Pennzoil HM vs. Maxlife 10w30???

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I recently got some Pennzoil HM 10w30 with the intention of using it on my next oil change in my non-daily driver Jeep 5.9L. It has had M1 or M1 HM all its life and now has 178k on the ticker and is retired as of last year.

I thought about sticking with M1 HM and just changing once per year or 3k (whichever comes 1st). But after much reading & many posts, I decided to go back to dino and maybe change every 6 months or so. So I selceted Pennzoil HM formula as the candidate.

Well I was in Wal-mart last nigth & I could not help but browse the oil section. I noticed that Maxlife is cheaper in the 5qt jugs than the Pennzoil HM and is also syn-blend oil. People seem to like both of those oils on BITOG, but I just figured it made sense to go ahead & use the blend and get the best of both worlds and pay a few bucks less to boot. People seem to say the additive pkg in the maxlife is top-notch, although I have never been a Valvoline man.

So my question is, what do you think?

The Pennzoil HM will not go to waste because my daily driver is another Jeep 4.0L with 76k and a seeping rear main seal. It usually gets Trop-artic but I can try the Pennzoil HM in it just to use it up.

How do you feel about these two oils and if you were retiring a daily driver to become an off-roader, and wanted to try something other than M1 HM, and you narrowed it down between the two mentioned, which would you be more inclined to use. I already had this inner debated and Pennzoil won, but the trip to wally world and the price made me think twice so I snatched up a jug of maxlife since I remembered about how people rave about it on here.

thanks!
 
I "think"..(my opinion) that Valvoline specializes in HM products more than any other brand does. Go with the company who has more experience in them..Valvoline. Better add pack to boot.
 
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I have used both HM products and find the Pennzoil to consume alot less between OCIs.

So you may save initially by choosing Valvoline -- then "may" pay extra for additional top-off afterwards.

So in retrospect, if it's roughly the same money later on? -- then I would choose Pennzoil from the get-go.
 
I have an old Subaru with 193k miles as my DD. I had a bit of a leakage problem (maybe 1 quarter every 3k miles) and tried, M1 HM, Valv Maxlife and Castrol GTX HM (all 10W-30). Only Castrol GTX HM SEEMED to reduce leakage as I had zero oil loss over my last OCI. It also SEEMED to run the quietest.
 
Also, if you're running 'er as a dedicated mud-truck : D the maybe just consider a heavier multi-grade or even a straight 30 weight. You're not concerned with highway mileage or cold starts, right?
 
Originally Posted By: gathermewool
Also, if you're running 'er as a dedicated mud-truck : D the maybe just consider a heavier multi-grade or even a straight 30 weight. You're not concerned with highway mileage or cold starts, right?


Well it is not a dedicated mud-truck, rather it will be to tow my JetSki & go camping and an occasional romp in the mud...10w30 should be fine, especially on a roller motor and in a HM oil with a thicker base stock than a normal 10w30. But yes, in the past on a '71 blazer I had, I did use Mystik 15w40 since it was a mudder.

I am now having second thoughts LOL...Initially I got the Castrol HM jug I had always been a Castrol man in other cars...then I returned it for the Pennzoil HM because I was convinced it was better. Now I got the maxlife but yet I see somone saying the Pennzoil or Castrol burn less.

The MAIN reason I am switching from Mobil-1 is because of burn-off. It has minor leaks, but nothing significant. It uses maybe a 1/2qt to 1qt every 3k or so...I want an oil I can put in and not have to top off...the motor is in great shape as it has had M1 every 3-4k since I got it in 2001 with 60k on it. Before that it had dealer dino every 4k so it has been well-maintained.

M1 just seems to burn off more than some other oils so I wanted to try a dino HM oil...anyone else say Pennzoil or Castrol HM is better than maxlife? I thought maxlife also used some PAO bases?


Heck maybe I should just keep using the M1 HM...I have used mainly regular M1, but the HM might burn less...I want a good additive pkg and thought the Pennzoil or maxlife might have a better one than M1 HM????
 
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well I guess I could use one after the other...OR use one and then use the other in my 4.0L?

But since this Jeep is not daily driver, I may never really know which is best (MPG, burnoff, etc.)...that is why I had hoped to get some concrete rational as to which is best...they syn-blend of the maxlife & the price seems to sell me on it, but then out of nowhere I get that guy saying maxlife burns off and pennzoil HM doesn't.

I have heard the Castrol GTX HM formula has an extra thick base so that in the 10e30 it is thicker than most 10w30 oils. Is this also true of the Pennzoil HM & maxlife?
 
Originally Posted By: Johnny
Yes, that is part of most HM oils. They have a higher VI base stock.


including pennzoil I assume...
 
Originally Posted By: Johnny
Yes, including Pennzoil HM


Is Pennzoil HM all GP II+?

Or does it have some PAO or GP-III like maxlife?
 
Johnny, or anyone else, correct me if I'm wrong... But isn't the reason that many people like Maxlife better among HM oils is that it has the best cold flow among HM oils?
 
It is difficult for me to tell from MSDS, but MaxLife has 12% to 15% PAO. It does have better cold flow and better NOACK than Pennzoil HM.

Maxlife is a low SA oil. They reduced their calcium to 1910 and added 490 of sodium in their detergent package.

MaxLife has 300 moly.

I suppose we could debate about BEST add pack indefinitely. I think that MaxLife has low SA but high detergent is good. I think that MaxLife has 300 moly is good. I think that MaxLife has better cold flow and NOACK is good. I think that MaxLife has the newer, longer lasting, longer stay in service, ZDDP package is good.
 
Originally Posted By: FrankN4
It is difficult for me to tell from MSDS, but MaxLife has 12% to 15% PAO. It does have better cold flow and better NOACK than Pennzoil HM.

Maxlife is a low SA oil. They reduced their calcium to 1910 and added 490 of sodium in their detergent package.

MaxLife has 300 moly.

I suppose we could debate about BEST add pack indefinitely. I think that MaxLife has low SA but high detergent is good. I think that MaxLife has 300 moly is good. I think that MaxLife has better cold flow and NOACK is good. I think that MaxLife has the newer, longer lasting, longer stay in service, ZDDP package is good.



Ahhh forgot about moly...how much ZDDP does maxlife have vs Pennzoil?
 
MaxLife has 830 zinc and 760 phosphorus. You might search under additives, but there was a very good paper about a ZDDP package that stays in the oil longer. I remember the paper said that only Valvoline and some other brand used this ZDDP package. It stays active longer. 1200 ZDDP does not give more protection than 800 ZDDP, it gives longer protection. Evidently it is possible to get 800 amounts to stay active longer.

Pennzoil doesn't publish their ads like Valvoline, but I would guess it would be close to the SM/GF-4 limits for each grade.

EDIT: As I think of it more, it might have been a tech sheet or paper about GF-5 and a comment that Valvoline and some other brand had a jump on the SA and a NEW zinc/phosphorus package. I will look for it tomorrow, off to bed now.
 
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Originally Posted By: FrankN4
MaxLife has 830 zinc and 760 phosphorus. You might search under additives, but there was a very good paper about a ZDDP package that stays in the oil longer. I remember the paper said that only Valvoline and some other brand used this ZDDP package. It stays active longer. 1200 ZDDP does not give more protection than 800 ZDDP, it gives longer protection. Evidently it is possible to get 800 amounts to stay active longer.

Pennzoil doesn't publish their ads like Valvoline, but I would guess it would be close to the SM/GF-4 limits for each grade.

EDIT: As I think of it more, it might have been a tech sheet or paper about GF-5 and a comment that Valvoline and some other brand had a jump on the SA and a NEW zinc/phosphorus package. I will look for it tomorrow, off to bed now.




How do these 2 oils stan up to M-1 HM formula 10w30 as far as additive pkg goes?

I am willing to stick to M1 after I do my test, but if I do decide to switch to one of these oils, I want to know they have as good, or better additives than M1 HM formula does.

And also, maybe the maxlife is best choice since this vehicle will sit a lot and the syn blend will give better cold startup protection & resit moisture better?
 
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