Worst Oil Thread Ever - The BakeOff

[Gros Ventre]

Anyone of you guys read Rat 540 wordpress? One of the guys here @Snakebitten was kind enough to bring this wordpress to my attention so this time I will be switching Amsoil with Quaker State.
https://540ratblog.wordpress.com/2013/06/20/motor-oil-wear-test-ranking/

Read it, mostly testimonials...

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[Superstock 3740]

I've always ran Amsoil in both the race cars and my street cars. Dominator in the race cars and Signature in my daily drivers. We had an oil pump pickup break off on a dyno pull and made a full pull to 8000 RPM. Only had between 8 and 10 psi the entire pull. Bearings looked as they did when we took them out of the box. My daily drivers get the oil changed at 5000 miles, but when your spending 80 grand on a truck, why would you worry about penny's. Thats just silly

 

[Gros Ventre]

I've always ran Amsoil in both the race cars and my street cars. Dominator in the race cars and Signature in my daily drivers. We had an oil pump pickup break off on a dyno pull and made a full pull to 8000 RPM. Only had between 8 and 10 psi the entire pull. Bearings looked as they did when we took them out of the box. My daily drivers get the oil changed at 5000 miles, but when your spending 80 grand on a truck, why would you worry about penny's. Thats just silly

For those desiring to get to the next trade in... I got it. But in the end I agree with you. I keep trucks for the long haul and settling on the best oil makes a difference in that. I ran a 30 year Suburban on Mobil one and its engine stayed around 3-4,000 miles per quart throughout life. After some homework settled on AmsOil for my F-150. As a Wyoming based truck I've put a few miles on it... My ony apparent oil loss is for analysis sampling.

 

[DcnPat]

You are comparing apples to oranges with the Amsoil Signature vs. Pensoil Ultra. Pensoil doesn't market their oils as a 25k mile change interval like Amsoil does.

Obviously everyone is free to use what they want.

Pensoil Ultra Platinum Full Synthetic $34/gallon at Walmart ($37 at Advance Auto Parts)

Amsoil Signature $58/gallon

Amsoil OE $40/gallon

Just my opinion and worth what you paid for it: If you are not running the oil until the additive package is noticeably depleted it really doesn't make sense to pay the premium price because you are not "getting your money's worth." It is not like the functional properties of the two oil brands is different over the milage change interval you are using. If you were pushing the milage envelope near the Ford fantasy change interval it might make sense.

If you like Amsoil it might make sense to pay the $6/gallon difference for the OE over the Pensoil Ultra for the warm fuzzy feeling.

If you were doing extended change intervals beyond 10k and/or really severe service it might make sense to run the Amsoil Signature but for me your oil analysis report doesn't support the extra expense.

 

[Calson]

The oil testing is worthless for any gas engine produced from 2017 on and using the new motor oils designed to work at a much lower viscosity so as to improve fuel economy. A bit different with diesel motor oils that have to function in a much different environment.

When I owned a diesel pickup I studied the reports on the different diesel motor oils as the additive mix was very important. Amsoil had one of the worst additive mixes of any diesel motor oil. The top diesel motor oils in terms of their additive mix were from Pennzoil, Valvoline, Chevron Delo, and Red Line.

Amsoil is like STP in the 1970's that used such effective advertising that gullible people bought and used it even if it did nothing to make their engines last longer. It was improvements in the materials used for engines and tighter tolerances and better motor oil formulations that more than tripled engine life over the decades. Today's motor oils that meet the new SAE specifications are as good as any other that meets those specifications. The rest is all marketing hype.

 

[Gros Ventre]

The oil testing is worthless for any gas engine produced from 2017 on and using the new motor oils designed to work at a much lower viscosity so as to improve fuel economy. A bit different with diesel motor oils that have to function in a much different environment.

When I owned a diesel pickup I studied the reports on the different diesel motor oils as the additive mix was very important. Amsoil had one of the worst additive mixes of any diesel motor oil. The top diesel motor oils in terms of their additive mix were from Pennzoil, Valvoline, Chevron Delo, and Red Line.

Amsoil is like STP in the 1970's that used such effective advertising that gullible people bought and used it even if it did nothing to make their engines last longer. It was improvements in the materials used for engines and tighter tolerances and better motor oil formulations that more than tripled engine life over the decades. Today's motor oils that meet the new SAE specifications are as good as any other that meets those specifications. The rest is all marketing hype.

Having observed the Navy's oil analysis program and its utility in predictive maintenance, I believe you be wrong.

 

[KTM753]

(Not trying to be a troll ... I just enjoy a good oil thread...)

 

[Snakebitten]

Read it, mostly testimonials...

It's a LONG read.
If you didn't get past the testimonials, you didn't really get to the testing method and results.

Let's just say that SS Amsoil 5w-30 was #1 in his testing method for a long while.
But it was the QSFS that finally unsealed it as #1

However, if you pay attention to his results, any of the top 20 oils are awesome!

 

[Gros Ventre]

It's a LONG read.
If you didn't get past the testimonials, you didn't really get to the testing method and results.

Let's just say that SS Amsoil 5w-30 was #1 in his testing method for a long while.
But it was the QSFS that finally unsealed it as #1

However, if you pay attention to his results, any of the top 20 oils are awesome!

Any document that starts out with testimonials doesn't impress me. If the testing is solid you don't need testimonials... If you need testimonials the testing is suspect. I've read a bunch of testing, some years ago now, and concluded AmsOIl was as good as I could get. What ever is out there that might be better is only going to be marginally better. If I make it to 300,000 miles I'll give an update.

 

[JExpedition07]

Oil is sort of like the octane debate, or engine debate. There is no correct answer.

 

[WhiteLightningnshitshadow]

I've been happy with the Kirkland results. I've always used Castrol edge in the mustang and Kirkland 5w-30 in the trucks. 5 k or less changes.

 

[Snakebitten]

Any document that starts out with testimonials doesn't impress me. If the testing is solid you don't need testimonials... If you need testimonials the testing is suspect. I've read a bunch of testing, some years ago now, and concluded AmsOIl was as good as I could get. What ever is out there that might be better is only going to be marginally better. If I make it to 300,000 miles I'll give an update.

I think you just made my point, regarding just how good the top 10-20 oils are based on his anti-wear testing. Or to put it another way, the difference between the top oils is "marginal", as you put it.

I was a long time Amsoil user. My opinion of it hasn't changed one bit, even after catching up on the Ratblog. In fact it was rather redeeming to discover that the oil I had been using was confirmed as top dog in the testing procedure.

But I also enjoyed witnessing it finally getting knocked off the top perch (marginally ) by an oil I could fetch at Walmart! I also enjoyed watching him, Rat540 himself, being surprised by the results.

So yeah, I switched. And haven't looked back. If something come along and dethrones the QSFS, I'll switch again. (It may have already. I haven't checked in a while)

Remember, I don't keep oil in any of my vehicles long enough for it to matter if it's #1 or #10, in that regard. Not interested in which oil can last the longest. I have a problem leaving oil in a vehicle past it's new pour color! ?? Amsoil included. 3-4000 miles is typical.

And as for testimonials, every post of someone sharing how well the oil they use has performed in their vehicles history, is a testimonial. Folks that like Amsoil and have used it for years without a problem are testifying to how good it is. I should know, because I'm one of them. Well, until a couple of years ago.

 

[Gros Ventre]

I think you just made my point, regarding just how good the top 10-20 oils are based on his anti-wear testing. Or to put it another way, the difference between the top oils is "marginal", as you put it.

I was a long time Amsoil user. My opinion of it hasn't changed one bit, even after catching up on the Ratblog. In fact it was rather redeeming to discover that the oil I had been using was confirmed as top dog in the testing procedure.

But I also enjoyed witnessing it finally getting knocked off the top perch (marginally ) by an oil I could fetch at Walmart! I also enjoyed watching him Rat540 himself being surprised by the results.

So yeah, I switched. And haven't looked back. If something come along and dethrones the QSFS, I'll switch again. (It may have already. I haven't checked in a while)

Remember, I don't keep oil in any of my vehicles long enough for it to matter if it's #1 or #10, in that regard. Not interested in which oil can last the longest. I have a problem leaving oil in a vehicle past it's new pour color! ?? Amsoil included. 3-4000 miles is typical.

And as for testimonials, every post of someone sharing how well the oil they use has performed in their vehicles history, is a testimonial. Folks that like Amsoil and have used it for years without a problem are testifying to how good it is. I should know, because I'm one of them. Well, until a couple of years ago.

Well, for the first 100,000 on my family Suburban I changed MobilOne and filter every 3,000 miles. I had concluded that was cheaper than an engine replacement. Then I discovered oil analysis and realized I was dumping good oil down the drain. Maybe I made your point and maybe I didn't, no sweat. But at the end of the day I still find AmsOil top dog and like I said, I'll let you know when I get out to 300,000 miles...

 

[Snakebitten]

I dump good oil, no doubt. But I dump it into a recycle drum. 55 gallons.

Somebody is getting an easy job of recycling, and I even have to pay for them to come pump it out.

 

[Eighthtry]

Amsoil Signature 5W30 in all I own regardless of factory recommendations. Amsoil oil filters.

Filter changes at 5,000 miles, oil and filter changes at 10,000 miles.

I have run plus 200,000 miles on two Suburbans and a Yukon Denali XL. 330,000 on a Taurus SHO, 208,000 on one Cadillac V and 175,000 on another V. Probably forgetting one or two. others.

None of those cars ever used a drop of oil between changes. The superchargers if so equipped were kept well exercised.

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