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Are all full synthetic motor oils created equal?

Posted on 2/10/20 at 5:42 pm
Posted by CAD703X
Liberty Island
Member since Jul 2008
94725 posts
Posted on 2/10/20 at 5:42 pm
I've always used Mobil 1 but today I noticed Walmart supertech is half the price so I said screw it and bought that instead.

Am I going to give my truck engine AIDS?
Posted by Cosmo
glassman's guest house
Member since Oct 2003
132661 posts
Posted on 2/10/20 at 5:45 pm to
I use amazon basics full synthetic

$18/5 qt bottle
Posted by CAD703X
Liberty Island
Member since Jul 2008
94725 posts
Posted on 2/10/20 at 5:51 pm to
This was $14 for 5 quarts.

The mobil 1 is $27 at Walmart and $35 at Amazon.
This post was edited on 2/10/20 at 5:54 pm
Posted by LSUJuice
Back in Houston
Member since Apr 2004
18053 posts
Posted on 2/10/20 at 5:52 pm to
Still worth the $4 avoid walmart fee.
Posted by jnethe1
Pearland
Member since Dec 2012
18166 posts
Posted on 2/10/20 at 5:53 pm to
Very similar, but they are different.
Bob is the oil guy is a great site that discusses just about every type of oil, and everything you’d ever want to know about said oil.
Posted by CAD703X
Liberty Island
Member since Jul 2008
94725 posts
Posted on 2/10/20 at 5:54 pm to
$8. My truck needs 8 quarts so I needed 2. Plus they still oem Ford filters for $5.
Posted by fallguy_1978
Best States #50
Member since Feb 2018
53837 posts
Posted on 2/10/20 at 5:55 pm to
Is it Great Value brand?
Posted by LEASTBAY
Member since Aug 2007
16682 posts
Posted on 2/10/20 at 6:02 pm to
Just order the Walmart oil online. It's free shipping I'm pretty sure. Good stuff.
Posted by Tridentds
Sugar Land
Member since Aug 2011
24177 posts
Posted on 2/10/20 at 6:05 pm to
Really not a lot of difference between them at all. In fact, if you submitted blind samples to a lab they would have a hard time really telling the difference.

All of the lubricity testing is done a Shell 4 ball machine or a falex machine. I believe cummings did a test on regular oils and synthetics a few decades back in upstate NY. They filled motors, ran them for an extended period until they failed. The hours they ran are pretty incredible. An even cooler test was they ran oils through motors, drained them, and then let them run until they failed. They have all of these motors at the cummings plant.

For most people that don't try to get 250K out of a car or 350K out of a truck normal oil is fine if you change it regularly. If you go a long time between oil changes... much longer than normal then synthetic is probably better as it will hold up a bit longer.
Posted by Disgeaux Bob
North Carolina
Member since Sep 2016
2833 posts
Posted on 2/10/20 at 6:08 pm to
No they are not.
Posted by Macfly
BR & DS
Member since Jan 2016
10670 posts
Posted on 2/10/20 at 6:08 pm to
I believe it's still made in the U.S. by Warren and that oil is fine, since it has to meet minimum API and other lubricity standards.
Posted by boudinman
Member since Nov 2019
6101 posts
Posted on 2/10/20 at 6:18 pm to
You're right. Supertech oil is from Warren Performance Products. It's a very good quality oil at a great price. I'm using the Supertech Full Synthetic High Mileage.
Posted by beebefootballfan
Member since Mar 2011
21019 posts
Posted on 2/10/20 at 6:43 pm to
NAPA oil is just valvoline in a Napa bottle
Posted by BuckyCheese
Member since Jan 2015
57778 posts
Posted on 2/10/20 at 6:48 pm to
Cummings?
Posted by ScopeCreep
In the thick
Member since Jul 2016
695 posts
Posted on 2/10/20 at 6:52 pm to
I use amsoil in my high compression sports car. Everything else I just use whatever the oil change place puts in.
This post was edited on 2/10/20 at 6:52 pm
Posted by Clames
Member since Oct 2010
19974 posts
Posted on 2/10/20 at 7:01 pm to
quote:

I've always used Mobil 1 but today I noticed Walmart supertech is half the price so I said screw it and bought that instead.


Not created equal at all but for most there isn't much difference unless in extreme circumstances. I use Delo 400 XSP 5W-40 in my work vehicle and Mobil 1/PP/Castrol Edge/RP 10W-30 in my truck. The XSP is a mixed fleet HDEO and API SN rated, loaded with more zinc and calcium than typical synthetic oils and is a little cheaper. Definitely shows better oil pressure at full temp than xW-30 oils I used before. ST sythetic is perfectly good oil too, I use it in my yard equipment with a dash of moly suplement. If you have a F-150 with the 3V or later engines with cam phasers, definitely do not want to use 5W-20 synthetic or not.
Posted by deeprig9
Unincorporated Ozora
Member since Sep 2012
76122 posts
Posted on 2/10/20 at 7:02 pm to
I use whatever the dealership charges me $85 for.
Posted by billjamin
Houston
Member since Jun 2019
19053 posts
Posted on 2/10/20 at 7:13 pm to
They’re all pretty similar to be honest. As pointed out the testing methods are almost identical. In my experience the only differences between a cheapo synthetic and some of the premiums is consistency and quality control. We ran several against each other on large high pressure frack and quint pumps and the differences were minimal. The Total product we settled on was after a year of testing and seeing that it maintained its lubrication and heat tolerance properties long enough over the others to justify the added expense. But if you’re not trying to go to extended cycles and sampling you’ll be fine. This is mostly relevant in extreme duty engines (I.e. industrial or race).
This post was edited on 2/10/20 at 7:15 pm
Posted by Tactical1
Denham Springs
Member since May 2010
27179 posts
Posted on 2/10/20 at 7:16 pm to
A moron would put Walmart oil in their vehicle.

Posted by USMEagles
Member since Jan 2018
11811 posts
Posted on 2/10/20 at 7:25 pm to
"Full synthetic oil" is not a very meaningful term in the USA since (I believe it was) Pennzoil and Castrol won a lawsuit against Mobil 1. The gist of it is that Mobil 1 said "full synthetic" meant oil distilled from PAO base stocks while the other guys said it just meant "really good oil."

So yes, there are differences and you'll have to do some research if you care. In fact, not all Mobil 1 full synthetic lives up to what Mobil 1 originally wanted that term to mean.

This is a pretty typical American thing, unfortunately. We've always been more business-friendly than consumer-friendly... the land of the "partial zero" and the "chef-inspired kitchen."
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