540 RAT

Component quantity data has now been added to these two oils. The tests for these quantities were performed by Test Lab “ALS Tribology” in Sparks, Nevada.


The Wear Protection reference categories are:

• Over 105,000 psi = INCREDIBLE wear protection
• 90,000 to 105,000 psi = OUTSTANDING wear protection
• 75,000 to 90,000 psi = GOOD wear protection
• 60,000 to 75,000 psi = MODEST wear protection
• Below 60,000 psi = UNDESIRABLE wear protection

Both oils were tested at a representative operational temperature of 230*F.

The HIGHER the psi value, the BETTER the Wear Protection.


5W30 Joe Gibbs Driven LS30 Performance Motor Oil, synthetic (lab tested 2014) = 104,487 psi

The bottle says it is formulated specifically for high output GM LS engines, and that no ZDDP or additives required. This is by far, the best performing Joe Gibbs oil I've ever tested. It is at the very top of the OUTSTANDING wear protection category, and fell just short of the INCREDIBLE wear protection category. The onset of thermal breakdown = 290*F
Silicon = 7 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, anti-wear)
Magnesium = 257 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Calcium = 3515 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Barium = 0 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Zinc = 1610 ppm (anti-wear)
Phos = 1496 ppm (anti-wear)
Moly = 0 ppm (anti-wear)
Potassium = 4 ppm (anti-freeze corrosion inhibitor)
Sodium = 12 ppm (anti-freeze corrosion inhibitor)
TBN = 8.8 (Total Base Number is an acid neutralizer to prevent corrosion. Most gasoline engine motor oils start with TBN around 8 or 9)
Viscosity (cSt at 100*C) = 10.1 (cSt range for SAE 30 is 9.3 to 12.4) And cSt (centistokes) in general terms, represents an oil’s thickness.

This oil contains sufficient amounts of the components required (detergent, acid neutralizer, etc) for normal change intervals in street driven vehicles. But, it has way too much zinc/phos for use in cat equipped vehicles. However, it is well suited for Race Cars, Street Hotrods and Classic cars.


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5W30 Motul 300V Ester Core 4T Racing Oil, synthetic (lab tested 2014) = 112,464 psi

This Motorcycle Road Racing oil is from France and comes in liter bottles (slightly more than a quart). At the time this oil was tested in spring 2014, it cost $24.25 per bottle. And with the shipping cost added to that, the final cost was about $33.00 per bottle (shipping was all inside the U.S.), making it THE most expensive motor oil I’ve ever tested. But, since this oil is in the INCREDIBLE wear protection category and is ranked number 1, for oils just as they come, right out of the bottle, with no aftermarket additives, you could say you at least get the best possible wear protection available, for that super high price. This is an extremely impressive motor oil just as it comes, right out of the bottle. So, no aftermarket additives should be used with this oil, because that would only reduce its capability overall. The onset of thermal breakdown = 285*F

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, anti-wear)
Magnesium = 17 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Calcium = 3141 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Barium = 0 ppm (detergent/dispersant, anti-deposit buildup/anti-sludge)
Zinc = 1724 ppm (anti-wear)
Phos = 1547 ppm (anti-wear)
Moly = 481 ppm (anti-wear)
Potassium = 4 ppm (anti-freeze corrosion inhibitor)
Sodium = 3 ppm (anti-freeze corrosion inhibitor)
TBN = 7.4 (Total Base Number is an acid neutralizer to prevent corrosion. Most gasoline engine motor oils start with TBN around 8 or 9)
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.

This oil contains sufficient amounts of the components required (detergent, acid neutralizer, etc) for normal change intervals in street driven vehicles. But, it has way too much zinc/phos for use in cat equipped vehicles. However, it is well suited for Race Cars, Street Hotrods and Classic cars.


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These high zinc oils are among the best performing oils I’ve tested. This proves that my test equipment and test procedure have no trouble at all showing how well high zinc oils can perform. But, not all high zinc oils are created equal. So, keep in mind that you cannot count on high zinc oils to always provide the best, or even good wear protection. For example, high zinc oils in my testing, rank from 4th to 131st. So, one high zinc oil could be about the best oil available, while another high zinc oil can be the worst oil available. Therefore, you cannot tell a good oil from a bad oil without looking at my motor oil wear test data. People who simply choose a high zinc oil may well be shooting themselves in the foot, in terms of the wear protection they actually end up with. Poor choices of high zinc oils are undoubtedly a factor in flat tappet wiped lobes, including during break-in.

If you choose a high ranking oil (high zinc or low zinc) from my wear protection ranking list, you cannot go wrong, even for High Performance flat tappet race engines. Also keep in mind that my motor oil wear test data has matched up exactly with real world Race Track experience, including NASCAR. It doesn’t get any better than that. For all the details on that, and to see the ranking of all 131 motor oils I've wear tested so far, as well as a wealth of motor oil FACTS, go to my Oil Testing Blog link below:

http://540ratblog.wordpress.com/

540 RAT

U.S. Patent Holder

Member SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers)

Member ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers)

pokerpro

Just curious but what number did you come up with when you tested (I assume you did) Mobil synthetic 5W30?

Unreal

Go to his site and see. It is there.

5W30 Mobil 1, API SN synthetic = 105,875 psi
zinc = 801 ppm
phosphorus = 842 ppm
moly = 112 ppm
calcium = 799 ppm
TBN = 7.5

pokerpro

Thank you

mikeCsix

It was good to see Mobile1 5W30 performed quite well and it is a brand readily available.

mikeCsix

Anybody know what the thermal breakdown temp is for Mobile1?

ZF Six

What can happen if you run one of these oils in a car with cats?

Turbokraft

The catalyst will fail, the main reason it is not used in street oils, with the advent of roller cams and lower valve spring pressure it (zinc) is no longer needed. The OE must warrant the cat con for 8 years and 80k. The effect of this additive will not be immediate nor will it "clog" the converter, but a P0420-P0430 is imminent. Even diesel oils for road trucks no longer have this additive due to the extremely complex exhaust after treatment systems they employ.

Sellout

He has different mobil 1 formulations all over that site. None of them that I could find have his additional note from the OP in this thread showing onset of thermal breakdown = *

Go look through it, it's actually pretty interesting. The current formulation of Mobil 1 5w30 is actually much higher in the wear rating than the one Unreal posted above, but he doesn't have any of the numbers showing zinc content and all that. He does show that the anti-wear rating drops by 36% at 275F. I don't know if that actually ends up being the point of thermal breakdown though. It may well recover as it cools down from there.

Hib Halverson

The statement that gasoline and diesel engine oils sold for use in light vehicles do not have a ZDDP component in their additive packages is not correct.

It is true that gasoline and diesel engine oils meeting API's and ILSAC's current specs have less ZDDP than was normal 20 and 30 years ago, but they still have some ZDDP. The current limit is 800-ppm.