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