Shell Oil Any Good?

[aic]

Shell motor oil is always on sale by me lately.

Is this decent oil?

 

[Red]

For dino, I use Castrol GTX. For syn, I use Mobil1. I abstain from the poll.

 

[Jeff7181]

There's not a whole lot of difference between the bottom grade oils... I actually used a store brand oil in my 1977 Cutlass for about 5 years and 30,000 miles and it ran just fine.

It's not till you get into the synthetic blends and full synthetics that there are significant differences, but they're all so good at that level that it really comes down to which name you like better.

 

[daniel1113]

Sorry, I can't help you much. I'm a mobil guy.

 

[FoBoT]

oil == oil == oil == oil == oil

 

[Jeff7181]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
oil == oil == oil == oil == oil

natural != synthetic blend != full synthetic

 

[Red]

Originally posted by: Jeff7181

Originally posted by: FoBoT
oil == oil == oil == oil == oil

natural != synthetic blend != full synthetic

Correct. There are tons and tons of different additive packages for oil. Fobot...lemme guess, you lease your cars, keep them under warranty, and change the oil late just about every time and you pull into one of those quick stop places?

 

[Jeff7181]

Originally posted by: Red

Originally posted by: Jeff7181

Originally posted by: FoBoT
oil == oil == oil == oil == oil

natural != synthetic blend != full synthetic

Correct. There are tons and tons of different additive packages for oil. Fobot...lemme guess, you lease your cars, keep them under warranty, and change the oil late just about every time and you pull into one of those quick stop places?

I REALLY want to go watch them work there sometime... I swear they use impact wrenches to put the drain plugs back in.

 

[Red]

I REALLY want to go watch them work there sometime... I swear they use impact wrenches to put the drain plugs back in.

Yeah, they are hard to get off when a quick stop place puts them on.

 

[Jeff7181]

Originally posted by: Red

I REALLY want to go watch them work there sometime... I swear they use impact wrenches to put the drain plugs back in.

Yeah, they are hard to get off when a quick stop place puts them on.

I don't even bother tryin to get oil filteres off... punch a hole in the with a screw driver and let the oil drain... then jam the screw driver in sideways for leverage to twist it off. The gasket always looks like hell... all smashed and flattened out.

 

[QuitBanningMe]

I prefer Pennzoil.
I would use anything besides Quaker State.

 

[Jeff7181]

Originally posted by: QuitBanningMe
I prefer Pennzoil.
I would use anything besides Quaker State.

I've used Mobile, Quaker State, Pennzoil, Sunoco, Meijer, Texaco, Valvoline, Havolin... like I said... natural oils are all pretty much the same.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
oil == oil == oil == oil == oil

Absolutely, positively incorrect.

You absolutely cannot even compare the same brands of different viscosities, let alone different brands of the same viscosities... or even worse, different brands and different viscosities.

Shell FormulaShell petroleum 5W-30:

VI = 159 (higher = better)
PP = -42F (lower = better)
FP = 421F (higher = better)
FRP = ?
HT/HS = 2.90 (higher = better)
NOACK = 13% (lower = better)
TBN = 6.9 (higher - better)
CCS = 6040cSt @ -30C (lower number and temp = better)

It is a midrange oil.

Pennzoil, Havoline, and Chevron all make better 5W-30 petroleum oils.

76, Castrol High Milage, Quakerstate Multigrade, Wal-Mart Supertech 5W-30 are all worse.

Shell FormulaShell petroleum 10W-30:
VI = 140
PP = -36F
FP = 430F
FRP = ?
HT/HS = 2.90
NOACK = 13%
TBN - 6.2
CST = 5620cSt @ -25C

Again, midrange. Pennzoil, 76 Lube Guardol QLT, Chevron Supreme, Havoline, and Mobile Delvac 1300 Super 10W-30's are all better.

Whether these differences will actually be seen in your engine has yet to be determined. As if the different oils don't add enough variables.. our driving habbits and environments make it a thousand times more complicated than "which oil is best".

 

[QuitBanningMe]

Originally posted by: Jeff7181

Originally posted by: QuitBanningMe
I prefer Pennzoil.
I would use anything besides Quaker State.

I've used Mobile, Quaker State, Pennzoil, Sunoco, Meijer, Texaco, Valvoline, Havolin... like I said... natural oils are all pretty much the same.

Oh I know people that swear by Quaker State and I'm sure there probably isn't a difference. However when I was ~15 I tore down an engine that I had rebuilt and had used nothing but QS in and it seemed to have a lot more sludge than two engines I had used Castrol in. Also more of a ridge. Haven't used it since.

 

[dartworth]

Royal Purple or Amsoil

 

[Yellow Dog]

No, it makes the fries taste funny...

 

[Jeff7181]

Sludge is caused by moisture that condenses and gets into the oil pan along with unburned fuel and soot. While oils do have anti-sludge agents, no oil will prevent sludge from forming in an engine that is never fully warmed up and suffers from blow by. Some engines are more "sludge prone" because of their design and the way they're driven. Using a synthetic oil would be recommended if you frequently take short trips that don't bring the oil up to temp to boil off the water since synthetic oil can contain more additives to prevent sludge from forming.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Jeff7181
Sludge is caused by moisture that condenses and gets into the oil pan along with unburned fuel and soot. While oils do have anti-sludge agents, no oil will prevent sludge from forming in an engine that is never fully warmed up and suffers from blow by. Some engines are more "sludge prone" because of their design and the way they're driven. Using a synthetic oil would be recommended if you frequently take short trips that don't bring the oil up to temp to boil off the water since synthetic oil can contain more additives to prevent sludge from forming.

Just remember that just because it's synthetic doesen't mean it's better.

There are petroleum oils that are better than cheap synthetics.

Mobil Delvac 1300 Super 10W-30 would be an excellent alternative to a synthetic oil, except in situations where the ultra flowability of the synthetic is needed..