Engine Oils: A Polarizing Topic

Engine oils are like religions. You've got the house of Valvoline, the church of Pennzoil, Quaker State. (children booing) And when I was doing my research for this episode, I quickly found out for whatever reason that engine oil is a polarizing topic.

So, when I was browsing the aisles of my local dollar store and I came across this budget oil, I got curious. What is this mystery oil that costs the same as a four-pack of Fruit Stripe gum? Well today, we're gonna figure it out, we're going to talk about engine oils, what they are, why they matter, and how they differ.

Engine oils are lubricants used in vehicles to reduce friction between moving parts. They also help to protect engines from wear and tear, corrosion, and other forms of damage. But not all engine oils are created equal.

As I mentioned earlier, there's a debate about what constitutes "synthetic" oil versus conventional oil. Some companies may use the term "synthetic" to describe an oil that is actually just a blend of conventional and synthetic components. We're not going to get into that level of detail here, but suffice it to say that the difference between these oils can be significant.

One key factor in determining the quality of an engine oil is its base stock. The American Petroleum Institute (API) categorizes base oils into five main groups. These groups are based on the refining method and the properties of the oil, such as its sulfur content, saturate level, and viscosity index.

Group one, two, and three oils are conventional oils, meaning they're refined from crude oil. Group three is considered to be the best because it has lower sulfur content, a higher saturate level, and a high viscosity index.

On the other hand, group four and five oils are synthetic-based oils. These oils are made from man-made materials like Polyalphaolefin (PAO) or chemical-engineered oils. Typically, these oils are used as additives to other base oils rather than being used as a standalone product.

Now, let's talk about why using a lower-grade base stock can be worse for your engine. Conventional oils like this mix of different hydrocarbon molecules that are non-uniform. The refining process didn't separate out different sized molecules, so you get an oil with an irregular lubricant surface.

If you zoom in with a microscope and check out that layer of oil in between your two metal surfaces, you'd see some height differences there, and these various sized molecules generate friction within the fluid. This causes your engine to need more power to overcome that added friction.

In contrast, group four oils are man-made, so they don't have these molecular problems. The scientists making these oils can control the molecular structure to achieve specific functional properties. This results in a size uniformity, meaning all the molecules are the same shape and size.

Because of this, group four oils have a broader temperature range, better protection at high temperatures, and less friction within the fluid. They're more efficient and provide better performance overall.

Now that we've talked about engine oils, let's put our dollar-store oil through some homegrown bench testing to see how it fares against top-shelf Valvoline. We'll be using a partnership with Valvoline to test these oils, so you can get an idea of what it means to use a high-quality oil in your vehicle.

First, we need to understand the differences between conventional and synthetic engine oils. The American Petroleum Institute (API) categorizes base oils into five main groups. These groups are based on the refining method and the properties of the oil, such as its sulfur content, saturate level, and viscosity index.

The American Petroleum Institute (API) categorizes base oils into five main groups. These groups are based on the refining method and the properties of the oil, such as its sulfur content, saturate level, and viscosity index.

Groups one, two, and three oils are conventional oils, meaning they're refined from crude oil. Group three is considered to be the best because it has lower sulfur content, a higher saturate level, and a high viscosity index.

On the other hand, group four and five oils are synthetic-based oils. These oils are made from man-made materials like Polyalphaolefin (PAO) or chemical-engineered oils. Typically, these oils are used as additives to other base oils rather than being used as a standalone product.

Now, let's talk about why using a lower-grade base stock can be worse for your engine. Conventional oils like this mix of different hydrocarbon molecules that are non-uniform. The refining process didn't separate out different sized molecules, so you get an oil with an irregular lubricant surface.

If you zoom in with a microscope and check out that layer of oil in between your two metal surfaces, you'd see some height differences there, and these various sized molecules generate friction within the fluid. This causes your engine to need more power to overcome that added friction.

In contrast, group four oils are man-made, so they don't have these molecular problems. The scientists making these oils can control the molecular structure to achieve specific functional properties. This results in a size uniformity, meaning all the molecules are the same shape and size.

Because of this, group four oils have a broader temperature range, better protection at high temperatures, and less friction within the fluid. They're more efficient and provide better performance overall.

Now that we've talked about engine oils, let's put our dollar-store oil through some homegrown bench testing to see how it fares against top-shelf Valvoline. We'll be using a partnership with Valvoline to test these oils, so you can get an idea of what it means to use a high-quality oil in your vehicle.

First, we need to understand the differences between conventional and synthetic engine oils. The American Petroleum Institute (API) categorizes base oils into five main groups. These groups are based on the refining method and the properties of the oil, such as its sulfur content, saturate level, and viscosity index.

In conclusion, using a high-quality engine oil can make a significant difference in your vehicle's performance and longevity. While conventional oils may be cheaper upfront, they may not provide the same level of protection and performance as synthetic oils.

The key is to choose an oil that meets your needs and provides the necessary level of protection for your engine. Whether you're looking for a budget-friendly option or a high-performance oil, there's an engine oil out there for you.

So, which type of oil should you use in your vehicle? The answer depends on several factors, including your driving habits, climate, and the type of engine you have. Here are some general guidelines to consider:

* If you drive under normal conditions, a conventional oil may be sufficient.

* If you drive in extreme temperatures or engage in high-performance driving, synthetic oil is likely a better choice.

* If you live in an area with high humidity or pollution, synthetic oil can provide additional benefits.

Ultimately, the best engine oil for your vehicle will depend on your specific needs and preferences. Be sure to consult your owner's manual or speak with a mechanic if you're unsure about which type of oil to use in your vehicle.

In summary, using a high-quality engine oil is essential for maintaining your vehicle's performance and longevity. By understanding the differences between conventional and synthetic oils, you can make an informed decision about which type of oil is right for you.

We hope this information has been helpful in explaining the world of engine oils. If you have any further questions or concerns, feel free to ask!

WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en- Engine oils are like religions.You've got the house ofValvoline, the church of Pennzoil,Quaker State.(children booing)And when I was doing myresearch for this episodeI quickly found out for whatever reasonthat engine oil is a polarizing topic.So when I was browsing theaisles of my local dollar storeand I came across thisbudget oil, I got curious.What is this mysteryoil that costs the sameas a four-pack of Fruit Stripe gum.Well today, we're gonna figure it out,we're going to talk about engine oils,what's inside the cheapstuff and see how it comparesto the top shelf oiland while we're at it,we're going to see who hereat Donut has the dirtiest oilpumping through their engine.Is it me?Nope.(lighthearted music)- Big thanks to Dr.Squatchfor sponsoring this episode.(laughter)Good one friend.Your skin is your largest organ.So why are so many of youstill using that chemical goothat you discovered in grade school?Well, I don't smell.You may not smell yet,that's just a coverupof the soap you're usingand it's not keeping yourskin as healthy as it couldand should be.Before Dr.Squatch, Iwas using some big boxchemical-filled soap thatI thought smelled good,but I probably smelled like this.(gasping)Uhg!Gross!So treat yourself to the lathery goodnessof Dr.Squatch soap.I mean, after all, I wantto smell like a Crisp IPAor goat's milk from the deep sea.Take it from me, a realman, I grew all this corn.Doughboys ascend to real manliness.Eat your vegetables, take care of yourselfand be proud of your smell.Your skin will thank you later.Head over to DRSQUATCH.COMand use code DONUT20.Get 20% off site-wide onpurchases $20 or more,and click the link belowto check out Dr.Squatch'sbest-selling bundles.You are mythical.- Engine oil is pretty importantfor your engine.(upbeat music playing)If you take two chunks of metaland you try to get themto slide on each other,it doesn't work,the coefficient of frictionbetween those two surfacesis high enough to preventthem from slipping.But when we add engine oil into the mixit creates a thin film thatseparates the metal surfacesand allows the parts to move.This is what's going on in your engine.You have a bunch of metalcomponents moving aroundthat need that layerof oil in between themso that they can function properly.Now, not only is the oilthere to lube stuff up,it's also there to clean your engineas well as cool it down.Now, I'm going to be honest,I once thought a long time agothat oil was just rotteddinosaurs, but in fact,crude oil was formed millionsof years before T-Rexand his little claws were stomping around.See this used to be abig old ocean, right?And the animals and plantlife that we're livingin that ocean when they died,they fell to the bottom of it.And when they decomposed,they turned into a sludge,which is basically justcarbon and hydrogen atoms.Well over millions and millions of years,sand and silt would buildup on top of that sludgeand it created so much pressureand heat that it turned itinto a crude oil, which isjust a bunch of hydrocarbons.Well what we have behind meare what called pump jacks,and they take that crude oiland they bring it upto the earth's surface.And that crude oil is thenshipped off to a refinerywhere it's made into allsorts of stuff like gasoline,like diesel, jet fuel,and even formulated into engine oil.And when crude oil is refined,it's put back underhigh heat and pressure,and when you do that, youcan separate the lightand heavy hydrocarbons.Now a hydrocarbon, that'sjust a chain of carbonand hydrogen atoms,that's all this stuff is.So the light hydrocarbons,they're pulled off and refinedto make fuels like gasoline and diesel,and the heavier hydrocarbons,they're used for base oils.- And the three bigcomponents that you usein an engine oil to controlthings is the base oil,which is about 85% of the formulation.That gives you your lubricationand your viscometrics.You then have your additives,which is the most expensive partkind of like the activeingredient if you will.That brings in wear protection,it brings in sludge control,it brings an oxidation controlso your oil doesn't break down.And the last thing is viscosity modifiers,which are polymers,which basically ensurethat as your oil heats up,it doesn't thin out too much.- This is Dr. MichaelWarholic who holds a PhDin fluid mechanics andis the technology managerfor Valvoline.Now given that he says85% of an oil startswith its base oil,we should probably figureout what this stuff is.Well luckily, the AmericanPetroleum Instituteor API for short, theycategorize base oilsinto five main groups.Now this breakdown is basedon the refining methodand the base oils' properties.How much sulfur the oil contains,its saturate level andits viscosity index.And from those three propertieswe can create a chartthat breaks down our five base oils.Groups one, two, and three,they're conventional oils,meaning they're refined from crude oil,all that frickin' dyno juicethat's under the ground.Group three is the bestbecause it has the lower sulfur content,it's got the highest saturate level,and it's got a high viscosity index.Now on the other hand, wehave groups four and fiveand they are synthetic based oils,meaning they're synthesizedin a lab, they're manmade.Group four oils are madefrom Polyalphaolefin,also called PAOs,and group five based oils arealso chemical-engineered oils.Typically, when it comes tothe engine oil game at least,they're not used as a base oil,they're just used as anadditive to other base oils.Now, as you go up the ladder,the better functioning the base stock isand the higher price you payfor the final oil formulation.Well kind of.A company can label an oilas synthetic here in the USAmaking you think you gota group four base stock,but really it's conventional oil.In fact, the term fullysynthetic is nothing morethan a marketing ploy.We're not gonna go down that route,that's like a little bittoo wheelhousey for us.Maybe Nolan will do something about it.Anyways, my point is,is that if you start offwith a lower grade base stock,the oil is going to be cheaper,like a dollar per bottle cheap.But that cheap pricecomes with a trade off.- Because the base soilis really the foundationthat you're building your house on, right?So, the better base oil that you have,the better performance thatoil is going to give you,and actually, the more youcan do on the additive side.- But why is using a lowertier base stock worsewhen it comes to using it in your engine?Well, conventional oils like this,they're a mix of differenthydrocarbon moleculesthat are non-uniform.The refining process,it didn't separate outdifferent sized moleculesand as a result,you get a lubricant withdifferent shapes and sizes.That's important to knowbecause the difference in sizecreates an oil that creates anirregular lubricant surface.If you were to zoom in with a microscopeand check out that layer of oilin between your two metal surfaces,you'd see some height differences there,and these various sizedmolecules, they generate frictionwithin the fluid.That then causes yourengine to need more powerto overcome that added friction.Now on the other hand, hello.Because group four oils are manmade,they don't have these molecular problems.The scientists making these oils,they can control that molecular structureto achieve whatever functionalproperties the oil is after.Now this molecular uniformitycreates a size uniformitymeaning all the moleculesare the same shape and size.Because of this, they havea broader temperature range,they have better protection at high temps,and they lack that higherfriction within the fluidmaking them more efficient.So today we are going toput our dollar-store oilthrough some homegrown benchtesting and see how it faresto some top-shelf Valvoline.And if you're wondering,why are we using Valvoline?Well it's because they're the (beep) best.And also, we just so happento have a partnershipwith them here at Donut,we just got a bunch of it around the shop,they didn't sponsor this episode.So whatever happens happens.And before all you oilhoes get all testy with meand ask me, "Hey, why didn'tyou test this oil or that oil?"Really, I'm only trying to find out moreabout this dollar-store oil.We're just using some of theseother more well-known brandsfor context.Now that being said,we've decided to use the sameweight oil in our evaluation,10W-30, apples to apples, we'renot going to switch it up.They're going to be all 10W-30 baby.So first things first, Ineed to make sure this oilsays what it actually is, 10W-30.So how would I go and do that?Well, I'm going to go offand send a virgin oil sampleto get analyzed by an oil analysis lab.So the lab doing this analysis,they'll do a verify testfor viscosity and report back a numberand if that number fallsin between the rangesas defined by the test,then we'll know thatDrivers Choice isn't lying.You could also just look at the bottle.So this little stamp righthere is called the API donutand it identifies engine oilsthat meet certain API oil standards.So if it says 10W-30 on it,the API approves this claim.But frickin' anybodycould just Photoshop thatand print it on this bottle.So in the meantime,I'm going to run my own littleviscosity experiment herein the Donut lab.So we're going to take this oiland we're going to cool itdown as cold as we can get it,around minus 10 degrees celsiusand then we're going to pourit down our Donut ramp hereand compare it to other 10W-30oils and see how it fares.This will give us an ideaif this Drivers Choice oilis even in the ballparkof other 10W-30 oils.So I have the synthetic Valvoline,the conventional Valvoline,and our Drivers Choiceall in 10W-30 weight.So we're going to pour it down this rampand I'm going to see howour Drivers Choice comparesto these other two oils.Let's see what happens.Mmh.- Synthetic--- Wins.Okay, that's pretty interesting.It looks like the lowertemperature range of oil is on parwith these other two,but a virgin oil sample,that's not all that telling, right?What's more importantis if we look at the oilonce it's been heat cycledand used a little bit.Engine oil begins to break downat around 275 degrees Fahrenheit.So I'm going to heat upthis oil to that temperaturethen cool it back down toaround minus 10 degreesand run the same testto see if we maintainour 10-weight spec after the oil went pastits normal operating temperature.Let's see what happens.Oh, oh it's so close.Oh!So the purpose of thistest wasn't to determinea winner or a loser per se,it was just to seewhether or not this 10W-30Drivers Choice oil was in the ballparkof some other 10W-30 oils,and it turns out it is,and it is when you heat it up,it is when you cool it down,it's in that general range.So it's probably safe to saythat if it says 10W-30 on it,it is.We're also going to doan evaporation test.To do that, I'm going toweigh out a set amount of oil,each of our three oils,I'm going to put it on a hot plate,I'm going to crank it up to 150 degrees Cand I'm going to let itsit there for 30 minutes.I'll then take it off the hot plateand then put it back on the scaleand see how much oil hasevaporated in that time.So as you can see here, ourdollar store oil evaporated off1.39 grams over that course of 30 minutes,which is around 2.76% ofthe total starting volume.Now that's right on parwith these other two oils,the Valvoline conventionaland Valvoline synthetic,which means that this dollar-storeoil is in the ballparkof these other 10W-30 oils.Now we can confirm thatthis is a 10W-30 oilon the practical side of things,but what about chemically?What happens when we usea more scientific methodlike spectroscopy tofind out what's going oninside this oil?Now doctor Warholic mentioned thatthere are a few other componentsoutside of the base stockthat determine the quality of the oil,that's the additives andthe viscosity modifiers.So if you start out with crude oil,you refine it into your base oil,and then you add additives,that's what gets you engine oil.And luckily with our report in hand,we can look at what additivesand how much of each ofthese additives are insideour oil sample.So here I have a printed outreport of our Drivers Choicedollar-store oil, and if you look at it,they have a bunch of different elementson the left-hand sideand a bunch of different numberscorresponding to those elements.Now we have 22 elements,each of them telling us adifferent thing about our oil.Now because this is a virgin oil samplemeaning we haven't runit through an engine,there's not going to be anyvalues next to our metals,but there are some valuesnext to our additives.So we have boron, calcium,magnesium, and barium,these are detergents.We have molybdenum, phosphorus, zinc,these are anti-wear agents.And when we look atthese oils side by side,our dollar-store oil has comparable valuesfor all of these additives,which is a pretty good thing.So the purpose of additives isthey improve the performanceof your base oil.The manufacturer of abunch of different oils,they can take the same basestock for each formulationand then choose different additivesfor their specific application.And in some oils, the additivesmake up 5% of the weightof the oil.In modern engines, they gotto have additives in there.Without them, the oilwould become contaminated,the oil would break down, it'd leak outand would not properlyprotect the engine partsat all operating temperatures.Now these are your detergentsand they clean the metal partsin your engine and preventa bunch of sludge and stufffrom building up.And these right here, theseare your anti-wear agents,and they do, surprisesurprise, exactly that,they prevent items likeyour valves from wearing outand creating gaps thatoil can then get pastin what's called blow by.And this right here, thisis an important number,this is called your TBN.So TBN, it measures how muchbase additive is in the oilto offset the effects ofacids coming in to the oilfrom the combustion processand the wear of metal.So your engine oil has a set pHand when it's running throughyour engine over time,it gets more acidic as it goes along.The combustion processcreates acid in your oil.The lower the TBN reading,the less active additive the oil has left.So that was a great segue intolooking at who here at Donuthas the worst oil.(humming)(upbeat music playing)(upbeat music continues)So I have six reports in my hand.We got Zach's GX470, we have my GX470,we have Kanan's Ford Ranger,we have Nolan's Mustang,we have Kristina's Prius,and we have Eddie's Miata.Now let's get down to brass tacksand see who's got fricking worst oilout of all these six people.Now that do that,I'm going to focus onthe bottom of this reportand we're going to startwith the TBN value.Now it just so happens thatI have the lowest TBN value,which is an indicator that my oil is old.But I do have to say I tooka sample of my GX470's oilwhen I bought it.So this isn't when I wasoperating the vehicle,it's when the person before me.So it's got a low TBN value,but still it's pretty good,it's above the minimum valueof one, which is what you want.Who has the highest TBN is frickin' Nolan.Goes to,no, sorry, it doesn't go to Nolan.Sorry Nolan, it goes to Eddiespaghetti, which makes sensebecause Eddie actuallyrecently changed his oil.He's got fresh old oil in there.Now other things we can look atto determine how old the oil isis looking at the percent of water.Everyone on here, it's got0% water, that's great.We can also look at thepercent of antifreeze.Everyone here has a 0%antifreeze, which is also good.We can look at the insoluble percentage,and that's the amount ofsolids that have formeddue to oxidation,and the person who's got theworst one in that is a tiebetween Kanan and Nolan.Two more things we canlook at is the viscosityand the flashpoint,the lower the flashpoint,the older the oil is.The viscosity, the lowerthe viscosity also,the more that oil hasbroken down over time,and we if put all those factors into playwe can determine who needsto change their engine oil.And that goes to,drum roll please.(drum roll playing)Nolan.(cheering)Nolan, change your engine oil man.Sorry to throw you under the bus,that's why I stole your keys.You probably didn't know I did thatbut when you watch this video, you will.And if you're curiouswho has the cleanest oil,it actually turns outto be Kristina, we tied.So put it there, Tina.Yeah, we got good fricking engine.Guys, thank you so much forwatching this episode of "B2B."Thank you, Dr. Warholic forletting me pick your brain,talk about engine oil.This is the first episodeof "B2B" of the new year.Happy 2021!Follow us here @Donut onInstagram @DonutMedia.Follow me on Instagram at Jeremiah Burton.Until next week, bye for now.2021 here we come!