Originally Posted By: buster
Those are good points. I don't honestly think M1 GF-4 was that good.
I would prefer more shear stability in a WRX and probably not have used M1 5w30 in that particular engine.
Ultimately you can really only judge an oils performance level by the specifications it meets otherwise you have to rely on unscientific claims and marketing. Some of those may even be true.
I used solid in the sense that M1 has always made a very consistent high quality oil and AFE is part of that. Reliable brand.
I have no explanation what the Al means. It could be nothing at all and just very small wear particles. Or it could be this oil is not doing it's job. I highly doubt the later.
I agree that Mobil 1 has generally been an excellent brand over the years, but their GF-4 5w30 was a notable exception. The SM flavor of 0w40 is in a similar category, it often sheared so much that it came out of the engine thinner than GC! A rude surprise to anyone who thought they were using 40wt.
The specs an oil meets are certainly the best way to judge likely performance, then tweak with manufacturer claims. For instance I think Pennzoil Ultra is probably the best cleaning oil out there, though Edge Ti and M1 EP are notably missing from their claims. I see from the Lubrizol spider charts that Dexos has higher wear requirements than even ACEA A5/B5, nice. I'll look for Dexos oils from now on.
I too am perplexed by the Al, hopefully it clears up in time. I've got AFE in the sump again and two quarts in reserve. I'll wait until I get my next UOA back to make any decisions, which means at least two more fills on AFE 0w20. I may try a thicker oil if the Al doesn't clear up. Leading candidates for thicker oil include an AFE mix of 0w20 & 0w30, M1 5w20, and Edge Ti 5w20. The AFE mix poses a slight risk to my warranty, but represents the fewest variables, keeping the same add-pack but increasing viscosity.
Those are good points. I don't honestly think M1 GF-4 was that good.
I would prefer more shear stability in a WRX and probably not have used M1 5w30 in that particular engine.
Ultimately you can really only judge an oils performance level by the specifications it meets otherwise you have to rely on unscientific claims and marketing. Some of those may even be true.
I used solid in the sense that M1 has always made a very consistent high quality oil and AFE is part of that. Reliable brand.
I have no explanation what the Al means. It could be nothing at all and just very small wear particles. Or it could be this oil is not doing it's job. I highly doubt the later.
I agree that Mobil 1 has generally been an excellent brand over the years, but their GF-4 5w30 was a notable exception. The SM flavor of 0w40 is in a similar category, it often sheared so much that it came out of the engine thinner than GC! A rude surprise to anyone who thought they were using 40wt.
The specs an oil meets are certainly the best way to judge likely performance, then tweak with manufacturer claims. For instance I think Pennzoil Ultra is probably the best cleaning oil out there, though Edge Ti and M1 EP are notably missing from their claims. I see from the Lubrizol spider charts that Dexos has higher wear requirements than even ACEA A5/B5, nice. I'll look for Dexos oils from now on.
I too am perplexed by the Al, hopefully it clears up in time. I've got AFE in the sump again and two quarts in reserve. I'll wait until I get my next UOA back to make any decisions, which means at least two more fills on AFE 0w20. I may try a thicker oil if the Al doesn't clear up. Leading candidates for thicker oil include an AFE mix of 0w20 & 0w30, M1 5w20, and Edge Ti 5w20. The AFE mix poses a slight risk to my warranty, but represents the fewest variables, keeping the same add-pack but increasing viscosity.
