Question about those Timken tests,just curious.

[aquariuscsm]

On those silly but fun Timken Falex lubricity (whatever they`re called) tests,some of the best oils made did horribly,BUT we all know said oils are among the best in the world because we use them and our cars run flawlessly. They say it`s a good test for gear oils,and a good gear oil is really slick,right,which leads to my question. If a motor oil is "too slick" per se,can it be a bad thing? Does it need to be more on the "non-slick" side to better seal the rings,cushion the pistons,bearings,etc,making the engine run the best and most efficient it can?

This post is probably silly and irrelevant,but I`m off today,it`s too hot outside to do anything,and I`m bored to tears :^P

 

[229]

You can go too slick for ATF and some LSD differentials but I don't know about in engines. Friction modifiers are expensive.

 

[d00df00d]

The problem isn't that slickness is somehow bad. The problem is that additives needed to make an engine oil pass that bearing test have no real benefit in an engine oil and may actually be harmful to some metals.

It's like putting knobbly off-road tires on your daily driver. Do they have a benefit? Absolutely. Will you ever use that benefit? No. So why care, and why pay for it?

 

[OVERKILL]

Roller lifters "skating" instead of rolling is a real issue.

 

[OldCowboy]

Ahh, the "One Arm Bandit."

Snake oil, pure and simple. Non-repeatable and easy to get the result you want.

 

[The motor guy]

I heard that 4 ball wear test is meant for differentials.

 

[OldCowboy]

According to the ASTM, the D-4172 test, "...can be used to determine the relative wear preventive properties of lubricating fluids in sliding contact under the prescribed test conditions." It doesn't say anything about differentials, although it would be a good test for differential lubes. The other place where a D-4172 test might be meaningful is in assessing a lubes efficiency in preventing cylinder wear.

 

[tig1]

Here is XMs answer to these kinds of test.

http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/MotorOil/Car_Care/AskMobil/Oil_Film_Strength.aspx

 

[dwendt44]

I've heard that straight bleach from your laundry room does real well on that test.

 

[ramechanic4]

Originally Posted By: OldCowboy
Ahh, the "One Arm Bandit."

Snake oil, pure and simple. Non-repeatable and easy to get the result you want.


If it's so easy to get the results you want, doesn't that make it VERY-repeatable?

 

[OldCowboy]

Originally Posted By: ramechanic4
Originally Posted By: OldCowboy
Ahh, the "One Arm Bandit."

Snake oil, pure and simple. Non-repeatable and easy to get the result you want.


If it's so easy to get the results you want, doesn't that make it VERY-repeatable?


No, it makes it a snake oil salesman's dream.

Unbiased testing means getting results that are valid and repeatable not results that can be juggled by a salesman.

As I noted earlier, there are no Falix specifications for motor oils and there are no SAE or ASTM protocols for the Falix machine.

One comparison test I saw using a Falix machine determined that the best lubricant was Head & Shoulders shampoo. Based on that test, will you be filling your crankcase with Head & Shoulders next time you need an oil change?

 

[Shannow]

Back in the late 90s, I had a grease salesman come to the plant that I was commissioning, and ask me to get the "best" grease from inventory, and he would show me how good his product was and why we should switch.

It was HE who entered an MDF plant and laid the challenge, then cried and squealed foul when I brought out the grease for the MDF press, and asked him to guarantee his product for this app...

It's smoke and mirrors for the uninitiated.