I got my second UOA back from Blackstone via email this afternoon for my 1994 Harley Davidson Low Rider. Engine is an air cooled 1340cc model, and is in stock configuration.
I had wondered just how a dino oil might be expected to hold up under extremely hot (relatively speaking ![[Smile]](images/icons/smile.gif)
) riding conditions.
This run had near 2400 miles on the OCI, and somewhere between 800 and 900 of those miles were put on in temperatures above 95 degrees. On one particular day the temperature was 102 degrees in Danville, VA, and the engine became so hot that it pre-ignited when I tried to shut it off at a Sheetz convienience store. It ran on for three or four seconds before shutting off. Very hot indeed...
I thought I had added about 4 ounces of Valvoline Synpower to the oil as a top up at about 1500 miles. I say "about 4 ounces" because I didn't precisely measure it. It may have been closer to 2 ounces. The only truly noteable effect I can see in the UOA which might be credited to the VSOT is that the moly number is up from before. ZDDP wasn't affected at all--and in fact seems to have dropped a touch, possibly because those elements were being used to a greater degree in this hot weather run--or possibly because of testing accuracy and/or the different batch of Havoline. Too many possibilites to know for sure...
I think any reasonable person would agree that the Havoline 20W50 (standard dino car oil) acquitted itself very well in this situation. I wouldn't have been able to stand it much hotter than it was on the particular days I mentioned. There was a fair amount of idling in traffic at lights, but whenever idling seems excessive, I always shut the engine off until traffic begins to move again.
The oil sheared, once again, to a 40 weight, but that was expected. My concern was that it might shear even more.
From the numbers presented by Blackstone, it would be hard to conclude that the Valvoline Synpower Oil Treatment, in such a small amount as I used it, has actually done much of anything. Again, ZDDP hasn't been boosted (unless you wanted to argue that it was boosted then "used up"), and other additives which the VSOT is presumed to have in spades aren't showing up to any large degree--except for the afformentioned small bump in moly. This isn't an indictment of VSOT, it is more or less to simply say that I probably added less of the VSOT than I originally believed. The Sodium went from 1ppm to 2ppm, and VSOT has over 20ppm of Sodium, so it did leave its mark there also I would guess. Tin went up from 1ppm to 2ppm, but the VSOT has 2ppm of Tin in it. Looks like Magnesium got a little nudge courtesy of the VSOT perhaps...
Here's the report... Note Universal Averages, which are certainly higher than my numbers, and deriven from shorter OCI's (under 1700 miles according to Blackstone).
Needless to say, I'm sticking with the Havoline 20W50. And I plan on getting another case before it goes off sale at Advance Auto. Under 13 bucks a case until the end of August.
Edit: I don't know how to convert these numbers with code. If someone knows how to do that, please re-copy them in a reply...
Dan
[ August 29, 2005, 08:42 PM: Message edited by: fuel tanker man ]
) riding conditions.
This run had near 2400 miles on the OCI, and somewhere between 800 and 900 of those miles were put on in temperatures above 95 degrees. On one particular day the temperature was 102 degrees in Danville, VA, and the engine became so hot that it pre-ignited when I tried to shut it off at a Sheetz convienience store. It ran on for three or four seconds before shutting off. Very hot indeed...
I thought I had added about 4 ounces of Valvoline Synpower to the oil as a top up at about 1500 miles. I say "about 4 ounces" because I didn't precisely measure it. It may have been closer to 2 ounces. The only truly noteable effect I can see in the UOA which might be credited to the VSOT is that the moly number is up from before. ZDDP wasn't affected at all--and in fact seems to have dropped a touch, possibly because those elements were being used to a greater degree in this hot weather run--or possibly because of testing accuracy and/or the different batch of Havoline. Too many possibilites to know for sure...
I think any reasonable person would agree that the Havoline 20W50 (standard dino car oil) acquitted itself very well in this situation. I wouldn't have been able to stand it much hotter than it was on the particular days I mentioned. There was a fair amount of idling in traffic at lights, but whenever idling seems excessive, I always shut the engine off until traffic begins to move again.
The oil sheared, once again, to a 40 weight, but that was expected. My concern was that it might shear even more.
From the numbers presented by Blackstone, it would be hard to conclude that the Valvoline Synpower Oil Treatment, in such a small amount as I used it, has actually done much of anything. Again, ZDDP hasn't been boosted (unless you wanted to argue that it was boosted then "used up"), and other additives which the VSOT is presumed to have in spades aren't showing up to any large degree--except for the afformentioned small bump in moly. This isn't an indictment of VSOT, it is more or less to simply say that I probably added less of the VSOT than I originally believed. The Sodium went from 1ppm to 2ppm, and VSOT has over 20ppm of Sodium, so it did leave its mark there also I would guess. Tin went up from 1ppm to 2ppm, but the VSOT has 2ppm of Tin in it. Looks like Magnesium got a little nudge courtesy of the VSOT perhaps...
Here's the report... Note Universal Averages, which are certainly higher than my numbers, and deriven from shorter OCI's (under 1700 miles according to Blackstone).
Needless to say, I'm sticking with the Havoline 20W50. And I plan on getting another case before it goes off sale at Advance Auto. Under 13 bucks a case until the end of August.
Edit: I don't know how to convert these numbers with code. If someone knows how to do that, please re-copy them in a reply...
Dan
[ August 29, 2005, 08:42 PM: Message edited by: fuel tanker man ]![[Embarrassed]](images/icons/blush.gif){kind=icon}
![[Big Grin]](images/icons/grin.gif){kind=icon}