WOW RP oil change in the firebird today

[Century7667]

Yeah, that sounds right. Anything beyond SA has some detergents in it, else no certification.

Ken T.

[Pontiac6ksteawd]

I see nothing in that listing about detergents. All the API certifications mean is that a oil meets certain criteria for viscosity, thremal breakdown, lubricity, sludge control, and other such items.

http://www.api.org/certifications/en...010_120210.pdf

Some oils use detergents to meet these criterias, others use an advanced refining method to acomplish it. Detergents are not required in any of the listings.

I will explain why...

Some engines, like lawn mowers, air compressors, old VW Bug engines, etc, dont use an oil filter. Now how the detergents work is by suspending the "grime/sludge" in the oil, to be filtered out in the oil filter. Other oils that dont have detergents, do NOT suspend the "grime/sludge" in the oil, but try to take it to the bottom of the oil pan for it to be drained out in the next oil service.

Ussually speaking, SAE weights, like straight 30/40/50 dont have detergents, as these are usually the grades used in lawn mowers and the like.

RP does NOT use detergents. I worked for Ashland Oil some time ago, and this is how I know about the detergents, requirements, and the like. There are oils out there that do not use detergents, usually oils designed for, like I said, lawn mowers, or extreme performance engines, where the oil in the engine doesnt get left in the crankcase for more than 3 passes.

Now I am not downing RP. I have used it in my High Perf cars befor. But I also changed the oil every 100 miles.

[Century7667]

That sounds reasonable to me, but SA does explicitly say "no additives." That would suggest additives. However, I think a bit more research is in order...at least to satisfy my curiosity!

Ken T.

[dcjredline]

In my mind it meets the needs for the specs for "ALL ENGINES" from 2004 and older so it wont harm anything and it also doesnt say that if you use ND oil they recommend oil change intervals being anything different. Plus HUNDREDS of people have logged thousands of miles on the RP oils in street cars so I am not worried too much in general.

I really dont care one way or the other (itll give me a good excuse to rebuild the engine) and I am more trying to find facts not what someone else said etc. Thanks for the info.

[Drop Top Olds]

Sorry, but changing the oil in your engine is not going to make the engine suddenly turn into a higher performing engine. That would be like saying you switched the old $20 bill in your wallet for a new one and now you are Bill Gates.