SN oils? Are they any better than SM?

[Speed racer]

Has anyone tried using the SN oils yet? I've been tring to find them for sale around here in Missouri; but the retailers just say they haven't got their shipments yet.
It's too bad all that SL rated oil is no good now; I wonder if it'll burn in my furnace.

 

[TallPaul]

I'd say the SN oils might be a big problem, but you really mean SM. I don't know about SM. What I hear is it will force the companies to use better base oils, but also the antiwear additive mix will change, perhaps for the better.

The SL oils are just fine. You can keep running them all you want. In fact, if the SLs go on sale when the SMs hit the shelves, I would stock up, just because it will be a deal.

 

[55Test]

Would some of the anti-wear additives be substituted for other AW additives? I can't really see less AW additives as being better, I could be wrong though.

 

[Ray H]

I suspect Racer's reference to "SN" was a typo - the two keys are adjacent on QWERTY keyboards. His statement that "SL" motor oils are no longer any good is the classic resort to extremes in assessing any Must Have Latest Product: ABSOLUTE BEST, must buy golden elixir of eternal engine life - Previous Generation Product: ABSOLUTE WORST, must destroy abominable, caustic brew of engine death to maintain Truth, Justice, and The American Way!

Note to 55: There are other effective routes to anti-wear than the previous dose of ZDDP - which was chosen originally not because it was "best", but, rather, because it is plentiful, cheap, and effective. I wouldn't worry about this reduction in zinc and phosphate content too much. "SM" not only meets the previous wear specs, it surpasses them because the various tests, themselves, were increased in severity in formulating the "SM" specs. I really believe the new "SM" motor oils are a worthwhile improvement over the "SL" motor oils. I also believe for those who have a current stock of "SL" on hand, absolutely no harm will come to their engines and catalytic converters if they finish off the old stock.

[ October 04, 2004, 12:21 PM: Message edited by: Ray H ]

 

[TallPaul]

quote:

---

Originally posted by 55:
Would some of the anti-wear additives be substituted for other AW additives? I can't really see less AW additives as being better, I could be wrong though.

---

My understanding is the cheap AW is ZDDP and that will go down, at least the phosphorus part will. The substitution may very well be a bonus as you will be getting presumably better, more expensive AWs that possibly will have other benefits besides AW.

 

[ekpolk]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ray H:
the classic resort to extremes in assessing any Must Have Latest Product: ABSOLUTE BEST, must buy golden elixir of eternal engine life -

---

For now, I think I'll stick with the green elixir of life. . .

 

[MolaKule]

quote:

---

My understanding is the cheap AW is ZDDP and that will go down, at least the phosphorus part will. The substitution may very well be a bonus as you will be getting presumably better, more expensive AWs that possibly will have other benefits besides AW.

---

True. For SM ZDDP will be down between 500 and 800 ppm.

The newer chemistries with SECONDARY AW adds are actually showing better wear UOA's than earlier formulations.

Rather than hashing the same old story over again, you Newbies need to study these posts and use the search engine:

http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=21;t=000032;p=1#000012

http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=21;t=000032;p=1#000012

http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=4;t=000201#000019

http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=4;t=000175