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Mobil 1 or Amzoil, which is the best?

7K views 20 replies 12 participants last post by  vettex2 
#1 · (Edited)
Does anyone know about Amzoil or Mobil 1? Which is the best and why......... Let me rephrase my question, does anyone know anything about Amzoil, Mobil 1, or Royal Purple?
 
#3 ·
I'll skip the debate on quality. I've seen threads like that go on for pages with back and forth at other car sites. I use Mobil 1 as the vette's oil life meter is based upon that and I change the oil when it gets in the 20% range.
 
#5 ·
I believe that is not quite correct. I believe that the oil life algorithm is based on the GM4718M spec. and not on any specific brand of lubricant. And, the GM dexos1™ specification supersedes LL-A-025, 6094M and 4718M specifications
 
#8 ·
It will not void the warranty unless the oil itself contributed to the failure. Put tranny fluid in the crank case and GM will probably be on the phone with you if the motor needed rings or an oil pump. ;) Other than that any major brand changed at reasonable intervals will keep the warranty intact.
 
#11 ·
Kuhmo ecsta xs's have been my best answer so far regading tire spin. They perform great in wet weather too... for a DR.
 
#13 ·
Absolutely positive! AMSOIL products have been available since 1972. AMSOIL 10W-40 Motor Oil was the first synthetic motor oil to meet American Petroleum Institute (API) service requirements. Mobil1 came out in 1974.
 
#15 · (Edited)
Are you quoting Amsoil, or Wikipedia?

In 1970, a farmer friend of mine was buying Mobil 1 5W-20 by the case to use in all his cars and work trucks, and had been using it for awhile. It came in silver all-metal cans at that time. On New Year's Eve, Dec. 31, 1970, I went to his house for a party. Earlier that day, he had done an oil change on one of his vehicles and the empty cans were sitting next to his back door when I got there. It was after dark and -10 degrees F. I saw the cans (by the porch light) sitting there and picked one up to look at it because back then, normal oil came in cylindrical cans made of cardboard with metal ends and these were all metal. As I was looking at the can, I turned it over to see the bottom. As I did so, oil immediately began to drip out of the punched hole in the lid. At -10F, it dripped quite rapidly and without any "stringing". I remember all this so clearly because at that time, oil just couldn't do that. I was so amazed that the memory of it has stuck with me all these years. I absolutely have the right date...and the right oil. Believe whatever you need to. I know what I saw and when I saw it, and my friend still remembers it too.
 
#16 ·
#17 · (Edited)
Jeez, I don't have an explanation for that. Maybe 1974 is when Mobil 1 went retail nationally? My friend was not a retail customer. He had an exclusive supply contract with the local Mobil distributor for a long time, and got a fair discount on everything as a result. He had his own fuel pumps right at his farm, and bought all his petroleum products from this distributor: gas, oil, grease, etc., you name it. In 1970, the guy offered him this weird new oil, making all kinds of claims for it, so he tried it in one of his cars. When it seemed to be OK, he started using it in everything. I remember buying four quarts of the stuff from him to put in my 1972 FIAT 128 sedan in an attempt to make that car usable in the winter, which it did in spectacular fashion. Those early '70s FIATS were often un-startable in any kind of inclement weather, and my 128 was no exception. With the Mobil 1 in it though, it would crank in the cold winter as though it was mid-summer out.

I wonder if Mobil was test-marketing the stuff in the "snow-belt" or something like that. Back then, our Wisconsin winters used to get quite cold (-25F), and 5W-20 oil of any kind or brand was simply unheard of. I do know that this happened in 1970, but it could easily have been some kind of an isolated test-market situation, where they were still tweaking the formula or something...:huh:
 
#18 · (Edited)
Everyone advertises about how wonderful and improved the new oils are. Perhaps they are but our COPO 427 Chevelle went close to 200K of anything but easy miles on the name band oils of the day. No synthetics. When I tore the engine down, the pistons slid out of the bores without ridge reaming. There was no ridge. The bearings and crank looked fine too. Could it be that we are being fed a load of crap in order to justify the wild pricing? Synthetics do flow a lot easier in cold weather. I'll give them that. People really eat up advertising numbers. :sheep: Just many, many miles of personal experience with all our cars.
 
#21 ·
cause it just is not as good as it once was ?
 
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