Title: Synthetic Oil: Rx for Long Engine Life by Curt Scott
Many of the things we take for granted as conventional aspects of twentieth-century life were unimaginable only a few decades ago. For instance, who would have foreseen in the 1940's, that in the 1980s, tiny electronic marvels called transistors would have effectively replaced the unreliable vacuum tube. Or that a single, miniature silicon chip could duplicate the functions of an entire, room-sized digital computer, or even that hundreds of different exotic and classic automobiles would eventually be reborn and replicated in a new material called fiberglass, for assembly by the owner?
So it is with the rapidly-emerging synthetic lubricant market. Those nay-sayers who only a decade or so ago prematurely dismissed synthetics as "snake oil" are now among the staunchest devotees of laboratory-manufactured lubricants. Among these believers are top lubrication engineers, race car drivers, vehicle fleet operators, and millions of private motorists around the world. What factors have contributed to the growing enthusiasm for synthetic lubricants? Simply put, synthetically-produced lubricants have demonstrated beyond doubt that they are far superior to their conventional petroleum counterparts in fulfilling the many and varied tasks demanded of oil by today's modern engines and power trains. Indeed, synthetic lubricant technology is swiftly progressing to a point where it is possible that engine wear may no longer continue to be the major limiting factor in the expected life span of motor vehicles. An examination of synthetic engine lubricants, along with a review of both laboratory and real world comparative test results, will assist the reader to understand the differences and the advantages offered by these state-of-the-art motor oils.
We should note also that many of the performance attributes of synthetic engine oils are also provided by a host of other synthetic lubricants, such as automatic transmission fluids, chassis and bearing greases, and gear lubes. Unfortunately it is beyond the scope of this article to detail the various benefits of the synthetic products.
Contrary to what many may believe, synthetic lubricants are not a recent development. As early as the 1930s, Standard Oil of Indiana conducted research into synthetic oil. More serious development and production was commenced by the Germans during WWII, as their conventional lubricants congealed and froze on the Eastern front and stalled their advances into the Soviet Union. As jet engines were developed after the war, it soon became evident that conventional lubricating oils couldn't withstand the high temperatures and pressures, and synthetics came to be used in all military commercial jet aircraft engines. Then in the 1960s history repeated itself, and it was again cold weather that spurred further development work as the U.S. Army needed better lubricants for Arctic and Antarctic use. Still later, NASA specified synthetic-based lubes for all space vehicles, including the Space Shuttle. Today's automotive synthetic lubricants have evolved as an almost direct result of these demanding military and extraterrestrial lubrication requirements.
laboratory tests: Amsoil Synthetic Petroleum
10W40 10W40
3. Wear (mg. weight loss, Falex test) 1.1mg 3 to 6 mg
4. Fluidity @ -40F flows freely solid
Low-temperature fluidity ("flowability") becomes an important consideration where winters are severe. Because synthetics are constructed "building block by building block", contaminates present in petroleum oil which contribute to low-temp thickening are entirely absent in synthetics, and fluidity is stable to as low as -65F. Petroleum oils have an inherent percentage of paraffin crystals from their crude oil origins. As temperatures drop, these crystals enlarge and cause the oil to congeal. In extremely cold weather, petroleum oils become a solid mass, thus impeding cold starts, and when the engine does fire up, causing a period of engine operation without adequate lubrication until the lubricant is warmed enough to allow proper oil flow. Furthermore, because of synthetics' better ring-sealing characteristics, fewer contaminants generated by fuel combustion are allowed to escape into the oil pan. Thus the low-temp fluidity and film-strength properties of synthetics both contribute significantly to engine (and batter/starter/alternator) life in colder climes. In one cold cranking test conducted by Mobil, at -30F, with Mobil 1 in the crankcase, the engine turned at an average speed of 152 RPM, and started; using 10W-30 and 10W-40 premium petroleum oils, the same engine cranked at 45 and 32 RPM respectively... and failed to start. Mobil states that its Mobil 1 (5W-30) all-season synthetic may be used *in any engine* where 5W-30, 10W-30, 10W-40, or single-viscosity oil is normally recommended by the manufacturer; its new "Formula 15W-50" synthetic is designed to replace and outperform those SAE 15W-40 and 20W-50 conventional oils preferred by some drivers for use in high-performance powerplants.
Ambient-start oil starvation is, at any temperature, a major cause of engine wear. Expert estimates vary as to how much abrasive wear is attributable to lubrication-starvation during initial startups, but it is generally conceded that a disproportionate share of an engine's abrasion and wear is caused during those few moments after initial cranking during which the oil has not yet reached full circulation. NEO Oil Company, a well established and highly-respected producer of synthetic lubricants, has recently developed an extended-life lubricity additive for its synthetic motor oils specifically designed to remain on the bearing surfaces after the engine shutdown and thus deliver additional lubrication and wear-protection for initial startups.
Viscosity is a crucial consideration when improvements in fuel economy are desired. It stands to reason that the freer and engine turns, the less fuel it will require to accomplish a given amount of work. Studies have demonstrated conclusively that engine drag is directly related to the viscosity of the motor oil. Generally speaking, the lower the viscosity, the better the fuel economy of the engine. In formulating lower-viscosity oils, it has become clear that synthetics are the base stock of choice. This is because it is possible to produce a synthetic oil of a given low viscosity without incurring the excessive oil consumption (due to evaporation) and resultant thickening of the same low-viscosity petroleum oil. Indeed, the U.S. Department of Energy in its pamphlet entitled "An assessment Of The Effects Of Engine Lube Oils On Fuel Economy", states: "It is evident that low-viscosity oils will help minimize engine friction losses in the prevalent hydrodynamic region and thereby achieve better fuel economy. In addition, such oils help to reduce friction during ambient (cold) start by increasing the oil flow rate to critical engine parts. However, low viscosity engine oils, blended from conventional petroleum base stocks, may have problems with high oil consumption and engine wear. There is also the possibility of decreased catalytic-converter life and efficiency due to the increased levels of phosphorus in the exhaust gas from the oil additives. “*One solution is to mix some synthetic oil with the mineral (petroleum) oil, or use a synthetic base stock entirely*”. This low viscosity, low-volatility character of synthetics has become increasingly important because many automobile manufacturers are now recommending lighter-weight (chiefly 5W-30) oils for use in their products, and because the trend toward smaller engines creates substantially more heat and stress on the oil used.
In these smaller, high-output powerplants, enough heat is generated to cause a lighter petroleum lubricant to evaporate and significantly increase viscosity within weeks of its introduction into the crankcase. High temperature stability, as well as oxidation-resistance, is of absolutely paramount importance when it comes to turbocharged engines. Because it must both lubricate *and cool* the turbo unit, the oil MUST be specifically formulated to withstand the turbo's extremely high operating temperatures. Oil film temperatures often exceed 450F in the turbo unit during operation, and can surpass 650F(!!!) during a short period immediately following engine shutdown...both figures far exceeding the thermal limits of petroleum oil. Synthetics, with their capacity to maintain proper (low) viscosity and lubricity under these high heat and stress conditions, and with their natural resistance to oxidation, have risen to the fore. It is also important to note that the high-temperature-stability properties of synthetics are *designed primarily into the base-stock oil itself*, rather than being achieved primarily with additives. The advantage with approach is twofold: (1) Additives, which may account for as much as 25% of the volume of a can of premium petroleum oil, by themselves have little or no lubricating properties per se. Thus the more the additive content in an oil, the less lubrication is available to the engine; and (2) Most additives tend to volatilize (evaporate) and deteriorate with heat and age and use, so that the overall effectiveness of the lubricant itself is significantly diminished within only a few thousand miles of driving.It is also important to note that, contrary to what many take for granted, higher viscosity in and of itself does not translate into better engine protection. Extensive testing has shown the opposite to be in fact true. As long as a lower-viscosity oil is formulated to resist evaporation and provide high film strength, this lighter oil will actually deliver more complete protection to the engine parts, since its more rapid circulation delivers both better lubrication per se, and far better cooling characteristics...a critical advantage, given that oil flow furnishes up to 30% of an engine cooling requirements. Prior to the introduction of synthetics, however, the problem of evaporation (and the resultant thickening of the remaining oil) was addressed primarily by increasing viscosity. In short, don't be concerned with the relatively lower viscosity ratings of some synthetics. Syn lubes are a whole new ball game.
"Then one day one of the boys in the dynamometer room called and said they were short of oil and had an engine that would be dropped from scheduled testing unless we put something in it. I remembered the synthetic oil and gave him that. They ran it for 192 hours and called and told me I had better come over and take a look, so I looked and I had never seen anything so clean in my life. I said let's put it (the oil) back in and run it another 192 hours. That's where the petroleum oils sludge up badly. But when they had run it again, it was as good as when we looked at it before. So I said, 'Let's run it again', and that was the first triple sequence I ever ran. We put the oil through 576 hours and that marvelous little Ford engine sat there running like a sewing machine and we pulled it down and it was fantastic."
It is readily apparent that the performance and protection advantages exhibited by synthetic engine lubricants in laboratory tests suggest that their public acceptance will substantially increase in the future. But what about "the real world"? Does their performance parallel the test results and the claims of their manufacturers? The answer appears to be "Yes."
Another example of the capacity of synthetic oil to deliver exceptional engine protection and performance is a recently-completed demonstration involving the Amsoil Corporation of Superior, Wisconsin, a major manufacturer of a wide range of premium synthetic oils, automatic transmission fluids, chassis lubricants, and related products. This demonstration involved the use of its 100% synthetic engine oils in a New York City taxi fleet. The test, sponsored and supervised by a major lubricant additive manufacturer, compared the overall performance capabilities of Amsoil's 10W-40 synthetic oil with a number of leading petroleum motor oils. The demonstration was scheduled to encompass 60,000 miles of New York taxi service on each car. With the high levels of idling time typically encountered in such service, the total number of "engine miles" of each car was estimated to be about double the miles registered on its odometer.
So, given all of this information, what do we know about the performance characteristics of synthetic oils? We can say that they have significant performance and protective advantages over their petroleum counterparts, across an extremely wide range of operating temperatures. We have observed that synthetic oils, as a result of their stable viscosity and low volatility, are capable of providing superior protection to smaller, higher-RPM engines currently predominating the automotive market. We have seen that in "real-world" demonstrations, synthetic oils display extended drain capabilities far in excess of the recommended drain intervals of conventional petroleum motor oils. And finally, we have seen that synthetic lubricants demonstrate a remarkable ability to curtail sludge, varnish, and wear, in any engine.
"But", you say, "if synthetics are so good, why aren't even more motorists using them?" First and foremost, many folks simply aren't aware of synthetics. Others who are aware are deterred by the higher purchase cost, without investigating the advantages. Even many professional mechanics haven't kept abreast of the advances that have occurred in the field of synthetic lubricants, and frequently tend to dismiss them without bothering to check the wealth of current literature and impressive test results regarding them. Secondly, garages and dealerships often hesitate to recommend *any* extended-drain lubricant, perhaps because their livelihood is to a large degree dependent upon frequent servicing and repairs. We learned of one (probably commonly-occurring) instance where a dealership mechanic told a customer: "You can't use synthetic oil in you car...the engine wasn't designed for it!" Still another reason is that many of the advantages and cost savings provided by synthetic lubricants are difficult to quantify, and thus difficult for many consumers to appreciate. For instance, how does one place a precise value upon such benefits as..."cleaner engine; longer engine life; fewer repairs; lower operating temperatures; fewer oil and filter changes; less oil consumption; lowered octane requirements; longer batter/starter/alternator/spark plug/turbo unit/PCV component life; increased fuel mileage; the convenience of exceptional four-season performance with a single motor oil...and so on." On the other hand, it is quite simple to compare the *purchase costs* of conventional vs. synthetic, and to ignore the real cost-and-performance comparisons in actual operation. Do you prefer to save $12 or $15 per oil change by using a petroleum oil, even knowing that it should be changed six or seven times as frequently as a premium synthetic? Or are you more interested in the bigger picture, irrespective of the fact that many of the very real benefits of synthetics cannot be precisely quantified in terms of dollars and cents? All available evidence indicates that synthetic engine oils offer performance advantages *not achievable with any refined-petroleum product*.
Does all of this mean that synthetic motor oils are superior to conventional petroleum oils? If you value your automobile engine and would like to keep it in peak, trouble-free operating condition year after year and far beyond its normal expected life, our conclusion is "Yes, without question."
After reading the accompanying article, many may feel that is is to their advantage to switch to a synthetic engine lubricant. There are, however, several things a prospective synthetic user should know in order to make the proper decision. First, in order to obtain optimum cost and performance benefits, it is important that your engine does not consume or leak an excessive amount of oil. Because of the generally higher purchase cost of synthetics, constantly replacing lost oil can become expensive. This is not to say that oil consumption or leakage will *increase* with the use of synthetics, only that replacement of lost oil is more costly. The view was once widely held that any high-detergent-action oil would increase leakage, by dissolving "false seals" formed by engine sludge. Not so, say most experts, who explain that motor oil detergents and dispersants are designed only to *prevent or inhibit* sediment formation, and have little or no effect at all on previously-established crud deposits.
Second, most engine and lubricant manufacturers recommend that synthetic oil not be used during the "break-in" period of an engine. The reason for this is that synthetics, possessing extraordinary lubricity and lubricant film strength, do not permit the metal wear necessary for the seating of piston rings. A change to synthetic motor oil should wait until you new or rebuilt engine has completed the break-in period of six to eight thousand miles.
Warranty-period compliance is a question with many motorists, and there is currently no *one* answer to cover all contingencies. With the development of extended-drain motor oils, both synthetic and petroleum, most of the major automobile manufacturers have relaxed their once-rigid compliance requirements. On an individual case basis, the usual procedure is to determine first the cause of engine failure. If the cause is found to be a factory flaw, warranty compliance is generally not questioned. In any event, oil-related engine failure during the warranty period is a rare circumstance indeed. If the failure should be found to be oil related, most oil producers will stand behind their product and cover any repair cost. Many extended warranty plans, however, are offered at new car dealerships, sponsored not by the manufacturer, but by third-party vendors. There's a Latin phrase to cover the issue: *Caveat emptor*...Let the buyer beware. In the worst-case scenario, they may search for *any* excuse to void their warranty. Our advice is to avoid extra-cost extended warranties. Not only are they expensive at the outset; pressure is often applied by the new car dealer for you to have all of your service work done in-house at dealership rates. Save your bucks and take a cruise.
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How Well Do Oil Filters Match Up to the Performance of Synthetics?
There are three basic types of engine oil filters: pleated-paper spin-on filters, full-depth spin-on filters, and by-pass (supplementary) filters. Each is designed for specific filtration tasks. The original-equipment type pleated paper filter (AC, Fram, Purolator, et al.), in which a rigid sheet of filtering paper is folded accordion-style and inserted into a metal housing, is by far the most common variety of automotive oil filter. Because of the large volume of oil-decomposition sludge produced by petroleum motor oils, a paper filter should be changed along with the oil every three or four thousand miles when using petroleum oil. By using synthetics this change interval may unquestionably be substantially increased since these congestive byproducts are greatly reduced, if not entirely eliminated. Both Mobil and Amoco confidently endorse change intervals of 25,000 miles for both the filter and their synthetic oil. In any event, this type of filter should be replaced periodically, not exceeding twelve months. The reason for this recommendation lies not with the filter clogging, but with the limited life of the paper element itself, since with both age and use it tends to deteriorate and eventually fail. Paper-element failure and inferior filtration capabilities are particularly prevalent in the case of cheap, discount filter brands. This is no area to scrimp on quality. If you choose to use a paper filter, stick with a brand whose quality you know you can trust.
The full-depth type, spin-on filter is identical in external appearance to the pleated-paper filter, and is installed in the same manner. The filtering medium is a thick "blanket" of fiber, which filters throughout its entire depth (hence the name), contrasted to the surface filtration method of a pleated paper filter. Amsoil's depth filter utilizes a dense, cotton liner element, that according to the company, filters particles down to roughly 1/6 the size of those allowed to re-circulate through a paper filter.
The bypass filter is a supplementary filtering system, designed to "super-filter" from the oil most of the remaining impurities and particles that have been allowed to pass through the spin-on filter. A by-pass unit possesses the ability to filter minute contaminants and particles from the oil, in some cases measuring *down to well under one micron*, compared to a spin-on (depth-type) filters 4 or 5 microns, or a spin-on (pleated paper) filter's 25-40 microns. Bear in mind that virtually all engine/piston ring deposits and a substantive amount of wear result from minute crud particles that have routinely re-circulated through the full-flow paper filter. A top quality by-pass filter can virtually eliminate oil-suspended debris, at the same time extending and enhancing the benefits of synthetic oil. One such unit, the Oberg Filter, (distributed by Baker Precision Bearing, 2865 Gundry Ave., Long Beach, CA 90806), employs a reusable, ultra-fine stainless steel filtering element, and uses an adapter plate for simple and straightforward installation either in place of, or in addition to, the spin-on filter. Fram offers an automotive by-pass filter in its product line that features a pleated-paper element and easy "spin-on" replacement similar to original-equipment-type units. Ask for the Fram "PB50" with mounting hardware. Amsoil's by-pass unit is connected to the oil pressure sending unit and returns oil to the pan, thus requiring some mechanical ability or the services of your mechanic for the initial installation. The company states that its by-pass unit, which employs a user replaceable, pressed-fiber element, refilters all the oil in an engine every five minutes, and keeps it analytically sparkling clean for the (recommended maximum) element life of 25,000 miles! It even extracts and contains any *water* that has (inevitably) condensed into the oil...which if allowed to remain in circulation will often result in the formation of corrosive acids. It's a real trip to find clean, like-new synthetic oil on your dipstick after twenty or twenty-five thousand miles without an oil change.
It should be noted that optimum filtration is of particularly critical importance with both Diesel (naturally-aspirated) and turbocharged (gasoline or Diesel) engine, since their abnormally-high yield of combustion contaminants, if left to circulate in the lubricant, serve to adversely affect the performance and service life of any oil. Also, since the immediate objective of filtration is clean oil, don't overlook your air filter. A clogged or failed air cleaner can be a major source of abrasive oil contaminants and engine wear. Choose a good brand, check it periodically, and replace it promptly when it becomes dirty.
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