pococj, isn't a group 3 oil by nature a "blend"?

From Mobile One's Oil site.........................................





There Are Four Different Types of Motor Oil Base Stocks







We know that basestock composition has a significant effect on the overall performance of motor oil.There are four different types of base stock used in the motor oil market today. Group 1 - Conventional - Mineral oil derived from crude oil Group 2 - Hydroprocessed - Highly refined mineral oil Group 3 – Severe hydroprocessed - Ultra refined mineral oil Group 4 – Full synthetics (chemically derived) - Chemically built Polyalphaolefins (PAO).As it infers Groups 1 – 3 basestocks are derived from crude oil pumped from the ground whereas Group 4 basestocks are chemically derived, most often from ethylene gas, and contain none of the contaminants present in mineral oils. Just as distilled water is pure water derived from gas so Group 4 basestocks are pure oils derived from gas.

I guess, if we are being picky semantically, SynIII is a "semi-syn" which, you are correct , is different than a "blend".

EZ

 

Oddly enough, you are not the first to ask this. In fact, a large percentage of the motorcyle-riding world has asked this and debated it over and over.

With 2 posts showing at this point, I assume that you're a bit of a newb. As such, you'd be well served to play with and learn how to use the Search feature found on most (all?) web forums, and found on this one on the top set of tabs.

However, I'll save you some time. At the top of this "Oil and Oil related topics" forum you'll see some 'sticky' topics (ones that are always at the top):
[ul][*]What Brand Engine Oil do you use in your bike [*]What Primary Oil is your Choice[*]What Brand Oil Filter Do You Use[*]What TRANS oil do you use?[/ul]
Read thru these and then if you have any questions not already covered ad naseum, hit the Search. If that doesn't get the answer you've probably hit on something new or rare, so ask!

good luck!

 

Royal Purple in the crank and primary. I run Redline Heavy-Shockproof in my tranny. I noticed a big difference in the tranny on my '07. Lots of opinions as you can see. In the end pick any one of high quality syn's, except HD, and you'll be fine.

 

Well check this out.........

http://www.harley-performance.com/synthetic-oil.html

 

Some years ago several oil companies started advertising their Group III oils as synthetic. Mobil got mad, 'cause they were producing Mobil 1 as a Group IV oil. They went to the powers-that-be with their case that these Group III oils weren't synthetic. Mobil lost their case. The organization that is charged with determing what is synthetic, and what ain't synthetic agreed with the other oil companies that the Group III oils are synthetic.

I'll try and look up the particulars when I get time.

Anyway, while there is a difference between the Groups III & IV oils, according to industry standards both are considered synthetic. A synthetic blend, again by industry standards, is comprised of (usually) mostly a Group II oil with a small bit of a group III or IV added.

And to really chunk a tire iron in the gears, Mobil 1, usually considered as a Group IV oil made of PAO, has its additive package mixed using a Group II oil. It might be 80 -90 % Group IV basestock with 10 - 20% additives/Group II.


Here's a relevant bit:

Semi-synthetic oil
Semi-synthetic oils (also called 'synthetic blends') are blends of mineral oil with no more than 30% synthetic oil. Designed to have many of the benefits of synthetic oil without matching the cost of pure oil. MOTUL introduced the first semi-synthetic motor oil in 1966.

And more to the point:

Synthetic motor oils have been made from the following classes of lubricants: [ul][*]Polyalphaolefin (PAO) = API (American Petroleum Institute) Group IV base oil[*]Synthetic esters etc = API Group V base oils (non-PAO synthetics, including diesters, polyolesters, alklylated napthlenes, alkyklated benzenes, etc.)[*]Hydrocracked/Hydroisomerized = API Group III base oils. Chevron, Mobil, and other petrochemical companies developed processes involving catalytic conversion of feed stocks under pressure in the presence of hydrogen into high quality mineral lubricating oil. In 2005 production of GTL (Gas-to-liquid) Group III base stocks began. The best of these perform much like polyalphaolefin. Group III base stocks are considered synthetic motor oil in North America.[/ul]

 

Thanks Skip, very interesting seeing the politics of it.

I guess the major point we were both trying to make is that there are oils considered superior to Syn III for about the same or, often , less money than the Chavez stuff costs.

EZ

 

You're welcome. Still haven't found the reference to the dust-up among Mobil and others.

And while Syn3 is a good quality oil, you've hit the point - there are better oils for less cost.

 

I switched to Amsoil 20-50 and Redline Heavy Shockproof 15,000 miles ago.No complaints!I change the engine oil every 5K.
Still use Primary +.

 

+1 on cHarley's comments. Pick from the main players (Mobil 1, Royal Purple, Amsoil, Redline, etc.) based on price and availability. You won't go wrong, as they're all good. And don't forget to consider Mobil 1 15w50, which has performed well in tests and is probably the cheapest alternative, available almost everywhere. Someone posted that Wal-Mart sells it in 5-qt. containers for $20.