Synthetic Oil

[HEMIMANN]

Off the topic a bit but What year is your Harley? I have a 2021 Road glide with the M8, it rattles a bit on cold starts then quiets down. Currently using Mobil 1 V Twin but thinking on trying Redline 20-50 once to see if it runs quieter or have heard some say that adding some Lube Gard Biotech will quiet them down also.

Well, it is the Synthetic Oil Thread, and lubrication is lubrication, so......

I bought new 2021 Softail Heritage Classic with M8 107 engine. Mine never did just clank at startup - it clanked all the time! So did gear shifts.

I'd suggest Mobil 1 V Twin + Lubegard will be close to Red Line. Since we're supposed to change engine oil annually regardless of mileage (I don't approach maximum 5k mileage for OCI), I'd say choosing either would be a good choice.

As important is changing the transmission and chain case lube. Definitely go Red Line there, since these are drive boxes that don't get contaminated by combustion blowby, therefore the OCI's are much longer. And they don't take nearly the amount of oil the engine does. There are two different oils for these boxes - RL Chaincase Oil and RL Shockproof Gear Oil. You'll be amazed how these lubes quiet down the clanking. Which means they lubricate much better.

 

[HEMIMANN]

weird one, silicone and aluminum in base visc 6 and nothing else. Some silicones have some type of plating effect, but I'm sure this would mess up your wear portion of your uoa. It is not only this one, but a couple more aluminum motor oil additives out there. I have no opinion on it at this point. I would be curious to micron ratings.

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Yeah, silicone isn't a great lubricant, but I recall it is a polar molecule so does plate out, plus has the highest flash point of any quasi-lubricant. It's the only thing that could lubricate the skip car slides on blast furnaces. We also used it to preserve super-hardened steel military breechcases that could have any lubricant with hydrogen in it.

Obviously the ultra high temp capability isn't needed for engines, so if this is just a plating additive, lubegard would be the better choice. Not sure what the aluminum is for. Yeah, it's soft and used in journal bearings, but ???

 

[06 Dodge]

Blackstone is unable to measure fuel dilution. They have a history of giving bad advice in those "interpretations" they write. A real tribologist should write those notes, not the lab assistant that ran the sample.

Well guess I will check out Cummins oil test kits next time..

 

[BLUKTY2]

amsoil 0w30 ss looks like a good hemi oil.

For the last 15,000 miles or so I was using Amsoil SS 0W-40 year round. While I have no complaints on it's performance, I decided to switch to a dedicated winter and summer oil, primarily because going with a 5,000 mile OCI means I change my oil twice a year anyway.

So this fall I switched to SS 0W-30 and will use SS 5W-30 next spring for the warmer months.

I only have about 1,500 miles on the 0W-30 but so far so good. Engine is quiet throughout all operating conditions and temperatures so at this point I have to agree with you.

 

[danielmid]

For the last 15,000 miles or so I was using Amsoil SS 0W-40 year round. While I have no complaints on it's performance, I decided to switch to a dedicated winter and summer oil, primarily because going with a 5,000 mile OCI means I change my oil twice a year anyway.

So this fall I switched to SS 0W-30 and will use SS 5W-30 next spring for the warmer months.

I only have about 1,500 miles on the 0W-30 but so far so good. Engine is quiet throughout all operating conditions and temperatures so at this point I have to agree with you.

5k OCI on Amsoil seems shorter than getting your money's worth, is that more time based with the seasonal switch?

 

[HEMIMANN]

5k OCI on Amsoil seems shorter than getting your money's worth, is that more time based with the seasonal switch?

It's more Hemi-based. Read back about the poor oiling to the lifter rollers & sensitivity of oil flow to contaminants. This is not about how long the oil lasts.

 

[danielmid]

It's more Hemi-based. Read back about the poor oiling to the lifter rollers & sensitivity of oil flow to contaminants. This is not about how long the oil lasts.

Oh I've been here through most of it. 5k still seems short for a higher cost oil is all I'm saying, a cheaper oil would "likely" have similar protection for those OCI.

 

[HEMIMANN]

Oh I've been here through most of it. 5k still seems short for a higher cost oil is all I'm saying, a cheaper oil would "likely" have similar protection for those OCI.

It is. Changing high value, long life capable oil because of a defective engine design sucks, and we all know it.

Guys are using PUP 5W-30 with Lubegard for that reason. I'm considering it as well, even though I retired and the pandemic put the clamps on lots of activity, therefore few miles.

If I was still working and putting on miles, you bet I'd drop Red Line, esp. since they jacked their prices yet again. Last year was getting on sale for $11.95 per quart, now $16.95. That's a 42% price jump.

Crude oil stock (PAO made from ethylene gas in crude wells) price is back down. POE is made from alcohol and acid, and is only a % of Red Line base oil. NO WAY is this price increase a cost increase. It's a friggin' profit gouge by Phillips 66.

 

[ramffml]

Oh I've been here through most of it. 5k still seems short for a higher cost oil is all I'm saying, a cheaper oil would "likely" have similar protection for those OCI.

How much did you pay for your truck? Because these things go between 45k to 80k. Let's say you pay 50k for a nice Ram, are we really quibling about an extra 30 bucks twice a year for a top tier oil? I spend more on coffee in the drive through during that time period when it'd be far cheaper to make it at home.

Sometimes we're are our own worst enemy. I get it, I have the same instincts when it comes to not wasting money, but when it comes to my truck I've long accepted that it's going to cost a few bucks extra every month for proper gas (89 to 91) and proper oil.

After you make that decision and mentally set aside the budget for it, it hurts less when the time comes to put the cash on the counter

 

[Travis8352]

How much did you pay for your truck? Because these things go between 45k to 80k. Let's say you pay 50k for a nice Ram, are we really quibling about an extra 30 bucks twice a year for a top tier oil? I spend more on coffee in the drive through during that time period when it'd be far cheaper to make it at home.

Sometimes we're are our own worst enemy. I get it, I have the same instincts when it comes to not wasting money, but when it comes to my truck I've long accepted that it's going to cost a few bucks extra every month for proper gas (89 to 91) and proper oil.

After you make that decision and mentally set aside the budget for it, it hurts less when the time comes to put the cash on the counter

Amen to that!