Oilman

But not from us this time! We get asked many oil related questions every day and decided to put some of the most frequently asked ones to an Oil Expert called John Rowland. He has been the Chief R&D Chemist for Fuchs/Silkolene for many years and previously developed ahead of their time ester based oils for the RR Jet industry. What he doesn’t know about oil is not worth knowing in our opinion! Even though some of these topics may have been covered before here, this post is well worth reading. 1) How is an oil manufactured; transformed from the black sludge that comes out of the ground, into the nectar-like substance we pour into our cars and bikes? Crude oil, which is usually very thin, (contrary to popular belief!) is distilled into light and heavy fractions, with several intermediate ones. (The evil left-overs are used to fuel the 15 million cc/40RPM diesels in the giant oil tankers that bring the crude to the refinery.) The lighter fractions, usually more than 90% of the original crude, are converted into petrol and diesel. Some of the heavier oils, (still dark and smelly!) go through several processes to clean them up and remove wax. Out of about a dozen oily products 4 clear, bright amber oils are commonly used to blend modern engine and gear oils. These are roughly equivalent to SAE 10, 20, and 30 engine rating and 140 gear rating. Oil refineries also produce all sorts of gases and chemical compounds which can be used to build up 'tailor made' lubricants: synthetics! 2) What are the most important substances added to the refined base oils? What do they do? In the Dark Ages, engines used blends of refined mineral oils 'straight', with nothing added. The trouble was, even in the slow-revving engines of 80 years ago the oil didn't last very long, and the engines didn't either. Black sludge and corrosion were the killers, and both were tackled in the 1950s with detergent and antioxidant chemicals. (When I was a lad, I used to visit a mate of my Dad's who rebuilt the very popular side-valve Ford engines. The thick crap inside these things was unbelievable! The valve tappets were moving in holes in solid blocks of carbon!) The detergents washed the carbon from fuel combustion off the bores and out of the ring grooves, and at the same time reduced bore and piston ring corrosion. The antioxidants stopped the oil reacting with oxygen in the air, which cut acid sludge formation which in turn reduced corrosion and oilway blockages. Some antioxidants had the useful side-effect of reducing wear as well. This added up to longer oil and engine life, both improving about three times. (Straight oil had to be changed every 1000miles, and even lightly-stressed engines running on it were ready for a full overhaul at 15-20,000.) OK, I admit there were design and metallurgical improvements, but they needed that vital 'liquid component' to be fully effective. Later came dispersant compounds which held the carbon as tiny particles in the oil which didn't settle out anywhere, and slipped through the oil filter as if it wasn't there.(Solid bits in well-used modern oil are about 1/1000mm across; the pores in an oil filter are at least 15 times bigger.) The other big problem with oil used to be cold starting. It was usual to have SAE 20 Winter or 'W' grades, and SAE 30 or 40 Summer grades, and even the so-called Winter types would defeat the starter in serious cold weather. Unfortunately, oil is very thick when it's cold, and very thin when it's hot. To have an oil thick enough to look after a hard working engine, you had to use a grade which was too thick when it was cold. The answer was (and is) multigrade! What was needed was an oil that behaved like a 20 'W' grade in the cold, but only thinned down to a SAE 40 or 50 when really hot; yes, 20W/50! This can be done by mixing thin oil with thick polymers based on plastics and synthetic rubbers; these don't do much in the cold, but as the oil warms up they unwind and thicken it up to some extent. The oil still thins down, but not as quickly as a polymer-free or monograde type. Multigrades started to catch on around 1960, but these pioneer types were easily ruined by mechanical shear effects, more so in gearboxes than engines. These days the better quality polymers resist shear even in combined engine/transmissions, so it is essential to use good quality shear-resistant types in a gearbox fed by the engine (such as the traditional mini!), which gives its oil a hard time in both engine and gearbox. Incidentally, there are large amounts of these additives and polymers in there, it's not just 'a little bit of this, a little bit of that'! A good quality mineral 10W/40 can be 80% base 20% additive chemistry, and guess which is the expensive ingredient! 3) What are the differences, in layman's terms, between mineral, semi-synthetic and fully-synthetic engine oil? (In terms of structure and performance.) Before we get into details, the first thing to realise that there is no chalk and cheese difference between mineral and synthetic based oils. After all, the chemical compounds which make mineral engine oils so much better are themselves synthetic. Synthetic lubricant bases are stepwise improvements on mineral oil, with more desirable properties and fewer undesirable ones. The second important point is that there's no one thing called 'synthetic'! There are several different types of synthetic lubricant, and to say something like: 'the Supergrunt GTI TURBO must have a full synthetic' is meaningless unless the 'expert' explains what sort of synthetic he means. Equally, to imply that dreadful things will happen if the 1970 RV8 is run on anything other than good’ ole mineral oil is ridiculous. It may not need a 2007 synthetic, but it isn't going to come to any harm if the owner uses a 2007 synthetic! The most basic type of synthetic is really a special mineral oil. Known as 'hydrocracked' bases, these are made in oil refineries by putting certain types of mineral fraction through special processing, so they cost more than the usual mineral types but not much more. They are useful because they resist evaporation at high temperatures. Although used for years for genuine technical reasons, they are now popular with marketing men because the magic sexy word 'synthetic' can legitimately be printed on the label without spending much on the oil inside the can! Yes, all low-cost 'synthetics' contain anything from a few percent to 20 percent (i.e. 'semi-synthetic') of special mineral oil. Using fairly simple chemical compounds or gases from oil refineries or other sources, it is possible to 'synthesise' or build up tailor-made lubricant molecules which have very desirable characteristics, such as great resistance to cold, heat, evaporation losses or excessive thinning as they get hot. These are the true synthetics, and the two that are used in engine oils are PAOs (poly alpha olefins) and esters. Neither is cheap! PAOs are related to mineral oils, and are the ideal carriers for all the chemical compounds used in mineral oils. Because they do not gel at very low temperatures, all genuine 0W-something oils have to be based on PAOs to pass the 0W test at a sub-arctic -35C. Esters were originally made for jet engine lubricants, and to this day all jet oils are ester-based. Although similar in performance to PAOs, they have a valuable extra trick: they are good lubricants and help to protect metal surfaces. Esters help with transmission and valve train lubrication. 100% fully synthetic oils are actually quite rare, probably because they are very expensive to make, and even more expensive to buy. Even so, an ester/PAO with a very shear stable multigrade polymer is the ultimate oil for high output engines that are worked hard, which means racing. 4) How does oil work? What gives it its lubricating properties? How does it 'cling on' to surfaces? A plain bearing such as a main or big end, when spinning fast is 'floating' on a relatively thick film of oil. The metal surfaces literally do not touch. The high velocity drives a wedge of oil between the two surfaces, and the oil film supports the load, just like a water skier skimming over that very thin lubricant, water. But, when the engine slows down and stops the bearing shells drop through the film and touch the crankpins, just as the skier sinks in up to his neck when he lets go of the rope. It is where there is metal to metal contact that lubrication, that is, something to reduce wear and seizure, is needed. On gear teeth, valve components, and piston rings at top or bottom dead centre, there is no high speed rotation to generate 'wedge' support, so the oil films are very thin, and some metal contact is inevitable. Some fluids, even if they look thick and oily, are completely hopeless! Very pure mineral oils, and some synthetics fall into this group. They depend entirely on chemical load-carrying compounds which react with metal at high pressures and temperatures to provide very thin protective films which prevent micro-welds where metal surfaces come into contact. Detergent and antioxidant chemicals often double up as anti-wear agents. The odd ones out are esters. These are attracted to metal by electrostatic forces and cling on when surfaces are forced into contact. 5) What are (or can be) the main differences between oils of the same type, i.e. what's the difference between a 'good' and a 'bad' oil? It all comes down to honesty really.....so beware! A good oil is what it claims to be on the can. 10W/40? Does it really pass the cold test at -25C? Quite a few I've tested do not. There is usually an API spec quoted, such as API SH or SL. These are car-based, and a good basic quality guide. If absent, leave it on the shelf, and avoid lawyer-speak: 'meets the requirements of....' or 'recommended (by whom?) for use in....'. Then there is the 'synthetic' minefield! Provided the price hasn't been pushed up by shipping an average oil 5000miles from the West coast of the USA, you get what you pay for. The best performance oils are made in the more developed European countries, but low price buys the cheap 'modified mineral' synthetic and not much of it, with a poor multigrade polymer. As is so often the case, quality follows cost. 6) What are the likely consequences of using poor-quality oil? Usually, these are fairly long term, except in racing. Think of the oil as a liquid component, and poor oil as a cheap pattern spare. In a road car long-term reliability and performance retention (i.e. acceleration figures below new spec., fuel and oil consumption above) are the casualties. Particularly in a high performance or racing car, the effects can be more immediate and catastrophic. Thanks to John for his honest and informative advice, we look forward to the next instalment!. Cheers Guy and the opieoils.co.uk team.

Cheers :) Guy.

We need a picture of your car!! If you have an Opie Oils sticker on your car... Ive seen some around, send us a photo with the logo in clear view and you will be given a priority position as the first members of the Opie Oils ‘Street Gallery’, to be launched as part of our new website, hopefully in a few weeks time! The Street Gallery area is dedicated to our loyal customers and gives you the chance to showcase your pride and joy to our several thousand website visitors. If you have an Opie Oils sticker on your vehicle or know someone who has send it to sales@opieoils.co.uk Look forward to hearing from you. Cheers Guy

We are often asked why don’t you do an article on Gear Oils? Well, an article would be very complex but here are the answers to a few FAQ’s that we have had over the years. What does API GL mean? API stands for American Petroleum Industry and GL stands for Gear Lubricant, see below for their definitions: API GL-1 Straight mineral oil API GL-2 Mild EP for worm gears API GL-3 Mild EP for spur and spiral bevel gears in axles and transmissions API GL-4 Medium EP, MIL-L-2105 quality, moderate severity hypoid gears, manual transmissions API GL-5 High EP, MIL-L-2105D quality, all hypoid axles, some manual transmissions API GL-6 Extra high EP, now obsolete Is it important to select the right API GL rating? Yes. Selecting the correct gear oil performance level will provide the best protection to the components of the transmission. What do the SAE grades mean? SAE stands for the Society of Automotive Engineers. The SAE classification system is a way of defining how thin or how thick an oil is. This is known as an oil’s viscosity. The classifications are listed here in order of increasing thickness: SAE 75W, SAE 80W, SAE 85W, SAE 90, SAE 140, SAE 250. What does EP mean? EP means extreme pressure and refers to the additive used in gear oils. This additive is designed to stop metal-to-metal contact taking place between transmission components. The EP additives are usually based on sulphur and phosphorous. These elements bond to the metal surfaces where there are points of extreme pressure and temperature, forming a sacrificial chemical layer. The sulphur gives gear oils their characteristic smell. Will synthetic gear oils and mineral gear oils mix together? Yes, but beware that there two kinds of synthetic gear available: polyalphaolefin (PAO) based and polyalkylene glycol (PAG) based. PAOs are basically a man made version of mineral oils (although with greatly improved properties) and can therefore be mixed with mineral oils. In fact, semi-synthetic products have mineral and synthetic base fluids in them, so obviously, they must be able to mix. PAGs, on the other hand, will not mix with PAOs or mineral oil. Utmost care must be taken when using this kind of product. What is a hypoid axle? Hypoid is an abbreviation for hypocycloidal and relates to the geometry of the crown wheel and pinion arrangement usually on rear wheel drive cars. The pinion is usually highly offset to reduce propshaft intrusion into the passenger compartment. Do I need a special oil for limited slip differentials? Yes. When the power distribution between two drive shafts is no longer equal (usually due to the surface condition that the drive wheels are turning on, i.e. ice, mud), limited slip differentials are able to effectively lock the two half shafts, ensuring equal power distribution once again. When this limited slip differential mechanism ‘kicks in’ there is a high shock loading on the clutch mechanism that requires protection from wear and slippage. Use of the incorrect oil can lead to clutch degradation and vibration. Why should I choose non-EP straight oils for my classic car? Depending on the age, make and model non-EP gear oils may be required for use in gearboxes and final drives. Certain designs contained a lot of phosphor-bronze (copper containing) components that are sensitive particularly to the sulphur extreme pressure (EP) additive. The sulphur attacks the copper and destroys the integrity of the meshing gear surfaces. Is it alright to use ATF in a manual gearbox? Certain designs do specify the use of an ATF in manual gearboxes, but they should only be used where it is clearly stated by the manufacturer. Is there one gear oil that will meet all my requirements? This will depend on makes and models, but very often the answer is no. Gearboxes, final drives, transfer boxes, etc., all have their own specific lubrication requirements. The specification of the oil required will be outlined by the design engineers, who will determine which type of oil will provide the maximum protection to the transmission components. It may certainly be possible to rationalise and reduce the number of lubricants used, but the magical single product may not be achievable. What is the difference between a gear oil, an atf and an mtf and why are they sometimes interchangeable? There is a fair amount of common ground, all do a basically similar job, an ATF could be regarded as a low viscosity gear oil with more precisely controlled frictional properties. What is an MTF and why is it used instead of a gear oil? MTF ( manual transmission fluid ) is a term preferred by some OEMs, perhaps they think it's more descriptive than "gear oil". It doesn't call up any particular performance or viscosity. For example a Volvo MTF will not be the same as a Honda MTF. How do gear oil, atf and mtf viscosities relate to engine oil viscosities? Gear oils and engine oils are classified by 2 different viscosity grading systems. A 75W-90 gear oil, for example, is about the same viscosity as a 10W-40 engine oil. In theory ATFs and MTFs can be any viscosity as required by the OEM. In practice ATFs are approx. the same viscosity as a SAE 10 engine oil or a ISO 32 hydraulic oil. MTFs are about the same, possibly slightly thicker. What is a 75w gear oil as this is only a cold crank rating isn’t it? The target here is 4.1 cSt minimum @ 100 deg. C + the low temp target. If the gear oil in question is, for example, a 75W-80 it must meet both specs which is effectively the 75W low temp + the high temp targets of both specs.; 4.1 cSt minimum for the SAE 75W and 7.0 - 11.0 cSt for the SAE 80. You can see that the SAE 80 target " overlays" the SAE 75W target so expect the KV 100 of a 75W-80 to be about 9 cSt. Can one gear oil cover a number of viscosities like 75w-90, 80w-90 and 90 and why? Yes it can, the viscosity grades are not mutually exclusive, it is possible to blend a gear oil with multigrade characteristics such that it falls within, for example, the SAE 75W and the SAE 90 viscosity bands. A mulitgrade oil ( gear or otherwise ) is simply an oil which falls into more than one viscosity grade. Why do some synthetic gear oils cause poor shifting in older or high mileage boxes? If this really happens it can be that the generally lower viscosity of a synthetic gear oil may not suit an older or worn box. Can engine oils be used in gearboxes if they are the right viscosity and are there advantages to using them? Engine oils can be used in certain gearboxes, in the past it was the norm to do just that. Modern engine oils can be expected to attain the baseline API GL4 performance required for gear protection. Viscosity is not likely to be an issue, the viscosity of a 10W-40 engine oil, for instance, approximates to a 75W-90 in gear oil terms. The gear oil viscosity grade system uses bigger numbers than the engine oil system but that doesn't mean the oils are thicker. The advantages? The detergency and antiwear systems in engine oils may cope with excessive "competition" temperatures better. Engine oils are intended for a shorter service life than gear oils so one point to be aware of is the viscosity modifiers used in multigrade engine oils may not be as shear stable as true gear oil VM’s so a bigger viscosity drop in service is possible. If you are considering this, use a top quality shear stable engine oil, or talk to us first. Are filled for life gear oils a gimmick and are they in the long term bad for your gearbox? I wouldn't say they are a gimmick but they do assume "normal" service conditions. Having a modified engine putting more power through the box & competition conditions don't lend themselves to gentle gear changes so you may see higher wear rates and more wear debris in circulation. It's logical to change the oil periodically if only to flush out the wear debris. Of course the discerning owner may wish to change the oil occcasionally even if the service conditions are considered to be less severe. This may raise more questions than it answers but hopefully it is of use to some of you. Regards Guy

That correct, 75w-90 the titan is a mineral based oil and a good choice, if you want the best then an upgrade to a synthetic such as the Silkolene Syn5 75w-90. Forum members get discount too! Cheers Guy.

Costs of synthetics vary considerably. The most expensive are the “Ester” types originally only used in jet engines. These cost 6 to 10 times more than high quality mineral oils. The cheapest synthetics are not really synthetic at all, they are dug out of the ground and not manmade. These are in fact specially refined light viscosity mineral oils known as “hydrocracked” oils. “Hydrocracked” oils have some advantages over their equivalent mineral oils, particularly in lower viscosity motor oils such as 5w-30 and 5w-40 and they cost about 1.5 times more than good quality mineral fractions. This is the “synthetic” which is always used in cheap oils that are labelled “synthetic”. So, why are these special mineral oils called “synthetic”? Well, it all came about from a legal battle that took place in the USA more than ten years ago. Sound reasons (including evidence from a Nobel Prize winning chemist) were disregarded and the final ruling was that certain mineral bases that had undergone extra chemical treatments could be called “synthetic”. Needless to say, the marketing executives wet their knickers with pure delight! They realised that this meant, and still does, that the critical buzz-word “synthetic” could be printed on a can of cheap oil provided that the contents included some “hydrocracked” mineral oil, at a cost of quite literally a few pence. So, the chemistry of “synthetics” is complex and so is the politics. The economics are very simple though. If you like the look of a smart well-marketed can with “synthetic” printed on it, fair enough, it will not cost you a lot; and now you know why this is the case, it’s really only a highly processed mineral oil. But, if you drive a high performance or modified car, and you intend to keep it for several years, and maybe do the odd “track day” or “1/4 mile”, then you need a genuine Ester/PAO (Poly Alpha Olefin) synthetic oil. These oils cost more money to buy, because they cost a lot more money to make. Very simply, you always get what you pay for, cheap oils contain cheap ingredients, what did you expect!

Japfest is fast approaching and as per previous years we are running a pre order list at special show prices! Our trade stand is B TT so pop along to pick up some oil or just to say hi... Should be a good show and we look forward to seeing you there. I have only listed here a limited range as these are the most popular products, if you are interested in something I have not listed let me know and I will give you a price for it. We are offering as follows: PRO S 5w-40, 10w-50 & PRO R 15w-50 (fully synthetic) 5 litres = £39.99 (normally £44.99 delivered) 10 litres = £80.99 (normally £85.99 delivered) 20 litres = £152.99 (normally £159.99 delivered) Syn 5 75w-90 (fully synthetic) 1 litre = £10.99 Boa 90LS (mineral) 1 litre = £5.99 PRO BOOST (octane booster) 1 litre = £9.99 MOTUL 300V 5w-30, 5w-40, 10w-40, 15w-50 (fully synthetic) 4 litres = £38.99 (normally £42.99 delivered) 6 litres = £56.99 (normally £60.99 delivered) 8100 5w-30, 5w-40 (fully synthetic) 5 litres = £23.99 (normally £32.49 delivered) Gear 300 75w-90 (fully synthetic) 1 litre = £11.99 Motul LS90 PA 2 litres = £10.99 Racing Brake Fluid DOT 4 (fully synthetic) 500mls = £10.49 Motul Brake Fluid DOT 5.1 (fully synthetic) long life 500mls = £5.49 If you would like to pre-order then either Email us: sales@opieoils.co.uk Call us: 01209 215164 PM us Or order through our show collection option on our website here http://www.opieoils.co.uk Please specify what you would like and we will ensure that we have your order with us on the day. Payment is on the day via cash, cheque or credit card. Don't delay, contact us today to book your oil. Cheers Simon & Guy

The Opie Oils "collect your oil at shows" order system is now up and running in the "Members Section" of our website http://www.opieoils.co.uk To order your oil for collection at a show, saving carriage costs you need to follow this procedure: 1. Go to our site and log into the "Members Section". 2. Select the products that you want to buy and click on "buy now" they will appear in the basket on the left of the page. 3. Click on checkout and you will be taken to the "Delivery or Collection" screen showing the delivered and collected prices. 4. Select the show (and day) you want to collect the oil from us on and then click the link to collect your order. 5. You will then be taken back to your basket and you can add or delete products as you wish. 6. Click to go to secure checkout. 7. Complete your details and you're done. 8. You will receive email confirmation with instructions. Please note: Credit card payments will not be taken until a maximum of 3 working days before the show. We will be at the following shows: (more may be added later) Performance Tuning and Modified Show (Santa Pod) 06/05/07 Japfest (Castle Combe) 19/05/07 Japshow (Santa Pod) 24/06/07 Rotorstock (Santa Pod) 12/08/07 Porsche Club Festival 09/09/07 Japshow Finale (Santa Pod) 07/10/07 So, why not plan your oil purchases around the shows and save paying carriage costs. Any questions please feel free to ask here or email us on sales@opieoils.co.uk We look forward to meeting you personally. Cheers Simon & Guy

Opie Oils would like to take this opportunity to wish all here a Merry Christmas and all the best for 2007. Thank you for your support in 2006 and we look forward to being of continued service in 2007. Cheers Simon & Guy

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DRAGON-PERFORMANCE-MAZDA-RX7-DRAG-SPEC-GT47-800-BHP_W0QQitemZ330055892634QQihZ014QQcategoryZ18290QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Bargain price for a proven 9sec car though! Cheers Simon

Which one are we talking and what grade? Regards Simon

This has an LSD so I would recommend either as a dedicated diff oil http://www.opieoils.co.uk/performance_lubricants/pdf/silkolene/BOA%2090%20LS%20-%204%20Wheel.pdf Or for box and diff http://www.opieoils.co.uk/performance_lubricants/pdf/silkolene/SILKTRAN%20SYN-5%20-%204%20Wheel.pdf Cheers Simon

This one here is what we recommend GL4/GL5 http://www.opieoils.co.uk/performance_lubricants/pdf/silkolene/SILKTRAN%20SYN-5%20-%204%20Wheel.pdf Cheers Simon

You and me both :0 Cheers Simon

We are asked all the time about the use of magic addatives / miracle cures. This one is certainly no exception in its claims. Having read about it, I asked Silkolene was this a miracle addative and were the claims possible or more importantly technically possible? If you're interested in this sort of stuff, please read on as it's an eye-opener! Quote: John Rowland (Silkolene's Chemist) The mode of action of the ‘NanoLub’ particles is based upon a fallacy, i.e., that very small spheres can reduce friction and carry high loads by rolling between two moving surfaces, by analogy with ball bearings. (Their ‘Technical Note’ states: ‘NanoLub………….is extremely strong and rolls along surfaces to provide excellent lubrication. In fact, this simply does not happen due to effects that are not important at ‘macro’ scale, but significant at ‘micro’, and very important at ‘nano’ scales. If an average size ball made of hard material rests on (for example) a toughened steel surface, it will make a small indentation. (Nothing is perfectly rigid, not even diamond.) If a force is applied to the ball, the depth of the indentation will increase, but so will its area; with a large ball, the area will be large relative to the depth. Provided that the elastic limit of the steel (Young’s Modulus) is not exceeded, the indentation will be restored to its original size when the force is removed. Thanks to this effect, precision ball and roller bearings have been successfully used for about 120 years. However, if a I micron (1000 nano-metres) diameter sphere is pressed into contact with a steel surface, the maximum possible area of the indentation will of course be equal to the maximum cross-sectional area of a 1 micron sphere, which is 7.9 x 10 to -13 square metres! In other words, a very light pressure will easily exceed the elastic limit of the steel and embed the sphere in its surface. Even 1mm hard steel balls, only used in very lightly-loaded ball bearings, have a cross-sectional area 1 million times greater. (The NanoLub particles are said to be 80 – 220 nanometres, or 0.08 to 0.22 microns in diameter.) The embedding of hard particles into bearing surfaces is well known to bearing manufacturers, and its effects have been well understood for many years: by initiating micro-cracks and grain boundary dislocations, the fatigue life of rolling-element bearing surfaces is severely curtailed. All manufacturers insist that long bearing life depends upon clean oil or grease. There have been numerous studies published showing that particulates reduce bearing life, so NanoLub must not be used in any application where this type of bearing is used. (Similar effects occur between gear teeth.) High-speed plain bearings as used in all present-day automotive engines depend upon ‘hydrodynamic’ lubrication, which depends upon thick (100 micron or more) fluid films generated by motion and viscosity. (This was researched by the Victorian engineer Beauchamp Tower in the late 19th Century). So particles smaller than 1 micron will have little opportunity to act as a lubricant in a much thicker oil film. Even so, embedding can occur at start-up/shutdown where ‘boundary’ thin film lubrication is dominant, leading to bearing damage. As with rolling bearings, hard particles in the oil are not a good idea, hence the use of oil and air filters on all engines made since about 1950. The makers of NanoLub correctly point out that: ‘Common solid lubricants are layered compounds like graphite, molybdenum disulphide and tungsten disulphide. The layers slide past each other to reduce friction.’ Unfortunately, they seem to have failed to understand that layered solid lubricants act as lubricants only because they are layered. One sheet of graphitic carbon atoms for example is not a lubricant; two are! If a layered solid lubricant is treated in such a way so that its layers cannot move relative to each other, it cannot act as a lubricant, so the ‘nested sphere’ structure of NanoLub actually prevents it from acting as a lubricant. In practice, I strongly suspect that the ‘nano-spheres’ actually disintegrate under high pressure, so the WS2 can act as a layered solid lubricant. (All rather ironic that NanoMaterials Inc. have gone to great lengths to stop WS2 working, and the only occasion when it has some effect is when the nano-particles break down!) Although they draw comparisons with the C60 buckminsterfullerene spherical ‘nano-particle’, this is a much smaller (0.7nano-metre) sphere which is a true molecule and consequently very resistant to fracture. The ‘NanoLub Technical Note’ includes some wear test data, without stating the type of apparatus used. It is well known that some primitive wear testers such as the ‘Falex’ and ‘4-Ball’ generate unrealistically high pressures which do not replicate ’real-world’ conditions. (In the 1980s Shell published a table of wear test results ‘proving’ that milk and beer were superior lubricants to SAE 90 gear oil according to some types of wear test. I can send a copy I you wish.) The NanoLub tests are not very rigourous, using unspecified ‘Gear Oil 85W/140’ with and without the additive. A correct and believable procedure would involve using a mineral base oil with various levels of NanoLub, dispersed ‘conventional’ WS2, and a sulphur/phosphorus EP compound such as Anglemol 99. I confidently predict that properly controlled wear and friction tests using reputable apparatus such as the FZG Gear procedure would show NanoLub to be no more effective than conventional particle-free additives which act chemically or electrostatically, thus having no adverse effect on bearing life. As a general comment, I find it difficult to believe that the founders of ‘ NanoMaterials Inc’ could be so ignorant of the vast amount of research and practical experience that has gone into lubrication problems over the past 200 years. Tomas Young, who researched the elasticity of materials around 1810, would have clearly understood the fallacy of very small ball bearings, for example. Any first-year Engineering student could have pointed out the pitfalls. In common with many ‘magic additive’ advocates, there is also the curious belief that dry-lubricated bearings can operate at low friction. In fact, any reputable engineer avoids oil or grease-free bearings like the plague, because regardless of the coating used the friction is always ten times worse than an oil-lubricated situation, and over 100 times worse than a pressure-fed hydrodynamic bearing! Even so, they’ve got a unit on the ‘Weizmann Science Park’ and a (virtual?) office in New York, so presumably somebody believes in them! But of course, looking on the Internet I see that they have the support of Wall Street, where fools are soon parted from their money. Unquote: I rest my case on magic addatives! Cheers Simon

Of course you do although BMW LL04 would be better ;) Cheers Simon

The idea of a synthetic is that it does not need changing every 3000 miles because it stays in grade for longer. A decent synthetic will easily do 6000 miles and the best ones 9000-12000 miles that is why they cost more to start with. The bigger question is are they required and the answer to this is a simple one: NO - in a stock road car YES - in a modded or track car The benefits of synthetics are many as they are superior lubricants but to put down some facts and at the risk of being boring those that are not interested need not read on as this is long. The basic benefits are as follows: Extended oil drain periods Better wear protection and therefore extended engine life Most synthetics give better MPG They flow better when cold and are more thermally stable when hot Esters are surface-active meaning a thin layer of oil on the surfaces at all times If you want to know the reasons why then please read on but, warning - Long Post! Stable Basestocks Synthetic oils are designed from pure, uniform synthetic basestocks, they contain no contaminants or unstable molecules which are prone to thermal and oxidative break down. Because of their uniform molecular structure, synthetic lubricants operate with less internal and external friction than petroleum oils which have a non-uniform molecular structure. The result is better heat control, and less heat means less stress to the lubricant. Higher Percentage of Basestock Synthetic oils contain a higher percentage of lubricant basestock than petroleum oils do. This is because multi-viscosity oils need a great deal of pour point depressant and viscosity improvers to operate as a multigrade. The basestocks actually do most of the lubricating. More basestocks mean a longer oil life. Additives Used Up More Slowly Petroleum basestocks are much more prone to oxidation than synthetic oils. Oxidation inhibitors are needed in greater quantities in petroleum oils as they are used up more quickly. Synthetic oils do oxidize, but at a much slower rate therefore, oxidation inhibiting additives are used up more slowly. Synthetic oils provide for better ring seal than petroleum oils do. This minimizes blow-by and reduces contamination by combustion by-products. As a result, corrosion inhibiting additives have less work to do and will last much longer in a synthetic oil. Excellent Heat Tolerance Synthetics are simply more tolerant to extreme heat than petroleum oils are. When heat builds up within an engine, petroleum oils quickly begin to burn off. They are more volatile. The lighter molecules within petroleum oils turn to gas and what's left are the large molecules that are harder to pump. Synthetics have far more resistance as they are more thermally stable to begin with and can take higher temperatures for longer periods without losing viscosity. Heat Reduction One of the major factors affecting engine life is component wear and/or failure, which is often the result of high temperature operation. The uniformly smooth molecular structure of synthetic oils gives them a much lower coefficient friction (they slip more easily over one another causing less friction) than petroleum oils. Less friction means less heat and heat is a major contributor to engine component wear and failure, synthetic oils significantly reduce these two detrimental effects. Since each molecule in a synthetic oil is of uniform size, each is equally likely to touch a component surface at any given time, thus moving a certain amount of heat into the oil stream and away from the component. This makes synthetic oils far superior heat transfer agents than conventional petroleum oils. Greater Film Strength Petroleum motor oils have very low film strength in comparison to synthetics. The film strength of a lubricant refers to it's ability to maintain a film of lubricant between two objects when extreme pressure and heat are applied. Synthetic oils will typically have a film strength of 5 to 10 times higher than petroleum oils of comparable viscosity. Even though heavier weight oils typically have higher film strength than lighter weight oils, an sae 30 or 40 synthetic will typically have a higher film strength than an sae 50 or sae 60 petroleum oil. A lighter grade synthetic can still maintain proper lubricity and reduce the chance of metal to metal contact. This means that you can use oils that provide far better fuel efficiency and cold weather protection without sacrificing engine protection under high temperature, high load conditions. Obviously, this is a big plus, because you can greatly reduce both cold temperature start-up wear and high temperature/high load engine wear using a low viscosity oil. Engine Deposit Reduction Petroleum oils tend to leave sludge, varnish and deposits behind after thermal and oxidative break down. They're better than they used to be, but it still occurs. Deposit build-up leads to a significant reduction in engine performance and engine life as well as increasing the chance of costly repairs. Synthetic oils have far superior thermal and oxidative stability and they leave engines virtually varnish, deposit and sludge-free. Better Cold Temperature Fluidity Synthetic oils do not contain the paraffins or other waxes which dramatically thicken petroleum oils during cold weather. As a result, they tend to flow much better during cold temperature starts and begin lubricating an engine almost immediately. This leads to significant engine wear reduction, and, therefore, longer engine life. Improved Fuel Economy Because of their uniform molecular structure, synthetic oils are tremendous friction reducers. Less friction leads to increased fuel economy and improved engine performance. This means that more energy released from the combustion process can be transferred directly to the wheels due to the lower friction. Acceleration is more responsive and more powerful, using less fuel in the process. In a petroleum oil, lighter molecules tend to boil off easily, leaving behind much heavier molecules which are difficult to pump. The engine loses more energy pumping these heavy molecules than if it were pumping lighter ones. Since synthetic oils have more uniform molecules, fewer of these molecules tend to boil off and when they do, the molecules which are left are of the same size and pumpability is not affected. Synthetics are better and in many ways, they are basically better by design as they are created by chemists in laboratories for a specific purpose. Cheers Simon

This is worth a read if you missed it first time around Cheers Simon

You say that you changed to Royal Purple 10w-40 but from what? 10w-60 Millers I'm guessing, is this correct? Cheers Simon

I would recommend the Silkolene Silktran SYN 5 75w-90 as an option. Currently on sale in the Members Section of my website http://www.opieoils.co.uk Cheers Simon

Hi dad!

If you would like to collect oil, filters, spark plugs etc at JAE, you need to place your order by the 19th July latest please. You can either call Guy on 01209 215164 or order online via the Members Section of our website as follows: 1. Go to our site http://www.opieoils.co.uk and log into the "Members Section". 2. Select the products that you want to buy and click on "buy now" they will appear in the basket on the left of the page. 3. Click on checkout and you will be taken to the "Delivery or Collection" screen showing the delivered and collected prices. 4. Select JAE and the day you want to collect the oil from us on and then click the link to collect your order. 5. You will then be taken back to your basket and you can add or delete products as you wish. 6. Click to go to secure checkout. 7. Complete your details and you're done. 8. You will receive email confirmation with instructions. Please note: Credit card payments will not be taken until 48 hours before the show. Collects at JAE save paying carriage costs. Any questions please feel free to ask here or email us on sales@opieoils.co.uk Cheers Simon & Guy

No problems, who checked their oil can last night then? ;) Cheers Simon

Yes 0w will probably be fine, however it has come about in the UK mainly by fashion from our two oil fashion houses Castrol and Mobil who both do a 0w-40, 5w and 10w are more then adaquate for the UK. Cheers Simon.

What’s written on your oil bottle and what does it mean. This post may seem like going back to basics but I am constantly surprised by the amount of people who do not know or understand what is written on a bottle of oil and therefore no idea of what they are buying/using. To be blunt about the subject, if a bottle of oil does not contain the following basic information then DO NOT buy it look for something that does! 1) The purpose for which it is intended (i.e. Motor oil, Gear oil etc) 2) The viscosity (i.e. 10w-40, 5w-30 etc for Motor oils and 80w-90, 75w-90 etc for Gear oils) 3) The specifications that it meets (should contain both API and ACEA ratings) 4) The OEM Approvals that it carries and the codes (i.e. MB229.3, VW503.00, BMW LL01 etc) Ignore the marketing blurb on the label it is in many cases meaningless and I will explain later what statements you should treat this with some scepticism So, what does the above information mean and why is it important? THE BASICS All oils are intended for an application and in general are not interchangeable. You would not for example put an Automatic Transmission Oil or a Gear Oil in your engine! It is important to know what the oils intended purpose is. VISCOSITY Most oils on the shelves today are “Multigrades”, which simply means that the oil falls into 2 viscosity grades (i.e. 10w-40 etc) Multigrades were first developed some 50 years ago to avoid the old routine of using a thinner oil in winter and a thicker oil in summer. In a 10w-40 for example the 10w bit (W = winter, not weight or watt or anything else for that matter) simply means that the oil must have a certain maximum viscosity/flow at low temperature. The lower the “W” number the better the oils cold temperature/cold start performance. The 40 in a 10w-40 simply means that the oil must fall within certain viscosity limits at 100 degC. This is a fixed limit and all oils that end in 40 must achieve these limits. Once again the lower the number the thinner the oil, a 30 oil is thinner than a 40 oil at 100 degC etc. Your handbook will specify whether a 30, 40 or 50 etc is required. SPECIFICATIONS Specifications are important as these indicate the performance of the oil and whether they have met or passed the latest tests or whether the formulation is effectively obsolete or out of date. There are two specifications that you should look for on any oil bottle and these are API (American Petroleum Institute) and ACEA (Association des Constructeurs Europeens d’Automobiles) all good oils should contain both of these and an understanding of what they mean is important. API This is the more basic as it is split (for passenger cars) into two catagories. S = Petrol and C = Diesel, most oils carry both petrol (S) and diesel © specifications. The following table shows how up to date the specifications the oil are: PETROL SG - Introduced 1989 has much more active dispersant to combat black sludge. SH - Introduced 1993 has same engine tests as SG, but includes phosphorus limit 0.12%, together with control of foam, volatility and shear stability. SJ - Introduced 1996 has the same engine tests as SG/SH, but phosphorus limit 0.10% together with variation on volatility limits SL - Introduced 2001, all new engine tests reflective of modern engine designs meeting current emissions standards SM - Introduced November 2004, improved oxidation resistance, deposit protection and wear protection, also better low temperature performance over the life of the oil compared to previous categories. Note: All specifications prior to SL are now obsolete and although suitable for some older vehicles are more than 10 years old and do not provide the same level of performance or protection as the more up to date SL and SM specifications. DIESEL CD - Introduced 1955, international standard for turbo diesel engine oils for many years, uses single cylinder test engine only CE - Introduced 1984, improved control of oil consumption, oil thickening, piston deposits and wear, uses additional multi cylinder test engines CF4 - Introduced 1990, further improvements in control of oil consumption and piston deposits, uses low emission test engine CF - Introduced 1994, modernised version of CD, reverts to single cylinder low emission test engine. Intended for certain indirect injection engines CF2 - Introduced 1994, defines effective control of cylinder deposits and ring face scuffing, intended for 2 stroke diesel engines CG4 - Introduced 1994, development of CF4 giving improved control of piston deposits, wear, oxidation stability and soot entrainment. Uses low sulphur diesel fuel in engine tests CH4 - Introduced 1998, development of CG4, giving further improvements in control of soot related wear and piston deposits, uses more comprehensive engine test program to include low and high sulphur fuels CI4 Introduced 2002, developed to meet 2004 emission standards, may be used where EGR ( exhaust gas recirculation ) systems are fitted and with fuel containing up to 0.5 % sulphur. May be used where API CD, CE, CF4, CG4 and CH4 oils are specified. Note: All specifications prior to CH4 are now obsolete and although suitable for some older vehicles are more than 10 years old and do not provide the same level of performance or protection as the more up to date CH4 & CI4 specifications. If you want a better more up to date oil specification then look for SL, SM, CH4, CI4 ACEA This is the European equivalent of API (US) and is more specific in what the performance of the oil actually is. A = Petrol, B = Diesel and C = Catalyst compatible or low SAPS (Sulphated Ash, Phosphorus and Sulphur). Unlike API the ACEA specs are split into performance/application catagories as follows: A1 Fuel economy petrol A2 Standard performance level (now obsolete) A3 High performance and/or extended drain A4 Reserved for future use in certain direct injection engines A5 Combines A1 fuel economy with A3 performance B1 Fuel economy diesel B2 Standard performance level (now obsolete) B3 High performance and/or extended drain B4 For direct injection car diesel engines B5 Combines B1 fuel economy with B3/B4 performance C1-04 Petrol and Light duty Diesel engines, based on A5/B5-04 low SAPS, two way catalyst compatible. C2-04 Petrol and light duty Diesel engines, based on A5/B5-04 mid SAPS, two way catalyst compatible. C3-04 Petrol and light duty Diesel engines, based on A5/B5-04 mid SAPS, two way catalyst compatible, Higher performance levels due to higher HTHS. Note: SAPS = Sulphated Ash, Phosphorous and Sulphur. Put simply, A3/B3, A5/B5 and C3 oils are the better quality, stay in grade performance oils. APPROVALS Many oils mention various OEM’s on the bottle, the most common in the UK being VW, MB or BMW but do not be misled into thinking that you are buying a top oil because of this. Oil Companies send their oils to OEM’s for approval however some older specs are easily achieved and can be done so with the cheapest of mineral oils. Newer specifications are always more up to date and better quality/performance than the older ones. Some of the older OEM specifications are listed here and depending on the performance level of your car are best ignored if you are looking for a quality high performance oil: VW – 500.00, 501.00 and 505.00 Later specs like 503, 504, 506 and 507 are better performing more up to date oils MB – 229.1 Later specs like 229.3 and 229.5 are better performing more up to date oils. BMW – LL98 Later specs like LL01 and LL04 are better performing more up to date oils. FINALLY Above is the most accurate guidance I can give without going into too much depth however there is one final piece of advice regarding the labelling. Certain statements are made that are meaningless and just marketing blurb, here are a few to avoid! Recommended for use where…………… May be used where the following specifications apply…………… Approved by………………………..(but with no qualification) Recommended/Approved by (some famous person, these endorsements are paid for) Racing/Track formula (but with no supporting evidence) Also be wary of statements like “synthetic blend” if you are looking for a fully synthetic oil as this will merely be a semi-synthetic. Like everything in life, you get what you pay for and the cheaper the oil the cheaper the ingredients and lower the performance levels. If you want further advice then please feel free to ask here or contact us through our website at http://www.opieoils.co.uk. Cheers Simon