Redline 0w40, 5w40 and 10w40: What is the difference?

[altaylar]

I am considering swithcing to Redline for a classic car from 90s. 100C viscosity seems to be decreasing with thicker cold grade, and 0w40 have a tad lower HTHS compared to the other two. Other than that, does anyone know what difference is there between these oils? The car will never run on a temperature where 10W is too thick to start up.





Red Line 40-weight oil comparison

SAE viscosity grade 0W-40 5W-40 10W-40
ACEA service class — A3/B3/B4 A3/B3/B4
API service class — SN/SM/SL/CF SN/SM/SL/CF
Viscosity @ 100°C, cSt 15.7 15.6 15.1
Viscosity @ 40°C, cSt 91 97 97
Viscosity Index 185 174 164
CCS viscosity 58 @ -35°C 58 @ -30°C 56 @ -25°C
Pour point, °C -60 -45 -45
Pour point, °F -76 -49 -49
NOACK evaporation loss, 1 hr @ 482°F/250°C 8% 6% 6%
HTHS viscosity @ 150°C, ASTM D4741 4.1 cP 4.4 cP 4.4 cP

 

[Brian123]

I am considering swithcing to Redline for a classic car from 90s. 100C viscosity seems to be decreasing with thicker cold grade, and 0w40 have a tad lower hths compared to the other two.

I would look at the Redline oil's you are considering and compare them to the motor oil's from Amsoil and HPL. The reasoning being is that you can compare the 100C viscosity and the HTHS numbers, both Amsoil and HPL post those numbers. The reason I bring up Amsoil and HPL is that Redline is not Redline anymore, it got bought out and it has been cheapened.

 

[altaylar]

I would look at the Redline oil's you are considering and compare them to the motor oil's from Amsoil and HPL. The reasoning being is that you can compare the 100C viscosity and the HTHS numbers, both Amsoil and HPL post those numbers. The reason I bring up Amsoil and HPL is that Redline is not Redline anymore, it got bought out and it has been cheapened.

I am sure HPL would be a superior option. I might end up going that route. It just happens that I can get Redline for cheaper.

I asked Redline, their response is that they carry the same adpack, all group 4 and 5. The only difference is the VII. Their answer was as if base stocks are exactly the same, but perhaps they meant types are the same, ratios differ.

 

[Revving2Redline]

Im getting ready to use Mobil 1 0w-40 but having some Redline 0w40 with its much higher hths as an additive or just to prefill the oil filter would be awesome. I can get it for under 13$ but I don't need that much . I do however really like their Non Slip Cvt Fluid and their Si-1 fuel additive.

 

[altaylar]

Im getting ready to use Mobil 1 0w-40 but having some Redline 0w40 with its much higher hths as an additive or just to prefill the oil filter would be awesome. I can get it for under 13$ but I don't need that much . I do however really like their Non Slip Cvt Fluid and their Si-1 fuel additive.

Mobil 1 0w-40 is great but it is barely a 40 grade! Was that 3.6 HTHS?

 

[wings&wheels]

I would look at the Redline oil's you are considering and compare them to the motor oil's from Amsoil and HPL. The reasoning being is that you can compare the 100C viscosity and the HTHS numbers, both Amsoil and HPL post those numbers. The reason I bring up Amsoil and HPL is that Redline is not Redline anymore, it got bought out and it has been cheapened.

How had Redline been "cheapened"? I know treat rate has changed with some of their additives e.g. Lead Substitute, but do we have valid proof of their HP line now being less than it was pre acquisition?

 

[K2K2]

It always kills me that no one answers the actual question posted by the OP.

@altaylar -- in what climate do you live? MN use the 0w. FL/TX you'll be fine with the 10w.

The 5w and 10w look very similar from the stats you posted, just the viscosity index is higher in the 5w, so they needed more to make that rating.

 

[SR5]

I always go for high HTHS and low Noack.

Given the figures above, that says 5W40 or 10W40.

Given that both offer sufficient cold weather starting, I then look for the lowest KV100 viscosity for the highest HTHS. This points to the lowest VII polymer load. Which is the 10W40 in this case.

According to the RedLine website I just read, their oils are “ Full-synthetic ester/PAO formula“. So they may have changed hands, but they are still making Group-IV / Group-V synthetics.

Me? I would go the 10W40.

 

[D1dad]

How had Redline been "cheapened"? I know treat rate has changed with some of their additives e.g. Lead Substitute, but do we have valid proof of their HP line now being less than it was pre acquisition?

Not that I can find. That’s this sites auto response when any company gets bought out. RP is garbage because columet bought them yet their oils that gave them their name are still available. Just because a company comes out with an oil that does no less than what GM and others mandate doesn’t make them bad. And of course redline and RP aren’t going to be able to manufacture a Walmart oil for the same price that Exon can.

 

[kschachn]

It always kills me that no one answers the actual question posted by the OP.

@altaylar -- in what climate do you live? MN use the 0w. FL/TX you'll be fine with the 10w.

The 5w and 10w look very similar from the stats you posted, just the viscosity index is higher in the 5w, so they needed more to make that rating.

Yes the correct answer is that they have different winter ratings. If someone thinks they can tease out a substantive difference after that then they are not looking at reality.

 

[Revving2Redline]

Mobil 1 0w-40 is great but it is barely a 40 grade! Was that 3.6 HTHS?

In my Toyota CHR GDi Im okay with it being a limp 40, should be a low 30 or high 20 which is just fine.

 

[travis8352]

I would look at the Redline oil's you are considering and compare them to the motor oil's from Amsoil and HPL. The reasoning being is that you can compare the 100C viscosity and the HTHS numbers, both Amsoil and HPL post those numbers. The reason I bring up Amsoil and HPL is that Redline is not Redline anymore, it got bought out and it has been cheapened.

Redline has absolutely not been cheapened

 

[Brian123]

Redline has absolutely not been cheapened

Check out the SDS Sheet.

 

[wings&wheels]

Check out the SDS Sheet.

For what, specifically? SDS’s are valuable for their purpose, but not as a stand alone indicator of quality for what is a complex product.

 

[travis8352]

Check out the SDS Sheet.

They are vague, thats it. They have one SDS sheet that covers all viscosities. Change countries they have different ones for different countries. Its the same product going abroad to. Bottom line is when a company tells you they have changed no formulas and advertise that they only use PAO and POE basestocks then i would say they are the same. The only oils that changed were euro 5w-30 and 5w-40 and high performance 0w-20 and 0w-30. Those have modern SP/SQ additive packages.

 

[altaylar]

It always kills me that no one answers the actual question posted by the OP.

@altaylar -- in what climate do you live? MN use the 0w. FL/TX you'll be fine with the 10w.

The 5w and 10w look very similar from the stats you posted, just the viscosity index is higher in the 5w, so they needed more to make that rating.

The vehicle will only be driven in warm weather, so even 25W would not be an issue.

Yes that is what I am trying to understand regarding 5w and 10w oils they have. Eactly the same pour point, 40C KV, and HTHS. 5w has a higher VI and a bit higher 100C KV. I am not sure howcome one is 5W and the other is 10W. I guess the only difference is the amount of VII.

 

[wings&wheels]

The vehicle will only be driven in warm weather, so even 25W would not be an issue.

Yes that is what I am trying to understand regarding 5w and 10w oils they have. Eactly the same pour point, 40C KV, and HTHS. 5w has a higher VI and a bit higher 100C KV. I am not sure howcome one is 5W and the other is 10W. I guess the only difference is the amount of VII.

To answer the original question, given your use I would go for the 10w40 as in theory at least, it may have less VII. For a limited use vehicle in mild conditions, I am not sure much of this brain work matters, but it is fun. For what it's worth, I use 10w50/60 in most of what's in my sig for the fun fleet in similar conditions.

 

[GI_GRIFF]

The reason I bring up Amsoil and HPL is that Redline is not Redline anymore, it got bought out and it has been cheapened.

Who owns Red Line now? Last I knew, they were owned by Phillips Petroleum. How long ago did it change?

 

[Brian123]

Who owns Red Line now? Last I knew, they were owned by Phillips Petroleum. How long ago did it change?

I think I may have made a mistake about Redline Oil, yes, it is owned by Phillips Petroleum. There is something odd with the Safety data Sheets for their High-Performance Oil's. The SDS Sheet from the U.S. is totally different than the SDS that shows up for this oil in Germany and the United Kingdom. The U.S. SDS makes the oil sound like it is a cheap oil whereas the Germany and United Kingdom SDS has all of the right terms that the oil is PAO/Ester.

 

[altaylar]

I think I may have made a mistake about Redline Oil, yes, it is owned by Phillips Petroleum. There is something odd with the Safety data Sheets for their High-Performance Oil's. The SDS Sheet from the U.S. is totally different than the SDS that shows up for this oil in Germany and the United Kingdom. The U.S. SDS makes the oil sound like it is a cheap oil whereas the Germany and United Kingdom SDS has all of the right terms that the oil is PAO/Ester.

I think the US one used to show up to 15% mineral oil at some point