Chart explanation, please

[MarkC]

Sorry for being slow, but can someone discuss the items on these two charts in a bit of detail? I'm trying to decide between 3 dino oils and I'm tired of being obsessed by this. I use Castrol, but don't mind switching. I can't find a chart with Havoline's specs, but that's the third choice(and the most convenient). Thanks for my pending education. Castrol GTX 10w30 API SL code: 10w30 Mo 66 ph 1306 zinc 1281 mag 8 cal 2520 silicon 3 Cst 10.93 Visc 30w Chevron Supreme 10W-30 SL GF-3 Alum = 1 Iron = 1 Moly = 65 Boron = 133 Silicon= 3 Sodium = 1 Calcium= 1814 Magnesum= 4 Phosprus= 732 Zinc = 879 Sus @ 210 F = 63.1 Water = 0 Insolubles = 0 Flash Point = 365 F ( ??? ) TBN = 8.0

 

[Ken2]

All are good oils. Havoline is either identical or very close to Chevron Supreme, and both, of course, are made by ChevronTexaco Corp. You can't go wrong with any of these. Don't fret. Ken

 

[MarkC]

So what do these numbers mean? What advantage/disadvantage is there to Castrol having 1306 phosphorous while Chevron has only 732? Zinc 1281 vs. 879? Calcium 2520 vs. 1814? I undestand that Ca is part of the detergent package, so if Castrol has more Ca, is it's detergent 'better'? Anyone?

 

[Jay]

Mark, you can't make an informed oil choice by looking at VOAs. All those numbers are FYI. More of something doesn't necessarily mean better.

 

[MarkC]

I'm curious about why they chose the amounts of the substances they did; what do they hope to accomplish?

 

[widman]

The castrol could pass for a light duty diesel oil with those additives. (the higher detergent, zinc, phos.). No where near the level of Delo, though. Chevron Supreme keeps the zinc & phos levels lower for ILSAC, and makes up in the anti-wear package with the moly.

 

[widman]

Those must be used oil values. Here are the current manufacturing targets for Supreme: Chevron Supreme   Boron                 170 Calcium             2200  Molybdenum     80 Nitrogen            598-805 Phosphorus      840-1030 Zinc                   1030 Sulfur                 2800