540 RAT

Kendall 20W50 GT-1 High Performance with liquid Titanium, API SN conventional (lab tested 2012)
This oil is made by ConocoPhillips.
Silicon = 4 ppm (anti-foaming agent in new oil, but in used oil, certain gasket materials and dirt can also add to this number)
Boron = 188 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Magnesium = 9 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Calcium = 2606 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Barium = 0 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Total detergent/dispersant (anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge) = 2803 ppm
Zinc = 991 ppm (anti-wear)
Phos = 1253 ppm (anti-wear)
Moly = 57 ppm (anti-wear)
Titanium = 84 ppm (anti-wear)
Total anti-wear = 2385 ppm
Potassium = 4 ppm (anti-freeze inhibitor)
Sodium = 0 ppm (anti-freeze inhibitor)
TBN = 8.2 (Total Base Number is an acid neutralizer to prevent corrosion. Most gasoline engine motor oils start with TBN around 8 or 9. And in use, this becomes depleted over time as mileage accumulates)
Viscosity (cSt at 100*C) = 18.2 (cSt range for SAE 50 is 16.3 to 21.8) And cSt (centistokes) in general terms, represents an oil’s thickness.


Farm Rated 15W40 Heavy Duty Performance Diesel, CI-4, CH-4, CG-4, CF/SL, SJ conventional (lab tested 2012)
This oil is made by CITGO Petroleum Corp.
Silicon = 6 ppm (anti-foaming agent in new oil, but in used oil, certain gasket materials and dirt can also add to this number)
Boron = 4 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Magnesium = 677 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Calcium = 912 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Barium = 0 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Total detergent/dispersant (anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge) = 1593 ppm
Zinc = 1325 ppm (anti-wear)
Phos = 1234 ppm (anti-wear)
Moly = 2 ppm (anti-wear)
Total anti-wear = 2561 ppm
Potassium = 4 ppm (anti-freeze inhibitor)
Sodium = 3 ppm (anti-freeze inhibitor)
TBN = 9.3 (Total Base Number is an acid neutralizer to prevent corrosion. Most gasoline engine motor oils start with TBN around 8 or 9. And in use, this becomes depleted over time as mileage accumulates)
Viscosity (cSt at 100*C) = 15.1 (cSt range for SAE 40 is 12.5 to 16.2) And cSt (centistokes) in general terms, represents an oil’s thickness.

GM’s 5W30 AC Delco dexos 1, API SN semi-synthetic (lab tested 2012)
This oil is made by ExxonMobil.
Silicon = 0 ppm (anti-foaming agent in new oil, but in used oil, certain gasket materials and dirt can also add to this number)
Boron = 218 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Magnesium = 0 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Calcium = 2260 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Barium = 0 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Total detergent/dispersant (anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge) = 2478 ppm
Zinc = 878 ppm (anti-wear)
Phos = 758 ppm (anti-wear)
Moly = 72 ppm (anti-wear)
Total anti-wear = 1708 ppm
Potassium = 4 ppm (anti-freeze inhibitor)
Sodium = 0 ppm (anti-freeze inhibitor)
TBN = 6.7 (Total Base Number is an acid neutralizer to prevent corrosion. Most gasoline engine motor oils start with TBN around 8 or 9. And in use, this becomes depleted over time as mileage accumulates)
Viscosity (cSt at 100*C) = 11.2 (cSt range for SAE 30 is 9.3 to 12.4) And cSt (centistokes) in general terms, represents an oil’s thickness.

Mobil 1 0W20 Advanced Fuel Economy API SN synthetic (lab tested 2012)
Silicon = 5 ppm (anti-foaming agent in new oil, but in used oil, certain gasket materials and dirt can also add to this number)
Boron = 81 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Magnesium = 631 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Calcium = 820 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Barium = 0 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Total detergent/dispersant (anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge) = 1532 ppm
Zinc = 742 ppm (anti-wear)
Phos = 677 ppm (anti-wear)
Moly = 81 ppm (anti-wear)
Total anti-wear = 1500 ppm
Potassium = 4 ppm (anti-freeze inhibitor)
Sodium = 0 ppm (anti-freeze inhibitor)
TBN = 7.6 (Total Base Number is an acid neutralizer to prevent corrosion. Most gasoline engine motor oils start with TBN around 8 or 9. And in use, this becomes depleted over time as mileage accumulates)
Viscosity (cSt at 100*C) = 8.9 (cSt range for SAE 20 is 5.6 to 9.2) And cSt (centistokes) in general terms, represents an oil’s thickness.


Mobil 1 5W20 API SN synthetic (lab tested 2012)
Silicon = 5 ppm (anti-foaming agent in new oil, but in used oil, certain gasket materials and dirt can also add to this number)
Boron = 79 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Magnesium = 554 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Calcium = 781 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Barium = 0 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Total detergent/dispersant (anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge) = 1414 ppm
Zinc = 764 ppm (anti-wear)
Phos = 698 ppm (anti-wear)
Moly = 76 ppm (anti-wear)
Total anti-wear = 1538 ppm
Potassium = 7 ppm (anti-freeze inhibitor)
Sodium = 1 ppm (anti-freeze inhibitor)
TBN = 7.6 (Total Base Number is an acid neutralizer to prevent corrosion. Most gasoline engine motor oils start with TBN around 8 or 9. And in use, this becomes depleted over time as mileage accumulates)
Viscosity (cSt at 100*C) = 9.2 (cSt range for SAE 20 is 5.6 to 9.2) And cSt (centistokes) in general terms, represents an oil’s thickness.


Valvoline 5W20 SynPower API SN synthetic (lab tested 2012)
Silicon = 6 ppm (anti-foaming agent in new oil, but in used oil, certain gasket materials and dirt can also add to this number)
Boron = 4 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Magnesium = 9 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Calcium = 2781 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Barium = 0 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Total detergent/dispersant (anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge) = 2794 ppm
Zinc = 1045 ppm (anti-wear)
Phos = 742 ppm (anti-wear)
Moly = 0 ppm (anti-wear)
Total anti-wear = 1787 ppm
Potassium = 8 ppm (anti-freeze inhibitor)
Sodium = 386 ppm (anti-freeze inhibitor)
TBN = 6.9 (Total Base Number is an acid neutralizer to prevent corrosion. Most gasoline engine motor oils start with TBN around 8 or 9. And in use, this becomes depleted over time as mileage accumulates)
Viscosity (cSt at 100*C) = 8.5 (cSt range for SAE 20 is 5.6 to 9.2) And cSt (centistokes) in general terms, represents an oil’s thickness.

Chevron Supreme 5W30 API SN conventional (lab tested 2012)
Silicon = 5 ppm (anti-foaming agent in new oil, but in used oil, certain gasket materials and dirt can also add to this number)
Boron = 82 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Magnesium = 8 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Calcium = 2715 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Barium = 0 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Total detergent/dispersant (anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge) = 2805 ppm
Zinc = 1018 ppm (anti-wear)
Phos = 728 ppm (anti-wear)
Moly = 161 ppm (anti-wear)
Total anti-wear = 1907 ppm
Potassium = 8 ppm (anti-freeze inhibitor)
Sodium = 0 ppm (anti-freeze inhibitor)
TBN = 7.5 (Total Base Number is an acid neutralizer to prevent corrosion. Most gasoline engine motor oils start with TBN around 8 or 9. And in use, this becomes depleted over time as mileage accumulates)
Viscosity (cSt at 100*C) = 10.3 (cSt range for SAE 30 is 9.3 to 12.4) And cSt (centistokes) in general terms, represents an oil’s thickness.

Lucas 5W30 API SN conventional (lab tested 2012)
Silicon = 11 ppm (anti-foaming agent in new oil, but in used oil, certain gasket materials and dirt can also add to this number)
Boron = 4 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Magnesium = 8 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Calcium = 2607 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Barium = 0 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Total detergent/dispersant (anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge) = 2619 ppm
Zinc = 992 ppm (anti-wear)
Phos = 760 ppm (anti-wear)
Moly = 0 ppm (anti-wear)
Total anti-wear = 1752 ppm
Potassium = 14 ppm (anti-freeze inhibitor)
Sodium = 423 ppm (anti-freeze inhibitor)
TBN = 6.7 (Total Base Number is an acid neutralizer to prevent corrosion. Most gasoline engine motor oils start with TBN around 8 or 9. And in use, this becomes depleted over time as mileage accumulates)
Viscosity (cSt at 100*C) = 10.9 (cSt range for SAE 30 is 9.3 to 12.4) And cSt (centistokes) in general terms, represents an oil’s thickness.

O’Reilly 5W30 (house brand) API SN conventional (lab tested 2012)
Silicon = 4 ppm (anti-foaming agent in new oil, but in used oil, certain gasket materials and dirt can also add to this number)
Boron = 4 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Magnesium = 7 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Calcium = 2556 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Barium = 0 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Total detergent/dispersant (anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge) = 2567 ppm
Zinc = 853 ppm (anti-wear)
Phos = 816 ppm (anti-wear)
Moly = 0 ppm (anti-wear)
Total anti-wear = 1669 ppm
Potassium = 9 ppm (anti-freeze inhibitor)
Sodium = 422 ppm (anti-freeze inhibitor)
TBN = 5.5 (Total Base Number is an acid neutralizer to prevent corrosion. Most gasoline engine motor oils start with TBN around 8 or 9. And in use, this becomes depleted over time as mileage accumulates)
Viscosity (cSt at 100*C) = 10.4 (cSt range for SAE 30 is 9.3 to 12.4) And cSt (centistokes) in general terms, represents an oil’s thickness.

hugie82

Farm rated looks good. Is that the name on the bottle?

billla

Why not post this over on BITOG?

540 RAT

Yes

63mako

Boron is an EP (extreme pressure) antiwear additive.

billla

What year is your tractor? :-)

anips

isn't Citgo the south american state owned oil co. by Caesar Chavez who does biz with Iran who does biz with enemy's of America that kill US troops, if so "I don't think so!!"

capevettes

That's why I like the Diesel rated oils CI-4 is great if you can find it. Even the CJ-4 is fine.

MotorHead

None of those oils look any good except maybe the Kendal but I wouldn't even use that. I am the Brad Penn cheerleader, just bought a case yesterday. I believe diesel oil belongs in diesel engines IMHO

Solid LT1

That would be HUGO Chavez BO's hero. Cessar Chavez was a union organizer for farm workers in the 60-70s. Yor doing business with Hugo when you go to 7-11 stores also.

bobs77vet

thats funny...from lettuce fields to running a country ... that guys got some strong organizational skills

Little Mouse

Intersting six of the eight gas gas oils have almost twice the total detergent/dispersant that the diesel oil has and the other two are about the same as the diesel.

The diesel has just right 1234 phos. " Far less total detergent/dispersent " then the majority of gas oils in this test.

Also the diesel oil has more " total of anti wear " agents then the gas oils.

Lets see the kendall has 2803ppm total detergant. The diesel oil a 1593 ppm total detergent. According to 63mako it looks like the kendall extremely high detergent will pull the phos. off the cam lobes not the diesel.


CI and CJ is a higher standard to meet then S rated oils they have to work under much tougher conditions then any gas engine faces.

63mako

Extended change intervals have increased the amount of detergents/dispersants required in SM/SN rated oils. They keep sludge from developing when your running 7500+ miles between changes. Also reduces the effectivness of the ZDDP that is still in the oil. Diesel Oils used to have much higher detergent levels than gasoline oils but oil formulations have changed. ZDDP is hardly needed in modern roller engines. Really need to subtract the boron from the detergent/ dispersant figures above and add it to the antiwear figure though.

540 RAT

You really need to go back and double check your sources, because you have bad information. Boron is NOT an anti-wear component.

This is according to Blackstone Labs:

Gas/Diesel Engines
Elements are quantified in the oil at part per million levels (PPM). This list shows the most common sources of the elements in a gasoline or diesel engine oil.

Aluminum: Pistons, bearings, cases (heads & blocks).
Chromium: Rings, a trace element in steel.
Iron: Cylinders, rotating shafts, the valve train, and any steel part sharing the oil.
Copper : Brass or bronze parts, copper bushings, bearings, oil coolers, also an additive in some gasoline engine oils.
Lead: Bearings.
Tin : Bearings, bronze parts, piston coatings.
Molybdenum: Anti-wear additive, coating on some new rings
(washes off as break-in occurs).
Nickel : Trace element in steel.
Manganese: Trace element, additive in gasoline.
Silver: Trace element.
Titanium: Trace element.
Potassium: Antifreeze inhibitor, additive in some oil types.
Boron: Detergent/dispersant additive, antifreeze inhibitors.
Silicon : Airborne dirt, sealers, gaskets, antifreeze inhibitors.
Sodium: Antifreeze inhibitors, additive in some gasoline engine oils.
Calcium : Detergent/dispersant additive.
Magnesium: Detergent/dispersant additive.
Phosphorus: Anti-wear additive.
Zinc : Anti-wear additive.
Barium: Detergent/dispersant additive

7t9l82

i agree about Chavez. drill here drill now let them starve. i have no problem with diesel oils Mobil delvac 1 used to be an excellent oil. i don't seem to be able to locate it lately.

Little Mouse

They pulled the high level of sulfer out of diesel fuel in the late 1990s. It caused some problems with the fuel pumps on cummins truck engines for a short while tell they found a fix for the problem.

63mako

My sources are fine. You always seem to question my intellect and knowledge on anything I post. I do know what I an talking about and would not have posted if I didn't. Boron compounds are a EP (extreme pressure) and AW (Anti wear) additive. Increased detergency is a side benefit not the purpose of the boron based additives. Here is the white paper on it with a history.

This white paper discusses the mechanics and chemistry of Boron Compounds as additives in Motor Oils, Gear Lubes, and Greases.

Organic Anti-Wear (AW) and Extreme Pressure (EP) additives act to reduce wear by depositing a surface film due to the mechanism of thermal decomposition. The AW and EP effectiveness is based on the degree of decomposition products in the zone of high friction and heat, thus suffer from thermal instability. Some of the older additives in this classification include: Zinc Dialkyl dithiophosphate or ZDDP, sulfur and phosphorous compounds (S-P), and chlorine and nitrogen (N) containing compounds.

There is a class of additives that deposit solid films by the action of “electrophoresis,” which will be explained later. Potassium Triborate (commercially in the form of
[K2O (B2O3)3], and Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3), fall into this class of additives that can form a rather tenacious coating on the sliding and shearing surfaces of machine parts. For example, the OilXtreme product usues a special CaCO3 additive in concentrate form. In some cases, the borates are in the form of “Overbased” Borated Sulphonates (OBS’), which of course contain boron, calcium, and sulfur. Some of the TBN’s of the OBS’ can be as high as 370 in the virgin form. These “Overbased” Borated Sulphonates are often added to large batches of oil to reduce the TBN. Some additive companies offer Borate esters which may contain some or all of the above components. For example, R.T Vanderbilt offers the ester flavor of the borates, while the Luboron Company offers their own borate-based products.

History:

In 1941, it was found that lead napthenates and free sulfurs (Pb-S) could raise the load carrying capabilities of gears and bearings at low speeds because they contributed a solid film of lead sulfate. They could not, however, resist the loading at high speeds, because the film rubbed off faster than the film could be re-deposited. Heat at high loads and speeds also melted away the solid films.

Later came the organic Sulfur-Phosphorus (S-P) additives which were found to outperform the Pb-S additives, because they formed films of iron sulfide and iron phosphate through thermal and oxidative decomposition. At high speeds, the films were replenished faster than they could be removed, which was an advantage over the Pb-S additives.

In 1967, tribological and chemical studies indicated that AW and EP films could be formed by lubricants containing borates. In 1976, J.H. Adams of the Chevron Research Company, patented a number of Borate Lubricants for Gear Lubricant applications. Since that time, a number of additive companies and internal oil company labs have produced many boron-type additives for gear, engine, and grease applications. Recently, Argonne National Lab’s Tribology Laboratory Section has done extensive studies with Boric Acid (H3BO3). Luboron’s products have arisen from these studies.

For gear lubes, the Potassium Triborate is in a finely dispersed form and usually mixed with soluble organic compounds for synergistic effects. While most AW or EP compounds form surface films by thermal decomposition, borate films form by electrostatic attraction, with the metal surface having the opposite charge of the boron particles, which promote a “static cling” effect. Once attracted, the borate films become solid films, and not chemically reacted films. Reduced temperatures of 6-30 C have been noted in gear boxes with these borate additives, and it has been reported that a 1.1% improvement in fuel economy has resulted, compared to the same gearboxes containing S-P additives.

For engine oils, there has been a need to reduce the poisoning of the exotic metals in catalytic converters from organic phosphorus compounds, usually due to the phosphorus in ZDDP. Whether this problem is real or perceived, this has led to the reduction of ZDDP and the increased use of non-phosphorus AW and EP additives such as MoTDC, SbDTC, and the Borates. In engine oils, the microparticulate borates are prepared by dissolving an alkali metal borate in the presence of a metal sulfonate and succinimde dispersant to form a micro-emulsion which is then added to a base oil, or as part of an additive package. When an oil uses this additive, an analysis of that oil will show both potassium and boron. The concentration of borate additives is in the range of 0.5% to 2% by weight. Any concentration less than 0.5%, or larger than 2%, shows up as increased wear in the 4-Ball Wear Testing machine. As you can see, additive chemistry is a meticulous balancing act, so as to preclude additive clash.

Many lubricating oils and greases now contain borates in various forms to reduce wear by the action of these solid borate films, which act as AW and EP additives. When used with the dithiocarbamate family of antimony’s and moly’s, corrosion and antioxidant resistant greases can be formulated as well to provide the same EP and AW qualities.

A side benefit of the borates in motor oils and gear lubricants is their action as mild detergents and as acid reducing agents. Their alkili chemistry helps to retain the oil's TBN, or Total Base Number as well.

FlyLS6

Ok....but for someone whose life long experience with oil is simply pulling a bottle off the shelf, are there a few of the categories in the tests that can be focused on, and be used as the criteria for a reasonable choice?

Trying to figure out the pros and cons of all test categories and balancing them out to make the "best" choice looks more complicated than college calculus.

billla

Absolutely - if you run a flat-tappet cam use an oil intended for that application with >= 1,000 ppm ZDDP. Every oil on the flat-tappet sticky meets those requirements.

Buy one, change it regularly. No rocket science required.

So much effort and angst over something so simple....

Ralphbf

Is there an additive we can use to increase the Phosphorus and Zinc levels in our oils? Like a cam break in supplement?

Also the new Castrol synthetic is suppose to be 7 times slicker than Mobil 1. Is it suitable for flat tappet motors?

I've been running AMSOIL that was not API approved but it's $12.00 a quart.

You would think this topic would be getting old by now.

Ralph