Royal Purple 0W40 worth it?

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Hi, I'm totally n00b in oil and english, so try to be kind to me
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So, I changed my gearbox oil some time back to RP and all problems with the gearbox went away. Huzzah!
And now i wanted to test RP on my engine.
So I get in touch with RP Norway and they don't have a dealer in my city!
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So I sent an application to become a dealer in my city.

But then I wondered.. how good is actually RP?
So I Googled it, and came here.
Some say; Not so good after all.

How do you find out that it's not that good? Just listen to sounds and checks for miscoloring? Or do some of you have any devices that can meassure the oil quality?

Anyway, I was hoping to try RP 0W40 on my car, if it works fine I can become a dealer for me and my friends, we all drive Saabs and every single engine Saab have ever fitted in a car since 1998 ish have oil problems, so taking good care of it and change filter and oil often, (every 6-8000 km (3.7 - 5000 miles)) is in our nature.
And some of my friends have 4-500 BHP on their engines so oil is crucial for us
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Anyway, more info than questions here, but please answer me
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RP is a very good oil, but there are cheaper oils that work just as well, so it doesn't get much love on this forum. Maybe by becoming a dealer you'll be getting it at a price point that works for you.
 
welcome2.gif
to BITOG!

Originally Posted By: Engan
But then I wondered.. how good is actually RP?
So I Googled it, and came here.
Some say; Not so good after all.

How do you find out that it's not that good? Just listen to sounds and checks for miscoloring? Or do some of you have any devices that can meassure the oil quality?

These are big questions that most people on both sides of the argument do not have the means to answer. Almost all testimonials you see on ANY oil, good or bad, have no real evidence to back them up.

The fact is that most lubricants are at least good enough that they will work reasonably well in a properly running machine. This includes Royal Purple. They have a history and do at least some work with racing teams, so you can be pretty sure they know at least something about how to make good lubricants. If you want more detail than that, it takes a lot of work. There would have to be controlled trials with the right tests (including complete engine disassembly!) and rigorous statistical analysis, all of which is more expensive and sophisticated than most people (aside from OEMs and third parties like ACEA and API) would be willing or able to do.

In the absence of that, many people resort to simple assessments like sound, color, impressive-looking bench demonstrations, dyno runs, cheap oil analysis, and so on. I could go into greater detail, but suffice it to say that those things do not mean what people think they mean, or they mean nothing at all.

All we can tell for sure is that Royal Purple makes decent products. Whether they are better or worse than any other brand is essentially unanswerable given the means at the disposal of almost anyone besides the auto makers, third parties like ACEA and API, and large independent labs.
 
One thing you need to keep in mind when asking a question here about Royal Purple is that a lot of the people posting on this site in a negative manner have never even used it. There are a lot of myths and complete falsehoods posted about it here as well and sadly many believe them.

Another big factor here for so many is the cost as the 1st responder already brought up. Many people here place the cost of the oil as one of the biggest factors in recommending it or liking it. So many are hooked on cheap 5qt jugs of oil at Wal-Mart that they can not understand why anyone would choose to use a more expensive oil. That is their right of course but it gets a little old reading how RP is bad because it is over priced when you don't feel that way.

You have to take a major part of the bad comments here with some skepticism. Very few people who have actually used it and had poor results to justify the negative comments. Truth be told the vast majority of people who have used it post postive comments about it. RP is not the best oil out there as there is no such thing but it is one of the best. It may not be the best oil for a specific application but that can be said for any oil about any vehicle engine. IMO anwyay and I have used it for a LONG time in many different applications.

Bottom line for me anwyay is RP is a great product made by a great company here in the USA. I have never had a problem with it and I have used it in cars, trucks, muscle cars, hot rods and drag cars, lawn equipment, marine applications, motorcycles, etc... If you can get it over there in your country at a price you feel is acceptable try it out.
 
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The only negative thing about RP I can say is they need to stop using that ridiculous one arm bandit test.

Otherwise, it's a very good oil IMO. I've always been impressed with the Tbn retention of RP. It's more of a long drain oil than people realize. Or it used to be at least when the Tbn was about 12.
 
Hello, You're correct. The question has always been, "Is RP worth the money?", not, "Is RP no good?". The only way to know about any oil is to have it analysed before and after use. You then decide how well an oil is holding up in a particular circumstance. Thankfully the big oil companies stick to their recipes so we can use this data. Turbochargers benefit from A3,B3 oils. Do a search on this board of that subject. Mobil1 0W-40 and Castrol 0W-30 are such oils. Amsoil and Redline make A3,B3 oils too. I use them in my family's Saabs-a 1999 9-5 SE and a 2002 9-5 Linear. We've never had an oil related problem. The last time I looked RP didn't have any ratings on it's bottle. I can tell you from personal experience that RP 10W-30 made my 1999 Volvo B5244S'(a non-turbo engine)valve train run completely silently. I was well into ownership of that car and had used quality oils throughout. I was amazed. The same oil in my 2002 (same engine except with solid valve lifters) made no change in sound with RP. That's not data however. If I were in your shoes-actually, I am in your shoes with our turbos-I'd start by using a known A3,B3 oil and have it analysed to see how well it performs. Then I'd check on switching to the much more expensive purple stuff. Kira
 
RP is decent oil.

I would expect in Norway you can get good or better oil for much less hassle. Some of the Euro oils are FANTASTIC! Pentosin and Lubro/Liqui Moly come to mind. When I was in Germany many moons ago, I ran Pentosin in a 66 Bug (GAWD I MISS THAT CAR!) and it was always clean!!! Felt more than 43 horespower! Also, ran it in a 73 2002 with a 318i engine and tranny swap and it was a beautiful thing. If I had the same access to the same oils (without the PRICE!) I would definitely use it.
 
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Originally Posted By: Engan
Hi, I'm totally n00b in oil and english, so try to be kind to me


Welcome and no worries - your English is far better than many people who regularly post on this forum from the USA.

Royal Purple performs fine. It's the cost and marketing that has always turned me off to it.

Originally Posted By: NHHEMI
...a lot of the people posting on this site in a negative manner have never even used it. There are a lot of myths and complete falsehoods posted about it here as well and sadly many believe them.


Wholeheartedly agreed, but the other side of that coin is that on most forums the vocal minority that espouse its virtues all the time do so loudly and wholly. Many myths & falsehoods posted about it are done by people who use it regularly and do nothing but post about how fantastic it is in their car, truck, jetski, snowmobile, pancakes, dog, door hinges, etc...

The same can also be said about Amsoil, Schaeffer, Red Line, RLI, Mobil, Pennzoil, Castrol, MMO, Kreen, Lucas, Auto RX, GM, Toyota, Snap-On, Harbor Freight, thick oil, thin oil, Apple, Lenovo, iOS, Android, the list goes on and on. Being a complete fanboy of a product means your opinion can never be trusted as objective in any way, in the same manner than being completely negative about a product means your opinion can't be trusted as objective either.

Personal example: I've been using Schaeffer 9000 in my Golf TDI for about 2 years now and I'll continue to do so because it's relatively inexpensive, made in the USA and performs well as evidenced by UOAs. On the other hand it's a dumb shade of green, only makes sense to buy at least 6 gallons at once and frankly a pain in the arse to get. But I've also got about 15 gallons of Mobil 1 TDT thanks to a pricing error at my local AutoZones that I just couldn't pass up and gladly use once I've used up all my Schaeffer if I decide not to order more.
 
NHHEMI, I agree with your entire post with one minor exception:

Originally Posted By: NHHEMI
You have to take a major part of the bad comments here with some skepticism.


You have to take all comments with skepticism, not just the bad ones. Selectively applied skepticism isn't really skepticism.
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If you want to SEE some real proof of how good royal purple is, may i advise you to look at this post in one of the mustang forums, complete with Hi-Res pics and Mic'd measurements...

NAY SAYERS BEHOLD!!!!!!!! RP BEATS MOBILE 1, after more miles and a longer drain interval than the mobile one filled car, STILL ON TOP!

http://www.moddedmustangs.com/forums/reviews/145534-royal-purple-oil-experience-2005-mustang-gt.html

And no im not a total "fanboy" for RP, i just belive what I see, and i see results like this ALLOT in my shop.
 
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Originally Posted By: jeeprnovru
If you want to SEE some real proof of how good royal purple is, may i advise you to look at this post in one of the mustang forums, complete with Hi-Res pics and Mic'd measurements...

NAY SAYERS BEHOLD!!!!!!!! RP BEATS MOBILE 1, after more miles and a longer drain interval than the mobile one filled car, STILL ON TOP!

http://www.moddedmustangs.com/forums/reviews/145534-royal-purple-oil-experience-2005-mustang-gt.html

And no im not a total "fanboy" for RP, i just belive what I see, and i see results like this ALLOT in my shop.

The same guy posted the same pictures and said the same things here. It was thoroughly discussed. It looks impressive, but it says nothing. Here's a quick summary of why:

- There were no "before" measurements; only "after" measurements.
- The correct procedure is to perform each measurement several times and then analyze the numbers for statistical significance. None of this was done.
- The appearance of the cam lobes says nothing because a cam lobe that looks shiny and smooth can actually be MORE worn than one that looks rough and scuffed. Click here.

Moreover, even if the Royal Purple did perform better, that could be explained by the fact that that particular grade has more ZDDP than the particular grade of Mobil 1 that was used. This is because Mobil 1 5w-20 is made to meet API SM, whereas Royal Purple 5w-20 is not. In other words, it wouldn't be about which oil is "better;" it would simply reflect the fact that those two particular oils were designed for different purposes -- again, if the Royal Purple actually did do better, of which there is insufficient evidence.

This is a perfect example of how, regardless of what one might think from the abundance of testimonials, actual good evidence is difficult to find.
 
Originally Posted By: jeeprnovru
If you want to SEE some real proof of how good royal purple is, may i advise you to look at this post in one of the mustang forums, complete with Hi-Res pics and Mic'd measurements...

NAY SAYERS BEHOLD!!!!!!!! RP BEATS MOBILE 1, after more miles and a longer drain interval than the mobile one filled car, STILL ON TOP!

http://www.moddedmustangs.com/forums/reviews/145534-royal-purple-oil-experience-2005-mustang-gt.html

And no im not a total "fanboy" for RP, i just belive what I see, and i see results like this ALLOT in my shop.


Just so you know its Mobil 1 not mobile.....there really should be a sticky on how to spell Mobil 1. And to answer the OP the only thing I would suggest is to look at a Saab forum and ask what people are using with success. Especially the modified ones with over 400hp. But if it was my car and my money and I was willing to spend a higher price on oil I would choose Redline 0W40 or Mobil 1 0W40 before RP in a turbo application with high horsepower. Nothing against RP I just think those two have a better track record. But again I would look at Saab forums for more specific info.
 
Welcome!

Here in the US. I can buy Mobil 1 0W-40 for $6.00 cheaper a quart over the Royal Purple 0W-40. Mobil 1 0W-40 meets the latest specs and I feel it's one of the best 40 weight oils in the world.
 
M1-0-40, less expensive, easier to get, and nobody can prove better wear numbers with RP over it. Check out the UOA area of this forum. M1 0-40 doesnt disappoint
 
I`d give Mobil 1 0W40 or 10W40HM a try. The HM oils have a high zddp level and Mobil lists it as being good in high temperature applications.
 
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Originally Posted By: jeeprnovru
If you want to SEE some real proof of how good royal purple is, may i advise you to look at this post in one of the mustang forums, complete with Hi-Res pics and Mic'd measurements...

NAY SAYERS BEHOLD!!!!!!!! RP BEATS MOBILE 1, after more miles and a longer drain interval than the mobile one filled car, STILL ON TOP!

http://www.moddedmustangs.com/forums/reviews/145534-royal-purple-oil-experience-2005-mustang-gt.html

And no im not a total "fanboy" for RP, i just belive what I see, and i see results like this ALLOT in my shop.


No, it doesn't. And no, that isn't ANY sort of proof.

Please read this thread:

Royal Purple 1

And this one:

Royal Purple 2
 
Wow overkill, you thread full of non-expert speculation was SO informative. NOT.

Ive ran this info by friends at LSU who are educated in the fields of fluid dynamics and mechanical engineering.

They seemed to like this, and also of all my years woking in chemical plants in south LA, be it shell exxon valero and other OIL an gas refineries, all of them had 55 gal drums of Royal Purple sitting beside pumps and what not with feeding the MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR MACHINERY.............

What more proving do you need? Why do all these engineers trust RP?? Guess they havent read your thread on BITOG huh...ROFL
 
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: jeeprnovru
To the one crying about the spelling of "Mobil" its called autocorrect [censored], quit whining!

And how exactly is that no proof???

The pics and measurements are there for you to see...are you blind or just stupid?


I see you didn't read the threads. Nice way to man up with the personal insults big guy. Classy! Does a lot for your argument.

Read the threads. Then come back and we can discuss. This topic has been beat to death on this board. Just because it is a new discovery for you, doesn't mean it is for the rest of us here, who have participated in NUMEROUS threads about it.


Perhaps its your interpretation of the info in said threads thats a bit off.....You sir are an arm chair engineer, and nothing more.
 
Originally Posted By: jeeprnovru
To the one crying about the spelling of "Mobil" its called autocorrect [censored], quit whining!

And how exactly is that no proof???

The pics and measurements are there for you to see...are you blind or just stupid?


That was me that was informing the original poster about how to spell it correctly. Not sure what you were reading into? Maybe the name calling shows more about yourself?
 
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