Oil change information

[Mongo]

Though this article was taken off a motorcycle site, it still has some really good info. on the type of oils used. example: Dino vs Syn. thought some might find it interesting.


Sorry that it is so long.

written by: Mike Guillory.

Brief Introduction
Along with keeping things adjusted properly, using a good quality motor oil
and changing it regularly is the key ingredient to keeping your motorcycle
running happily for a long time. You cannot go wrong using one of the
various "motorcycle-specific" oils, now available also from some of the
major oil companies. However, many motorcyclists object to the higher prices
of those oils and for convenience prefer to buy oil at their local
automotive supply store, which is a still a good option. This article will
provide you with information to make an informed choice.


Price of Motor Oil
So how do you make an intelligent choice? Will $1.00 a quart automotive oil
work okay or do you need to pay $4 to $12 a quart for "motorcycle" oil? You
have to answer that question yourself, but here are a few facts to help you
make the best decision for your situation.

The owner's manual of your motorcycle probably says something very similar
to the following:
Use only high detergent, premium quality motor oil certified to meet API
Service Classification SF or SG (shown on container). The use of additives
is unnecessary and will only increase operating expenses. Do not use oils
with graphite or molybdenum additives as they may adversely affect clutch
operation." That's pretty clear. But what do you do since automotive oils
now say on the container "meets SL Service?" That's easy! By consensus of
the API and the manufacturers, the current SL classification meet all
requirements of SF, SG, SH, and SJ plus all earlier API gasoline categories.
The current SL actually offers some additional benefits over the older
classifications. So, if the motorcycle requirement says "SG", be confident
that "SL" indeed meets that requirement.

The Vanishing Zinc and Phosphorous
It is a fact than many SL oils now contain lower levels of ZDDP (the
zinc/phosphorous extreme pressure additive) and that is a big concern to a
lot of motorcyclists. ZDDP is a last resort protection against
metal-to-metal contact. Whereas a few years ago the zinc level was typically
0.12% to 0.15% in SG automobile oils, some SL oils now have as little as
0.05%. However, this in itself may not be a problem since normal operation
of a motorcycle on the street would never result in metal-to-metal contact
any more than it would in your automobile. Remember these SL oils meet the
most demanding protection requirements of modern, high-reving, powerful
4-stroke automobile engines (among others). And there is no reason to
believe the lubrication requirements of street motorcycles is measurably
different. However, if you race you probably need higher levels of ZDDP and should use
appropriate oils or ZDDP additives.

NEW Motorcycle Oils
Seeing an opportunity to bridge this perceived gap between motorcycle oils
and automotive oils, many traditional oil marketers like Castrol, Mobil,
Pennzoil, Quaker State, and Valvoline now sell their own "motorcycle" oils
at very competitive prices, and alongside their automotive oils. I have
found them at several of my local autoparts stores and even at one WalMart
store. Call or visit the auto supply stores in your area and ask. Even if
they don't routinely stock them, they probably can order a case for you at
substantial savings because their mark-up is generally quite a bit less than
motorcycle shops.

Although not a motorcycle oil, oils with the designation "Racing Oil" are
not intended for street use, generally meets "SG" requirements and has
somewhat higher levels of additives, like ZDDP. An example is Valvoline's
VR1 Racing oil available in 20w50 weight. These should work fine in our
motorcycles.

Energy-Conserving Oils
Some are concerned that the new "energy-conserving" motor oils may have
"friction modifiers" which will cause clutch slippage. Since that is a
legitimate concern it is best to use only oils which are NOT
"energy-conserving for motorcycles with wet clutches." Read the back of the
container. It clearly identifies this. In general, only the very lighter
oils, like 10w30, 10w20, 5w20, are energy-conserving. All 5w40, 5w50, 10w40, 15w40, 15w50, and 20w50 oils which I have found are not energy-conserving and can be recommended for general motorcycle use.

It is commonly mis-stated that "SJ and SL oils have friction modifiers which
will cause wet clutch slippage." In reality, all oils have friction
modifiers, that's how they work. ZDDP itself is a friction modifier. The
real issue is to avoid getting the friction so low, with very thin oils
containing extra amounts of friction modifiers, that clutches will slip
under normal use. Stay away from energy conserving oils and you should be
fine, if your clutch is in good working order.

Synthetic or Conventional
What about synthetic vs. semi-synthetic vs. "dino" oils? All motor oils have
several special additives formulated into the oil to protect from corrosion
and wear, plus detergents to keep combustion products in the oil. For normal
(non-extreme) use, "dino" oils protect as well as the synthetic oils.
However, if you plan to race, run at extremely high temperatures, or plan to
extend oil-change intervals, or simply want the best, then a synthetic or
semi-synthetic may be your best choice.

Real World Test Results
Are there any "real world" examples of long motorcycle engine life using
automotive oils? There is a good one in the June 1996 issue of Sport Rider
magazine in a report called the "100,000 mile Honda CBR900RR." The owner
used conventional Castrol GTX oil, 10W40 in the winter, 20W50 in the summer.
He changed it every 4,000 miles, changing the filter every OTHER oil change.
No valve clearance adjustments were required after the initial one at 16,000
miles. And a dyno test against the same model with only 6,722 miles showed
torque and horsepower virtually identical. The 100,000 mile bike was even
used for some racing. In a subsequent follow-up, the same CBR had passed
200,000 miles and was still going strong! Plus, many motorcyclists have
emailed me with their very positive results using nothing but automotive
oils for years in a variety of rides. Oils have changed over the past 10
years, but that just means we need to be more careful in our choices.


Frequency Asked Questions

1. What is a reasonable oil-change interval?
Most manuals recommend not to exceed 8,000 miles after break-in. But
short-trip riding is considered severe service and the most common oil
change interval is 3,000 to 4,000 miles. However, a long trip is the easiest
service for the oil and going 6,000 to 8,000 miles between changes while on
a cross-country ride is routine. Also, the use of synthetic oils can easily
double the oil-change interval.

2. Will changing the oil even more frequently, like every 1,000 miles,
prolong the life of the engine?
Not very likely, because even at 3,000 to 4,000 miles, the oil and additives
are not degraded very much. Changing more often just wastes money.

3. What about the claims that motorcycle-specific oils contain "special
polymers which are resistant to breakdown caused by motorcycle
transmissions?

Oils usually require the addition of polymers, called VI improvers, to
create a multi-viscosity oil, like 10W-40. Whether it is a motorcycle oil or
an automotive oil, all polymers are subject to some degradation in the
transmission. Full synthetic oils tend to have less polymer than
conventional oils and therefore degrade less.

4. Why are motorcycle oils so much more expensive than automotive oils?

Cost of doing business is higher per quart of motorcycle oil. Large oil
companies make so much more product that their profit margin per quart does
not have to be so high. That's why the newer motorcycle oils being marketed
by some oil companies are only marginally more expensive than their
automotive counterparts.

5. What about the claims by specialty motorcycle oil manufacturers, that
their oil is better?

That's a good one. Next time you hear that line, simply ask, "What evidence
do you have?" I've never seen any. If you do get any, please let me know! I
don't believe that there is any.
Now, armed with all this information, you are ready to make your choice
between automotive oil and motorcycle oil. Either will work fine. Your
motorcycle probably cannot tell any difference. There are many riders, the
author included, who use nothing but good quality automotive motor oils.
There also are many who use nothing but motorcycle oils. All indications are
that both choices work equally well because motorcycle engines are designed
so well that the oil really doesn't make any measurable difference. As long
as it meets SG, SH, SJ, or SL service requirements.

Addendum
In the past several years, various reports went around regarding independent
studies that showed "automotive" oils that are not energy-conserving (EC)
work just as well as motorcycle-specific oil and in many cases better. In
former revisions to this article I listed the oils I found locally (Houston,
Tx) that were 10w40 and heavier and not energy-conserving. I've discontinued that as it adds little value. All one needs to do is look at the back of the oil container where the lower half of the identification circle will have the words "energy conserving" if it is. Don't use those in wet clutch
motorcycle applications, as they may cause clutch slippage. If the lower
half of that circle is blank, as all 10w40 and heavier oils should, that
means it is NOT energy conserving and should be fine in wet clutch
applications.


Heavy-Duty Oils
My favorite oils and the ones I most mostly recommend for motorcycle use,
are the "heavy-duty" oils. They are commonly misunderstood, and often
referred to as "diesel oils." They are NOT energy conserving, have higher
zinc levels, as high as 0.16%, and by virtue of their multi-duty have a
better engine protection package than an oil that is only rated "SL". These
heavy-duty oils are rated SJ or SL, plus CH-4. They are currently closer in
formulation to the motorcycle specific oils and to the "SG" oils that many
motorcycle makers recommend. Following are some examples of these oils,
generally 15w40 oils by industry convention. There may be several other
15w40 oils that I am not familiar with.
1. Castrol RX Super 15w40
2. Chevron Delo 400 15w40
3. Mobil Delvac 1300 Super 15w40
4. Pennzoil Long-Life 15w40
5. Quaker State 4X4 Synthetic Blend 15w40
6. Shell Rotella-T 15w40 (my personal favorite)
7. SuperTech 2000 (WalMart) 15w40
8. Valvoline All Fleet 15w40
9. Castrol Syntec Blend Truck and 4X4 15w40
Full Synthetics - for Maximum Protection
For years Mobil One 15w50 has been a favorite of motorcyclists. In recent
years it has gone from its original formulation to an improved SJ
"TriSynthetic", and more recently as SL "SuperSyn." In May and June of 2002
some emails have gone around about Mobil One 15w50 no longer being suitable for use in motorcycles. As far as I have been able to investigate, that is a false concern. I was assured by Mobil directly that Mobil One SuperSyn remains a suitable oil for motorcycle use, although they naturally recommend their motorcycle Mobil one.

In contrast to that, recently Castrol has been recommending that their 5w50
Syntec is NOT appropriate for motorcycle use because of additional levels of
friction modifiers.

A fairly new player in the synthetic market is Shell with Rotella-T Full
Synthetic 5w40. It is not energy-conserving and according to Shell performs
competitively with Mobil Delvac One full synthtetic, which means it offers
even more protection than does Mobil One 15w50. At least one motorcyclist
has reported to me good results so far with his use of the new Synthetic
Rotella-T. I haven't tried it yet.

Delvac One would be one of my highest recommendations but I don't know where to buy it. For those who may have connections with a long-haul trucking operation, where Delvac One is known to be used in oil change intervals up to 150,000 miles, I suggest trying to get some if you want a superior oil.

There are a number of other synthetic and semi-synthetic oils available and
I have no reason to believe they are in any way inferior. Just follow the
advice and use one which is not energy conserving.

Important Note: Be sure and use the recommended viscosity range, e.g. 10w40, 20w50, etc. for the climate in your area. In general, to protect your motoruse the heaviest oil you can that still meets the manufacturer's guidelines.
For example, 20w50 is better in warm weather than 10w40, because it gives
you a thicker oil cushion between bearing surfaces at operating temperature.
For racing, a thinner oil will offer less resistance and thus more power,
but will offer less protection.

I personally believe in these oils and use nothing else in my motorcycles.
As always, you have to make your own, informed decisions.



A Note on Warranties

Since it is generally accepted within the industry that current
classifications also meet all older ones, there can legally be no warranty
issue. In fact, some oils actually say on the package "SG" in addition to SH
, SJ and SL. However, if any of the very newest motorcycles specify oil
meeting the new JASO, or other motorcycle-specific oil specifications, and
no reference to "SG" or similar automotive specs, then you may have a
potential warranty issue so behave accordingly.


Mike Guillory, author.