When comparing specs on oil, what number should be most important? Or which spec (TBN, total viscosity, etc) matters the most as far as it being a great oil?
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What's the most important # on oil specs?
- Thread starter Big_3_Only
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MB&BMW ones....
Porsche also!
Originally Posted By: Big_3_Only
When comparing specs on oil, what number should be most important? Or which spec (TBN, total viscosity, etc) matters the most as far as it being a great oil?
Why limit yourself to just one spec? It's the combination of specs that gives the overall picture, not any single property alone.
And what's more important than any physical specs are the actual mfg approvals that an oil carries.
When comparing specs on oil, what number should be most important? Or which spec (TBN, total viscosity, etc) matters the most as far as it being a great oil?
Why limit yourself to just one spec? It's the combination of specs that gives the overall picture, not any single property alone.
And what's more important than any physical specs are the actual mfg approvals that an oil carries.
The specs and manufacturers approvals that the oil meets are more important to me usually
I couldn't label one thing in the oil itself as most important but high levels of calcium or moly are usually good indicators of a quality product.
I couldn't label one thing in the oil itself as most important but high levels of calcium or moly are usually good indicators of a quality product.
I don't mean to make it sound like I'm limiting it to one spec, I'm just trying to figure if there is one that is most important, for instance, if the TBN is low, but the viscosity index is high. I hear people say they don't care that the TBN is low as long as it has good viscosity. I have no idea so that's why I'm asking.
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
high levels of calcium or moly are usually good indicators of a quality product.
But brands like Brad Penn that have high zinc levels are bad for newer vehicles with cats? Is that right?
high levels of calcium or moly are usually good indicators of a quality product.
But brands like Brad Penn that have high zinc levels are bad for newer vehicles with cats? Is that right?
Originally Posted By: Big_3_Only
I don't mean to make it sound like I'm limiting it to one spec, I'm just trying to figure if there is one that is most important, for instance, if the TBN is low, but the viscosity index is high. I hear people say they don't care that the TBN is low as long as it has good viscosity. I have no idea so that's why I'm asking.
You have a lot of reading to do. You have to understand how one thing affects what, how, how long and in what instance. Sounds like your are asking the "best oil" question without realizing it.
I don't mean to make it sound like I'm limiting it to one spec, I'm just trying to figure if there is one that is most important, for instance, if the TBN is low, but the viscosity index is high. I hear people say they don't care that the TBN is low as long as it has good viscosity. I have no idea so that's why I'm asking.
You have a lot of reading to do. You have to understand how one thing affects what, how, how long and in what instance. Sounds like your are asking the "best oil" question without realizing it.
Originally Posted By: Big_3_Only
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
high levels of calcium or moly are usually good indicators of a quality product.
But brands like Brad Penn that have high zinc levels are bad for newer vehicles with cats? Is that right?
When your pcv puts out a qt oil oil in 5 minutes even a 600ppm Mobil product will torch your cats in a short order.
Again, you have a lot of reading to do.
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
high levels of calcium or moly are usually good indicators of a quality product.
But brands like Brad Penn that have high zinc levels are bad for newer vehicles with cats? Is that right?
When your pcv puts out a qt oil oil in 5 minutes even a 600ppm Mobil product will torch your cats in a short order.
Again, you have a lot of reading to do.
I'm not asking the "best oil" question, but maybe I'm not conveying my question correctly. If there's not one spec that is more important than any other because they all have to work together, then that would be an answer.
Originally Posted By: Big_3_Only
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
high levels of calcium or moly are usually good indicators of a quality product.
But brands like Brad Penn that have high zinc levels are bad for newer vehicles with cats? Is that right?
Yes high levels of phosphorus in the zddp molecule burning into the cats will ruin them and racing oils have lots of this zddp.
Also high levels of ZDDP can be corrosive to the engine metals meaning you need shorter oil changes. Every oil is formulated to have a delicate balance between detergent/dispersant properties and anti wear properties and having too much of one will be competition for the other.
Racing oils sacrifice detergent properties for anti wear, so they are not suitable for manufacturers intervals in some cases since the TBN would be depleted before you changed the oil.
That's why it's important to know if an oils passes a rigorous test or not to make sure it's going to perform well in your engine.
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
high levels of calcium or moly are usually good indicators of a quality product.
But brands like Brad Penn that have high zinc levels are bad for newer vehicles with cats? Is that right?
Yes high levels of phosphorus in the zddp molecule burning into the cats will ruin them and racing oils have lots of this zddp.
Also high levels of ZDDP can be corrosive to the engine metals meaning you need shorter oil changes. Every oil is formulated to have a delicate balance between detergent/dispersant properties and anti wear properties and having too much of one will be competition for the other.
Racing oils sacrifice detergent properties for anti wear, so they are not suitable for manufacturers intervals in some cases since the TBN would be depleted before you changed the oil.
That's why it's important to know if an oils passes a rigorous test or not to make sure it's going to perform well in your engine.
OK, any oil that is licensed such as API SN, carries ACEA specs and Mercedes benz and BMW and Chrysler and ford specs.
Hope that helps
Hope that helps
Originally Posted By: Leo99
What statistic (H, RBI, HR, AVE) makes one a great baseball player?
WAR
;^)
What statistic (H, RBI, HR, AVE) makes one a great baseball player?
WAR
;^)
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Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: Big_3_Only
When comparing specs on oil, what number should be most important? Or which spec (TBN, total viscosity, etc) matters the most as far as it being a great oil?
Why limit yourself to just one spec? It's the combination of specs that gives the overall picture, not any single property alone.
And what's more important than any physical specs are the actual mfg approvals that an oil carries.
^This^
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
high levels of calcium or moly are usually good indicators of a quality product.
This is a good example and to the point, it depends. There are a known few low displacement Turbo Direct Injection applications that are suffering LSPI. High Calcium oils would not be the best choice for these engines as there's been enough published studies showing the correlation between CaSa and LSPI in these vehicles.
Originally Posted By: Big_3_Only
When comparing specs on oil, what number should be most important? Or which spec (TBN, total viscosity, etc) matters the most as far as it being a great oil?
Why limit yourself to just one spec? It's the combination of specs that gives the overall picture, not any single property alone.
And what's more important than any physical specs are the actual mfg approvals that an oil carries.
^This^
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
high levels of calcium or moly are usually good indicators of a quality product.
This is a good example and to the point, it depends. There are a known few low displacement Turbo Direct Injection applications that are suffering LSPI. High Calcium oils would not be the best choice for these engines as there's been enough published studies showing the correlation between CaSa and LSPI in these vehicles.
The most important spec is the one that your engine manufacturer specifies to be used which is API or ACEA ETC ..rating of the oil.
Everything else is almost irrelevant.
Everything else is almost irrelevant.
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The price tag
The HTHS rating.
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
The price tag
Yup.
Price is the driving factor for me. So long as it is a name brand oil that meets the viscosity and API spec required for my vehicle I am good.
Dexos, MB, LL01, A3/B4 are all fine and dandy, but for my needs, they are all overkill (but am happy if the sale/clearance/discount oils I get have them).
The price tag
Yup.
Price is the driving factor for me. So long as it is a name brand oil that meets the viscosity and API spec required for my vehicle I am good.
Dexos, MB, LL01, A3/B4 are all fine and dandy, but for my needs, they are all overkill (but am happy if the sale/clearance/discount oils I get have them).
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