Madscientist, I've read a lot online about 540rat but not too much that is negative. If you have a link, post it. I would like to read it. I try to gather as much info as I can when I'm researching. I know that any testing done by anyone is only as good as the equipment and the unbiased opinion of the person doing it.
540RAT wrote so much crap that it would be impossible to link to it. I know he was on may sites. I ran into him on speedtalk.com. If you go there and search you will find thread after thread after thread after thread of his nonsense and it finally got him booted. speedtalk.com has some of the smartest guys I know on the web posting there, so 540RAT was exposed. You can look it up.
I'll throw you a couple of bones to think about.
Engine oil testing is some of the most cost prohibitive, labor intensive, counter productive testing I have ever done. I almost never post results for several reasons, the first being cost. It takes a MINIMUM of 9 (NINE) test pulls per oil in an A-B-A test format, other wise your numbers are 100% pure bull crap. Since I didn't personally pay for the testing, it's not mine to post.
The second reason is that way too many variables are in play to make the test results actually VALID to anyone other than who the testing was completed for. It can be as simple as bearing clearance to something such as bore finish geometry, ring tension, windage tray configuration, number and location of crank scrapers (I'm already saying too much). So the testing may not translate well from a full tilt race engine (running 140* water temp and 160* oil temp) to a street car runiing 190* water and 220-240 oil temp* (we all monitor our working oil temps don't we?).
So with that I will give you some generals:
1. Lower grade oils (mistakenly call weight) don't always make better power when tested for application.
2. Lower pressure almost NEVER gains more than 5 HP EVER. You gain more HP in dropping a grade than lowering oil pressure i.e. going from a 50 to a 40 grade oil, but you better damn sure know why you are dropping a grade.
3. In a post WWII world never EVER run a single grade oil. EVER. Don't do it. NEVER.
4. The first number in an oils grade is it's WINTER grade, and only has an effect when the oil temp is ambient.
5. All multigrade oils start as a base oil in it's winter grade (for example, a 10w30 oil starts out as a 10 grade oil) and they (the guys who design the oil) add Viscosity Index IMprovers to make the oil thicken when hot.
6. Cheap oils are cheap and most are crap for anything but a honda or your minivan.
7. QUALITY synthetics ALWAYS outperform cheap synthetics and mineral based oils, no matter what name is on the bottle.
8. The chances of you being able to get the same oil ASSCAR and Pro Stock guys run is not probable, unless you are at $20.00 USD per quart MINIMUM.
9. It is a known FACT that just because an oil company has a sticker on a car, that car probably doesn't run that oil. Several well know Pro Stock guys caught hell for running brand "P" oil stickers while knowing using brand "T" oil.
10. I've already said too much and my life may be in danger.
OK, so #10 is total crap but it makes for a good story.:blob:
