My Quest For The Best Oil on the Planet

[OVERKILL]

So the wider the spread is better to a certain extent, is 0W-40 the perfect Viscosity depending on where you live?

I mean, that's the philosophy behind the wider spreads, that they are appropriate for a broader range of conditions and are less viscous on start-up, so they have an advantage in fuel economy as well.

The driver behind the higher base oil viscosity is the suite of approvals. This is not universal. TGMO 0W-20 for example, has a calculated BO of ~4cSt, while M1 EP 0W-20 was almost 6cSt, slightly heavier than M1 AP 5W-30 at 5.66cSt (these are estimates).

 

[ron17571]

My dad worked with GM engineers testing M-1 in new Cadillacs. (years ago with north star engines) The engines(taken apart and analyzed) showed almost no wear after many miles and they had five engines replaced in ten years at the dealership. So he was sold on M-1.
I use whatever name-brand oil is on sale myself. I have old bias on Pennzoil and Castrol though, I won't buy their products.

 

[buster]

What things do you consider to conclude that M1 0W-40 is the single best oil in the world? That's a bold assertion. Presumably, you've given the issue some thought.

I should have clarified. If I could only choose one oil out of the thousands that exist, it would likely be M1 0w40 as it meets very demanding specs, readily available, and is a low 40 grade/upper 30 grade viscosity. Just a nice overall oil.

 

[TiGeo]

I should have clarified. If I could only choose one oil out of the thousands that exist, it would likely be M1 0w40 as it meets very demanding specs, readily available, and is a low 40 grade/upper 30 grade viscosity. Just a nice overall oil.

Compare/contrast to other 0W40s that meet very demanding specs and are readily available - Castrol 0W40 for instance.

 

[Bill_W]

Best at what? Lubricity, HTHS, HP increase, Start up wear, Price to performance, longest OCI… Exc. The best for some? Everything is a compromise.

 

[ka9mnx]

Compare/contrast to other 0W40s that meet very demanding specs and are readily available - Castrol 0W40 for instance.

Quaker State 0w-40 or 5w-40 Euro?

 

[jurko]

Quaker State 0w-40 or 5w-40 Euro?

There is no QS 0W-40 is it?

 

[ka9mnx]

There is no QS 0W-40 is it?

Sorry, no.

 

[buster]

Compare/contrast to other 0W40s that meet very demanding specs and are readily available - Castrol 0W40 for instance.

I'd still give the edge to M1 simply because it's also been used by legit racing teams (Porsche/Corvette). But the Edge 0w40 I'm sure is very good as well.

 

[radiometer]

I don't "know" if there is a best oil. I've seen the subject brought up many times. For my cars I've largely settled on Mobil 1 ESP 5W-30. I don't get concerned about a wide viscosity spread and it has a minimum HTHS of 3.5. The Mobil 1 brand seems to have high standing by many BITOG members.

 

[Brian123]

I mean, that's the philosophy behind the wider spreads, that they are appropriate for a broader range of conditions and are less viscous on start-up, so they have an advantage in fuel economy as well.

The driver behind the higher base oil viscosity is the suite of approvals. This is not universal. TGMO 0W-20 for example, has a calculated BO of ~4cSt, while M1 EP 0W-20 was almost 6cSt, slightly heavier than M1 AP 5W-30 at 5.66cSt (these are estimates).

So, I am using Mobil 1 ESP 0W-30, I really wanted to get Mobil 1 ESP 5W-30 but at the time the 5W-30 was only sold in quart bottles for like $10.99 plus tax. I ended up getting a good deal on 5 quart jugs of the 0W-30, So $11.64 with the 5W-30 versus $6.20 a quart for the 0W-30 it came down to price.

More than likely from videos I have seen, the 0W-30 will flow better. or pump better at lower temps than a 5W-30?

Have you noticed a difference from using HPL's oil that you are currently using versus other oils you have used?

I might be answering my own question, but the only way for me to tell if I like HPL's oil is to use it and see for myself?

 

[OVERKILL]

So, I am using Mobil 1 ESP 0W-30, I really wanted to get Mobil 1 ESP 5W-30 but at the time the 5W-30 was only sold in quart bottles for like $10.99 plus tax. I ended up getting a good deal on 5 quart jugs of the 0W-30, So $11.64 with the 5W-30 versus $6.20 a quart for the 0W-30 it came down to price.

More than likely from videos I have seen, the 0W-30 will flow better. or pump better at lower temps than a 5W-30?

Have you noticed a difference from using HPL's oil that you are currently using versus other oils you have used?

I might be answering my own question, but the only way for me to tell if I like HPL's oil is to use it and see for myself?

I found the HPL oils (particularly the 0W-40) had an impact on the MDS operation, making it noticeably less pronounced. It was always more pronounced on the Jeep because it lacks the frame-mounted dampers that the truck has so I don't really know if the impact was overall the same and this is just an artifact of that.

We have no idea what mechanism is in play to do this but I did find it interesting.

"Flow" isn't really something to be concerned about unless you are down near the Winter rating or you know your pump is going on the relief. The oil with the better Winter rating will have an advantage down near the temperatures where that matters.

I'm interested to see if the HPL Super Car 0W-40 stays in grade.
- The very expensive Ravenol SSL 0W-40, with 0.8% fuel, was at 12.0cSt, which shows some shear (virgin was 13.25cSt) in my 2020
- The far less expensive Castrol Edge 0W-40, with probably around the same fuel was at 11.9cSt, which shows a bit more shear (virgin was 13.5cSt)

Objectively, both oils did extremely well with only a bit of viscosity loss. But, I expect the HPL oil to produce a better showing.

 

[Nesterenko]

Shell will not warranty the performance of their oil beyond the OEM interval, while Mobil and Castrol both will for up to 20,000 miles as long as that is accrued within a 12 month period:

And they(whoever "they" are) say it's miles and not time that's important. So for example if you've driven say 8k miles on both EP oils mentioned above, then why can't it be kept in the sump for a lot longer period of time? I've seen where guys here ask this type of question all the time. Q: I've only put 2k miles on a decent synthetic, do I have to dump the oil after a year's time? A lot of times the response is to keep it in there 18 months or even two years.

 

[BigShug681]

And they(whoever "they" are) say it's miles and not time that's important. So for example if you've driven say 8k miles on both EP oils mentioned above, then why can't it be kept in the sump for a lot longer period of time? I've seen where guys here ask this type of question all the time. Q: I've only put 2k miles on a decent synthetic, do I have to dump the oil after a year's time? A lot of times the response is to keep it in there 18 months or even two years.

The response is typically to get a UOA and make a decision based on that

 

[dnewton3]

I see no evidence that the OP has really done anything to clearly define what "Quest for the best" really means.
Subjective auditory assessments and the opinion of a YT phenom don't exactly make for scientific clarity.

The reality is that without first clearly defining what "best" means (wear control; cleanliness; fluid longevity; etc), this is a recipe for a typical stroll into the abyss ...

If by some miracle "best" does become well defined, then you get into the topics of how to:
- theorize, as a good DOE is a must
- test, with good control of variables
- collect, with good gauge R&Rs
- analyze, using proper methodology
- conclude, without inducing bias

Not exactly what most BITOG threads excel at. This one is no different.

 

[Bill_W]

I see no evidence that the OP has really done anything to clearly define what "Quest for the best" really means.
Subjective auditory assessments and the opinion of a YT phenom don't exactly make for scientific clarity.

The reality is that without first clearly defining what "best" means (wear control; cleanliness; fluid longevity; etc), this is a recipe for a typical stroll into the abyss ...

If by some miracle "best" does become well defined, then you get into the topics of how to:
- theorize, as a good DOE is a must
- test, with good control of variables
- collect, with good gauge R&Rs
- analyze, using proper methodology
- conclude, without inducing bias

Not exactly what most BITOG threads excel at. This one is no different.

What does BITOG excel at? Kinda like asking a oil professional that works for Mobil 1 what oil to use.

 

[TiGeo]

What does BITOG excel at? Kinda like asking a oil professional that works for Mobil 1 what oil to use.

Bickering....that's what it excels at most of the time.

 

[grampi]

IMHO, the difference between the best and worst oil is so minute that I choose based on price, of course making sure the oil meets the spec and weight specified...

 

[Cujet]

I’d like to remind everyone that UOA results are not indicative of engine wear rates. When we tested aerospace oils and greases, we used a scanning electron microscope to view and measure wear. UOA results were utterly unreliable and did not correspond with individual component condition.

UOA results are a useful tool to look for problems Before a catastrophe. But only if you know that a particular component is prone to failure.

We‘ve all heard of good UOA results on blown engines. consider low tension rings running in iron cylinders can be become utterly worthless and UOA never showed the wear.

chain wear is not likely to show up as problematic, and oil choices made on UOA results may or may not give good results.

 

[02zx9r rev2]

OP, any updates on having found the best oil on the planet?