitable for street use.
17. 5W20 Castrol GTX conventional, API SN = 95,543 psi
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD
NOTE: Oil numbers 16 and 17 were tested weeks apart, but due to the similarities in their wear scar sizes, their averages ended up the same.
18. 5W30 Castrol GTX conventional, API SN = 95,392 psi
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD
19. 10W30 Amsoil Z-Rod Oil = 95,360 psi
zinc = 1431 ppm
phos = 1441 ppm
moly = 52 ppm
20. 5W30 Valvoline SynPower, API SN = 94,942 psi
zinc = 969 ppm
phos = 761 ppm
moly = 0 ppm
21. 5W30 Valvoline Premium Conventional, API SN = 94,744 psi
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD
22. 5W20 Mobil 1, API SN = 94,663 psi
zinc = 764 ppm
phos = 698 ppm
moly = 76 ppm
23. 5W20 Valvoline SynPower, API SN = 94,460 psi
zinc = 1045 ppm
phos = 742 ppm
moly = 0 ppm
******** 20% below number 1 = 92,490 psi ********
24. 5W30 Lucas conventional, API SN = 92,073 psi
zinc = 992 ppm
phos = 760 ppm
moly = 0 ppm
25. 5W30 O'Reilly (house brand) conventional, API SN = 91,433 psi
This one only costs $3.99 per quart at the Auto Parts Store where I bought it.
zinc = 863 ppm
phos = 816 ppm
moly = 0 ppm
26. 5W30 Red Line, API SN = 91,028 psi
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD
27. 5W20 Royal Purple API SN = 90,434 psi
zinc = 964 ppm
phos = 892 ppm
moly = 0 ppm
28. 5W20 Valvoline Premium Conventional, API SN = 90,144 psi
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD
************ GOOD PROTECTION **********
29. 30 wt Castrol Heavy Duty conventional, API SM = 88,089 psi
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD
30. 10W30 Joe Gibbs HR4 Hotrod Oil = 86,270 psi
zinc = 1247 ppm
phos = 1137 ppm
moly = 24 ppm
31. 5W20 Pennzoil Ultra, API SM = 86,034 psi
I have not been able to find this oil with the latest API SN certification.
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD
32. 5W30 Royal Purple API SN = 84,009 psi
zinc = 942 ppm
phos = 817 ppm
moly = 0 ppm
33. 20W50 Royal Purple API SN = 83,487 psi
zinc = 588 ppm
phos = 697 ppm
moly = 0 ppm
34. 20W50 Kendall GT-1 High Performance with liquid titanium, (conventional) API SN = 83,365 psi
zinc = 991 ppm
phos = 1253 ppm
moly = 57 ppm
titanium = 84 ppm
35. 5W30 Mobil 1 Extended Performance 15,000 mile, API SN = 83,263 psi
zinc = 890 ppm
phos = 819 ppm
moly = 104 ppm
36. 0W20 Castrol Edge with Titanium, API SN = 82,867 psi
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD
******** 30% below number 1 = 80,928 psi ********
37. 5W30 GM's AC Delco dexos 1 (semi-synthetic) API SN = 76,501 psi
zinc = 878 ppm
phos = 758 ppm
moly = 72 ppm
**************** MODEST PROTECTION ************
38. 5W30 Royal Purple XPR (Extreme Performance Racing) = 74,860 psi
zinc = 1421 ppm
phos = 1338 ppm
moly = 204 ppm
NOTE: This particular bottle of oil was just opened, but was out of a 3 ½ year old case.
39. 15W40 Farm Rated Heavy Duty Performance Diesel, CI-4, CH-4, CG-4, CF/SL, SJ (conventional) = 73,176 psi
zinc = 1325ppm
phos = 1234 ppm
moly = 2 ppm
40. 15W40 “NEW” SHELL ROTELLA T Diesel Oil conventional, API CJ-4, CI-4 Plus, CH-4, CF-4,CF/SM = 72,022 psi
zinc = 1454 ppm
phos = 1062 ppm
ZDDP = 1200 ppm
41. Brad Penn, Penn Grade 1 Nitro 70 Racing Oil (semi-synthetic) = 72,003 psi
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD
42. 0W30 Brad Penn, Penn Grade 1 (semi-synthetic) = 71,377 psi
zinc = 1621 ppm
phos = 1437 ppm
moly = 0 ppm
43. 10W30 Brad Penn, Penn Grade 1 (semi-synthetic) = 71,206 psi
zinc = 1557 ppm
phos = 1651 ppm
moly = 3 ppm
44. 15W50 Mobil 1, API SN = 70,235 psi
zinc = 1,133 ppm
phos = 1,168 ppm
moly = 83 ppm
******** 40% below number 1 = 69,367 psi ********
45. 5W30 Motorcraft, API SN = 68,782 psi
zinc = 796 ppm
phos = 830 ppm
moly = 75 ppm
46. 10W30 Royal Purple HPS (High Performance Street) = 66,211 psi
zinc = 1774 ppm
phos = 1347 ppm
moly = 189 ppm
47. 10W40 Valvoline 4 Stroke Motorcycle Oil conventional, API SJ = 65,553 psi
zinc = 1154 ppm
phos = 1075 ppm
moly = 0 ppm
48. Royal Purple 10W30 Break-In Oil conventional = 62,931 psi
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD
High Temp motor oil Wear Testing-Myth vs Reality (very long) (http://www.speedtalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=31363#p372912) http://www.speedtalk.com/forum/styles/prosilver/imageset/icon_post_target.gif (http://www.speedtalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=372912#p372912)by 540 RAT (http://www.speedtalk.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=2823) » Tue Jun 05, 2012 2:06 pm
I’ve increased the scope of my ongoing motor oil “Load Carrying Capacity/Film Strength” wear testing efforts. This testing is a motor oil torture test that subjects oil to a friction test under load, in a controllable and repeatable manner, while the wear specimens are bathed in oil. This test is significantly more severe on the oil than is an actual running engine. That way you can see how different oils directly compare to each other, without having to wait for 100,000 miles to see what happened. It allows you to quickly determine outstanding oils from ordinary oils.
The first time I tested 44 oils (then later added 3 more), all at a representative operating temperature of 230*F. Of course testing at a single temperature data point does not show the big picture overall. So, now I’ve re-tested a dozen of those oils at a higher temperature to get a better idea of how various oil types perform over a wider range of temperatures. The oils chosen this time consist of:
*** 10 different brands
*** 6 low zinc (below 1,000 ppm) oils
*** 6 high zinc (above 1,000 ppm) oils
*** Viscosities ranging from 5W20 to 20W50
*** 8 full synthetic oils
*** 3 conventional dino oils
*** 1 semi-synthetic oil
*** 6 Racing/High Performance oils
*** 6 Modern API certified oils
*** 6 Low detergent (less than 2.0 “detergent/zinc” ratio) oils
*** 6 High detergent (2.0 or higher “detergent/zinc” ratio) oils
Here are those 12 oils, ranked by their test result capabilities at 230*F:
1. 5W30 Pennzoil Ultra, API SM (synthetic)
115,612 psi “load carrying capacity”
2. 10W30 Lucas Racing Only (synthetic)
106,505 psi “load carrying capacity” (8% below no. 1)
3. 5W30 Mobil 1, API SN (synthetic)
105,875 psi “load carrying capacity” (8% below no. 1)
4. 5W50 Motorcraft, API SN (synthetic)
103,517 psi “load carrying capacity” (10% below no. 1)
5. 10W30 Valvoline VR1 Racing Oil silver bottle (conventional)
103,505 psi “load carrying capacity” (10% below no. 1)
6. 5W20 Castrol Edge w/Titanium, API SN (synthetic)
99,983 psi “load carrying capacity” (14% below no. 1)
7. 20W50 Castrol GTX, API SN (conventional)
96,514 psi “load carrying capacity” (17% below no. 1)
8. 10W30 Joe Gibbs XP3 NASCAR Racing Oil (synthetic)
95,543 psi “load carrying capacity” (17% below no. 1)
9. 5W30 Castrol GTX, API SN (conventional)
95,392 psi “load carrying capacity” (17% below no. 1)
10. 10W30 Amsoil Z-Rod Oil (synthetic)
95,360 psi “load carrying capacity” (18% below no. 1)
11. 5W30 Royal Purple XPR (synthetic)
74,860 psi “load carrying capacity” (35% below no. 1)
12. 0W30 Brad Penn, Penn Grade 1 (semi-synthetic)
71,377 psi “load carrying capacity” (38% below no. 1)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Capability ranking at 275*F:
1. 5W30 Pennzoil Ultra, API SM = 97,955 psi (dropped 15% from its 230* value)
2. 5W30 Mobil 1, API SN = 96,323 psi (dropped 9% from its 230* value)
(2% below no. 1 here at 275*)
3. 10W30 Lucas Racing Only = 95,996 psi (dropped 10% from its 230* value)
(2% below no. 1 here at 275*)
4. 5W50 Motorcraft, API SN = 92,545 psi (dropped 11% from its 230* value)
(6% below no. 1 here at 275*)
5. 10W30 Amsoil Z-Rod Oil = 91,351 psi (dropped ONLY 4% from its 230* value)
(7% below no. 1 here at 275*)
6. 20W50 Castrol GTX, API SN = 85,815 psi (dropped 11% from its 230* value)
(12% below no. 1 here at 275*)
7. 5W20 Castrol Edge w/Titanium, API SN = 84,584 psi (dropped 15% from its 230* value)
(14% below no. 1 here at 275*)
8. 10W30 Joe Gibbs XP3 NASCAR Racing Oil = 80,957 psi (dropped 15% from its 230* value)
(17% below no. 1 here at 275*)
9. 5W30 Castrol GTX, API SN = 80,957 psi (dropped 15% from its 230* value)
(17% below no. 1 here at 275*)
NOTE: This is not a typo here, number 8 and 9 here just happened to have the same size wear scar, thus the same psi value.
10. 10W30 Valvoline VR1 Racing Oil, silver bottle = 75,116 psi (dropped 27% from its 230* value)
(23% below no. 1 here at 275*)
11. 0W30 Brad Penn, Penn Grade 1 = 68,768 psi (dropped ONLY 4% from its 230* value)
(30% below no. 1 here at 275*)
12. 5W30 Royal Purple XPR = 66,664 psi (dropped 11% from its 230* value)
(32% below no. 1 here at 275*)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
But, since engines oil won’t typically be running at just 230*F or at just 275*F, it makes the most sense to average the values from the relatively cool low temp and the relatively hot high temp, to arrive at values in the middle. This will provide a more real world reference overall.
The “average” capability ranking from 230*F and 275*F combined:
1. 5W30 Pennzoil Ultra, API SM (synthetic)
106,784 psi “load carrying capacity”
zinc = 806 ppm
total detergent = 3387 ppm
detergent ppm/zinc ppm ratio = 4.2, the higher this number, the higher the proportion of detergent, which can have the potential to try and clean away zinc
2. 10W30 Lucas Racing Only (synthetic)
NOT SUITABLE FOR STREET USE
101,251 psi “load carrying capacity” (5% below no. 1)
zinc = 2642 ppm
total detergent = 2943 ppm
detergent ppm/zinc ppm ratio = 1.1
3. 5W30 Mobil 1, API SN (synthetic)
101,099 psi “load carrying capacity” (5% below no. 1)
zinc = 801 ppm
total detergent = 1489 ppm
detergent ppm/zinc ppm ratio = 1.9
4. 5W50 Motorcraft, API SN (synthetic)
98,031 psi “load carrying capacity” (8% below no. 1)
zinc = 606 ppm
total detergent = 2005 ppm
detergent ppm/zinc ppm ratio = 3.3
5. 10W30 Amsoil Z-Rod Oil (synthetic)
93,356 psi “load carrying capacity” (13% below no. 1)
zinc = 1431 ppm
total detergent = 2927 ppm
detergent ppm/zinc ppm ratio =2.0
6. 5W20 Castrol Edge w/Titanium, API SN (synthetic)
92,284 psi “load carrying capacity” (14% below no. 1)
zinc = 1042 ppm
total detergent = 1952 ppm
detergent ppm/zinc ppm ratio = 1.9
7. 20W50 Castrol GTX, API SN (conventional)
91,165 psi “load carrying capacity” (15% below no. 1)
zinc = 610 ppm
total detergent = 2599 ppm
detergent ppm/zinc ppm ratio = 4.3
8. 10W30 Valvoline VR1 Racing Oil silver bottle (conventional)
89,311 psi “load carrying capacity” (16% below no. 1)
zinc = 1472 ppm
total detergent = 2787 ppm
detergent ppm/zinc ppm ratio = 1.9
9. 10W30 Joe Gibbs XP3 NASCAR Racing Oil (synthetic)
NOT SUITABLE FOR STREET USE
88,250 psi “load carrying capacity” (17% below no. 1)
zinc = 743 ppm
total detergent = 620 ppm
detergent ppm/zinc ppm ratio = .8
10. 5W30 Castrol GTX, API SN (conventional)
88,175 psi “load carrying capacity” (17% below no. 1)
zinc = 830 ppm
total detergent = 2648 ppm
detergent ppm/zinc ppm ratio = 3.2
11. 5W30 Royal Purple XPR (synthetic)
70,762 psi “load carrying capacity” (34% below no. 1)
zinc = 1421 ppm
total detergent = 3050 ppm
detergent ppm/zinc ppm ratio = 2.1
12. 0W30 Brad Penn, Penn Grade 1 (semi-synthetic)
70,073 psi “load carrying capacity” (34% below no. 1)
zinc = 1621 ppm
total detergent = 2939 ppm
detergent ppm/zinc ppm ratio = 1.8 (only 43% of the detergent concentration of no. 1)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In spite of what many Racers, Hotrodders and Gearheads have been lead to believe, only “wear testing” can provide the necessary data to help you choose a motor oil that will truly provide the best wear protection. It’s the same type of idea where we dyno test engines to see how they truly perform, rather than just looking at their spec sheets.
SYNTHETIC VS CONVENTIONAL OILS
Some of the most commonly claimed benefits of synthetics are:
1. Synthetics provide a higher level of wear protection.
2. Synthetics can withstand higher temperatures before thermal breakdown begins.
3. Synthetics provide superior flow under extremely cold conditions.
So, let’s see how the real world testing above, supports those claims. The synthetics above did show some advantage regarding wear protection, but NOT by a large amount. The highest ranked conventional oil ranked 7th out of 12, but was only 15% below the highest ranked synthetic oil. And this conventional oil ranked higher than other synthetic and semi-synthetic oils.
This shows that you cannot automatically assume that a synthetic oil will provide the best wear protection just because it is synthetic. Wear protection depends on the oil and its additive package “as a whole”. And it’s the additive package that contains the extreme pressure protection components, not the oil itself. And again, only “wear testing” can provide the data to help you choose an oil that provides the best wear protection.
THERMAL BREAKDOWN
I also heated the oils and observed the temperature at which they started to vaporize/smoke, which indicates the onset of thermal breakdown. Thermal breakdown is the point at which the composition of the oil begins to change due to the temperature it’s exposed to.
The official test for this is called the NOACK Volatility Test. In this test, the oil is heated to 302* F for one hour. The lighter oil fractions will vaporize, leaving thicker and heavier oil, contributing to poor circulation, reduced fuel economy, increased oil consumption, increased wear and increased emissions. The test reports results in the percentage, by weight, lost due to "volatilization."
Here are the approximate observed temperatures at which the various oils started to vaporize/smoke, which indicated the onset of thermal breakdown:
10W30 Amsoil Z-Rod Oil = 300*
10W30 Lucas Racing Only = 290*
5W30 Royal Purple XPR = 285*
5W30 Pennzoil Ultra, API SM = 280*
5W20 Castrol Edge w/Titanium, API SN = 280*
0W30 Brad Penn, Penn Grade 1 = 280*
10W30 Joe Gibbs XP3 NASCAR Racing Oil = 280*
5W30 Castrol GTX, API SN = 280*
5W50 Motorcraft, API SN = 275*
20W50 Castrol GTX, API SN = 275*
5W30 Mobil 1, API SN = 265*
10W30 Valvoline VR1 Racing Oil, silver bottle = 260*
Here are the “averages” for the onset of thermal breakdown with these 12 oils:
Full synthetic oils = 282*
Semi-synthetic oil = 280*
Conventional dino oils = 272*
These observations are perfectly consistent with the NOACK Volatility Test that is performed at 302*F. Oils have to be vaporizing/smoking by 300* in order to perform this official test. For the oils tested above, certain specific oils did show a significant difference, such as the synthetic Amsoil Z-Rod oil which had a 40* advantage over the conventional Valvoline VR1 Racing Oil.
But, as for overall averages, there was only a 10* difference between synthetic and conventional oils. So, the real world observation here does NOT support common internet oil info claims about synthetic oils having an unbelievably high temperature capability compared to conventional oil
Contrary to what the diehards have been conditioned to believe. The amount of zinc/phos is not the “be all” and “end all”, regarding engine protection. It is no secret in the oil industry that a number of other components besides zinc/phos, can also provide excellent engine protection. Modern API oils use some of those other components (often proprietary), so as not to foul the cats in newer vehicles.
And that is the reason I did all that oil wear torture testing in the first place. To find out just how all the various oils compare regarding engine protection. When you see the results with your own two eyes, it makes a believer out of you. Some high zinc/phos oils did very well, and some did not. Some modern low zinc/phos oils did very well, and some did not. It depends on the base oil and its additive package “as a whole”, not just a couple of components in the oil alone.
And if that is not complication enough for you, consider that there is also fast burn zinc that is activated with less heat and load than slow burn zinc. Nothing is ever as simple as it might appear on the surface. My testing was done at modest temperature of 230*F so it may have favored the fast burn zinc, since slow burn zinc may need higher temps to be activated fully. So, I plan on doing some additional testing at higher temps to see how they all shake out.
Some folks did not like the original 230*F test results because some modern low zinc/phos oils performed better than some high zinc/phos oils. But the fact is, modern low zinc/phos oils simply cannot test that well, unless they truly are capable oils. They cannot just magically perform well for no reason (and remember that the tests were repeated to ensure accuracy. There were no flukes here). They have to be excellent oils in order to perform well. And my test results showed the real deal, even if some folks were not comfortable with the results. The numbers are what they are.
•The higher the psi result, the higher the “Load carrying capacity/Film strength”, and the better the oil is at preventing wear.
•All oils were tested at 230* F (representative of actual running temperature).
•Multiple tests were performed on each oil, and those results were averaged to arrive at each oil's final value shown below.
•Test Result differences between oils of less than 10%, are not significant, and oils within that range can be considered approximately equivalent.
•All oil bottles were thoroughly shaken before the samples were taken. This ensured that all the additive package components were distributed uniformly throughout all the oil in the bottle, and not settled to the bottom.
•All oils are full synthetic unless otherwise specified.
•All oils are suitable for street use unless otherwise specified.
Oil categories:
•Over 90,000 psi = OUTSTANDING protection
•75,000 to 90,000 psi = GOOD protection
•60,000 to 75,000 psi = MODEST protection
•Below 60,000 psi = UNACCEPTABLE protection
********** OUTSTANDING PROTECTION ************
1. 5W30 Pennzoil Ultra, API SM = 115,612 psi
I have not been able to find this oil with the latest API SN certification. The bottle says, “No leading synthetic oil provides better wear protection”. For once, a product’s hype turns out to be true.
zinc = 806 ppm
phos = 812 ppm
moly = 66 ppm
2. 10W30 Lucas Racing Only = 106,505 psi
zinc = 2642 ppm
phos = 3489 ppm
moly = 1764 ppm
NOTE: This oil is suitable for short term racing use only, and is not suitable for street use.
3. 5W30 Mobil 1, API SN = 105,875 psi
zinc = 801 ppm
phos = 842 ppm
moly = 112 ppm
4. 0W30 Amsoil Signature Series 25,000 miles, API SN = 105,008 psi
zinc = 824 ppm
phos = 960 ppm
moly = 161 ppm
******* 10% below number 1 = 104,051 psi ********
5. 10W30 Valvoline NSL (Not Street Legal) Conventional Racing Oil = 103,846 psi
zinc = 1669 ppm
phos = 1518 ppm
moly = 784 ppm
NOTE: This oil is suitable for short term racing use only, and is not suitable for street use.
6. 5W50 Motorcraft, API SN = 103,517 psi
zinc = 606 ppm
phos = 742 ppm
moly = 28 ppm
7. 10W30 Valvoline VR1 Conventional Racing Oil (silver bottle) = 103,505 psi
zinc = 1472 ppm
phos = 1544 ppm
moly = 3 ppm
8. 10W30 Valvoline VR1 Synthetic Racing Oil, API SL (black bottle) = 101,139 psi
zinc = 1180 ppm
phos = 1112 ppm
moly = 162 ppm
9. 5W30 Chevron Supreme conventional, API SN = 100,011 psi
This one only costs $4.29 per quart at the Auto Parts Store where I bought it.
zinc = 1018 ppm
phos = 728 ppm
moly = 161 ppm
10. 5W20 Castrol Edge with Titanium, API SN = 99,983 psi
zinc = 1042 ppm
phos = 857 ppm
moly = 100 ppm
titanium = 49 ppm
11. 20W50 Castrol GTX conventional, API SN = 96,514 psi
zinc = 610 ppm
phos = 754 ppm
moly = 94 ppm
12. 30 wt Red Line Race Oil = 96,470 psi
zinc = 2207 ppm
phos = 2052 ppm
moly = 1235 ppm
NOTE: This oil is suitable for short term racing use only, and is not suitable for street use.
13. 0W20 Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy, API SN = 96,364 psi
zinc = 742 ppm
phos = 677 ppm
moly = 81 ppm
14. 5W30 Quaker State Ultimate Durability, API SN = 95,920 psi
zinc = 877 ppm
phos = 921 ppm
moly = 72 ppm
15. 5W30 Castrol Edge with Titanium, API SN = 95,717 psi
zinc = 818 ppm
phos = 883 ppm
moly = 90 ppm
titanium = 44 ppm
16. 10W30 Joe Gibbs XP3 NASCAR Racing Oil = 95,543 psi
zinc = 743 ppm
phos = 802 ppm
moly = 1125 ppm
NOTE: This oil is suitable for short term racing use only, and is not suitable for street use.
17. 5W20 Castrol GTX conventional, API SN = 95,543 psi
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD
NOTE: Oil numbers 16 and 17 were tested weeks apart, but due to the similarities in their wear scar sizes, their averages ended up the same.
18. 5W30 Castrol GTX conventional, API SN = 95,392 psi
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD
19. 10W30 Amsoil Z-Rod Oil = 95,360 psi
zinc = 1431 ppm
phos = 1441 ppm
moly = 52 ppm
20. 5W30 Valvoline SynPower, API SN = 94,942 psi
zinc = 969 ppm
phos = 761 ppm
moly = 0 ppm
21. 5W30 Valvoline Premium Conventional, API SN = 94,744 psi
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD
22. 5W20 Mobil 1, API SN = 94,663 psi
zinc = 764 ppm
phos = 698 ppm
moly = 76 ppm
23. 5W20 Valvoline SynPower, API SN = 94,460 psi
zinc = 1045 ppm
phos = 742 ppm
moly = 0 ppm
******** 20% below number 1 = 92,490 psi ********
24. 5W30 Lucas conventional, API SN = 92,073 psi
zinc = 992 ppm
phos = 760 ppm
moly = 0 ppm
25. 5W30 O'Reilly (house brand) conventional, API SN = 91,433 psi
This one only costs $3.99 per quart at the Auto Parts Store where I bought it.
zinc = 863 ppm
phos = 816 ppm
moly = 0 ppm
26. 5W30 Red Line, API SN = 91,028 psi
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD
27. 5W20 Royal Purple API SN = 90,434 psi
zinc = 964 ppm
phos = 892 ppm
moly = 0 ppm
28. 5W20 Valvoline Premium Conventional, API SN = 90,144 psi
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD
************ GOOD PROTECTION **********
29. 30 wt Castrol Heavy Duty conventional, API SM = 88,089 psi
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD
30. 10W30 Joe Gibbs HR4 Hotrod Oil = 86,270 psi
zinc = 1247 ppm
phos = 1137 ppm
moly = 24 ppm
31. 5W20 Pennzoil Ultra, API SM = 86,034 psi
I have not been able to find this oil with the latest API SN certification.
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD
32. 5W30 Royal Purple API SN = 84,009 psi
zinc = 942 ppm
phos = 817 ppm
moly = 0 ppm
33. 20W50 Royal Purple API SN = 83,487 psi
zinc = 588 ppm
phos = 697 ppm
moly = 0 ppm
34. 20W50 Kendall GT-1 High Performance with liquid titanium, (conventional) API SN = 83,365 psi
zinc = 991 ppm
phos = 1253 ppm
moly = 57 ppm
titanium = 84 ppm
35. 5W30 Mobil 1 Extended Performance 15,000 mile, API SN = 83,263 psi
zinc = 890 ppm
phos = 819 ppm
moly = 104 ppm
36. 0W20 Castrol Edge with Titanium, API SN = 82,867 psi
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD
******** 30% below number 1 = 80,928 psi ********
37. 5W30 GM's AC Delco dexos 1 (semi-synthetic) API SN = 76,501 psi
zinc = 878 ppm
phos = 758 ppm
moly = 72 ppm
**************** MODEST PROTECTION ************
38. 5W30 Royal Purple XPR (Extreme Performance Racing) = 74,860 psi
zinc = 1421 ppm
phos = 1338 ppm
moly = 204 ppm
NOTE: This particular bottle of oil was just opened, but was out of a 3 ½ year old case.
39. 15W40 Farm Rated Heavy Duty Performance Diesel, CI-4, CH-4, CG-4, CF/SL, SJ (conventional) = 73,176 psi
zinc = 1325ppm
phos = 1234 ppm
moly = 2 ppm
40. 15W40 “NEW” SHELL ROTELLA T Diesel Oil conventional, API CJ-4, CI-4 Plus, CH-4, CF-4,CF/SM = 72,022 psi
zinc = 1454 ppm
phos = 1062 ppm
ZDDP = 1200 ppm
41. Brad Penn, Penn Grade 1 Nitro 70 Racing Oil (semi-synthetic) = 72,003 psi
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD
42. 0W30 Brad Penn, Penn Grade 1 (semi-synthetic) = 71,377 psi
zinc = 1621 ppm
phos = 1437 ppm
moly = 0 ppm
43. 10W30 Brad Penn, Penn Grade 1 (semi-synthetic) = 71,206 psi
zinc = 1557 ppm
phos = 1651 ppm
moly = 3 ppm
44. 15W50 Mobil 1, API SN = 70,235 psi
zinc = 1,133 ppm
phos = 1,168 ppm
moly = 83 ppm
******** 40% below number 1 = 69,367 psi ********
45. 5W30 Motorcraft, API SN = 68,782 psi
zinc = 796 ppm
phos = 830 ppm
moly = 75 ppm
46. 10W30 Royal Purple HPS (High Performance Street) = 66,211 psi
zinc = 1774 ppm
phos = 1347 ppm
moly = 189 ppm
47. 10W40 Valvoline 4 Stroke Motorcycle Oil conventional, API SJ = 65,553 psi
zinc = 1154 ppm
phos = 1075 ppm
moly = 0 ppm
48. Royal Purple 10W30 Break-In Oil conventional = 62,931 psi
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD
High Temp motor oil Wear Testing-Myth vs Reality (very long) (http://www.speedtalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=31363#p372912) http://www.speedtalk.com/forum/styles/prosilver/imageset/icon_post_target.gif (http://www.speedtalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=372912#p372912)by 540 RAT (http://www.speedtalk.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=2823) » Tue Jun 05, 2012 2:06 pm
I’ve increased the scope of my ongoing motor oil “Load Carrying Capacity/Film Strength” wear testing efforts. This testing is a motor oil torture test that subjects oil to a friction test under load, in a controllable and repeatable manner, while the wear specimens are bathed in oil. This test is significantly more severe on the oil than is an actual running engine. That way you can see how different oils directly compare to each other, without having to wait for 100,000 miles to see what happened. It allows you to quickly determine outstanding oils from ordinary oils.
The first time I tested 44 oils (then later added 3 more), all at a representative operating temperature of 230*F. Of course testing at a single temperature data point does not show the big picture overall. So, now I’ve re-tested a dozen of those oils at a higher temperature to get a better idea of how various oil types perform over a wider range of temperatures. The oils chosen this time consist of:
*** 10 different brands
*** 6 low zinc (below 1,000 ppm) oils
*** 6 high zinc (above 1,000 ppm) oils
*** Viscosities ranging from 5W20 to 20W50
*** 8 full synthetic oils
*** 3 conventional dino oils
*** 1 semi-synthetic oil
*** 6 Racing/High Performance oils
*** 6 Modern API certified oils
*** 6 Low detergent (less than 2.0 “detergent/zinc” ratio) oils
*** 6 High detergent (2.0 or higher “detergent/zinc” ratio) oils
Here are those 12 oils, ranked by their test result capabilities at 230*F:
1. 5W30 Pennzoil Ultra, API SM (synthetic)
115,612 psi “load carrying capacity”
2. 10W30 Lucas Racing Only (synthetic)
106,505 psi “load carrying capacity” (8% below no. 1)
3. 5W30 Mobil 1, API SN (synthetic)
105,875 psi “load carrying capacity” (8% below no. 1)
4. 5W50 Motorcraft, API SN (synthetic)
103,517 psi “load carrying capacity” (10% below no. 1)
5. 10W30 Valvoline VR1 Racing Oil silver bottle (conventional)
103,505 psi “load carrying capacity” (10% below no. 1)
6. 5W20 Castrol Edge w/Titanium, API SN (synthetic)
99,983 psi “load carrying capacity” (14% below no. 1)
7. 20W50 Castrol GTX, API SN (conventional)
96,514 psi “load carrying capacity” (17% below no. 1)
8. 10W30 Joe Gibbs XP3 NASCAR Racing Oil (synthetic)
95,543 psi “load carrying capacity” (17% below no. 1)
9. 5W30 Castrol GTX, API SN (conventional)
95,392 psi “load carrying capacity” (17% below no. 1)
10. 10W30 Amsoil Z-Rod Oil (synthetic)
95,360 psi “load carrying capacity” (18% below no. 1)
11. 5W30 Royal Purple XPR (synthetic)
74,860 psi “load carrying capacity” (35% below no. 1)
12. 0W30 Brad Penn, Penn Grade 1 (semi-synthetic)
71,377 psi “load carrying capacity” (38% below no. 1)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Capability ranking at 275*F:
1. 5W30 Pennzoil Ultra, API SM = 97,955 psi (dropped 15% from its 230* value)
2. 5W30 Mobil 1, API SN = 96,323 psi (dropped 9% from its 230* value)
(2% below no. 1 here at 275*)
3. 10W30 Lucas Racing Only = 95,996 psi (dropped 10% from its 230* value)
(2% below no. 1 here at 275*)
4. 5W50 Motorcraft, API SN = 92,545 psi (dropped 11% from its 230* value)
(6% below no. 1 here at 275*)
5. 10W30 Amsoil Z-Rod Oil = 91,351 psi (dropped ONLY 4% from its 230* value)
(7% below no. 1 here at 275*)
6. 20W50 Castrol GTX, API SN = 85,815 psi (dropped 11% from its 230* value)
(12% below no. 1 here at 275*)
7. 5W20 Castrol Edge w/Titanium, API SN = 84,584 psi (dropped 15% from its 230* value)
(14% below no. 1 here at 275*)
8. 10W30 Joe Gibbs XP3 NASCAR Racing Oil = 80,957 psi (dropped 15% from its 230* value)
(17% below no. 1 here at 275*)
9. 5W30 Castrol GTX, API SN = 80,957 psi (dropped 15% from its 230* value)
(17% below no. 1 here at 275*)
NOTE: This is not a typo here, number 8 and 9 here just happened to have the same size wear scar, thus the same psi value.
10. 10W30 Valvoline VR1 Racing Oil, silver bottle = 75,116 psi (dropped 27% from its 230* value)
(23% below no. 1 here at 275*)
11. 0W30 Brad Penn, Penn Grade 1 = 68,768 psi (dropped ONLY 4% from its 230* value)
(30% below no. 1 here at 275*)
12. 5W30 Royal Purple XPR = 66,664 psi (dropped 11% from its 230* value)
(32% below no. 1 here at 275*)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
But, since engines oil won’t typically be running at just 230*F or at just 275*F, it makes the most sense to average the values from the relatively cool low temp and the relatively hot high temp, to arrive at values in the middle. This will provide a more real world reference overall.
The “average” capability ranking from 230*F and 275*F combined:
1. 5W30 Pennzoil Ultra, API SM (synthetic)
106,784 psi “load carrying capacity”
zinc = 806 ppm
total detergent = 3387 ppm
detergent ppm/zinc ppm ratio = 4.2, the higher this number, the higher the proportion of detergent, which can have the potential to try and clean away zinc
2. 10W30 Lucas Racing Only (synthetic)
NOT SUITABLE FOR STREET USE
101,251 psi “load carrying capacity” (5% below no. 1)
zinc = 2642 ppm
total detergent = 2943 ppm
detergent ppm/zinc ppm ratio = 1.1
3. 5W30 Mobil 1, API SN (synthetic)
101,099 psi “load carrying capacity” (5% below no. 1)
zinc = 801 ppm
total detergent = 1489 ppm
detergent ppm/zinc ppm ratio = 1.9
4. 5W50 Motorcraft, API SN (synthetic)
98,031 psi “load carrying capacity” (8% below no. 1)
zinc = 606 ppm
total detergent = 2005 ppm
detergent ppm/zinc ppm ratio = 3.3
5. 10W30 Amsoil Z-Rod Oil (synthetic)
93,356 psi “load carrying capacity” (13% below no. 1)
zinc = 1431 ppm
total detergent = 2927 ppm
detergent ppm/zinc ppm ratio =2.0
6. 5W20 Castrol Edge w/Titanium, API SN (synthetic)
92,284 psi “load carrying capacity” (14% below no. 1)
zinc = 1042 ppm
total detergent = 1952 ppm
detergent ppm/zinc ppm ratio = 1.9
7. 20W50 Castrol GTX, API SN (conventional)
91,165 psi “load carrying capacity” (15% below no. 1)
zinc = 610 ppm
total detergent = 2599 ppm
detergent ppm/zinc ppm ratio = 4.3
8. 10W30 Valvoline VR1 Racing Oil silver bottle (conventional)
89,311 psi “load carrying capacity” (16% below no. 1)
zinc = 1472 ppm
total detergent = 2787 ppm
detergent ppm/zinc ppm ratio = 1.9
9. 10W30 Joe Gibbs XP3 NASCAR Racing Oil (synthetic)
NOT SUITABLE FOR STREET USE
88,250 psi “load carrying capacity” (17% below no. 1)
zinc = 743 ppm
total detergent = 620 ppm
detergent ppm/zinc ppm ratio = .8
10. 5W30 Castrol GTX, API SN (conventional)
88,175 psi “load carrying capacity” (17% below no. 1)
zinc = 830 ppm
total detergent = 2648 ppm
detergent ppm/zinc ppm ratio = 3.2
11. 5W30 Royal Purple XPR (synthetic)
70,762 psi “load carrying capacity” (34% below no. 1)
zinc = 1421 ppm
total detergent = 3050 ppm
detergent ppm/zinc ppm ratio = 2.1
12. 0W30 Brad Penn, Penn Grade 1 (semi-synthetic)
70,073 psi “load carrying capacity” (34% below no. 1)
zinc = 1621 ppm
total detergent = 2939 ppm
detergent ppm/zinc ppm ratio = 1.8 (only 43% of the detergent concentration of no. 1)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In spite of what many Racers, Hotrodders and Gearheads have been lead to believe, only “wear testing” can provide the necessary data to help you choose a motor oil that will truly provide the best wear protection. It’s the same type of idea where we dyno test engines to see how they truly perform, rather than just looking at their spec sheets.
SYNTHETIC VS CONVENTIONAL OILS
Some of the most commonly claimed benefits of synthetics are:
1. Synthetics provide a higher level of wear protection.
2. Synthetics can withstand higher temperatures before thermal breakdown begins.
3. Synthetics provide superior flow under extremely cold conditions.
So, let’s see how the real world testing above, supports those claims. The synthetics above did show some advantage regarding wear protection, but NOT by a large amount. The highest ranked conventional oil ranked 7th out of 12, but was only 15% below the highest ranked synthetic oil. And this conventional oil ranked higher than other synthetic and semi-synthetic oils.
This shows that you cannot automatically assume that a synthetic oil will provide the best wear protection just because it is synthetic. Wear protection depends on the oil and its additive package “as a whole”. And it’s the additive package that contains the extreme pressure protection components, not the oil itself. And again, only “wear testing” can provide the data to help you choose an oil that provides the best wear protection.
THERMAL BREAKDOWN
I also heated the oils and observed the temperature at which they started to vaporize/smoke, which indicates the onset of thermal breakdown. Thermal breakdown is the point at which the composition of the oil begins to change due to the temperature it’s exposed to.
The official test for this is called the NOACK Volatility Test. In this test, the oil is heated to 302* F for one hour. The lighter oil fractions will vaporize, leaving thicker and heavier oil, contributing to poor circulation, reduced fuel economy, increased oil consumption, increased wear and increased emissions. The test reports results in the percentage, by weight, lost due to "volatilization."
Here are the approximate observed temperatures at which the various oils started to vaporize/smoke, which indicated the onset of thermal breakdown:
10W30 Amsoil Z-Rod Oil = 300*
10W30 Lucas Racing Only = 290*
5W30 Royal Purple XPR = 285*
5W30 Pennzoil Ultra, API SM = 280*
5W20 Castrol Edge w/Titanium, API SN = 280*
0W30 Brad Penn, Penn Grade 1 = 280*
10W30 Joe Gibbs XP3 NASCAR Racing Oil = 280*
5W30 Castrol GTX, API SN = 280*
5W50 Motorcraft, API SN = 275*
20W50 Castrol GTX, API SN = 275*
5W30 Mobil 1, API SN = 265*
10W30 Valvoline VR1 Racing Oil, silver bottle = 260*
Here are the “averages” for the onset of thermal breakdown with these 12 oils:
Full synthetic oils = 282*
Semi-synthetic oil = 280*
Conventional dino oils = 272*
These observations are perfectly consistent with the NOACK Volatility Test that is performed at 302*F. Oils have to be vaporizing/smoking by 300* in order to perform this official test. For the oils tested above, certain specific oils did show a significant difference, such as the synthetic Amsoil Z-Rod oil which had a 40* advantage over the conventional Valvoline VR1 Racing Oil.
But, as for overall averages, there was only a 10* difference between synthetic and conventional oils. So, the real world observation here does NOT support common internet oil info claims about synthetic oils having an unbelievably high temperature capability compared to conventional oil