Blackstone Labs Oil Commentary

[markgoodrich]

Amusing, but informative. Blackstone does nothing but test oil.

 

http://www.blackstone-labs.com/newsletters.php?ID=58

[Quinn]

 

April 1st report?

 

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[jjg3]

Yes, but it's no joke. I especially like Ryan's favorite oil. It's amazing that, for whatever reason, there will be someone (many someones) who will swear that the lab analysis is flawed, that their favorite brand X is better because.... and they have the research to prove it. Of course this can quickly turn into a nasty oil thread war because the lab must be biased against.... oh wait, he likes the cheap, wet kind of oil. So he must be biased against premium oil because he said it comes from the same place as cheap oil, only it's put in a branded bottle! Oh, No!

 

Personally I like the cheapest oil I can find because oil is oil. Analysis has proved to me that cheap is as good as expensive, and changes at less than 5k miles is a waste. Of course I'll use a cheap Fram filter, too if it's the cheapest filter I can find. I know that if I run a Fram for 50k miles, the cardboard ends will deteriorate, so I try not to run filters to 50k miles (facetious).

[Fubar]

Personally I like the cheapest oil I can find because oil is oil. Analysis has proved to me that cheap is as good as expensive, and changes at less than 5k miles is a waste. Of course I'll use a cheap Fram filter, too if it's the cheapest filter I can find. I know that if I run a Fram for 50k miles, the cardboard ends will deteriorate, so I try not to run filters to 50k miles (facetious).

 

Well, after paying over $14/qt. for full synth, I'll be doing the fluids myself from this point forward. And I'm with you on the cost because you should be looking first at the SF, SL or whatever. They all meet the same specs so spend less and fuel it up more often.

I will disagree on the filter. I look for higher first-pass efficiency (if available) and change it every time the oil gets drained. Same with final gear oil.

[Pilgrim]

I got the same thing you did from them since they've been testing my scooter (BMW & Harley) oil for over ten years.

 

If I found it necessary to put my faith about oil in anyone's opinion but my own, it would be this guy's. His outfit tests them and knows what works.

 

He's addressing "regular" oil with his comments, not synthetic. Although he makes no direct remarks about synths I get the impression that he thinks they are the answer to a question that doesn't need to be asked, that regular oil does the job just fine.

 

If that's the case, he may be right except I'd like to see him address the single factor that drives me to synths and that is heat tolerance.

 

FYI, this is the outfit that tested a sample of Mobil 1 I sent them a few years ago from my '01 Rll00RT with 9,000 highway miles on it. The comments from them said the oil was still within acceptable limits but that they wouldn't push it any farther.

 

Pilgrim

[markgoodrich]

Pilgrim, I've actually asked Blackstone the mineral/synthetic question. The response was that they see no difference in engine wear. I ran Royal Purple synth 10,000 miles, with a filter change halfway, and at the end the test results were that the oil was still well within spec and I really hadn't needed to change the filter. I told 'em I was switching to mineral oil (GTX on sale) and the reply was that I could run the oil just as long as the Royal Purple.

 

Ack, I've turned their comment into yet another oil argument

[Pilgrim]

I sure wouldn't try to make the case that synth lubricates better than conventional oil in normal use.

 

However, when oil temps hit around 280 - 300 degrees, as they can in a Harley (with no oil cooler - and they only get you about a 20 degree margin) going up passes in the west during the summer, conventional oils are breaking down badly and should be changed without delay, or so I'm led to believe by credible articles on the subject. Keep in mind that if you see 280 on an oil temp gauge you are usually looking at a tank temp. The actual temp the oil gets to in the exhaust valve galleries may be 30 -50 degrees higher.

 

Synth has about a 50 degree heat tolerance beyond conventional oils - or, again, so I'm led to believe. I've seen torn-down Harley engines that had cylinders and pistons badly scuffed, ostensibly due to heat-related oil breakdown, but I've never seen the results of a real test. I'd like to. Got an engine you'd like to burn up?

 

Pilgrim