Dirty gas?

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AZjeff

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I was catching up with an old buddy, talking bikes & trucks (and kids & grandkids) and in talking about new stuff he said he likes syn products in his transmissions and diffs but not in the engine because today's gas has more dirt and junk in it than back in the 80s. He's a dino/3k OCI guy since he wants the dirty oil out regularly and synthetic would do no good. This guy is fastidious about his stuff.

Just doesn't seem correct to me but I have no proof so I didn't debate it.

Thoughts?
 
Lol no, buy his cars off him when he wants to sell, the inside of those engines will be like new.
 
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Maybe he was talking about additives in the gas that get in the oil?
confused.gif
 
Let's see. Most cars today use fuel injection which is sensitive to small particulates in the fuel. Carbs, on the other hand have orifices which are not very sensitive to small particulates in fuel.

Since there has been no country-wide failure of fuel injectors, I'd venture that gas today is cleaner than 30 years ago.
 
Our gas is a little dirtier than in Europe, which contributes to our oil change interval being slightly shorter. By dirtier I mean we still have some sulfur in our gasoline while it's nearly eliminated in Europe (our limit is 80 ppm per gallon with 30 ppm yearly average). The sulfur adds to emissions as well as forming sulfuric acid.

It definitely is not dirty enough to necessitate 3,000 mile oil change intervals. I think he is living in the past where our gasoline was much "dirtier". The new limit came into effect in 2006 and the most substantial lowering came into effect in 2000.

If anything, the sulfur in our gasoline is more of a problem for advanced emission systems than it is for oil.
 
You did not debate it because you had no proof.
Well, actually, it is your friend that needs to prove what he is saying.
And that is a tall order, indeed! [Ain't gonna happen!]
 
Originally Posted By: cmf
Our gas is a little dirtier than in Europe, which contributes to our oil change interval being slightly shorter. By dirtier I mean we still have some sulfur in our gasoline while it's nearly eliminated in Europe (our limit is 80 ppm per gallon with 30 ppm yearly average). The sulfur adds to emissions as well as forming sulfuric acid.

It definitely is not dirty enough to necessitate 3,000 mile oil change intervals. I think he is living in the past where our gasoline was much "dirtier". The new limit came into effect in 2006 and the most substantial lowering came into effect in 2000.

If anything, the sulfur in our gasoline is more of a problem for advanced emission systems than it is for oil.


I beg to differ: since around 2001 or around that year or 2, our area gasoline has the sulphur reduced from the highest of being shell for having >150ppm to petro-canada of around 120ppm to now less than 20ppm all across the board. As a result: cat lasts longer and so are the exhaust systems (from corrosion).

My dad does 99% short trips and his 2000 7th gen civic is still on it's original tailpipe and muffler; on a contrary: my B6 block bought in 91 (1 owner, sold in 06 due to paint peeling) goes through factory Mazda muffler every 6 yrs ...

Q.
 
Originally Posted By: cmf
Our gas is a little dirtier than in Europe, which contributes to our oil change interval being slightly shorter. By dirtier I mean we still have some sulfur in our gasoline while it's nearly eliminated in Europe (our limit is 80 ppm per gallon with 30 ppm yearly average). The sulfur adds to emissions as well as forming sulfuric acid.

It definitely is not dirty enough to necessitate 3,000 mile oil change intervals. I think he is living in the past where our gasoline was much "dirtier". The new limit came into effect in 2006 and the most substantial lowering came into effect in 2000.

If anything, the sulfur in our gasoline is more of a problem for advanced emission systems than it is for oil.


Longer oil change interval in Europe is not because of the fuel, but because in Europe, Synthetic Oil is truly Synthetic.
(Group IV or V). In the US (don't know about Canada), what we call Synthetic is mostly super refined stuff that comes out of the ground (Group III) which does not last as long as the Group IV and V from Europe. Even the M1 sold in Europe is different than the M1 sold in the US.

Whenever I lease (not rent) a car in France, I see that they call for an oil change every 30,000 km (18750 miles). Can't remember if my Laguna's said that they recommended Total or Elf.

BTW, what ever happened to M1's adverts that said M1 can go 25,000 miles, or the one where M1 and another brand were placed in a frying pan, showing the other brand heating up and boiling off, while the M1 stayed fluid. Was the old M1
(Group IV) better than the new M1 of whatever Group it is now?

Years ago, my boss, a Chemical Engineer who swore by M1, would change his M1 oil once a year in his Honda Civic. Changed every springtime. Every 8000 miles, he would change the filter, then add just enough M1 to make up for the oil in the filter. He kept good records, and he was changing that M1 about every 25,000 miles, once a year. Swore by the stuff.
Never had a problem with that Civic.
 
It's as if, i claimed that they used a, GE, oxygen tank for apollo 13. Unless you can find an original invoice (or photo), it would be impossible to prove me wrong.
 
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Jeff, engines are tighter, oil and fuel are for more refined no of his ideas make sense.

Make him signup here and his ideas may change. besides we could use more AZ crew here
 
Originally Posted By: Smokefan1977
Jeff, engines are tighter, oil and fuel are for more refined no of his ideas make sense.

Make him signup here and his ideas may change. besides we could use more AZ crew here


He lives in Pa, we met up for a day (North Rim GC) during their Utah vacation.

I'll have to ask him exactly what he thinks is in the gas now that wasn't before.
 
in the 21st century? That's nonsense, our gas is clean.

Our diesel sucks though, has no cetane.
 
Our diesel has far less sulfur than it did in the 1980s. Ethanol may have messed with the quality of gas, but that is more of an issue with sitting gas then under combustion.
 
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