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RE: Oil and Additives

Sorry to use up band width but this seems interesting and relevent.
Redirected from the Jensen cars digest (I'm into Jensen Healeys as well as BMWs)

Hope you enjoy,
Brad.




Tom,
I forward this response from my son, an engineer at a  ball bearing company.
Pete
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Dad,
Although I am no lubrication expert by any stretch of the imagination
 (being a ball bearing engineer and all), I do have what I believe to be a
 fairly competent level of knowledge regarding the field.  I don't have
 Tom Porter's address, so could you forward this to him.
 Here goes:
 Purely synthetic oils such as Mobil 1 (blend of synthesized hydrocarbon
 fluids (SHF) and organic esters) are excellent combustion engine
 lubricants.  There is no question regarding their ability to properly
 lubricate an engine, and their claim to hold viscosity longer and handle
 larger loads (i.e.: higher rpm's) is true as far as I can tell.  The real
 issue is the need for this type of lubricant.  The simple fact that the
 viscosity will stay intact for longer periods of time does not warrant the
 need for high priced synthetic oils.  THE SIMPLE FACT REMAINS:  INTERNAL
 COMBUSTION ENGINES PRODUCE ALOT OF "CRAP", SO JUST CHANGE THE OIL ALOT.
 This is especially true in big V-8's and other large engines.  The carbons
 and other by-products of combustion collect on the side walls of the
 engine and usually remain there.  When starting fresh with a new engine,
 definitely use an oil (mineral or synthetic) with a detergent additive
 (Mobil 1 has a detergent already in it), and you will have a constant
 "flushing" of the above mentioned "crap".  An old engine with many miles
 will likely suffer from an oil with a detergent additive in it because it
 will "clean" the walls of the engine and you will end up creating an
 excessive amount of engine-destroying dirt and grime that may as well stay
 on the walls of the engine (they aren't hurting anything by being there,
 just ask your 300K mile station wagon).
 Synthetic oils are not regular mineral oils with additives in them.  There
 are standard oils with additives for extreme pressure (in bearings, we
 recommend this alot, but I don't know how they would perform in engines),
 and other things.  Synthetics are manufactured in a laboratory, so they
 require special additives to reduce oxidation, retain viscosity, retain
 particle size, ensure compatibility with mineral oils, and about a million
 other things.
 So, how do I conclude this incessant rambling, you ask?  I offer you this:
  use the synthetic for a rebuilt Interceptor, it wont hurt a thing and
 will perform well when your are screaming down Rt. 66 at 120mph.  Don't
 use a detergent containing oil for your old, high mileage Interceptor, it
 will hurt it more than help it.  Change your oil frequently, especially in
 high rpm engines, or in engines that sit in the garage collecting dust
 alot (when sitting, the oil will indeed separate).  If you are going to
 buy the additive for the synthetic oil, you are likely wasting your money.
  Synthetics typically have all the additives your engine will need.  Find
out what the separate "for synthetic oils only" additives provide, besides
 high price tags.  One final note, I have used Slick 50, and I have heard
 many debates on whether it works or not, I believe that old cars benefit
 from the PTFE additives, whereas a new / rebuilt engine doesn't need
 Teflon to keep running.  Use Mobil 1 (Conventional mineral oils may be
 added to Mobil 1, but it will reduce the effectiveness of Mobil 1).  Plain
 and Simple, and don't mix it with any other synthetics.

 Best of luck,
 Mat Bahr
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From: (Tom Porter)
To: jensen-cars@domain.elided
Subject: Oil and Attitives
Date: Wednesday, August 28, 1996 3:19PM

Are there any oil experts out there.  I was all set to fill my rebuilt
engine ,trans , and differential with synthetic Oil, when all was back
together.  With my very limited knowledge of oil , I thought that synthetic
was the equivalent of regular oil with an additive added.  Then looking at
the oil section in my local store I found there is also an additive for the
synthetic oil, and at double the price of regular additive.  So now I am
asking myself ,  am I just falling once again for high priced advertising,
or are there real advantages to doubling the cost with every oil change .
 We
have a 1989 Ford Crown Victoria in the family with over 300k it has never
heard of synthetic oil and will probably run for another 300k .  It is
douptfull if I will add 20k to my Interceptor in the next ten years.
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