Post your latest oil purchase or even filter.
- Thread starter Black_Thunder
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OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
Yeah, I'd say this is supported by the SDS which doesn't even list a CAS # for the base oil.
So elaborating on what cheese puffs said; if it’s hydrotreated is it then considered blend?
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I mean that the "synthetic" portion of the blend (whatever percentage that is - don't know) is hydrocracked/Group III oil.
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
No.
Most (but not all) modern Group II/Group II+ base oils are hydrocracked bases, just like Group III. They just don't have a high enough VI to be called Group III, so they aren't labelled as synthetic, even though they are produced in the same way.
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I did not know that, that's actually super interesting. I thought hydrocracked = Group III.
AutoMechanic
Site Donor 2024
Heading to grandmas to change the oil in her Toro zero turn mower. Got these two quarts of Castrol 10W-30 oil and this Genuine Kohler filter and a spark plug $37 out the door at Lowe’s. I hate she has a Kohler engine but oh well lol. Castrol is one of my preferred oil brands. Way cheaper than Toro oil too.
If the engine isn't too close to the frame I'd just use a ph3614 or fl910s instead of the overpriced Kohler filter.
AutoMechanic
Site Donor 2024
I’ll check and see. They didn’t have either of those at Lowes however I did bring a PH4386 with me in case. Could not find which filters would cross with this one so I just had to get the one I knew would work. I do like that idea though. This filter $19 itself.
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
That's why it's hilarious when folks like @AutoMechanic are dead set on avoiding "synthetic" (read: Group III) oils and only want to run "conventional" when the reality is that a modern Group II/II+ is produced in the same manner as a modern Group III, it just isn't processed enough to yield a VI high enough to make the cut to be labelled as Group III. This also reduces production costs which is why Group II(+) bases like Mobil's EHC are a great low-cost blending option for grades like 10W-40, as they offer a ton of bang for your buck.
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@OVERKILL what's the biggest drawback with Group II, lesser cold flow? I just switched to Pennzoil High Mileage blend in my car from Platinum HM because I don't run extended intervals (been running 6,500 miles, just did a 5,200 though) and I was thinking about sticking with blends for three seasons a year and then running synthetic just for winter for cold start ability.
Coldest start I had this winter was -6F. Oil weight will be 5W-30 either way. Does that sound like a decent plan, switching to Platinum for the GTL cold flow properties, or does it not even matter?
Coldest start I had this winter was -6F. Oil weight will be 5W-30 either way. Does that sound like a decent plan, switching to Platinum for the GTL cold flow properties, or does it not even matter?
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
Additionally, in case you wanted to see the word hydrocracked and the name "EHC" wasn't a big enough hint 
www.exxonmobil.com
ExxonMobil Rotterdam refinery – new hydrocracker | ExxonMobil basestocks
The first piece of major equipment – the vacuum fractionation tower – for ExxonMobil’s new hydrocracker arrived in Rotterdam, Netherlands, by barge in October 2016.
www.exxonmobil.com
ExxonMobil said:
More about base oil and basics about their refining.
www.machinerylubrication.com
Basically, Group III oils go through similar refining steps as Group II, just more finishing to produce more uniform molecules and fewer impurities.
Base Oil Groups Explained
Almost every lubricant used in plants today started off as just a base oil. The base oil category defines what the oil is made of, how it is manufactured, and how the lubricant handles certain environments such as extreme heat.The American Petroleum Institute (API) has categorized base oils into...
www.machinerylubrication.com
Basically, Group III oils go through similar refining steps as Group II, just more finishing to produce more uniform molecules and fewer impurities.
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
Cheaper to manufacture while offering great performance. Mobil has really done an incredible job in this space and their EHC bases are probably "best in class" offering Group III-level performance in many areas at a more attractive price point.
As long as you are using an oil from one of the majors that meets the performance requirements, you'll be fine, so, nothing wrong with your plan.
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
Yup, solvent refined Group I and II products are not overly common now. Group II in particular is almost exclusively a hydrocracked base at this juncture.More about base oil and basics about their refining.
Base Oil Groups Explained
Almost every lubricant used in plants today started off as just a base oil. The base oil category defines what the oil is made of, how it is manufactured, and how the lubricant handles certain environments such as extreme heat.The American Petroleum Institute (API) has categorized base oils into...
Basically, Group III oils go through similar refining steps as Group II, just more finishing to produce more uniform molecules and fewer impurities.
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I actually wanted to switch to Mobil Super (used to use it a lot a handful of years ago) but it seems like they don't even make it anymore or at least it's really difficult to find? Why does XOM put so much effort into Group II then, is that to sell to private blenders, or is that all for Delvac and to use as an additive carrier in the Mobil 1 line?
That one is pretty much just a stubbier version of the 3614/fl910 size filter, if you have the space might as well use the bigger passenger car filter but sometimes they put the engine in the unit in such a way that you get stuck with the over priced stubby thing and it doesn't matter wether you buy the one with the Manufacturer's name on it or a more generic Fram, Wix/Napa, Purolator, etc filter those stubby application specific filters all cost like $10+.
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
Yeah, their EHC bases are a very popular sell to other blenders, including Shell.
One of the weirdest thing I noticed recently is the the 5W20 and 5W30 grades of Valvoline Maxlife+ (the 150k black bottle) are mostly solvent refined oil. The one says extended protection but it is the right SDS for the part number and the file name of the datasheet contains "VAL EZ HIGH MILEAGE 150 "
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
Leave it to Valvoline, lol.
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