Redline oil, is this the best i can get??

[mr_diy]

Originally Posted By: Tom NJ
On a theoretical basis the polarity of esters should provide advantages under some wear regimes, but since the AW & EP additives dominate wear control, it's kind of academic under normal operating conditions. I have always been reluctant to make a definitive claim of wear protection for esters, although evidence does suggest it.

Thanks for sharing your expertise.

I have heard questioned before that the polarity of esters would compete with moly AW coating/bonding to metal.
Is this generally true with moly and esters?
What about the other AW agents, Zinc, Boran, Titanium?

 

[Tom NJ]

Originally Posted By: mr_diy
Originally Posted By: Tom NJ
On a theoretical basis the polarity of esters should provide advantages under some wear regimes, but since the AW & EP additives dominate wear control, it's kind of academic under normal operating conditions. I have always been reluctant to make a definitive claim of wear protection for esters, although evidence does suggest it.

Thanks for sharing your expertise.

I have heard questioned before that the polarity of esters would compete with moly AW coating/bonding to metal.
Is this generally true with moly and esters?
What about the other AW agents, Zinc, Boran, Titanium?


Several additives compete for the metal surface, which is why testing is critical to confirm an appropriate balance. Esters have been shown to delay the initial film formation from ZDDP if a new engine is broken in with a high ester oil, but after the first few hours the ZDDP wins and the esters do not interfere. I have heard reports that high ester oils may require more moly, but have not seen any scientific studies that confirm this, or the interaction of esters with other AW/EP additives. I have also seen some evidence that esters can provide some anti-wear and mild EP on their own. Keep in mind that there are many different kinds of esters as well, so this is clearly a complex subject with no easy answers.

One should never assume that the presence of any one particular ingredient, no matter how good it appears to be, will automatically guarantee better performance when dropped into a finished motor oil. There is no substitution for thorough testing.

Tom NJ

 

[Sam_Julier]

Originally Posted By: buster
I think for racing they're definitely at the top. I think Redline is a race oil first, daily driver second.


Agree. In my gently driven NA Volvo, Redline is overkill and IMO not worth the expense.

 

[buster]

Well after seeing Redline barely passing the TEOST test Link , I think it's now safe to say Redline offers high priced oil with little performance benefits.

For years people said Redline's cleaning ability is so good, the esters are very polar etc etc....and it's high temperature deposit protection was superior. That doesn't seem to be the case.

Poor Tbn retention too along with some corrosive type wear found usually in higher Pb and Al.

I think their racing oils, specifically the crazy unique low vis grades, are probably excellent and serve their purpose well in that type situation. Daily driver oil not so much.

Redline is not even in the top 5.

 

[CATERHAM]

I think RL formulates some of the "best" oils available, particularly their 0W range.
That said, high oil temp' operating conditions is their forte; i.e., track day applications.
If you have a DI engine that's strictly street driven, RL may not be the best oil choice due to their high AW additive levels leading to increased intake deposits.

 

[BerndV]

With all the Redline discussion here recently, I decided to have a mechanic drop a borescope in one of the cylinders of my 130k 05 Sequoia for a quick look. It has had a steady diet of 5W-30 Redline up to 100k and Redline 5W-20 since then. Absolutely immaculate and no visible wear on the cylinder walls. Dropped it into the oil fill hole for a look around and again, absolutely immaculate. The mechanic was impressed despite the fact that this engine is known for low wear. It is my daily driver and tow vehicle. Personally, I consider it to be a terrific daily use oil if you are willing to spend the $$.

 

[SteveSRT8]

No offense but I run whatever synthetic is on sale and routinely get 250k plus miles out of 3500 series vehicles loaded to max GVWR and used in one of the hardest duty cycles on the planet.

I have no doubt that RL is an excellent product, I just feel there are many others that MAY serve the guy in traffic just as well.

Note that my friend has a Sequoia with 400k miles on it and he uses cheap dino!!!

 

[BerndV]

400k on a Sequoia? What year is it? He must drive 40k+ per year. No offense, but I'm dubious.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: BerndV
400k on a Sequoia? What year is it? He must drive 40k+ per year. No offense, but I'm dubious.


Be as dubious as you want to be. He lives in Odessa,FL., purchased it new. Runs a small family owned carpet store. Still his daily driver. I have no idea of the year. Send me a PM and I can put you in touch with him. My bet is he drives WAYYYYY more than 40k a year!

I have a Savana with half a million miles on it that still runs well. I do not try and convince anyone they are all that good as they aren't. But factory freaks are out there, and my buddy simply takes good care of his truck.