Oil formulations are changing due to geopolitics (i.e. Pennzoil Platinum) - time to test your preference...

[crenca]

Unfortunately my tested and preferred brand/formulation/grade: Pennzoil Ultra Platinum (as well as regular Platinum) in 0W-40 is not what it once was:



And though Pennzoil is focused on, he mentions other brand formulations have suffered as well.

I will be testing my next oil change as my engine block is full of this newer formulation currently...

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[ducksface]

I haven't read or heard or seen a legitimate oil brand failure on a modern passenger vehicle.
Some worries don't reach me due to my being a bit cloistered.

Do you have some stats that a regular guy can look at to see if this is a regular thing that they should regularly worry about during their regular 150,000 mile ownership?

 

[crenca]

I haven't read or heard or seen a legitimate oil brand failure on a passenger vehicle.
Some worries don't reach me due to my being a bit cloistered.

Do you have some stats that a regular guy can look at to see if this is a regular thing that they should regularly worry about during their regular 150,000 mile ownership?

Good question. The hinge of your question is in the meaning of the word "failure" I think. For many buyers (most probably) of a new vehicle, a "failure" of the oil itself would be one that makes it a factor in having to "rebuild", or at least a major repair that involves replacing parts such as bearings, rings, cams, etc. within some amount of mileage/time of ownership - such as yours, a "regular 150,000 mile ownership".

Outside of heavy/unusual use ( for many of us who regularly wheel, we are in that category), and/or known issues such as GM's recent ones with their small blocks and 3.0 diesels (the fix for which is an oil with a different viscosity then the one spec'd in the owners manuals), the fact is using almost any oil that meets the owners manual "API" and/or manufacturer specs (Dexos being an example) will probably keep your engine from having to be rebuilt/majorly repaired during that time, at least due to the oil....probably....

You will not know, nor care, that one oil/grade might lead to significantly more wear (say, 10-20 parts per million wear metals) in an analysis, whereas another (both oils/brand/formulations about the same price and available at Walmart on the same shelf) leads to 3 parts per million wear metals, actually stays in grade over a typical oil change interval, etc. etc.

In other words, both "work" given the definition, but one motor is likely to last another 100k miles at least, the other probably won't....probably. One "works", but the other has significantly more blow by (and thus lower gas power/mileage). One "works" for many (most buyers), but one does not work for heavy use, fleet managers, and others whose definition of "failure" is different from the above definition.

In the end it is up to the end user to decide. Oil analysis is not for everybody, some folks just don't care and are right that for them and their definition of success/failure any synthetic (or in the Bronco's case, Fords very subpar Motorcraft synthetic "blend" that really does suck in that it is sheered out of grade in about 1k in an Ecoboost engine, but costs the same or more than real synthetics on Walmart's shelf) will do.

However if for whatever reason you don't fall into the "any spec'd oil will do" definition of success/failure, then you will want to gather stats on your oil (the $cost$ and effort of which is not that much) , which are strongly correlated (but not a direct measurement of) the wear occurring in your motor...that is the "stats" your looking for in your question.

Hope that answer is useful!

 

[Brian_B]

Good question. The hinge of your question is in the meaning of the word "failure" I think. For many buyers (most probably) of a new vehicle, a "failure" of the oil itself would be one that makes it a factor in having to "rebuild", or at least a major repair that involves replacing parts such as bearings, rings, cams, etc. within some amount of mileage/time of ownership - such as yours, a "regular 150,000 mile ownership".

Outside of heavy/unusual use ( for many of us who regularly wheel, we are in that category), and/or known issues such as GM's recent ones with their small blocks and 3.0 diesels (the fix for which is an oil with a different viscosity then the one spec'd in the owners manuals), the fact is using almost any oil that meets the owners manual "API" and/or manufacturer specs (Dexos being an example) will probably keep your engine from having to be rebuilt/majorly repaired during that time, at least due to the oil....probably....

You will not know, nor care, that one oil/grade might lead to significantly more wear (say, 10-20 parts per million wear metals) in an analysis, whereas another (both oils/brand/formulations about the same price and available at Walmart on the same shelf) leads to 3 parts per million wear metals, actually stays in grade over a typical oil change interval, etc. etc.

In other words, both "work" given the definition, but one motor is likely to last another 100k miles at least, the other probably won't....probably. One "works", but the other has significantly more blow by (and thus lower gas power/mileage). One "works" for many (most buyers), but one does not work for heavy use, fleet managers, and others whose definition of "failure" is different from the above definition.

In the end it is up to the end user to decide. Oil analysis is not for everybody, some folks just don't care and are right that for them and their definition of success/failure any synthetic (or in the Bronco's case, Fords very subpar Motorcraft synthetic "blend" that really does suck in that it is sheered out of grade in about 1k in an Ecoboost engine, but costs the same or more than real synthetics on Walmart's shelf) will do.

However if for whatever reason you don't fall into the "any spec'd oil will do" definition of success/failure, then you will want to gather stats on your oil (the $cost$ and effort of which is not that much) , which are strongly correlated (but not a direct measurement of) the wear occurring in your motor...that is the "stats" your looking for in your question.

Hope that answer is useful!

This is one of the best answers I’ve seen on this

 

[Vynull]

Soooo for someone who would like to perform his first oil change on a 2.3 now that I've hit 1300 miles......what the hell should I use?! Been on the restore and protect train with my Saab and happy with the performance so far.

 

[CalvinT]

Valvoline got a 2.3L engine to run 500,000 miles with their full synthetic.

https://www.valvolineglobal.com/it-it/500k---valvoline-full-synthetic-vs.-conventional-motor-oil/

Later they put the engines back together and ran them on dynos to see what restore and protect would do. I don't know those results.

 

[crenca]

Soooo for someone who would like to perform his first oil change on a 2.3 now that I've hit 1300 miles......what the hell should I use?! Been on the restore and protect train with my Saab and happy with the performance so far.

Good question. Unfortunately there is not easy to be had systematic brand/formulation comparisons and testing out there. In other words, an owner can't go to Consumer Reports or Project Farm or a web forum and see straightforward "Brand X vs. Brand Y" objective results.

Why? Too many variables for one. Off the shelf oil formulations have to 'do it all', and there are too many engine types (OHV naturally aspirated, direct injected turbo's, diesels, etc.) so most of them end up being master of none. Then there is the fact that there is a very wide variability of operation and environmental conditions. Some folks who post regularly here purchase their Bronco's only to drive them on cool sunny days for 5k a year at most, and seem to be only interested in seeing how much gas mileage they can get (which I think is f$#@ing weird ). Others like me put 20k a year minimum, drive like Batman on and off road, tow, and genuinely "abuse" their engines. The former person could probably use Motorcraft 'blend' and test it at 5k and it would be "ok'"...maybe.... If I used Motorcraft for 5k it would test "danger danger - you should have changed me 4500 miles ago!".

Then there is the fact that oil use and opinion is so anecdotal - so many front stoop yarns are spun around it. You regularly run into folks who think Amsoil (and they were the first widely used group IV product in NA I believe) is and always will be the best oil conjured by mankind. To most consumers, they never get past the brand reputation and marketing.

In the end, unfortunately you have put in the extra time/$ (it is not that much however) to test the oil you use if you really want to have an objective grasp of the situation. As a baseline start out with Pennzoil Ultra Platinum (not regular "Platinum"), or Mobile One ESP (not any of the other Mobile Ones), or Valvoline Restore and Protect - 3 formulations that have tested well for them according to owners reporting here in various threads - and then test your oil for a change or 3. If you are getting good results, stick with that formulation at least until it changes (which they obviously do).

The good news I suppose is 'The Oil Geek' (whom I linked in the first post) is starting to do video's where he is reporting the general trends of certain brand/formulations from his database of his testing company. However he is too careful, probably because of his need to tip toe around brand images given that he also depends on insider access.

This is helpful in deciding which testing company to go with:

 

[jlockerwildtk]

I watched the video and it was good test, I went to the site that Shell sent him to too talk about the oil, the question if it was made with Natural Gas and it is still advertised that it is.
https://www.shell-livedocs.com/data/published/en-US/6812414b-1a33-4430-b074-315be232e6ed.pdf

We have to remember that the oil moved to GF-7, so the formula has changed to meet those new requirements. The GF-7 standard is aimed directly at our engines like the Ford Ecoboost 2.7L V6 engines, direct injection, boosted, timing chain life and high compression engines with blow-by as the engine ages to protect the oil for protection of the over all. The price is still reasonable at Walmart, with 5000 mile oil changes, I still think it is a good oil.

 

[Notmattwong]

Soooo for someone who would like to perform his first oil change on a 2.3 now that I've hit 1300 miles......what the hell should I use?! Been on the restore and protect train with my Saab and happy with the performance so far.

I did my 1,300 and 5,000 mile oil change using Mobil 1 truck/suv full synthetic. Hasn’t blown up yet.

 

[crenca]

I still think it is a good oil.

He says as much, but also points out that in at least one important measure it is not quite as good as it used to be - but still way better then Motorcraft 'blend' and most others

I also think he is right to point to supply/geopolitical issues as the source of the change, not GF-7 compliance.

 

[Vynull]

I did my 1,300 and 5,000 mile oil change using Mobil 1 truck/suv full synthetic. Hasn’t blown up yet.

KEY WORD YET

 

[crenca]

I did my 1,300 and 5,000 mile oil change using Mobil 1 truck/suv full synthetic. Hasn’t blown up yet.

This is sooooo common - anecdotal "it has not blown up yet" so it must be good (that's the implication). I'm just going to say it: You don't know, you have no idea if the oil is good, bad, or ugly for your engine and operating conditions - you only know that the hypothetical worst case scenario has not happened.

In other words, no offense, but your input is next to worthless! You probably have on opinion on the best treatment for brain cancer, or maybe the physics of black holes...but only fools would rate your opinion on these subjects as worth listening to.

I'm just being honest

 

[Notmattwong]

This is sooooo common - anecdotal "it has not blown up yet" so it must be good (that's the implication). I'm just going to say it: You don't know, you have no idea if the oil is good, bad, or ugly for your engine and operating conditions - you only know that the hypothetical worst case scenario has not happened.

In other words, no offense, but your input is next to worthless! You probably have on opinion on the best treatment for brain cancer, or maybe the physics of black holes...but only fools would rate your opinion on these subjects as worth listening to.

I'm just being honest

Who took a dump in your cereal this morning?

Mobil 1 is solid enough for motorsports/racing use. I’ve used it in the wife’s Bronco sport and since new and it’s been running perfectly fine. I’m sure most full synthetic oil you get from oreilly/autozone is miles ahead of the synthetic blend that came in our vehicles. You don’t need to top grade Luiqimoly for these engines to run fine.
You getting that worked up over a single post gives you sensitive snowflake vibes.
I’m just giving my feedback on what’s worked for me.

 

[gbub]

I certainly have not experienced this. I have a 4.0 SOHC powered 2002 Ranger that has 312K miles on it. I used the grade oil Ford specifies but it was full synthetic Valvoline oil. It still runs great and shows no signs of bearing degradation. It uses no more oil now than it did when new. I did switch to 5W-40 as it approached 300K miles feeling the bearing clearances must be getting somewhat greater by then.

I also ran extended oil change intervals of 20K miles. That was determined by oil analysis on my previous Ranger. I used a micron bypass oil filter to keep the oil clean. At around 280K miles I changed to 15K oil change intervals.

That engine did not have an easy life but was not severely abused either. It spent many miles off-road in very remote wilderness, towed my race car all over the country and served as my daily driver. I did not hesitate to take it to redline if I felt the need. I am more hesitant to do that now. It also has a custom tune that pushed out more horsepower and I used it.

My Bronco also has a micron bypass oil filter but change the oil when the oil change minder tells me to. Still using Valvoline full synthetic oil.

 

[userdude]

There is no way, Imeen NO WAY, this thread goes sideways. Oh wait...

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