| Knowing a little about oil can go a long way to helping | | | | additives contain "questionable" materials that could |
| you decide where to put your hard-earned | | | | harm engines. Engine oils are complex mixtures and |
| cash...What is Oil?Nearly everyone is aware that crude | | | | adding the wrong chemical compound to a properly |
| oil was formed by the decomposition of plant and | | | | formulated blend can cause failure of other critical |
| animal life from hundreds of millions of years ago. | | | | additives.Your engine was designed by competent |
| This material was compressed under vast | | | | engineers and a lubricating oil was specified for it. |
| sea-bottom deposits and the pressure and heat | | | | Properly maintained (and brought up to correct |
| created hydrocarbons: that is, mineral, or crude, | | | | operating temperature at each use), it will easily last |
| oil.Lubricating oils are the product of the refining of | | | | 150-200,000 miles on ordinary mineral oils. Under |
| crude oils. These oils are materials made up of many | | | | normal operation (startup to redline) the extremes of |
| chemicals, including detergent and paraffin. Paraffin | | | | load, temperature and wear claimed by additive |
| (wax) is an inherent component of crude oil and not | | | | advertisers don't exist in your engine.We can't stress |
| all is refined out. Paraffin is the chief reason oil | | | | the following enough:No oil manufacturer recommends |
| thickens up when it gets cold. Anyway, back to our | | | | the use of off-the-shelf additives in their products, |
| engines...Engines would quickly seize-up without | | | | nor do any automobile manufacturers. Most additives |
| lubrication and oils are designed to prevent bearing | | | | do nothing (remember, those high loads and stresses |
| wear and metal-to-metal contact. This is | | | | don't take place in normal engine operation) and |
| accomplished by pumping the oil under pressure so | | | | some actually can contaminate the oil. No |
| that it forms a film between those parts. | | | | manufacturer's warranty will cover failure if it is found |
| Manufacturers put special additives to oil to allow it to | | | | that an additive was present in the engine oil.Virtually |
| perform properly over varying engine conditions and | | | | all additive advertisements (and synthetic oil ads as |
| time. Some additives slow thinning as engine | | | | well) claim better fuel mileage. This is anecdotal, |
| temperatures rise, hence the "multigrade" designation | | | | unprovable and non-scientific (before you write back |
| on the container. Other additives help to limit the | | | | with your rebuttal, consider this: if any claim of better |
| breakdown of oil under loads.Internal combustion | | | | mileage could be proved to be repeatable, the |
| causes byproducts such as water and carbon. These | | | | government (NHTSA, in fact) would require the |
| byproducts are what create the "dirt" in oil, | | | | manufacturers to use the product. The |
| necessitating scheduled changes. These can create | | | | manufacturers themselves would specify it because it |
| deposits and acids, so other additives are in place to | | | | is all they can do to reach those CAFE - Corporate |
| do the following:- Antioxidants are there to minimize | | | | Average Fuel Economy - standards). It just ain't |
| the formation of acids, varnish and sludge.- | | | | true.So you used an additive once and found the |
| Detergents are added to keep engine parts clean by | | | | engine ran better and you got better fuel economy? |
| lifting deposits (mostly carbon) from surfaces.- | | | | Of course you did, because you were paying closer |
| Corrosion Inhibitors also work against the formation | | | | attention to its operation than you normally would! |
| of acids that can attack bearing surfaces.- Rust | | | | This is known as the "Hawthorne Effect" and it |
| Inhibitors keep water from mixing with the oil film | | | | works because of that very fact. If you collected |
| and causing rust.- Foam Inhibitors prevent the | | | | random records of the engine's performance you |
| formation of foam bubbles in the oil, due to | | | | would find no change from before.How About |
| detergents and the physical churning of the oil during | | | | Synthetic Oil?Today's motor oils are very high-quality |
| engine operation.- Friction and Wear Reducers, | | | | products. However, synthetic oils are becoming very |
| Dispersants are there to help keep insoluble | | | | popular, especially used in high-performance engines. |
| combustion byproducts in suspension and to minimize | | | | Synthetic oils are blends of synthesized hydrocarbon |
| wear in bearings.So Far, So Good, But What About | | | | fluids (SHF) and esters, all derived from the refining |
| Aftermarket Additives?All mineral oils are graded by | | | | process. The chief material of synthetic oil is |
| the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). These | | | | polyalphaolefin, derived from ethylene. Synthetics can |
| grading criteria are based upon the expected load | | | | be called petrochemicals, and while they appear |
| and temperature ranges under which a given engine | | | | chemically similar to mineral oils they are "pure" |
| will be used. Viscosity grades are available in a wide | | | | chemicals. No waxes or other impurities are present in |
| range. These grades are most frequently seen in | | | | synthetic oils. Since they don't contain parafin, |
| forms such as 5W-30, 10W-30, etc., in multi-vicosity | | | | synthetics tend to flow better at lower |
| blends. Straight viscosities are also available (20 W, | | | | temperatures and not thin out as much at higher |
| 30W, etc.).It is true that most engine wear takes | | | | temperatures. They are available in multi-viscosity |
| place during startup, since virtually no measurable | | | | grades from 0W-30 to 15W-50.Synthetic oil has some |
| wear takes place during running. The faster an engine | | | | advantages:- Relatively constant viscosity over a |
| is revved during startup, the more the wear, so | | | | wide temperature range- Higher detergent properties. |
| keeping a light foot on the accelerator pedal during | | | | They are naturally detergent- Non-toxic when |
| startup -and warmup - is the secret to long engine | | | | handled properly- No harmful impurities- Better |
| life.Oil is viscous and has capillary action. That is, it | | | | lubricative properties- Less breakdown tendency |
| remains on the engine parts as a film indefinitely after | | | | under high loadsSynthetic oils cost about three times |
| running. Contrary to advertisements, your engine's | | | | that of regular oils and aren't really necessary for |
| parts don't scrape against each other (as bare metal) | | | | most people. There are some situations wherein the |
| just because you haven't started it in a few weeks | | | | extra expense of synthetic oils is warranted, |
| (granted, if it's 10-degrees outside and you haven't | | | | however.1. Racing: Engines are run full-time at high rev |
| started that '59 Corvette in six months, there will be | | | | and there is tremendous heat. You need all the help |
| a little wear when you start it up. However, if you | | | | you can get.2. Extremely cold environments. Maybe |
| crank the starter for 30 seconds or so and then | | | | your engine won't know the difference, but you'll |
| start the engine, little significant damage will result | | | | save money on batteries.3. Engines which don't use |
| because you will have pumped oil into the system | | | | camshaft bearings (Lamborghini,Ferrari and others, |
| under minimal loads).For decades, however, a huge | | | | including 30s and 40s cars).4. Engines that won't |
| industry has made billions of dollars by convincing the | | | | regularly get up to proper operating temperatures. |
| public that their engines are wearing out prematurely | | | | Improper warm-up is the biggest killer of engines. |
| due to lack of "complete" lubrication. The aftermarket | | | | Cold sludge and varnish will build up and create lots of |
| oil additive industry - there are many of them and | | | | friction, hence wear and failure. Synthetic oils will not |
| they advertise everywhere - claims to show | | | | form these deposits.5. Carbureted cars that run |
| "proven" results, longer life, better mileage, etc. by | | | | exceptionally rich (if the oil dipstick smells like gas, |
| using their products. None of this is true.What these | | | | yours is one).Myths About Synthetics:It can't be |
| marketers are selling falls generally into two | | | | mixed with regular mineral oils.Not so. Mobil 1 and the |
| categories: either their product is a variety of soluble | | | | others are perfectly compatible with mineral oils (but |
| chemicals (chiefly, chlorinated paraffin) or solid | | | | not with each other).You get longer oil life with it.Not |
| particles suspended in a "carrier." The chlorinated | | | | so. You have to change your oil according to |
| paraffins work fine for your drill press (cutting oil is | | | | manufacturers' instructions (it's the exhaust |
| chlorinated paraffin) but don't do anything in your | | | | byproducts which get into the oil and turn it black, |
| engine. Solid particle additives, chiefly PTFE or Teflon, | | | | requiring change. Synthetic oil can't hold any more of |
| is a suspension of ground-up particles in oil. It won't | | | | these particles than mineral oil).Synthetic oil will |
| work, period.Many of the aftermarket additives | | | | destroy seals and gaskets in older vehicles.Not so. If |
| contain compounds already added by the oil refiner | | | | the seals are functional no harm will be done. If they |
| (No, more is not better! The refiner put in the right | | | | are hardened and shrunken, you need to rebuild the |
| amount for the job and more would only upset the | | | | engine. |
| mixing proportions of the other additives!). Other | | | | |