synthetic Oil
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Screwloose
Well-Known Member
To add; a number of months ago F_M gave us some oil based homework study to do. The homework was fairly difficult to absorb, but very informative.
If I remember right (in my view) there were a couple of things it skirted around, one was mineral oil and synthetic oils difference regarding performance vehicles, where my personal reading gave mineral oil an advantage on absorbing local fast temperature spikes and distributing them to the casings for cooling. But synthetic oil leaves a film coating for up to a couple of weeks on mechanical parts thus avoiding metal to metal on bearings etc in the engine, and obviously teflon (man made) being the second slipperiest substance known reduces the coefficient of friction. So 'PARTLY' why a mix of mineral and synthetic oils emerged.
Also I remember Parminio made an important comment that caught my eye as many years ago I noticed was missing from the US oil specifications, and that is the longevity of the oils that conform to their own specs. My car manual gearbox in recommended for 10 years use, or 100k miles. Some people change engine oil every couple of years to make sure it's all okay. You can buy car engine oil to spec that lasts six months if your lucky. I believe many years ago GM were developing an onboard test to reduce oil changes, but do not know what happened to that. There is a well know test in the elec large oil filled transformer game called dielectric testing, so maybe there is a test out there where you can test your engine oil for viscosity and contaminants.
I've seen mechanics let oil drip off a dipstick and say 'yes it's fine' because of viscosity, but the stuff is black with contaminants. Longevity of oil's is just not clear enough to me. Maybe that is deliberate.
If I remember right (in my view) there were a couple of things it skirted around, one was mineral oil and synthetic oils difference regarding performance vehicles, where my personal reading gave mineral oil an advantage on absorbing local fast temperature spikes and distributing them to the casings for cooling. But synthetic oil leaves a film coating for up to a couple of weeks on mechanical parts thus avoiding metal to metal on bearings etc in the engine, and obviously teflon (man made) being the second slipperiest substance known reduces the coefficient of friction. So 'PARTLY' why a mix of mineral and synthetic oils emerged.
Also I remember Parminio made an important comment that caught my eye as many years ago I noticed was missing from the US oil specifications, and that is the longevity of the oils that conform to their own specs. My car manual gearbox in recommended for 10 years use, or 100k miles. Some people change engine oil every couple of years to make sure it's all okay. You can buy car engine oil to spec that lasts six months if your lucky. I believe many years ago GM were developing an onboard test to reduce oil changes, but do not know what happened to that. There is a well know test in the elec large oil filled transformer game called dielectric testing, so maybe there is a test out there where you can test your engine oil for viscosity and contaminants.
I've seen mechanics let oil drip off a dipstick and say 'yes it's fine' because of viscosity, but the stuff is black with contaminants. Longevity of oil's is just not clear enough to me. Maybe that is deliberate.
Screwloose
Well-Known Member
I'm really glad you liked that post Parminio. The pressure is off for me, erm........ (sorry reduced) 
. But every day is a school day (if you want it to be that way), and I live/thrive on that. I'm 61 next month and book on courses every year, and have another exam, hence more pressure next week. Plus; as you know I'm dieting, so not a good combination of starving and studying. One full Vmax standard battery gone from from stomach so far, but I want two.
The discussion of oil in engines is complex and points towards F_M's homework to get started, as there is shearing, temperature, molecule sizing, coefficient of friction, old/new engines, racing/driving, contamination and so on to consider.
Hope everything is fine.
. But every day is a school day (if you want it to be that way), and I live/thrive on that. I'm 61 next month and book on courses every year, and have another exam, hence more pressure next week. Plus; as you know I'm dieting, so not a good combination of starving and studying. One full Vmax standard battery gone from from stomach so far, but I want two.The discussion of oil in engines is complex and points towards F_M's homework to get started, as there is shearing, temperature, molecule sizing, coefficient of friction, old/new engines, racing/driving, contamination and so on to consider.
Hope everything is fine.
