Quote:
Originally Posted by Tripler
Also getting Mobil1 High mileage yet I noticed a post saying that regular Mobil1 is fine . Does it matter ? We change it every year regardless before the Z is put to bed for the winter .
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Yeah...I've seen that said too. But, that is NOT very helpful; misleading at the very least, and
potentially harmful at best!
Just using "Mobil-1" w/o further distinction is like saying
oil is oil w/o consideration of ZDDP, or
gas is gas - w/o any consideration for octane levels.
Yeah, the Z will run on 87 octane - the knock sensors and the ECM will back off the timing several degrees, performance will consequently suffer some, but yeah, it will run on it: has to to comply w/ EPA standards (dating back to the mid/late 80s).
Not quite the same analogy tho with oil. Loss of performance due to octane reduction is (more or less)
immediately noticed. But, with oil,
wear is the issue, and damage (due to inadequate levels of phosphorous/zinc ZDDP levels) is
insidious . In time (wear) will reach a critical point and catastrophic failure is a
real possibility.
Oil manufactures go on and on about this and that, and how the lower levels of phosphorous/zinc is offset by (you name it). I occurs to me they're often protecting their butts; admitting nothing and playing the odds. But, LOOK their oils recommended, focusing on the ZDDP levels in particular, as it applies to their racing and flat tappet motor applications! You don't have to be a "rocket scientist" to "look beyond..."
As w/ most things, too much (of a good thing) or too little (ZDDP) apparently has their drawbacks.
I ain't no chemist; more of a statistician (I guess), and the
"bell curve" seems to favor ZDDP levels in the 1200/1300 ppm (phosphorous/zinc) for our general application as well as that of other flat tappet motors.
So, I guess what I'm trying to say is, (most) wouldn't gas up their tank with
any ol octane, and likewise neither should one fill the crankcase with any ol oil (Mobil-1 or whatever) w/o availing themselves of the specs of the different products they offer and for what application it is best suited.
Oil isn't just oil. This chart from Mobil-1 has over a dozen different products with ZDDP levels running from low to very high. It's probably prudent to know there is a difference? See Marc Haibecks article on
"Modern Oils..."
.