Sodium

[NHRATA]

Why do Valvoline and all the house brands, like Napa,carquest, and O'Riley all use sodium. Are the a lower quality oil? It just seems odd that all the other companies don't put sodium in their full synthetics

 

[StevieC]

There are sometimes different ways to achieve certain characteristics in engine oil. Sodium is one of them. It does a good job at certain things. I think it's used to keep blending costs lower and still achieve a certain effect. Other companies choose to go a different route with other additives etc. Engines today seem to be lasting a lot longer because of better designs and better lubricants so it's really a non-issue unless you want to squeeze maximum miles out of it then the little details matter. I couldn't care what's in the oil. I care what story the UOA tells and how clean the engine is inside. I have the miles to prove that this strategy works. For me at least.

 

[Merkava_4]

When you got sodium in the oil and a little bit of moisture finds its way in, you now have a corrosive environment for the engine parts.

 

[StevieC]

Merk I think he means sodium as an additive not from some other source.

 

[FlyNavyP3]

Originally Posted By: NHRATA

Why do Valvoline and all the house brands, like Napa,carquest, and O'Riley all use sodium. Are the a lower quality oil? It just seems odd that all the other companies don't put sodium in their full synthetics

Mobil uses sodium as well in some of their oils for example Mobil Super 5000 I don't see any reason to draw a correlation that Sodium makes a lower quality oil. Plenty of good UOA posted on sodium oils, Valvoline routinely produces excellent UOAs.

 

[PimTac]

The sodium in question is a reference to a metal, not table salt. There are many forms of sodium. FlyNavy said it best, the UOAs on Valvoline have been top notch.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Isn't sodium a cost cutting alternative to the expensive moly?

 

[bbhero]

Exactlamente PimTac and FlyNavy. Mobil Super and Valvoline are very very good oils. Right there with the best.

 

[NHRATA]

I have heard sodium based oils can create noiser engines. Many people say the oils with moly tend to quiet things down. Any truth behind that?

 

[bbhero]

Not in my Altima 3.5 VQ, my old 3.0 08 Ford Fusion, or the lady's 98 Camry. Ran very quiet in all of them. I know that's just two types of motors. Exceptionally small sample size I know. But very good 3 for 3.

 

[Camprunner]

Originally Posted By: NHRATA

I have heard sodium based oils can create noiser engines. Many people say the oils with moly tend to quiet things down. Any truth behind that?

Actually with my 2013 5.0 Mustang I find just the opposite I tried Valvoline Synpower two years ago and never went back to anything ells. It seems quieter on the Synpower and consumes less oil between changes.

 

[Merkava_4]

Originally Posted By: NHRATA

I have heard sodium based oils can create noiser engines.

I've heard that adding sodium can make engines tasty especially with some fresh ground pepper added.

 

[StevieC]

Especially when MSG is added to Mobil-1. It's just awesome.

 

[wemay]

Originally Posted By: NHRATA

I have heard sodium based oils can create noiser engines. Many people say the oils with moly tend to quiet things down. Any truth behind that?

"I have heard..." "Many people say..." And why would it be "odd" that some companies chose to go the Soduim route? Getting past all that, we are now in the dexos1Gen2 era. No one knows what current VOA will tell us about these synthetics.

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted By: wemay

Originally Posted By: NHRATA

I have heard sodium based oils can create noiser engines. Many people say the oils with moly tend to quiet things down. Any truth behind that?

"I have heard..." "Many people say..." And why would it be "odd" that some companies chose to go the Soduim route? Getting past all that, we are now in the dexos1Gen2 era. No one knows what current VOA will tell us about these synthetics.

That’s the truth right there.

 

[NHRATA]

Very true.Can't wait to see what they say

 

[SonofJoe]

The Sodium you're seeing is almost certainly coming from over-based Sodium Sulphonate. This is a high TBN oil soluble detergent. It does exactly the same job as over-based Calcium or Magnesium Sulphonates (or Phenates or Salicylates) which is to neutralise acids formed by oxidation of the base oils in your oil. Why Valvoline chose to go Sodium (as opposed to the more common Ca or Mg) isn't obvious from a technical or cost point of view. I suspect they may simply of wanted something that was visibly 'different' to other oils in the market place.

 

[53' Stude]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4

When you got sodium in the oil and a little bit of moisture finds its way in, you now have a corrosive environment for the engine parts.

You need to have your meds changed

 

[Merkava_4]

Originally Posted By: car51

You need to have your meds changed

What happens when you mix sodium with water ?

 

[Nyogtha]

Make sure you have good PPE and an escape route if you plan to play with mixing water with elemental sodium Merk. https://cen.acs.org/articles/93/web/2015/01/Sodium-Potassium-Really-Explode-Water.html