Any idea when this reformation happened? Did it also happen with 5w40? I ran that last year and it had 2931ppm of calcium.
Mobil reformulated the entire FS lineup, and added 5W-30 to it, which is sold exclusively at Advance Auto Parts. The entire lineup consists of: 5W-30, 0W-40, 5W-40, and 5W-50.
The entire lineup uses the same API SP type additive package, and carries notable OEM approvals such as Porsche A40, MB 229.3/229.5, and BMW Longlife-01.
The 5W-30, 5W-40, and 5W-50 blends use Group III as the primary base oil.
The 0W-40 uses a 50/50 mix of PAO and GTL as the primary base oil.
The entire lineup uses an extremely high concentration of Alkylated Naphthalene, up to 20% of the blend is made of ANs. This allows the additives to better cover and adhere to metallic surfaces. ANs also clean. Esters are not very strong cleaners, and they interfere with the additive package.
That being said, not all esters are equal.
So how does it compare to Red Line?
Well, I don't have that much fate in the reformulated Red Line 0W-20, 0W-30, and whatever else they reformulated that starts with a 0W.
However, old school formulations like 5W-20 and 5W-30 from Red Line are still made with high concentrations of POE and crazy amounts of ZDDP, and a decent amount of Moly, along with a middle of the road detergent package. All of this ads up to a very very thick tribo-film that will protect no matter what.
To sum it up: if you have a HEMI that you suspect might be trouble, is noisy, or you think FCA set you up for failure by installing a subpar cam or lifters, then Red Line is your best bet for survival.
If you have a healthy HEMI, then Mobil 1 is a great choice, or QS Euro 5W-40, or PUP 0W-40, are all great oil.
At the end of the day, I strongly believe that everyone should use whatever they can afford and can get them through the ownership period with as little trouble as possible. After all, we all have better things to do than spending time and money on engine repairs.