Motor Oil 103 – Chapter Three – Viscosity Modifiers and Engine Oil

In chapter one we talked about how in the early days of the automobile, engine oils were very simple, basic refined fluids that helped keep moving parts easily sliding past each other. As time has passed, engines and engine oil has become more complex – allowing for different grades of oil with similar high temperature […]

Motor Oil 102 – Chapter Two – Oil Grades

In chapter one we talked about how oil changes viscosity as the temperature increases and the challenge it is to keep close to the right operational viscosity regardless of the temperature. If the operating temperature is 212F and the recommended viscosity is 10cSt then OIL A which can be made to be 40 cSt at […]

Motor Oil 101 – Chapter One – Operating Temperatures and Viscosity

Understanding what viscosity grades mean can be confusing. The average driver just tries to follow what is in the owner’s manual – this is a good practice. Some owner’s manuals allow for different grades based on the predicted operating temperature. For example, they may specify a 0W30 synthetic or a 5W30 mineral oil. Others may […]