Shell Helix Ultra 5w40

[Losiho]

I asked the Shell Tech Department if Shell Helix Ultra 5w40 is a Group 3 or Group 4 oil. I got the following response :

Chris,

Helix 5W/40 is a Group 5 oil. Non PAO.

Regards

[email protected]

That's interesting, I thought Motul 8100 / 300V was the only full Group 5 Ester based synthetic ?

 

[G-MAN]

This is total BS. The Helix Ultra 5w40 MSDS is available online and it shows the base oil mix contains Shell's XHVI base oil (a Group III wax isomerate), some PAO, and some esters.

The Helix Ultra 10w60 is mostly Group V, so maybe that's what the person was referring to.

 

[sprintman]

At its price I don't think so. Bloody ordinary on our Timken too. If it's Group V I'll eat my hat!

 

[Shannow]

I think that they are fibbing.

They can't charge what they do for a full ester based oil.

Looking at the history of this product, it used to be marketted as "XHVI, a highly refined oil that offers the performance benefits of synthetics". Given the pricing, and what not, I'd assume it's still "not a group IV", but only by virtue of being a group III.

 

[Losiho]

I think someone in the Shell Tech Dept doesn't know what a Group 5 oil is

 

[SSDude]

Is the Shell Helix Ultra available in the U.S. at any place other than a Ferrari dealer at $60/quart for the 10w-60?

 

[Ferrari]

quote:

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Originally posted by Losiho:
That's interesting, I thought Motul 8100 / 300V was the only full Group 5 Ester based synthetic ?

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Motul 8100 is NOT 100% Group V. It's a very average oil, and with a 9.8% NOACK, it can't be Group V.

Motul 300V should be 100% Ester, and RedLine racing oil should be 100% Ester was well.

 

[G-MAN]

quote:

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Originally posted by SSDude:
Is the Shell Helix Ultra available in the U.S. at any place other than a Ferrari dealer at $60/quart for the 10w-60?

---

I spoke with the owner of my local Shell distributorship last year about Helix Ultra 5w40 to see if he could get it. He told me he could get "anything Shell sells in the U.S." So I told him to order me a case of Helix Ultra. He called me back two hours later and said he could get it, but it was only imported into the US in 55 gal drums for Ferrari dealers. I told him no thanks. hehe

As for the Helix Ultra 10w60, who knows if that only comes over from Europe in drums or if you can actually buy a quart bottle of it at your local Ferrari dealer.

 

[sprintman]

FWIW Helix Ultra 5W40 is about A$50 (US$40) for 5-litre jug here. Group III maybe?

 

[Primus]

If to make a summary of a good number of MSDS that I could find at Shell Europe sites, then Helix Ultra base stock is:

5W-40 ........... gr. III (or gr.II+ ?)
5W-30 ........... PAO + gr III (or PAO + gr.II+ ?)
5W-30 AB ...... gr.III
5W-30 diesel .. gr.III + PAO + Esters
0W-40 ........... PAO
10W-60 ......... 1). PAO, 2). Esters + PAO

Thus, Helix Ultra base stocks may differ from country to country and even used gr. III is not everywhere the same: looks like hydrogen processing of mineral oils are made at different levels. I made this conclusion based on MSDS of Norwegian, Swedish and Dutch origin.

I start to doubt whether it would be fair to consider mineral oils after described treatments as hydrockracked oil (Shell XHVI oils). Some of descriptions resemble more to gr.II+. May be I am mistaken, but according to a.m. MSDS:

Norway
5W-40: Hoyraffinert Mineralolje (n.b.:same as Helix Plus 10W-40 and Helip Plus S 5W-40
5W-30: Polyalfaolefiner 30-60 %, Hoyraffinert Mineralolje 5-10 %
5W-30 AB: Hyrdogenbehandlet Rest Vorks 60-100 %

Netherlands:
Helix Ultra 5W-30/40: Synthetische olie
Helix Ultra 5W-30 Diesel: Mengsel van intensief met waterstof behandelde slackwax, synthetische esters, polyolefinen
Helix Plus 10W-40: Mengsel van geraffineerde mineral olie intensief met waterstof bahandelde slackwax

Sweden:
Helix Ultra 5W-40 - something similar to Dutch Helix Plus 10W-40.

http://www3.shell.no/op/hmschess/chess/html/grp_4/dir.htm

http://www.shell-tic.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.main

 

[Ken4]

Here's my UOA of Shell Helix Ultra 5w40. It gave me the best fuel economy ever. Even better than the Castrol SLX I am currently using. But sadly it lacks cleaning ability. My soot level shot straight up.

 

[Bobert]

quote:

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Originally posted by Ken4:
Here's my UOA of Shell Helix Ultra 5w40. It gave me the best fuel economy ever. Even better than the Castrol SLX I am currently using. But sadly it lacks cleaning ability. My soot level shot straight up.

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Ken its interesting you mention you had the best mpg using Shell Helix Ultra 5w-40. I believe that Castrol Syntec 5w-40 also uses Shell's XHVI base oil, and if you contrast your information with this thread, maybe it's an indication that the XHVI base oil does yield a slight mpg increase. Just a thought.

[ March 08, 2004, 01:33 PM: Message edited by: Bobert ]

 

[Ken4]

Yes it seems like Group IIIs have the advantage in fuel economy.