Are there any oils similar to M1 5w30 ESP Formula?

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Patman

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Now that Mobil 1's 5w30 ESP Formula has been reformulated, I'm wondering if there is another oil out there that has similar technical specs to it that I could consider as it's replacement when my stash runs out? (I just bought more yesterday on clearance at Canadian Tire so I have enough for two more oil changes on the Vette)

I initially became interested in this oil when Mobil 1 introduced the 0w40 ESP Formula which is now factory fill on the new Corvettes (and is recommended on all LT1/LT4 powered Vettes) When I compared the specs of the 0w40 to the 5w30 ESP Formula I felt that the 5w30 was the better choice for me. Two things really stand out, it has a very low sulfated ash level of 0.6% (compared to 0.8% for the 0w40 ESP) and it's NOACK is (supposedly) very low as well (under 6% according to that Russian web site)

The new formula of this oil (simply called 5w30 ESP now) has a slightly higher sulfated ash level of 0.8% and it's NOACK value is unknown but I'm going to assume it might be higher.

I plan on keeping this Corvette for a long time and would like to see the original engine hit 250-300k without having to take it apart, but it's also direct injected, which is why I'd prefer to continue using an oil with a very low NOACK and very low sulfated ash level as I feel that's my best plan of attack at keeping deposits at bay.

I have considered going with Pennzoil Euro L 5w30, as it's dexos2 rated so it's a low SAPS oil too, but I don't know the NOACK or sulfated ash level of this oil (I have emailed Pennzoil and am hoping they will share this info with us) I also think Valvoline MST 5w30 could be an alternative too. I'm not that keen on using 0w40 ESP Formula, as I also feel having less VII with a 5w30 will keep the engine cleaner.

So basically what I'm asking for is a dexos2 5w30, low SAPS oil (as I believe all dexos2 oils are anyways), with low NOACK and low sulfated ash. With this being a performance engine I prefer the HTHS to be 3.5 or higher so that leaves out any of the dexos1 5w30s out there, so it really needs to be dexos2.
 
Originally Posted by 4WD
What was changed ?


The new 5w30 ESP has slightly higher sulfated ash now, plus it's slightly thinner than before (11.8 vs 12.1 cst) I'm not sure about the base oil composition of each formula, so that could be different as well.
 
What oil did you run in your last Vette and how many miles did you put on her?
 
Originally Posted by HondaTech250
Glad you can find the 5w-30 ESP Dexos 2, I haven't been able to even find it online except for 1 place and at $72 for 6 qts I'll not be buying it.


It was $17 per liter here, although I always combined it with other deals to get the price down (such as when you spend $100 you get $25 off for instance) Now that Canadian Tire is clearing it out, it's $11.93 per liter. If they drop it even more than that, I'll start driving to far away locations to grab even more, but eventually even with a huge supply it'll run out and I'll need a suitable replacement for it.
 
Originally Posted by CT8
What oil did you run in your last Vette and how many miles did you put on her?


I just ran the normal M1 5w30 and that car had 85k on it when I sold it. My Corvette before that one ran a few different oils (GC 0w30, Ultra 5w30 and M1 5w30) and it had 133k on it.

But keep in mind that both of those Vettes weren't direct injected, so I think running a regular dexos1 5w30 (vs a low SAPS, low sulfated ash dexos2 oil) is not going to be the best way to keep this engine as clean in the long run. If I was only keeping it to 100k or less I'm sure any dexos1 5w30 would do the trick, but as mentioned I am shooting for much higher miles.
 
Any dexos2 will be fine
smile.gif
 
Valvoline is kind enough to share a lot of info about their regular Full Synthetic (formerly SynPower) line on their website, but they don't tell us much about the MST oils. Also have never found much info about the Euro L.
Valvoline FS 5W30 has a fairly low Noack loss at 9.3% as well as a high HTHS for an SN RC oil at 3.2, but the SA level is nearly 1%.

If you're willing to pay the premium, Ravenol might be a good place to look...their REP 5W30 has an HTHS of 3.7, a 6.2% Noack loss, and a low but not super low 0.8% SA level. It's a racing oil, but with SN and dexos2 it's not something that is only meant to run for one race or whatever. I'm sure the price is up there! Their HLS 5W30 looks pretty good, too, but not quite as impressive as the REP.
 
Originally Posted by slacktide_bitog
Any dexos2 will be fine
smile.gif



I'm looking for more than just "fine" though. I'm looking for something equal to what I'm running now and am not sure it even exists.
 
With the same thought of maximizing the quality of the base oil as one would when seeking out Ravenol, think about:

Motul 8100 X-Clean EFE 5W30, online USA price: $42.67 / 5L

Approvals:
ACEA C2/ C3, API SN, BMW LL-04, Dexos-2, MB 229.52, VW 505 01

Deutschland: Vollesynthetisch

Viscosities:
40°C 70.1 cSt
100°C 12.1 cSt
HTHSV 3.50 cSt

Sulfated Ash: .78%
VI: 169
Pour Point: -42°C
Flash Point: 232°C
TBN: 7.8
Noack: ?

Motul 8100 X-Clean 5W-40, online USA price: $42.67 / 5L

Approvals:
ACEA C3, API SN/CF, BMW LL-04, Ford WSS M2C 917A, Dexos-2, MB 229.51, Porsche A40, Renault RN0710/ RN0700, VW 502 00/ 505 00/ 505 01, Fiat 9.55535-S2

Deutschland: Vollesynthetisch

Viscosities:
40°C 84.7 cSt
100°C 14.1 cSt
HTHSV 3.64 cSt

Sulfated Ash: .80%
VI: 172
Pour Point: -39°C
Flash Point: 234°C
TBN: 7.5
Noack: ?
 
Check out Motul 8100 X-Clean+ 5W-30.

0.68% sulfates ash. Euro manufacturer approvals. Can't ask for much more.
 
Originally Posted by 4WD
Know where it's made ? France ?


I believe it is made in France yes.
 
Originally Posted by 1JZ_E46
Check out Motul 8100 X-Clean+ 5W-30.

0.68% sulfates ash. Euro manufacturer approvals. Can't ask for much more.


Thanks, I will put that on the list of possible replacements
smile.gif
 
Albeit a slightly less viscous 5W-30 (3.1 HTHSV), Ravenol's DXG meets every other parameter/quality standard you are looking for, and would probably be just fine as a winter OCI oil for your use.
wink.gif


Do you have someone who can get Ravenol's products across the border for you?
 
Originally Posted by dailydriver
Albeit a slightly less viscous 5W-30 (3.1 HTHSV), Ravenol's DXG meets every other parameter/quality standard you are looking for, and would probably be just fine as a winter OCI oil for your use.
wink.gif



No need for a "winter oil" as the car will only see about 1000 miles worth of driving from December to March.

Quote


Do you have someone who can get Ravenol's products across the border for you?


Yes, that would be me, as my wife and I cross the border into NY state at least once a month. (it's only an hour away)
But the 3.1 HTHS would be a deal breaker for me anyways.
 
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