SAE 30

[strombony]

Ok, help me with this one…I have a qt of Pennzoil SAE 30 wt for my lawnmower which is SJ. I also have a qt of 30wt Valvoilne that is SM.
I purchased the SJ at Autozone… How old would that stuff be if it is still SJ.?

 

[TallPaul]

I would think it's from about 2000, but there are charts shownig the years. Does it have a date code on the back?

Anyway, mix them together and it will be fine.

 

[strombony]

Well, I wasn't plannig to mix them.. I don't think there would be anythign wrong with the oil correct?

 

[Eddie]

Correct-nothing wrong

 

[ThirdeYe]

There should be a date code on the back...

 

[TallPaul]

I just figured to mix, or else you get higher zddp in one than the other. Mixing would equalize, but doesn't really matter.

 

[lostwrench]

SJ - years 1997-2000
Not to be used in cars/trucks years 2001 and newer.

 

[Chris142]

Originally Posted By: lostwrench
SJ - years 1997-2000
Not to be used in cars/trucks years 2001 and newer.
I never understood that. There is no major difference between a 4.0 Jeep in a 98 Jeep vs the 4.0 in my 02 Jeep.

 

[MGregoir]

It's a difference in them not wanting to replace catalysts if you are burning oil, and suggesting service intervals based on a given quality of oil rather than the engine itself.

 

[Kestas]

Originally Posted By: lostwrench
SJ - years 1997-2000
Not to be used in cars/trucks years 2001 and newer.

So - looking at this conversely - it's okay to ruin the catalysts for vehicles prior to 2000? Who wrote this?

 

[AEHaas]

There are a number of motor oil additives that people never seem to discuss. For example, there was a particular manufacturing process for camshafts that was no longer used after some time in the mid 1960s. This cam required a single, particular additive to break in properly. When the SL oils were developed they eliminated this one additive. The thought was that there were no remaining original, unused cams left from this era.

Perhaps this recommendation is of a similar nature.

aehaas

 

[Kestas]

Could this be chilled cast gray iron camshafts? I was heavily involved with this product at Chrysler back in the early 80s. I also remember a specification where the cams were manufactured with a heavy coating of (zinc?) phosphate for break-in purposes. Maybe this process eliminated the need for the additive.

The average age of vehicles on the road is 8 years. That means half the vehicles on the road are pre-2001 and have catalytic converters. I still contend that SJ is inappropriate for nearly all cars on the road - including pre-2001 vehicles - if catalysts are a concern. Plus, it is pre-2001 vehicles that are most prone to oil burning.