GF-4 = synthetic blend?

[Toyota4WD]

After reading on here i'm wondering if all the new GF-4 5w30 conventional oils such as Pennzoil, Castrol GTX, and Chevron Supreme legally considered synthetic blends? I know the new MC is already labled as one.

 

[427Z06]

Maybe not in all cases:

http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=008720

 

[mikep]

quote:

---

Originally posted by 427Z06:
Maybe not in all cases:

http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=008720

---

Agreed. It seems Chevron/Texaco's "Isosyn" process is capable of producing group II+ oils that meet GF4 specs.

http://www.chevron.com/prodserv/BaseOils/gf4.shtml

 

[Hirev]

Just because its a GF4 oil, it does not automatically mean its a synthetic blend.

Synthetic blend does not mean much anyway. I believe (could remember wrong) that a synthetic blend only needs 10% synthetic to be able to use the words synthetic blend.

 

[Ray H]

In addition to Motorcraft (formulated and bottled by ConocoPhillips), ALL other ConocoPhillips brands - 76, Kendall, Phillips 66, and Conoco - are synthetic blends in the 5w30 viscosity. So far as I know, ConocoPhillips is the only oil company that's gone public with any claim of synthetic use in their reformulated entry level motor oils. (10W-30 to follow by next spring) According to the MSDSs, these oils contain more than 50% of what is probably Group III base lube stock since it's identified with a "64" CAS number as a severe hydrotreated petroleum oil. The remaining base lube stock (also identified with a "64" CAS number is also identified as petroleum oil. (I may be wrong, but I believe PAO's CAS numbers begin with "68".) Since that secondary stock is also listed as non-carcinogenic (non cancer-causing), that would imply a very low residual naphthenes concentration, which in turn implies the probability that it's at least Group II. (Group I base stocks typically carry more than 10% naphthenes, while Group II stocks are typically in single digit percentages.) Regardless of the ongoing controversy surrounding defining Group III as "synthetic", combining more than 50% Group III with Group II and a decent additive package to achieve GF-4/SM, should make for a very good motor oil for motors without exotic qualification requirements.

 

[haley10]

I seriously doubt that the brands you mention have any synthetic component. Anyway if I had to make the choice between PZ purebase or Chevron Iso-Syn (Castrol may purchase similar from Shell

) GPII+ or a lesser basestock doctored up with Group III, I'd take the brands you named.