Engine Oil

TheJackal24 · 06-17-2007, 11:53 PM

First let me start off by saying that yes, I do know there is a sticky related to engine oil but I have not seen a complete explaination of how engine oil works. After researching around, I have found some interesting facts.

Did you know that the viscosity rating of your oil will affect the fuel economy of your vehicle?
The lower the weight, the better your economy will be... BUT lower weight oils will wear out faster.

Did you know that oils with a wide range of viscosity are detrimental to your vehicle?
The larger the range of viscosity, the more polymers your oil contains. These polymers will create deposits in the heads. Something to think about with the OEM SRT 0W40...

Those who have decided to go with a diesel oil have gone a good way. Zinc is the additive in oil to reduce wear and is in higher concentrations in commercial grade oil such as diesel oil.

**stevesrt8** · 06-18-2007, 01:47 PM

[quote=TheJackal24;508600]
The lower the weight, the better your economy will be... BUT lower weight oils will wear out faster.

Sorry, but I run a whole fleet of service trucks on synthetics and we use 0w-30 for over 10k with virtually no degradation at all. These trucks use PTO's to drive equipment at 1500 to 2000 RPM while stationary so there's a lot of hours on that oil. All claims based on actual analysis. This is like 20-30K in an ordinary vehicle! I have one truck with over 4000 hours and 131000 miles! Runs like new.

Did you know that oils with a wide range of viscosity are detrimental to your vehicle? The larger the range of viscosity, the more polymers your oil contains. These polymers will create deposits in the heads. Something to think about with the OEM SRT 0W40...

This is not true of all vehicles, just those with bad designs or faulty valve seals.

TheJackal24 · 06-18-2007, 04:52 PM

I stand corrected.
I'm no oil expert, just going off of articles I read by oil experts.

Personally, I've never noticed a difference in wear from a 0w40 to a 10w30 so when I read that lower weights wear out faster, I was quite surprised. From what I've been reading, every expert has a difference of opinion. I guess that's why there are so many different oils out there. While some say add this element, others say remove it and substitute with an additive...
The choices for the best oil will always be based on who has the best marketing, if the oil was recommended to you by a friend, or by personal experience. The same goes into every choice we make, including the choice of vehicle.

Anyone with more input on the subject is more than welcome to include their thoughts or experience.

**stevesrt8** · 06-18-2007, 06:23 PM

certainly not meaning to "correct" you, just trying to inform based on my large sample experience. Since I just took dozens of gallons of used oil to the collection center, and I run dozens of random samples through analysis every year, I am STEVE THE OIL GUY!

Nah, just kidding, but I love the subject and the discussion!