break in oil and changes
What was the best oil you tested? I've heard really good things about Torco synthetic. Do synthetics require and zinc additives?
I've tested the 5w30, 5w40 and 5w50 full synthetics. The closest oil to Torco with those tests was an oil I can't even think of the name of any more. These oils are for N/A gas engines. I will look tomorrow when I go by the shop.
For the alcohol engines I found nothing that compared to Torco. There may be some oils out there now that may get close or even beat it, but I haven't seen them. I never use a 100% synthetic oil with alcohol based fuels, because as I understand it, alcohol is used in synthesizing the oil, and alcohol will actually take apart an engine oil. I've seen it with my own two eyes. A guy I'd never met was using some synthetic and was getting a single run out of his oil. Then that had to dump it. The rings and bores always looked like garbage. So I went over to watch him drop his oil and you would see long, stringy things coming out of the pan. And sometimes little balls.
I called Torco and they said that is the Viscosity Index Improvers separating from the base stock. That happens when you use a full synthetic with alcohol based fuels.
Torco makes oils just for alcohol based fuels. IIRC it is their T4R oils and they are a blend of synthetic and mineral oils and they don't come apart with fuel saturation of the oil.
I've looked into, but never tested the LAT oils. I have been on the phone with them and I suspect they make a class oil.
Other oils I've tested were some Lucas products. For the money it's a good oil. I've also tested the Joe Gibbs oil in several grades and they are every bit as good as the Lucas stuff is.
I'm not impressed with the racing oil VP put out in the late 90's and early 2000's. Their extreme pressure package was a bit of a gimmick and I didn't care for that.
Royal purple was down on power a bit. After a season with it, the rings and bores looked like crap so I gave up on that test.
My dad sold Amsoil for years. He started in 1979. So I got free oil for my cars. Their gear lube is pretty damn good. The engine oils for production cars is perfectly fine. When you power levels get up to about 1.9-2.1 per CID or higher (depends on finish machine work and how well the oiling system is designed the Amsoil is a bit down on power. Use Amsoil if you want to save a little money and you aren't making 2 HP/CID.
