Ravenol RSS 10W-60 - Worth it?

[TasBMW]

For my BMW M6 with the S85 V10, I was previously using the Castrol Edge 10w60 Supercar oil which I believe is what the engine came filled with from the factory. The Castrol oil is one of only two 10w60's that are readily avaliable from local shops where I live, the other being a local Australian brand (Penrite).
However, my mechanic's supplier started importing Ravenol a while ago, including their RSS 10w60.

I decided to give it a try, as it looks very good on paper and has some friction modifiers that the Castrol lacks, so potentially a little better for preventing wear. The flip side is it's a lot more expensive, easily twice the price of the Castrol oil, if not more.

Obviously I want the best for my engine, but do you think it's worth paying extra for the Ravenol, or any differences to the Castrol will be negligible and I should save my money?

Data sheet for the Castrol Edge 10w60 here
Ravenol RSS 10w60 data sheet here

 

[Trav]

I would not pay extra for Ravenol. Castrol is very good and has real approvals not just recommendations.

Product Performance Claims
ACEA A3/B3, A3/B4
API SN/CF
BMW Approved for BMW M-Models
VW 501 01 / 505 00

 

[Jetronic]

Check out the HTHS on that ravenol, aswell as the very low Noack and the high flashpoint.

It's a very good oil.

 

[chris719]

I would not pay extra for Ravenol. Castrol is very good and has real approvals not just recommendations.

That’s not a “real” approval or spec I think. Manual just says 10W-60 A3/B4 and recommends Castrol TWS.

 

[chris719]

Check out the HTHS on that ravenol, aswell as the very low Noack and the high flashpoint.

It's a very good oil.

Crazy HTHS vs KV100 on that RSS. I may try it.

 

[930.engineering]

.
Yes, Castrol do make solid products while Penrite and Ravenol are somewhat
boutiquish. However they both make some exceptionally high-class engine
and gear oils with costly ingredients: Penrite Ten Tenths and Ravenols R line.

Edge vs RSS:
density 0.853 vs 0.859 (suggest the lighter/thinner should contain more VII)
pour point -39°V vs -54°C (!!)
flash point 203°C vs 250°C (!!!)
Noack loss ??? vs 5.8 %
HTHS ??? vs 6.4 mPas

Yes, that's just data, but still impressive. I'd bet Castrol will show a lower HTHS
and higher Noack loss. Ravenol show desirable numbers.
While I tend to take heed of approvals, VW 501 01 & 505 00 aren't particularly
sophisticated, by contrast with VW 511 00. Actually both former date to late 90s.

That said, I heard from M owners their M cars (E46 and E92) don't actually need
10W-60. Some good 5W-40, 10W-40 or 10W-50 is sufficient, what at least several
UOAs suggest. Approvals are welcome (BMW LL-01/04, MB 229.5, Porsche A40).
.

 

[benjy]

Ravenol is BETTER but do you need it $$

 

[mitsuman47]

Don’t forget about Motul 10w-60. I use it in my E92 M3 per the recommendation of my shop, who is one of the most experienced guys in the country with these engines.

Tech sheet:
https://azupim01.motul.com/media/mo...-power_10w-60__en_fr_motul_17950_20240202.pdf

My UOA’s:
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/2008-bmw-m3-motul-10w-60-6-900mi.372907/

Edit: I just saw that you’re in upside-down land. So, my recommendation may not be useful.

 

[Trav]

If the specs are to be believed then sure it is "better" but there have been reports like this for some years.

According to reports from users and oil analysis tests, there have been instances where Ravenol oil has not met the specified performance parameters, particularly regarding consistency between batches, with some samples showing significantly different properties compared to others, potentially not fully complying with the advertised specifications on the packaging, especially when tested against strict OEM requirements like Mercedes-Benz 229.5 standards; this inconsistency can raise concerns about the reliability of the oil's performance.

 

[TasBMW]

Don’t forget about Motul 10w-60. I use it in my E92 M3 per the recommendation of my shop, who is one of the most experienced guys in the country with these engines.

Tech sheet:
https://azupim01.motul.com/media/mo...-power_10w-60__en_fr_motul_17950_20240202.pdf

My UOA’s:
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/2008-bmw-m3-motul-10w-60-6-900mi.372907/

Edit: I just saw that you’re in upside-down land. So, my recommendation may not be useful.

This is another oil on my radar. Can't get it at shops locally but can purchase it interstate for a fairly reasonable price, probably still a bit cheaper than the Ravenol. Not sure if it's much better or fairly on par, perhaps someone who understands the different technical metrics better than I can comment?

 

[TasBMW]

If the specs are to be believed then sure it is "better" but there have been reports like this for some years.

Yeah that is a little concerning. You'd hope these were edge cases and not an indicator of a broader issue. I don't doubt that the larger oil companies have some differences from batch to batch as well.

 

[edyvw]

You could go some more shear stable 5W50 or 10W50. The whole point of 10W60 is for oil to stay in very high W40 or W50. 10W60, especially that Castrol, will shear to W50 very fast.
I know you have this in Australia:
https://www.nulon.com.au/products/engine-oils/race-oils/full-synthetic-5w-50-racing-oil

https://www.nulon.com.au/products/engine-oils/race-oils/full-synthetic-10w-60-racing-oil

 

[chris719]

Ravenol says RSS uses no VII on the German site:

Due to the special mixture of synthetic, highly polar Group V base oils with a high proportion of high and low viscosity PAO, it could be formulated without the use of viscosity index improvers.

German oil club said it is using a lot of mPAO.

 

[chris719]

.
Yes, Castrol do make solid products while Penrite and Ravenol are somewhat
boutiquish. However they both make some exceptionally high-class engine
and gear oils with costly ingredients: Penrite Ten Tenths and Ravenols R line.

Edge vs RSS:
density 0.853 vs 0.859 (suggest the lighter/thinner should contain more VII)
pour point -39°V vs -54°C (!!)
flash point 203°C vs 250°C (!!!)
Noack loss ??? vs 5.8 %
HTHS ??? vs 6.4 mPas

Yes, that's just data, but still impressive. I'd bet Castrol will show a lower HTHS
and higher Noack loss. Ravenol show desirable numbers.
While I tend to take heed of approvals, VW 501 01 & 505 00 aren't particularly
sophisticated, by contrast with VW 511 00. Actually both former date to late 90s.

That said, I heard from M owners their M cars (E46 and E92) don't actually need
10W-60. Some good 5W-40, 10W-40 or 10W-50 is sufficient, what at least several
UOAs suggest. Approvals are welcome (BMW LL-01/04, MB 229.5, Porsche A40).
.

The Castrol HTHS is 5.2 and 22 cSt KV100. Nothing else comes remotely close to 6.4 HTHS for a KV100 of around 22-24 cSt. Red Line 5W-50 is 5.0 HTHS and 22 cSt.

I don't think anyone has actually gone 100k miles on these engines on a 40 grade oil and stuck around to tell the tale. Plenty of bros on the E92 forum went to 0/5W-40 and still spun bearings and probably did worse.

 

[edyvw]

The Castrol HTHS is 5.2 and 22 cSt KV100. Nothing else comes remotely close to 6.4 HTHS for a KV100 of around 22-24 cSt. Red Line 5W-50 is 5.0 HTHS and 22 cSt.

I don't think anyone has actually gone 100k miles on these engines on a 40 grade oil and stuck around to tell the tale. Plenty of bros on the E92 forum went to 0/5W-40 and still spun bearings and probably did worse.

Only other option than 10W60 is 10W50 0r 5W50 from Redline, HPL. Oils that are very shear stable.

 

[SR5]

You could go some more shear stable 5W50 or 10W50. The whole point of 10W60 is for oil to stay in very high W40 or W50. 10W60, especially that Castrol, will shear to W50 very fast.
I know you have this in Australia:
https://www.nulon.com.au/products/engine-oils/race-oils/full-synthetic-5w-50-racing-oil

https://www.nulon.com.au/products/engine-oils/race-oils/full-synthetic-10w-60-racing-oil

My concern with those Nulon race oils, is they are more for the track than the street. They have no API rating, no ACEA rating, nothing. You don't even know their TBN, so how many miles can they go before you need to change your oil?

At least Penrite 10-Tenths Racing (20W60 and 15W50) are API SN with a TBN of 9.8 so you could do a regular oil change interval. They are 100% PAO & ester oils.

The Motul 8100 X-Power 10W60 carries API SP and ACEA A3/B4

 

[SR5]

.
Yes, Castrol do make solid products while Penrite and Ravenol are somewhat
boutiquish. However they both make some exceptionally high-class engine
and gear oils with costly ingredients: Penrite Ten Tenths and Ravenols R line.

Edge vs RSS vs Motul
density 0.853 (D4052) vs 0.859 (iso 12185) vs 0.850 (D1298)
pour point -39°C (D97) vs -54°C (iso 3016) vs -33C (D97)
flash point 203°C (D93) vs 250°C (iso 2592) vs 228 C (D92)
Noack loss ??? vs 5.8 %
HTHS 5.2? vs 6.4 mPas vs 5.8 (motul)

KV100, 22.7 vs 24.2 cSt vs 23.6 (Edge Vs Ravenol Vs Motul)
TBN, >10 vs 11.1 vs 12.5
SA, 1.29% vs 1.3 % vs 1.07%
Spec, SN & A3/B4 vs ??? vs SP & A3/B4
HTHS/KV100, 0.229 vs 0.264 vs 0.246

I added a few more lines & numbers to your post.

One of the issues is that not all the data was measured the same way. Different standards were used (see brackets).

The higher density of the Ravenol, and the better HTHS to KV100 ratio of the Ravenol, all points to a better product with less polymer VII and better base stock. Plus the Ravenol RSS has a very impressive Noack.

But as Trav points out, the Castrol is a safer bet with well established quality control, and the Castrol carries real API & ACEA specs.

OP, your choice, safe but unexciting bet (Castrol) or more exotic but less known Ravenol / Nulon Racing.

The middle ground is the Penrite 10-Tenths Racing or the Motul 8100 X-Power. They both carry API and/or ACEA specs.

I've always wanted to use the more exotic stuff, but over the years I've mostly purchased Edge 10W60 simply because it's so much more affordable. Even though the Castrol is known to shear a bit.

 

[Marcozi]

Ravenol says RSS uses no VII on the German site:



German oil club said it is using a lot of mPAO.

Ravenol base stock is only PAO.

Op, I use Ravenol VMP 5W30 in my car. Great stuff.

 

[edyvw]

KV100, 22.7 vs 24.2 cSt vs 23.6 (Edge Vs Ravenol Vs Motul)
TBN, >10 vs 11.1 vs 12.5
SA, 1.29% vs 1.3 % vs 1.07%
Spec, SN & A3/B4 vs ??? vs SP & A3/B4
HTHS/KV100, 0.229 vs 0.264 vs 0.246

I added a few more lines & numbers to your post.

One of the issues is that not all the data was measured the same way. Different standards were used (see brackets).

The higher density of the Ravenol, and the better HTHS to KV100 ratio of the Ravenol, all points to a better product with less polymer VII and better base stock. Plus the Ravenol RSS has a very impressive Noack.

But as Trav points out, the Castrol is a safer bet with well established quality control, and the Castrol carries real API & ACEA specs.

OP, your choice, safe but unexciting bet (Castrol) or more exotic but less known Ravenol / Nulon Racing.

The middle ground is the Penrite 10-Tenths Racing or the Motul 8100 X-Power. They both carry API and/or ACEA specs.

I've always wanted to use the more exotic stuff, but over the years I've mostly purchased Edge 10W60 simply because it's so much more affordable. Even though the Castrol is known to shear a bit.

True. He would have to do UOA to see oxidation. Generally, newer oils like that are more in line for street driving too.
I personally would go with Ravenol.

 

[mitsuman47]

Does kangaroo land have Amsoil? I just noticed they have a 10w-60. $10/qt US as a “preferred member.”

HTHS 6.6
KV 100c - 24.2

I might try this for the next change in my M3.

https://amsoilcontent.com/ams/lit/databulletins/g3395.pdf

Edit: found the Aussie page. Not sure how this price compares to the others.

https://www.best-synthetic-oil.com.au/ETS