Comparing SL with "fleet " SL 10W-30

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I found these numbers at a oil manufactures web site.They seem to be fairly simular in many regards but some numbers appear to be quite abit different.
Is this enough info to make an educated guess as to one being more aplicable to a very high dusty environment? Would the Fleet's oil high detergents/disperants be an advantage over a typical gasoiline SL rated oil ? Any disadvantages ? I dont know if these numbers help any but here they are.The gas is rated SL and the Fleet is rated
CI-4 ,CH -4 ,CG-4 ,CF-4 ,CF/SL .

--------------------------------- GAS ---- Fleet--

Density,G/CM3@ 60F ............. 0.869 .... 0.874
Pounds per Gal @ 60F ........... 7.24 ...... 7.28.
Color ASTM D1500 ............... 2.5 ...... L4.0
Flashpoint (COC) ............... 421F ...... 430F
Pour Point ..................... -29F ...... -33F

Viscosity :
cSt @ 40deg C ................... 67.2 ..... 81.5
cSt @ 100 deg C ................. 10.1 ..... 11.2
SUS @ 100 deg F ................. 345 ..... 420
SUS @ 210 deg F ................. 60.5 ..... 64.6

Viscosity Index ................. 135 ...... 126

Cold Crank Vis, CP .............. 6,800 ... 6,900
@ (degC ) ........................(-25).....(-25)
Hi Temp/ Hi Sheer Vis cP/150'C ... 3.1 .... 3.7

Sulfated Ash,ASTM D874,wt % ...... 0.80 .... 1.5
Total Base Number, ASTM D2896 .... 6.2 ..... 12
Zinc ,wt % ....................... 0.10 .... 0.13
--------------------------------------------------
There seems to be quite a difference to my inexpirenced eyes in the Viscosity , VI ,Sulfated Ash and TBN....

Would the higher numbers on the "Fleet" oil be any advantage over the gas numbers or any disadvantage ? Do these look like typical numbers ? Is there something that looks out of place on a gasoline engine useing these fleet oils ? Any other comments ? I'm just trying to gradually learn this new oil language.... Thanks again.
 
looks like the fleet oil behaves better at colder temps but is slightly thicker. it's also slightly thicker in the warm temps. I'd use that "fleet" oil in an engine with some miles on it. The gas oil may be better for newer engines. Both should still work fine in either application without problems still.

--Matt
 
Gas oil seens to do a good job, but notice all the additives all higher which adds protection in hard use better valve train ,piston ring and pin increased detergency and dispersant quality.In general a heavy duty oil. I used to work for a company that had a mixed fleet their ford vans used fleet oil the vans would fall apart before the engines would fail. 15w40 oils even in the new triton engines. No problens but the temperatures were in the oils range a very importent fact.

[ April 13, 2003, 11:05 PM: Message edited by: Steve S ]
 
Thanks for the imput.I'm still trying to make sense of all this.For 30 years I've use nothing but straight 30HD oil and my new Impala says you must use 10W-30 oil.The really bad thing is that where we have to park at work is in a dirt "parking lot" in the back of our wharehouse and we have big rigs ariving and leaving all day long kicking up a tremendous amount of dust and dirt.... As well as the city I work in have a prevaling wind every afternoon.It's is impossible to keep a car or engine compartment clean.It is a simple fact of life that dirt and dust invades everything there.To make matters worse I have a very short commute and the engine barely gets it's water temp up to 180 or so and then it gets shut off.So I figure that even tho the amount of miles driven will be low they really are hard miles.

Given this I guess I'm still trying to get it through my mind as to weather to stay with a conventional Gas type 10W-30 or will the Fleet style oil really be an advantage or a hinderance? Is the extra Sulfated Ash in the Fleet oil a real problem or the extra Detergent/Dispersants an advantage with my type of use ? And as most of the driving is in a relitively cold water and oil temp?

Ultimatly I'm just trying to do the best for this car and still uncertin as too what to use.
 
Delo and the other fleet oils are available in 10w/30 but you have to get then fron a oil distribuor .They can be found by looking them up in the phone book yellow pages.I Used to repair forklifts for several oil distributers, 55 gallon drums of M1 and Delvac1 all around me the most incredable feeling ,giddy all evening, you got to try it.
 
Calvin, I am just guessing but does your owners manual say to use SL/GF-3 motor oil or just SL? If it says SL/GF-3 then you would be better off just using a name brand SL/GF-3 motor oil until you are past your warranty. The Fleet oils are not easy to find. I have never seen a Fleet CI-4/SL 10w-30 being sold retail anywhere. You will probably need to go to a distributor to get any Fleet 10w-30. Since you are in such a dusty area you could just change the oil every 3,000 or 4,000 mile. Or you could use Mobil 1 every 5,000 or 6,000 miles and probobly get even better protection for your new Impala. I do think that the Fleet 10w-30 is the better of the two oils but I do not think it would be worth the trouble of having to order a large amount of it or pay a much higher price. I would just use Mobile 1 or even Amsoil.

How do you like the Impala? In the past I had read that few police departments would consider any front wheel drive car but the Nevada Highway Patrol has been using them for at least two years with sucess.

[ April 14, 2003, 06:10 AM: Message edited by: Sin City ]
 
Does this car have the GM oil life monitor? If it does than I think you would be better off using the Mobil 1, Amsoil or even Schaffers Blend and keeping it in until the oil monitor tells you to do an oil change. And be sure to use 10w-30 so that there is no chance of having any trouble in the unlikely event you should need any warranty work done on the engine.
 
Steve S,

LOL, Back in the late 60's I used to get that giddy feeling from something else.... but that was a long long time ago..
gr_stretch.gif


Sin City,

I have had my Impala for about 8 weeks now.Honestly I really like it.It is the 1st front wheel drive car I have ever owned....I'm an old dinosaur I guess... It has taken a little getting used to.My previous daily driver that I still own is a 69 Chevelle with a big block....I am astounded by the Impala's gas mileage.I still have not finished my second tank of gas.I havent bothered to figure out what the MPG is but I would go about two weeks of my normal driving with the Chevelle and this will go 4 to 5 with the 3.8 V6 so far and thats all city driving.

Yes it does require the energy conserving gas mileage type oil.Your right the Fleet oil does not meet that spec.Maybe I'm just being abit parinoid over this. I do change my oil very frequiently... Far more than most people due mainly to the hard driving.I have roughly 500 miles on it so far and I've allready changed it once.I seriously doubt it would ever get to 1500 miles without being changed.
It simply takes along time for me to get that many miles on my cars as I live close to most anything I need... So maybe the gas oil with friequent changes would be sufficient.
 
The Delo 400-type 10W-30 oils are sold in cold weather country where the 15W-40 is too thick in the winter. You'd probably have to get some shipped in to Texas and need a very large order to get that.

Any of the favorite 10W-30 oils will work fine for your new car--Chevron Supreme, Castrol GTX, Pennzoil, and the best of the bunch would be Schaeffer #703 10W-30.


Ken
 
I called the manufacturer of the oil whose info is above and they flat out told me not to use the fleet oil in my car.He really seemed concerned about the SA numbers and really felt the advantage of the extra detergents wasnt worth the potential risk of the extra SA content..... BTW the info above is not Delo.
I havent called them yet.I realize that many people here use the fleet oils in their gas cars with excellent success.I'm just relaying what he told me.

I suspose that if I only drive 4000 miles a year and change it every 1000 miles it should be ok even in this dusty environment.... I hope.
 
quote:

Originally posted by Chris A:
Finally, somebody else warning about the sulfated ash content of the fleet oils.

So why is the higher sulfated ash content of HDMO's a problem for gas engines, yet doesn't harm diesels?
 
sulfated ash is what is left over from the burning of the little bit of oil that will always get burned on the cylinder walls, etc. The only problem with it in gasoline engines is that it "can" harm the catalytic converter, although there is still a lot of discussion about what types are harder on it. The sulfated ash is the result of the detergents and anti-wear additives used in the oils. Magnesium leaves more ash than calcium. The lubrizol page has information on how much ash is left by each additive. A certain amount of ash is welcome as it cushions the valves and prevents valve recession, although this is more prevalent on high compression engines.
Personally I like what I feel is the extra protection of the extra additives. In dusty areas your biggest concern should be the air filters. 5% of our roads are paved. I am currently towards the end of a 5,000 km trip in my 2002 Toyota HiLux crew cab pickup. 600 kms were paved. Dust was 4 inches deep for most of the trip with it catching up with me a lot of the time.
I use Delo in this gasoline truck. The dealer insists on oil changes at his place every 5,000 km. If I wait to finish the trip, I will have voided my warrantee by not changing within 100 km max range. If I change it myself I void my warrantee. So I just put the best I can in and watch the filters. (I now have almost 10,000 km on it).
 
Wow I have to admit your dusty invironment is way worse than mine.... So the dealer is the only place that you can have your oil changed ? That seems pretty harsh.I would have to think that in your environment I would go for the most protection possible also.
 
I'm not even close an expert on this, but I'm confused as to why it is almost never mentioned in the large amount of HD oil talk lately.

Basically, the SA is a way of measuring the amount of junk (ash) that is left behind when oil is excessively heated (burned).

I believe it is a by-product of the extra additves in the fleet oils and I beleive the next API classification will require the allowable SA content to be lowered.

It does harm diesels, but the benefits outweigh the harm. I think it has more to do with the amount of sulfur in the fuel than anything else.
 
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