Allied SyntX 15w40 CJ-4 comments

[TiredTrucker]

Came across this offering by a regional oil supplier in the Midwest. They are having this blended and put under their label and selling at $9 a gallon in bulk. They claim it is a GrpIII/GrpII blend and it has 40% GrpIII. They say they are getting the base oil from Motiva and the add pack from Ephinium (Shell). Just wondering what the more informed here think of this offering.


TYPICAL PROPERTIES
PROPERTY METHOD SAE 15w40

Gravity, º API ASTM D-287 30.70
Viscosity @ 100 ºC, cSt ASTM D-445 14.79
Viscosity @ 40 ºC, cSt ASTM D-445 108.8
Viscosity @ 212 ºF, SUS CALCULATED 81
Viscosity @ 100 ºF, SUS CALCULATED 540
Viscosity Index ASTM D-2270 141
HTHS Viscosity, cP ASTM D-4683 4.1
Mini-Rotary Viscometer, cP ASTM D-4684 23,700
CCS Viscosity @ -20 ºC, cP ASTM D-5293 5,756
Pour Point, ºC ASTM D-97 -27
Flash Point, ºC/ºF ASTM D-92 225/432
Zinc, wt. % ASTM D-4951 0.126
Phosphorus, wt. % ASTM D-4951 0.115
Sulfur, wt. % ASTM D-4951 0.30
Calcium, wt. % ASTM D-4951 0.120
Molybdenum, ppm ASTM D-4951 45
Sulfated Ash, wt. % ASTM D-874 0.99
Total Base Number ASTM D-2896 10
NOACK Volatility, % ASTM D-5800 9

 

[Ken2]

Motiva is a joint venture in the U.S. between Royal Dutch/Shell and Saudi Refining. Infineum is a joint venture in the U.K. between Exxon and Royal Dutch/Shell.

How many gallons in bulk (tank truck) are needed to get the $9 price? What is the price for lesser quantities?

The real test is from used oil analysis after running the oil in an engine for the full oil drain interval. Specs only tell a part of the tale. Can you try some in service without buying a truck load?

 

[TiredTrucker]

The bulk that they priced $9 a gallon was if a person bought a 55 gallon drum. Didn't chat with the rep long enough to see what pricing was if a person got a smaller amount or if it was available in less than a 55. I suppose it might be cheaper yet if a person ordered a a tote or bulk tank delivery. Delivery to my home of a 55 drum was $5.

I was curious regarding what the specs seemed like to others. Not sure I want to order any of it to test it out. If others here thought the specs were good, I might give it a shot. I was sent a PDF on the specs I could send anyone. There is nothing online I could refer to.

 

[dnewton3]

Looks like a decent oil, but then again, so do most oils nowdays. And as we all know, used oil analysis are much more important than VOAs or PDFs. Still, your knowledge base has to have somewhere to start. These numbers don't look bad. They look "typical"; that's good, as most products today will certainly provide acceptable results.

Blenders/marketers such as this can make money via bulk sales, but can't typically make it with small packaged products. I doubt you'll ever get this in a 1-gallon jug. Perhaps not even a 5-gallon pail.

So, I guess it really depends upon how you're going to use this stuff. If you go through a large volume of oil each year, where you could turn over a 55-gallon drum annually, then it might be worth giving it a try.

But a lot of us (like me) use less than 10 gallons HDEO per year. There's little reward for us to try something unknown, when we can get the big three (Delo, Delvac, Rotella) for that same $9 (or even less on sale!) and have a PROVEN product with zero risk.

 

[TiredTrucker]

Thanks for the input. I do go thru around a barrel and half a year so I may give it a try.

 

[TiredTrucker]

Oh... regarding price. In my area, Valvoline, Delvac, Rotella and Delo best price at Walmart is around $10.50 a gallon. Even distributor 55 drum prices were around the same. Since I go thru 11 gallons for each change and a gallon of makeup oil approx every 7 weeks, running back and forth to get gallons of oil at wally is not real practical all the time (especially since I live out in the country and you factor in cost of running to town for oil) and "sales" are too infrequent to work out effectively. Especially when the offering we are discussing is being sold for $9 a gallon and a drum can be delivered to my door for $5. So from and economic standpoint, I may give this a try. In this economy, got to manage each penny per mile of operation of my semi (that is why I disabled the EGR on my ISX.. gave me almost 1 full mpg which gave me a $6000 a year increase in my net). A few used oil analysis should let me know if it is worth it.

 

[dnewton3]

Yes, when you have a limited distribution network, it locks you into certain price points.

For some of us in larger areas, we can find deals like the recent Devlac 1300 BOGOF, which makes that product $6.50/gallon!

If you're running though a minimum of a barrel a year, it'd be worth looking at this product.

 

[TiredTrucker]

I am going to give it a shot. Since the blend is 40% Grp III for around $9 a gallon, delivered. Will see what the next UOA has to say. My truck does around 145,000 miles a year and the OCI's have been around 20,000 miles with 10 gallons for each change. Hope it works out and saves me a few $$.