FOR PUBLICATION
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Mobil 1 Myth and Reality
Covering note from the author to TVR Mailing List:Over the last year our technical department has been questioned on numerous occasions by enthusiasts of not only this marque but others in the same category. That is: High performance, Turbo charged, Race/Rally etc etc . The sort of vehicles that readers of this journal will own and cherish. There appears to have been many Myths reported so I would like to add a touch of Reality.
Mobil 1 attained a well earned loyalty from those who used the Mobil 1 5w-50 engine oil. It was after all, the ONLY oil that could be used in the original high performance Escort Cosworth until they made it more driveable! Its reputation grew and with our marketing department working hard, the Mobil 1 name is seen everywhere.
However Mobil appeared to have made a big mistake in late 1996, it changed the viscosity to a thin 0w-40 from the thick 5w-50 ?
The reasoning for this was quite simply to stay the "Worlds Most Advanced Engine Oil" in the current and future production arena. Manufacturers latest models now have higher power output with better fuel economy, with smaller sumps and better streamlining making oil temperatures higher. Mobil 1 as it was, could have achieved this but we felt that we needed to take the "next step" in technology. Hence the lower viscosity Tri-synthetic for wider spectrum of performance and utilising friction additives for fuel economy amongst other things.
The view from the laboratories was that because this oil is less volatile, more stable, has better anti wear and is still an SAE 40 at high temperatures then it would not present a problem to any vehicle that used it. This is basically true of all modern design vehicles including high performance turbo models. We have some tremendous good news stories of where the new 0w-40 is being used and all our sponsored cars use the new "off the shelf" Mobil 1 0w-40 (with the exception of Formula 1). Porsche, MercedesBenz AMG, Dodge Viper, AC, Corvette use it as initial fill and Lotus Esprit, BMW and TVR as the preferred fill .
What we have found through experience, is that there are many vehicles out there that are certainly non production, are of higher mileage, that have engines with larger clearances either through design or wear in bearings, pumps and piston areas. The difficulties experienced by some owners are not caused by Mobil 1, it is a specific engine problem in respect to new technology low viscosity oils. These models, predominantly of around 1987 design and 1990 release often need to have a more viscous lubricant regardless of the oils performance profile. Mobil states "For whatever car you drive" on the Mobil 1 0W-40 label, but the owner must ask the question about the requirements of his car. After all do "one size" socks fit everyone comfortably ? If you have a specific requirement you buy the product that is designed for the specific task not the product designed for the mass market. Having said this most are more than happy and have excellent results with Mobil 1 0W-40.
Great you say ! But this has excluded some of the very people that gave Mobil 1 its reputation.
To address this specific need we recommend a newly released product called Mobil 1 Motorsport. Aimed squarely at the enthusiast and race car driver, this oil is Mobil 1 but in a 15w-50 viscosity. The product is the nearest you can get to the oil used in Formula 1 and the Indy car series. The viscosity spread of 15w to 50 is naturally achieved so the product cannot shear down with excessive use (this is why bikes with integral gearboxes and clutches like it) and we are back to the loved SAE 50 at the top end. You may argue that 15w is too thick for hydraulic tappets but this grade still flows down to minus 50 degrees Centigrade and flows far better than conventional 10w oils at start up. Additionally the users of this oil are not concerned with Fuel economy or ice cold starts as the cars are usually under wraps. Current users of this grade such as Power + in Uxbridge and Brooklyn Ford in the Midlands use and sell Mobil 1 Motorsport to a growing clientele. So if your cherished car has high oil consumption, smokes on turbo overrun, has hydraulic tappets that clatter or has a flickering oil light on Mobil 1 0W-40 or other lower viscosity oils then this may just be the answer to your problems. If you have a query or want to know your nearest stockist phone free on: 0800 040111
Two other areas of concern are transmission oils and greases. Using the same technology as Mobil 1 with fully synthetic base oils we can offer fantastic protection and durability by comparison to conventional lubricants.
Mobilube 1 SHC is a gearoil with good synchromesh performance and it gives great performance in rear hypoid axles. It has an API GL4 and GL5 classification. This is used by McLaren F 1 race team
Mobil ATF SHC is a fully synthetic ATF with Mercon, Dexron and ZF approval. This has shown to give 5 to 6 times product life in severe applications and is used by both TVR and Viper for race transmissions.
Mobilith SHC 220 Grease is a fully synthetic heavy duty product with a base oil of a good viscosity to lubricate highly loaded and high temperature bearings. It is of a thickness which is suitable for wheel bearing application and has other attributes such as tackiness and water repellence which also class it as a good candidate for automotive applications. Think of grease as a "sponge" which holds the oil which lubricates the bearings. The sponge must stay absorbent to release and retain the oil . If the sponge breaks down or an inferior oil is used the component will fail ! This particular grade is used in BTCC and many other race arenas. To give an indication of its performance it is also used in bearings which roll molten steel billets and is used as a bearing grease for continental 44 tonne truck wheel bearings. A grease is not just about a single high load test otherwise we would just use Copperslip with loads of metallic anti seize addition . A grease must be judged by how durable it is in extended life, How it reacts with water, How it affects the seals, The quality of the base oil used and the working performance of the soap which holds the oil.
Mike Frost
Mobil / Duckhams Automotive Technical Manager
What should you look for in a Can of Oil ?
Who makes the oil you are using ?
Reputable manufacturers have control of the whole production process for their lubes. They know what base oils are being used, whey know the performance of the additive package and most important of all they test their own product and can produce the data to back up any claim they make. The majors also spend many years developing grades and work closely with the manufacturers. Cheap and cheerfull grades may stop the engine from seizing up but just can’t compete with the performance of major oil company grades, even though the brochures sometimes glow by comparison.
Specifications ?
These nearly all read the same to the untrained eye and will probably difficult to interpret. Basically there are three to be concerned with :
SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) International standard of Viscosity
API (Association of Petroleum Engineers) Quality level
ACEA (Association of Constructors of European Automobiles) European quality level
SAE is alphabetically rated. SG is OK, SH is most common and of a good level, SJ is latest spec which preferred grades will be accredited to.
API is viscosity, I could write an article on this alone ! Basically the first number is cold start viscosity and the "W" means winter rating. The high number is the hot viscosity.
The trend is to lower viscosities for both the cold and hot temperatures. The most common grade at this time is 10w-40. This gives reasonable cold starts in the British climate and offers good protection at the hot end of the scale.
ACEA: A is Petrol B is Diesel and E is truck. The A category goes from 1 to 3.
1=Fuel economy 2= same performance as 1 with no fuel economy 3=higher viscosity at higher temperature for performance.
The VITAL consideration is the Base oil. This is the ingredient that determines the main quality of the lubricant and some of its major qualities i.e. sustained high temperature, cold temperature performance, volatility (evaporative loss),and resistance to degradation.
Mineral oil is made to a base performance at an acceptable price.
Semi-synthetic is mineral oil with some re-worked mineral or a synthetic component added to improve performance of one or some of the above. There are no industry standards as to what the makeup of a semi-synthetic should be. So beware, are you getting value for all the hype that surrounds this middle grade oil. In fact many synthetic oils are just Semi-synthetic with spurious wording.
Fully Synthetic, usually means just that and the price is usually a good indicator of the quality of the synthetic element. Yes there are different synthetics with varying attributes. The most respected are PAO (Polyalphaolefin) with Ester, but lets not confuse you.
Right, what oil do I want for my high performance car ? :
Base Oil : Fully Synthetic for high temperature and high performance
SAE: They don’t like low viscosity so 10w or 15w at cold and 50 when hot
API: SJ
ACEA: A3-96
SOUNDS A LOT LIKE MOBIL 1 MOTORSPORT !
Mike Frost
Mobil / Duckhams Automotive Technical Manager.
PS for your Mobil products you can try A1 Performance Centres and C.A.R. Performance Centres.
For Technical advise 0800 040111
For Direct order advice Telephone: 0800 243413 Fax: 0800 214532