I've been doing alot of reading about Molybdenum levels in engine oil. From what I've seen from multible VOAs, is the higher tier oils, have large amounts of Moly vs your "Budget" oils. Also is their a relationship between Moly, and ZDDP? HPL which I use now, has pretty much equal levels of Moly, and ZDDP......Ive been trying to find some of Dr. Rudnick's literature on the subject.....like say is Molyvan 3000 an expensive additive? Is Moly cost prohibitive?
Moly Level In Engine Oil
- Thread starter FranklinJL
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Keep in mind that the PPM of Moly in an oil analysis doesn't tell the whole story. There are different types that perform equally at vastly different concentrations. IIRC 60-80 PPM of trimer type performs equally to 200-250 PPM of the more common dimer type.
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All moly is not equal as there is more than one type. more does not equal better
I love my Lubegard BioTech with Unicorn Tears.
Libri moly sells an oil that's black from having so much moly in it .
Here is some good reading. I wrote out a summary earlier but it would probably be better if you just read all of this; I’m sure any statements by me who has no involvement with the oil, auto, or chemical industries in any way except as a consumer would be inaccurate.
Thread 'Question: What is molybdenum’s real role?'
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/question-what-is-molybdenums-real-role.362464/
Thread 'Molybdenum in oil?'
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/molybdenum-in-oil.215607/
Thread 'Molybdenum, is there a downside?'
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/molybdenum-is-there-a-downside.252774/
https://bobistheoilguy.com/moly-basics/
I will conclude by saying that the subject appears to be way more complicated than just comparing Molybdenum numbers in a VOA and saying more is better. I hope this helps.
Thread 'Question: What is molybdenum’s real role?'
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/question-what-is-molybdenums-real-role.362464/
Thread 'Molybdenum in oil?'
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/molybdenum-in-oil.215607/
Thread 'Molybdenum, is there a downside?'
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/molybdenum-is-there-a-downside.252774/
https://bobistheoilguy.com/moly-basics/
I will conclude by saying that the subject appears to be way more complicated than just comparing Molybdenum numbers in a VOA and saying more is better. I hope this helps.
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Moly or molybdenum disulfide makes engines dirty that's why is used mostly in gear oils and greases. Gear oils that contain too much MoS2 are dark gray or black in color.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molybdenum_disulfide
Also, old and racing engines that need better lubrication require more ZDDP in the oil, not moly. That must mean something.
We got picture of an engine run on HPL with some stains on it and I asked if more moly makes the engine dirtier, but nobody answered me. However we got a response from a HPL employee who explained and showed how moly looks before it's blended in the oil. So that makes me think - more moly makes your engine dirtier.
Check out also the 1st page of the thread:
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/t...ine-restore-and-protect-and-hpl.401339/page-5
Moly compound that gets added to motor oil:
I remember that post. Ive used oils like Redline for along time, and never seen deposits left. Motul 300v same thing......
Great question, I’m sure it depends on the rest of the oil formulation (base oil compatibility, synergy with other additives), the performance specifications needed for the intended application, and the cost. It would be awesome if we could look at a VOA and say, “the oil has 500 ppm Molybdenum, that is perfect for a PCEO”, but it just doesn’t seem like that is possible. So we have licenses and approvals, or if you are the trusting type, faith that the blender of an unlicensed oil has done adequate testing of their formulation in the desired application.
It depends on base oil and other additives, but not much gained over say 300-400 ppm. Then - and I don't how much exactly, again depending, there will be visible deposits and other negatives.
I remember in one of his videos, LSJR saying something to the effect of "special things start to happen when ZDDP and molybdenum are at the same level".
Which without knowing the molybdenum compound makes no sense.
Real special hahaha
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We are talking in generalities I believe. But yes it does depend
Never mind not going to drag it on about an Internet influencer.
Honda S2000 molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) pistons:
https://www.swapshopracing.com/cont...-Racing-F22CF20C-PCX-Honda-S2000-Pistons.html
Honda F20C engine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_F20C_engine
How Modern Piston Coating Improve Performance - Wiseco coatings - ArmorX, ArmorPlating, Armor Glide, ArmorFit
https://www.wiseco.com/auto/wiseco-...Zns7ARPV5lOpBrDzGuNbnc701Q1fDwvaYHdVz_4TyizMi
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So what are the molybdenum disulfide levels in this discussion based on a spectrographic analysis?
I recall reading years ago here that high moly doped Asian 0W20 lubricants used to get a pass - though they routinely failed one of the TEOST making it a no go for turbo applications.
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