there are many good oils out there. I would say valvoline maxlife, pennzoil platinum, motorcraft. but most oils are good these days. Good luck!

 

I used Castrol 10/40 in a 70 E 200 that I had years ago. Since it was used to haul heavy loads the oil was changed at 3,000. At 100,000 miles hardened valve seats had to be installed due to having to run unleaded. Pulled the intake and the lifter valley looked just like the engine had just been assembled. It looked the same also at 290,000 when it was disassembled to see what it looked like when the van was scrapped out due to electrical problems. Regular maintenance is more important than conventional or synthetic.

 

Wrong. Royal Purple has a PAO base stock. It is NOT dino oil.

 

I do not beleive that to be true, Royal does not share what there oil base stock is in anything I can find.

From there website;

Is Royal Purple synthetic motor oil?
Yes. Royal Purple Motor Oils are composed of a proprietary formulation of synthetic base oils and synthetic additives containing iso-paraffinic diluents.

This is about all they will say. But because class 3 highly refined dino oils can be called synthetic (it's a marketing term not a definition) The best conclusion I have been abel to come to from the research I have done tells me that Royal is a blend of mostly class 3 dino and some class 5 esters, but no class 4 PAO's. If you have better info great I would like to learn. But the combination of Royals secrecy, BS marketing, and price (you get what you pay for) I cannot beleive that Royal is a quality full synthetic PAO. The only motor oil on the market today that I know to be a true class 4 PAO (best for daily drivers) is Amsoil.

 

Which is no different than Pennzoil Platinum, Mobil 1, Valvoline SynPower, or any other number of mainstream, and less expensive synthetic oils.

Most of these oils contain a mostly Group III hydro-processed base with mixtures of group IV PAO and/or group V POE in them.

And most of those oils provide better UOAs than Royal Purple as well.

 

Yes, most oils usually give better UOA's than RP and that is the important part. After I read a few UOA's I figured it didn't really matter what RP has in it, So I agree 100 percent with you.

 

Their blend stock is made at the INEOS chemical plant in LaPorte, TX. I worked at the plant until 2 years ago. A good friend of mine is the Process Engineer. Another good friend of mine is the shipping clerk. The Royal Purple plant is in Conroe, TX. I buy my oil from the local Royal Purple Sales Engineer. It's PAO-nothing else. INEOS

 

You'd think if there oil was pure PAO that's something they would want to advertise, but they don't. If there oil is so great why all the secrecy? Why the stupid marketing, oil dyed purple, stupid? Wouldn't they just come out and say, this is why our oil is better?

So how much volume do they get from this plant? Enough to blend with mostly dino oil, or enough for it to be there entire base stock?

 

I don't know what to say other than it's all PAO-no dino. You might want to look up a lawsuit regarding Group III oil being defined as synthetic and you'll see why there is no way Royal Purple would be using that as a base stock.

There are other PAO plants besides the LaPorte. The one in the Beaumont, TX area has been down since the hurricane so that's one reason synthetics are so expensive.

 

That lawsuit is precisely why Royal Purple (and everyone else) has the right to label Group III as a "full synthetic" in the U.S.

And while RP may purchase PAO from INEOS, that is hardly evidence that their oils do not contain Group III. In fact, virtually every grade of M1 is a Group III base with their PAO-based "SuperSyn" formula mixed in. Is this any different from RP and their "Synerlec" concoction?

 

""I don't know what to say other than it's all PAO-no dino.""

maybe, maybe not

formulas change due to avalibility and technical reasons and base oils type can vary even within a companies family of oils.

PAO and GPIII can be used at whatever amount a blender wants what was may not be what is used now.

no opinion on RP but if they are in walmart I would think some or all GPIII.
bruce

 

100% PAO may be expensive, but not necessarily the best lubricant. PAO is non-polar, basically that means it does not "cling" to metal. Its main advantage is low pour point for arctic starting conditions. Mobil 1 has not been all PAO for years, but a blend of PAO, Alkylated Napathelenes (AN) and some esters.

Jim

 

Excellent point, Jim. I think a lot of guys get caught up in the "it's gotta' be a pure synthetic to be good" mindset, when that's not necessarily the case for most applications.

 

If a "Synthetic" lubes recipe is all PAO, a mix of PAO, AN, Esters, ect, doesn't really matter, what REALLY matters is how the "Total" recipe will perform in the engine in which it's used!!!!

It seems, from the RP site quote posted above by Opossum, that RP uses some iso-paraffinic processed dino base oil, to help carry & disperse their ad pack, so technically it isn't All, or 100% PAO, or "Synthetic".

Thats ok, because many "Synthetic" lubes I'm given to understand, either won't carry, or hold the ad pack ingredients, without the help of some "dino" base oil as a "carrier", to disperse & hold in suspension, the ad pack goodies.

I'm also given to understand that even Gp-3 & Gp 3+ base oils don't do a good job of dispersing & holding some additives in suspension either, so they need the assistance of some Gp-2 or 2+ base oils to help out.

Again that doesn't really matter either, as long as the total recipe produces good results, in the engine it's used in, under the driving conditions of that particular OCI.

So imo, if a particular lubes recipe produces good UOA results for us, don't sweat the small stuff!!!!

Maybe most lube recipies, including dino base oils, could be thought of as having reached a point of "diminishing returns", especially for short term OCI's!!!!

More lube recipe thoughts for pondering.