I have heard this all my life. One oil is "better" than another. I don't think anecdotal information is evidence at all.

I used to work in the oil fields. I also know many other people that did the same. The oil that you get in the marked can is not always from the original oil company. They trade it around. They also repackage it and have for years. The additive packages are almost NEVER made by the same company that refined the oil.

Very few oil companies actually make any additives at all. The oil additives that are sold to the oil companies are made by Shell Chemical, Lubrizol, Castrol, Chevron and a very few others to meet API standards.

Companies like Royal purple, Kendall, and others do not refine at all. They buy the oils from oil companies like Chevron-Texaco or and repackage it. Pennzoil in the 70s or 80s bought Getty Oil lock Stock and (literally) barrel.

I used to buy my oil in bulk at a distributor in Tacoma WA. They actually had their own brand. It was SAE 15W40 "diesel" type oil. They said they "made" it on site.

I asked to speak to their chemical engineer about it and he was very revealing. He told (and showed) me that they bought the base oil from several different suppliers. He then said that they bought the additive packages from Lubrizol but could get it from Chevron or Shell or others, Lubrizol was giving them the best deal at that time.


I asked about other branded oils and he told me that ALL the oil companies (the brands on the store shelves) could be base stocks from any number of major or minor oil companies (including Pennzoil) and the additives were made by a few other companies like Lubrizol.


Engine motor oil is one of the most HEAVILY advertised and marketed products in the world. Oil company marketing depts will do ANYTHING and say anything to get you to buy their brand. They used to do the same with oil additives until the car manufacturers started saying that oil additives might void engine warranties.

The also do the same with gasoline. I hauled fuel oil out of a refinery in Bakersfield for about 5 years. I saw the gas loading racks with trucks lined up to load every morning. There was every gasoline name you could think of there and a bunch of unmarked trucks.

They all loaded up at the same place. At that time the refinery was owned by Getty Oil Company, later Texaco, later Chevron-Texaco, later Shell.

Consumer reports did an oil study in the 90's. They tested most all the major brands and found NO DIFFERENCE. They also found that in an engine that is driven every day that you could run any brand about 6000 miles between oil changes and get good service out of your car. They also found that in the less known brands mis-marking the oil was common. I.E. the can says SAE 30 but might contain SAE 40 etc. The major brands had less mis-packaging.

So the bottom line is, you might buy Chevron DELO 400 and get something made by Shell because that day most of the oil that hit the packaging facility came from a distributor that got it from Shell (Or Pennzoil) Very few people ever have a problem because it really doesn't matter what oil you put in your engine if you change it frequently (meaning at least once a year or once every 5-6000 miles)

So if you think when you buy Quakerstate oil (Owned by Royal Dutch Shell) and you think that you're only getting oil that's from Pa......you're being fooled by the same advertising that fools a lot of people.


You're right about any oil "sludging" that's true....left in the engine long enough any oil will "sludge" Sludge is simply the solids (too small to be trapped by a filter) falling out of solution. The oil can hold only so much sludge. Non-detergent oils won't much at all. Modern detergent oils will hold a lot but there is a limit....that's why it must be changed.



Paraffin based oil.....Here's some info about that:

From http://yotarepair.com/sludge%20article.html

/////SNIP////
Paraffin-based Crude Oils


Most people relate the word paraffin to candle wax. This is a correct association, BUT one of the most incorrect and widely circulated misconceptions about sludge is that it forms more easily in paraffin-based motor oils. This couldn't be further from the truth. All major motor oils, in fact, are formulated using a paraffin-based crude oil. Naphthenic-based crude oils are actually more likely to form sludge in an engine than oils formulated with paraffin-based crude oils. This is due to the higher breakdown resistance of paraffin-based crude oils. O.K., so how does sludge really form? .....................

.............SNIP




http://www.calsci.com/motorcycleinfo/Oils1.html


Jeeeze what a rambling mess!!! Sorry about that guys (and gals) I should know better than to ever reply to an OIL THREAD!!!



It's worth reading up a little on oils I suppose but none of us probably wants to become chemical engrs....



I do believe the people that are though....


The paraffin oil sludge thing is an old wives tail....

 

I agree with most of your post. But I never mentioned anything about paraffin based oils. That was another poster. I am fully aware that there has not been any paraffin based oil in quite some time. What I'm saying is that I have PERSONALLY seen the detremental effects of these 2 oils, Pennzoil in particular. Now I dont pretend to know the chemical makeup of these products, but then again that's not my job. MY job is to repair automobiles and I call 'em as I see 'em. And to my mind, that's considerably more than "anectdotal information".

 

I understand what you're saying and I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just saying that I disagree. ....The differences between different brands of oils these days are pretty much zero...... buying Pennzoil or "Quakingstate" pretty much gets you the same oil as most of the other "brands" It may have been different back "in the day" but that's no longer the case...............

On the paraffin thing....I only mentioned that because a different version of the same old wives tale blamed the "sludge" on paraffin based oils.......

As far as personally seeing the effects of using Penzoil/QS etc....I know people that have been using those oils for years without any detrimental effects.

All that tells me is that lubricant problems in engines today are usually not related to the brand of oil but how often it was changed, short/long trips was the engine allowed to completely heat up etc etc etc etc.....


I also want to add that I usually don't comment on oil much anymore.....I don't know what I was thinking!!! Motor oil choice is SO much an emotional thing for so many people that there have been out & out fights on other auto discussion forums over which motor oil to use etc.

Regards,



Rick

 

Rick-Well, I certainly respect your opinion. Where would this country be without differing points of view? Sorry I got a little defensive.Damn, I KNEW I spelled "detrimental" wrong!!! - Mark

 

Well, I respect yours too! This is what these forums are all about! We all have something to contribute!

Now if you need a good spell checker.......Of course I use Linux so it's built right in! (I guess that makes me a REAL computer Geek.....my wife tells me that daily!!!)

Hmm...it's not working right now though....It always puts a red line under the misspelled words.... Then when you right-click the word it offers suggested correct words....

btw, You're looking for a 292 3-speed bell? they're different?

 

Yeah, the one I've got is for a 4-speed. Way different bolt pattern. You got a 3-speed one? Thanks- Mark

 

No...sorry. I thought they were the same. I have 2 of the "4 speed" types. I won't be using either one though. I've got an automatic I'm putting in.

 

I recently have added an external oiling kit to my 272 yblock,and apparently have it on wrong. The question I have is--I started using rotella 30weight in my truck,since I used it in my diesels.....Is the 30 weight to heavy for it to get to the rockers? I thought I was using 15w-30 rotella,and after seeing the plastic gallon jugs realized it was 30 weight. What do you think? Bill

 

IMHO, It simply wouldn't make much difference,

I am not sure that Shell sells a 15W30. They do have a 15W40 for diesels and straight 30 for diesels. I think you'll be fine with straight 30 unless you try to start it up in sub-zero weather and it's cold soaked.

You'll have oil pressure right away but it won't make it up to the rockers for a while.

I wouldn't run a straight wt oil in my Y-block. You just get better cold/startup oil flow with a multi.

10W-30 IS a 30 weight. It just flows like a 10w in cold temps.

 

HT--You may have solved my oil problem. I am using straight 30 weight rotella t and hard getting oil to my rockers. Maybe oil is too heavy. I HAVE 65-70PSI and like that!!! THANKS

 

I did some looking and found a couple of Oils that seemed pretty good so I contacted the companies:

I contacted Brad Penn Oil and they sent me an article from Circle Track July 2008 issue dealing with flat tappet issues.

Brad Penn Grade 1 racing oil is rated at 1500 ppm znc and 1410 pm phosphorous.

Also recommended was Joe Gibbs racing oil but it did not give a measure of ZDDP.

Also Mobil 1 15w-50 is rated at 1200 ppm for phosphorus and is recommended by the manufacturer for flat tappet engines due to their increase in ZDDP.

Most regular oils are now 800 ppm zinc/phosphorus content.

I would check the diesel oils carefully in that they are changing to meet new diesel engine standards.

Recommended ZDDP Plus for additive if don't use a zddp rich oil.

Comp Cams have came up with a pro plasma nitriding process that increases the hardness of the cam lobes that help prevent premature cam wear.

I just rebuilt my Y-block and am thinking about Brad Penn Pen 1 racing oil.

 

I am a new guy. What about Lucas oil additive with convential 10-30? Bobd

 

Well I really don't think your problem is too heavy an oil if you're not getting oil at the rockers. It would get there eventually!

You have plugged oil passages TO the rockers(or a rotated cam bearing). That's a "whole nuther deal entirely"!!

If you are VERY lucky, you might be able to pull the rockers and "ream' out the passage above the head gasket and restore oil flow.......If it's below the head gasket or it's the cam bearing(s) that supply the oil to the rockers the only way to "fix' it is to use the outboard oiler or tear the engine down!

I used a "speed wrench" and a socket to turn my oil pump by hand before I put the valve cover on my rebuilt 292. just turning it by hand I got 50+ psi on a gage I screwed into the block and oil boiled up to each rocker.....so you absolutely have either a cam bearing that has moved or plugged galleries....


Cheers,


Rick