Motor oil, a mechanic's view

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mikenixon
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Motor oil, a mechanic's view

#1

Post by mikenixon »

Innumerable people have done exhaustive or at least very interesting and informative reports on this subject, a few of them excellent. But, for all that, there haven't been many from the uniquely practical, real-world point of view of the successful, career Japanese motorcycle specialist. Let's try this perspective.

Viscosity. It is generally accepted that viscosity is very basic to an oil's friction-fighting property. This was true in the earliest days of motoring but has become less important as ways of chemically making oil work harder have been developed. In fact, viscosity is actually at odds with engine function. Consider that viscosity thickens when the oil is cold and thins when it is hot, exactly and perversely the opposite of what the engine needs. It's tough to rely heavily on viscosity in the face of this natural attribute, so modern oils aren't formulated to do so. And, to counter this thickening and thinning characteristic, multiviscosity oil was developed. Multivis motor oil addresses the reverse-changing viscosity problem by being chemically treated (through polymers) to thicken less when cold and thin less when hot. Pretty neat, this.

Multiviscosity oil isn't oil made of different oils with different viscosities. Or even oil somehow exhibiting multiple viscosity behaviors. Rather it's oil that is scientifically altered to be less affected with temperature. It's more temperature neutral. It has a high "viscosity index", to use the engineer's term. Stability, if you will. When teaching about this I used to draw a graph showing the multi-vis depicted by a line closer to horizontal, while all single-weight oils have more vertical lines of change.

Volatility. Another one of motor oil's inherent weaknesses is that it is quite volatile; it tends to vaporize. Yes, some of it actually boils away into a gas when churned and heated. The industry standard allows up to 15 percent by volume, and powersports engines are mostly right at this limit. Few people realize oil vaporizes, but it is in fact why oil level must be monitored more closely on motorcycles. The bottom line is burning isn't the only way or even the usual way oil is consumed in a motorcycle engine. The less oil volume your engine's crankcase holds, the less able you will be to pin the throttle between Barstow and Vegas. On the average single-cylinder dual-purpose bike holding less than 2 quarts, you won't make it (without topping up). Synthetic engine oil, for its part, is far less volatile, by the way. One of its many advantages. However, promoting synthetic oil is not the point of this article. Encouraging pragmatism is.

Antibodies. Conventional petroleum motor oil has a lot of added chemicals in it to make it work better than its base stock alone could manage. These include anti-foam agents, anti-oxidants, and of course detergents and dispersants. However, these enhancements wear out before the oil itself does, way before. Thus a visual look at the oil won't tell you much. The oil looks fine. And it is. Still gold -colored. But the additives are thrashed, reducing the oil's durability. So visual isn't valid. Instead, commit to regular changes. Synthetic motor oil by contrast has (and needs) fewer things added to it in its formulation, enabling it to do its job better, longer, cooler, not only because it is better oil, but also because it has less non-oil content to "drag it down".

Synthetic oil and oil consumption. Many riders have experienced initially high oil consumption when switching to synthetic motor oil. Oil engineers admit this happens. They confirm that when a synth oil is introduced to an engine that has been running petroleum oil, sludge and varnish that has built up around engine parts can be washed away, instantly changing engine clearances, resulting in temporarily-increases in blowby and consumption. This is only temporary however. By the second or third oil change things will return to normal. Though a well-known phenomenon, this has scared many away from synthetic motor oil. It shouldn't.

At war: the Samurai and the EPA. This is a biggie. Huge. Despite synthetic's advantages, petroleum vs. synthetic isn't your most important oil decision. Not even close. The most important oil purchase choice you will make is to use powersports industry endorsed motor oil in your Japanese motorcycle. Endorsed oil? Yes. There is such a thing, and all the OEMs specify it. This is not about the age-old car vs. motorcycle oil argument. Nothing like that. This is critical. A must. Here's what happened. In an attempt to reduce exhaust emissions, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the 1990s forced the engine lubricant industry to begin adding friction reducing agents designed to improve the fuel economy in car engines. The feds see this as helping the environment. Really. However, friction-modified oils are extremely incompatible with the oil-bathed clutches and sprag bearings used in Japanese motorcycle engines. Guess the government didn't care about that. To counter this, the Nippon leaders of the powersports industry in 1998 took action. They established a special powersports motor oil standard that overrides U.S. "energy-conservation" requirements. This new standard, JASO MA, is an epic, historic, watershed issue and an in-the-government's-face exemption from the now two decades-old establishment of mandatory, exclusively sold EPA oil. The MA designation identifies the only oil you should be using in your Japanese powersports vehicle. Look for it on the bottle. This is your most critical choice regarding engine oil, bar none. Whatever kind of oil you use, it has to say "MA".

Shifting. Smooth shifting in a Japanese common crankcase/transmission engine depends heavily on optimum clutch function, so adjustment using the factory's method is important, as is also careful clutch cable lubrication and routing. But many are unaware that clutch function in these engines is also largely dictated by the engine oil. Some oils simply make shifting better. Oil level is especially important in this regard. Yes, level. A slightly high oil level negatively affects shifting by impairing correct clutch function. Shifting is important to us, and as you would expect, improved shifting is the single greatest real-world benefit of using a synthetic motor oil, mostly due to smoother and cooler clutch operation.

The maintenance connection. Okay. All of the things just mentioned are vitally important: 1) the superiority of multivis, 2) being aware of volitility, 3) the relatively short life of modern oils, 4) synth oil's significant advantages, 5) the MA stamp, and 6) engine oil's direct effect on shifting in Japanese motorbikes. However, if you pay attention to only one thing, let it be this: Should you run your bike out of oil you can forget about all of the above; none of these things will work for you. Naturally. *Out* of oil? Yes. My experience is there are always some folks who will let their oil level get too low. And in powersports vehicles, with low oil volumes to begin with, higher engine temps, and frequent idling on the sidestand, *low* is often just as bad as *none*. Just this week I had a big Honda in my shop that was four quarts low. 4 quarts! It only holds 5! This is way too common. And you must not treat motorcycle oil level the way you treat the oil level in your car. Close is not good enough, and disappearing oil is normal. Check the level often. Run the engine for a minute before determining the final level during refilling, don't just measure it in. If you have an oil cooler, you must add a special technique. Best practice is to check the level before the cooler has had time to drain back down into the crankcase and give a falsely high reading that will result in low actual level. Because, the simple fact is, the single most important thing -- the single most important -- to remember about your engine oil, after all else has been said, is keep enough in there. Enough. In. There. Ask any mechanic. In the repair shop, it is *many* times more common to see lubrication issues connected with the *lack* of oil than it is type, weight, brand, and all other oil variables combined. Really. Give that some thought.

Footnote: There is an exception to the MA requirement. Every few years motor oil gets a new API (American Petroleum Institute) service classification. The last non-friction modified oil was service SG, which is about 1995, now ancient history. However, a very few powersports friendly oil brands such as Spectro and Torco continued to formulate (and may still) to this now twenty-something year old rating, eliminating the need for the MA stamp. For most of us though it's easier just to look for the MA.

Further reading: Honda released their dealer bulletin in 1998, Kawasaki in 2000. Here is a link to Kawasaki's. https://www.motorcycleproject.com/image ... l_bull.JPG
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Re: Motor oil, a mechanic's view

#2

Post by Track T 2411 »

Another great and thought provoking post, Mike, thanks! I do have an observation, if you'd like to comment (not to put you on the spot, lol!). This year, I started commuting on my bike, about 70 miles a day, and I feel I'm much more 'in tune' with how it's running. I've been a faithful user of Rotella for years, and after reading a synopsis of AAA's quite exhaustive study on motor oils, switched to the synthetic version. One thing I noticed soon after switching was an increase in missed shifts (my Wing has always been a bit 'clunky' up-shifting, especially between 3rd and 4th gears). I mostly contributed it to technique, and started paying more attention, but it was persistent. I have read here and elsewhere that some riders experienced similar difficulties shifting after switching to synthetics, and after three rounds of the synthetic, switched back to conventional oil. Fewer shifting issues as a result. Of course, this is subjective; I didn't keep a running tally, and I certainly can't rule out technique as a factor.
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Re: Motor oil, a mechanic's view

#3

Post by sgwilly »

Excellent write up Mike. As always, I both learned some things for the first time and re-learned things that I had forgotten. I feel like we should be getting some Continuing Ed credits!
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Re: Motor oil, a mechanic's view

#4

Post by mikenixon »

sgwilly wrote:Excellent write up Mike. As always, I both learned some things for the first time and re-learned things that I had forgotten. I feel like we should be getting some Continuing Ed credits!
:)
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Re: Motor oil, a mechanic's view

#5

Post by mikenixon »

Track T 2411 wrote:Another great and thought provoking post, Mike, thanks! I do have an observation, if you'd like to comment (not to put you on the spot, lol!). This year, I started commuting on my bike, about 70 miles a day, and I feel I'm much more 'in tune' with how it's running. I've been a faithful user of Rotella for years, and after reading a synopsis of AAA's quite exhaustive study on motor oils, switched to the synthetic version. One thing I noticed soon after switching was an increase in missed shifts (my Wing has always been a bit 'clunky' up-shifting, especially between 3rd and 4th gears). I mostly contributed it to technique, and started paying more attention, but it was persistent. I have read here and elsewhere that some riders experienced similar difficulties shifting after switching to synthetics, and after three rounds of the synthetic, switched back to conventional oil. Fewer shifting issues as a result. Of course, this is subjective; I didn't keep a running tally, and I certainly can't rule out technique as a factor.
Hi, Track T. Hmm. It bears some thought. I am tempted to attribute it somewhat to technique, but I feel it can't all be that, and I suspect you agree. Very interesting, and the reverse of what synchetic oil is literally famous for. Just for the record, I am not a synthetic user. Just too set in my ways, I guess. :)
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Re: Motor oil, a mechanic's view

#6

Post by 77Gowing »

mikenixon wrote:
sgwilly wrote:Excellent write up Mike. As always, I both learned some things for the first time and re-learned things that I had forgotten. I feel like we should be getting some Continuing Ed credits!
:)
Nice treatise on tribology.
Great stuff.
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Re: Motor oil, a mechanic's view

#7

Post by 5speed »

another very informative post Mike.
Still waiting for the release date of the "Mike Nixon's vintage GoldWing owners bible". :mrgreen:
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Re: Motor oil, a mechanic's view

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Post by mikenixon »

:)
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Re: Motor oil, a mechanic's view

#9

Post by FrontRunner »

Normally I try to avoid reading "Oil Topics". This time I read every word and feel like I actually learned a few things!
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Re: Motor oil, a mechanic's view

#10

Post by mikenixon »

FrontRunner wrote:Normally I try to avoid reading "Oil Topics". This time I read every word and feel like I actually learned a few things!
That is a compliment. :)
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Re: Motor oil, a mechanic's view

#11

Post by desertrefugee »

So, which oil is better, Quaker State or Castrol GTX?

(ducking and running...)
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Re: Motor oil, a mechanic's view

#12

Post by 77Gowing »

Popeye likes Olive Oil the best. lolol
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Re: Motor oil, a mechanic's view

#13

Post by heraldhamster »

77Gowing wrote:Popeye likes Olive Oil the best. lolol
'cause she keeps his dipstick wet?
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Re: Motor oil, a mechanic's view

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Post by mikenixon »

desertrefugee wrote:So, which oil is better, Quaker State or Castrol GTX?

(ducking and running...)
:shock:
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Re: Motor oil, a mechanic's view

#15

Post by Werner »

Very interesting article Mike Nixon and I do not want to get involved in a argument about oil. I am not an expert at all and the experts cant agree on all facts.

I recently ran onto this site

http://www.gulfcoastfilters.com/1,000,000%20MILES.htm

This people claims 1000000 miles on the same oil with this truck

I Copy and paste

Nine years to prove the point that “Routine” oil drains can be SAFELY eliminated. Thanks to the use of a GCF By-Pass Lube Oil Filter, we’ve exceeded 1,000,000 miles on this 1990 Peterbilt with only one unnecessary oil drain. And we did it with conventional petroleum oil; not an expensive synthetic!

On June 21st 1999, at 1,012,825 miles, the above Peterbilt rolled into Covington Detroit Diesel for the 3rd time during the past 9 years for an internal engine inspection. The past two times, at 505,000 and 761,000 miles, Shell Oil and Covington Detroit Diesel personnel inspected the engine for contamination and wear. Their findings – “Exceptionally clean engine and NO measurable wear.” Both times, the engine was inspected and reassembled with no parts replaced. At the 1,000,000 mile inspection the results were virtually the same, the only measurable wear that could be found was on the rings. 1,000,000 Miles and only rings replaced? Not bad for 9 years and 1,000,000 miles of hard work with only one oil drain! The truck is now back to work and pulling for the 1 ½ million mile mark with the original bearings, liners, cam, overhead and etc.

How did we do it? The owner simply changed the inexpensive GCF “elements” every 10,000 miles and the factory full flow filters every 30,000 miles. By following this safe and simple maintenance schedule, the oil stayed clean 100% of the time and wear was drastically reduced within the engine.

I quote what you have said

Antibodies. Conventional petroleum motor oil has a lot of added chemicals in it to make it work better than its base stock alone could manage. These include anti-foam agents, anti-oxidants, and of course detergents and dispersants. However, these enhancements wear out before the oil itself does, way before

That is the parts I do not understand.

All I know is the safest is to keep an eye on the oil level, Keep in mind the oil cooler if it is fitted, and change your oil regularly.

As a after thought about the truck, it took nine years to do 1000000 miles. It was off to the next 250000 miles in 1999.
Now nineteen years later the site has not been updated. Wonder what happened to the truck.
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