PROPOSED STICKY: On "real" vs. "fake" synthetics

[Solarent]

Ps. How are natural esters (aka Canola Oils or other Vegetable based stocks) which fall under group V more "synthetic" than GTL or other Group III?

Like I said in my original post, whether you agree or not, in the industry the definition of synthetic being Groups III, IV and V (with the exception of Germany) is widely accepted.

 

[DuckRyder]

Originally Posted By: Solarent
I love how a potential sticky post about how much a waste it is to have futile discussions on real synthetics vs fake synthetics has now devolved into a debate on real vs fake again. Only on BITOG!


LOL...

Reading is hard for some folks. But hand wringing about nothing and pontification is the way of BITOG ...

None of this stuff really matters... pick a quality oil that meets the specifications and/or approvals of the vehicle manufacturer and change it at reasonable intervals (IE following the MM if so equipped) and an oil related failure will not be what does the car in for 99% of the cars on the road...

 

[KrisZ]

I agree, we should get rid of the “synthetic” and “conventional” labels altogether. They serve absolutely no purpose other than to extract extra money and be a bickering topic on the interwebs.

 

[Trav]

Originally Posted By: Solarent
I love how a potential sticky post about how much a waste it is to have futile discussions on real synthetics vs fake synthetics has now devolved into a debate on real vs fake again. Only on BITOG!

When you are paying $120+ a gallon for it you bet it becomes important.
I for one don't like like paying for steak and getting hamburger. Mobil did this with their oils, they went from full synthetic to group III and kept the same hefty price.

Castrol and others are still full synthetic for the same same money, one guess as to where the German driver looking for synthetic spent their money.
At $25 for 5 qts who cares if its group III or not. I don't, its cheap oil.

 

[zpinch]

Why cant anyone say this: an engine oil with primarily Group IV quality base stocks are the number one performing oils, especially in extended OCI. Group III are 2nd best. PERIOD.

 

[zpinch]

People keep saying Group III are synthesized when thwy are not! You still have unequal particle size and still other contamination. GROUP IV you get what you set out to make, nothing more, nothing less... pure.

 

[Lex94]

"I agree, we should get rid of the “synthetic” and “conventional” labels altogether"

Maybe use the terms "Clean" and "Dirty" instead

 

[Lex94]

Hydrocarbon Cracking is the process of breaking a long-chain of hydrocarbons into short ones. Is this "synthetic"?

 

[aquariuscsm]

The way I understand it (and this came verbatim from one of the major oil co's websites) is that grp III oil is highly refined crude.

 

[Nate1979]

Originally Posted By: Lex94
Hydrocarbon Cracking is the process of breaking a long-chain of hydrocarbons into short ones. Is this "synthetic"?


Yes, I think so. It is a chemical synthesis process where heat, reactants and catalysts are used to synthesize shorter chain hydrocarbons from longer chain hydrocarbons.

It is a chemical process - i.e. not just a physical separation process using solvents or separation based on volatility (i.e. distillation).

 

[Nate1979]

Originally Posted By: zpinch
People keep saying Group III are synthesized when thwy are not! You still have unequal particle size and still other contamination. GROUP IV you get what you set out to make, nothing more, nothing less... pure.


The Groups have nothing to do with the process they come from but the Viscosity index. Not all GpIII comes from hydrocracking process (i.e. GTL).

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Is SuperTech synthetic real or fake? That's all I wanna know.

Merk, I told you about a real, non-thin, primarily PAO based oil before, but you went with the GF-5 30 grade, so what can I do?