So to go back and explain one time what is going on with hemmerhead's test, I never doubted the results, just how that relates to an engine. VII's have good and poor qualities, the VII's are great as long as the polymeric bonds are in tact. However, we know with engine usage the polymeric bonds are broken, and when the vii's chain is broken those molecules just sit in the oil and are not as good as lubricating as base oils are, thus you can get engine tick or more metal to metal wear.
Rats latest test, Amsoils number 2 and 3 in his test, and believe it or not Prolong with qsud has less psi to fail then Amsoils, this is crazy folks, that is not group 3 oil at work, the reason wny Amsoil SS has the top two spots is because Rats test only heats the oil, he does not run it through an engine. it is no coincidence Amsoil SS did so well in a heated test and that 20 and 30 weight are on the top of the list, it is also no coincidence so many guys engines are ticking on Amsoil, what would be coincidence is if the engine is ticking right away with Amsoil, because if my theory is correct, it should take a while before the ticking should start because in the beginning of a run those VII"s will be be bonded together, and as long as they remain bonded together, then VII's lubricate better then base oil, or in other words it would take more psi before fail for the VII's in base oil, then just base oil by itself.
Some engines will tick right away, in those cases it is the defect ticking not the lubrication. But I am talking about comparing oils. it is also true that Amsoil might fix a tick that another oil wouldn't, because the VII's lubricate better when polymerized, but I wouldn't expect that to be a long term solution, because in those engines the tight clearances or the rubbing parts will likely shred those VII's.
You will not be getting a NOACK in the 6's for low weight group 3 base oils. That is the VII's talking to you.
This from some of they people who sell VII's.
Thickeners and viscosity index improvers are polymeric, and are added to reduce lubricant viscosity changes at high and low temperatures.
Mineral oil lubricants become less effective at high temperatures because heat reduces their viscosity and film-forming ability. The traditional solution to this problem was to make seasonal oil changes in some applications. With the advent of viscosity index improvers, that’s no longer necessary or desirable.
When viscosity index improvers are added to low-viscosity oils, they effectively thicken the oil as temperature increases. This means the lubricating effect of mineral oils can be extended across a wider temperature range.
When creating a viscosity index improver, a balance between the thickening efficiency and shear stability of the polymer is important. Higher molecular weight polymers make better thickeners, but tend to have less resistance to mechanical shear. Lower molecular weight polymers are more shear resistant, but do not improve viscosity as effectively at higher temperatures and must be used in larger quantities.
Polymer additives can also undergo thermal and oxidative degradation, unzipping back to smaller monomers, which reduces their effect. The highest possible degree of thermal and oxidative stability is desirable in addition to the features described above.
Afton Chemical's family of viscosity index improvers is primarily used in multigrade engine oils, gear oils, automatic transmission fluids, power steering fluids, greases, and some hydraulic fluids.
