What's best to mix with GC to thin it.

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pbm

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I have some older (SL) German Castrol (gold) that I planned to use in my recently traded-in Chevy Cruze after warranty.

It is on the thick side for my 2008 Corolla and 2008 Elantra and I was wondering what 0w20/5w20 would be good to thin it with? Are there any 0w20/5w20's with a similar additive package that would make mixing work? Thanks
 
older elantras spec upto 20w50 just use it in the warm season.

alternatively use it in lawn equipment.
 
Castrol Edge 0w20 is probably most similar. Castrol has been changing their adpaks lately, and the GC I used on my last oil change had Mg in it, as I think the latest Edge 0w20 has. But it is unavoidable that adding an SN 20-weight to an SL 30-weight is going to cause dilution of the zddp. But the wear protection would be fine for a 2008 car. At least it will maintain the 0W character of the mix going into winter.
 
I'm using it in a 2008 Astra (1.8L) and it's fine. I did add about 1/3 of a at. of Mobil 1 AFE 0W-30, but that was just to fill out the crankcase...
 
I don't think the outcome of mixing would be better than the outcome of using an oil that is on the thick side. I'd leave it as-is.
 
Mobil and Castrol? Horrors!

I'd use Edge Gold bottle 0w20 if you feel the need to mix. It's a Grp III (as far as we know) unlike the GC but crazy shear stable like the GC and IMO the best currently available choice for a GC blend.

It doesn't take much to thin an oil, probably one quart per OCI would be enough.
 
I haven't tried thinning it, but ive used 0w20 Valvoline in infinium package with good results. I used to be opposed to missing NaXx and MoXxx packages but it seem to benefit both - at least as power and smoothness are concerned. IDK about dispercancy or TBN retention I think Schaeffer does this mix
 
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
I haven't tried thinning it, but ive used 0w20 Valvoline in infinium package with good results. I used to be opposed to missing NaXx and MoXxx packages but it seem to benefit both - at least as power and smoothness are concerned. IDK about dispercancy or TBN retention I think Schaeffer does this mix


It's interesting that you recommend Valvoline Arco as I have a lot of NAPA syn. 0w20 on hand. Could you explain "NaXx and MoXxx" a little more?

So Valvoline Synpower has an Infinium made additive package?

I guess it would help with 'mixing' questions if we knew which oils used which additive packages....Infinium, Oronite, Afton etc...? Does anybody have this information?
 
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
The best oil to mix with is Toyota Genuine 0w20

Exactly.
For the money there isn't any oil better to use for thinning purposes. For example if you went with a 50/50 blend you'd get a 0W-30 with a KV40 of 48.5cSt (that of a typical 5W-20) and a HTHSV of about 3.05cP.
If you used Castrol 0W-20, the same mix would give you a KV40 of 57.6cSt with about the same HTHSV. To drop to the same KV40 as the TGMO mix you'd have to increase the Castrol 0W-20 to 89% but that would only give you a slightly heavier 0W-20.

Or if your OK with the 57.6cSt KV40 of the 50/50 Castrol mix you'd only 1/3rd (33.33%) of TGMO 0W-20 to achieve the same figure and it would still be lighter at more typical start-up temp's plus you've got the benefit of a higher HTHSV of 3.2cP.

So either way you go you'll come out ahead using TGMO.
Just one of the many advantages of using a very high VI oil.
 
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
The best oil to mix with is Toyota Genuine 0w20


And how do you reason that ?

There's unlikely to be a more disparate oil available barring zinc free Fuchs or the like.
 
Originally Posted By: Shannow
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
The best oil to mix with is Toyota Genuine 0w20


And how do you reason that ?

There's unlikely to be a more disparate oil available barring zinc free Fuchs or the like.

And how do you figure that?
 
Originally Posted By: Nickdfresh
I'm using it in a 2008 Astra (1.8L) and it's fine. I did add about 1/3 of a at. of Mobil 1 AFE 0W-30, but that was just to fill out the crankcase...


I should also add that despite having this thick German goo in my crankcase, I'm getting excellent fuel economy (35.1mpg) with it in there. I think some forget it still pours at like -65F despite meeting ACEA A3 and not a bit on the thick side for a 30-weight. I also had good luck with it in last winter's cold temps in a Mercury Sable I had...
 
Different basestocks, different moly, different VIIs and PPDs

As you keep pointing out, TGMO's got most extraordinary VII characteristics, which is a little different to CG...wouldn't you say ?

After all, your blend was ONLY because you couldn't get M1 0W30 in Canada at the time...not because it was ideal.
 
I've used GC in API spec 5W-30 applications over the winter and it seemed fine.
Cars included an '09 Forester, a '97 Accord 2.2 and a '99 Accord 2.3.
I'd run the oil and not worry about it.
 
Originally Posted By: Shannow
Different basestocks, different moly, different VIIs and PPDs

As you keep pointing out, TGMO's got most extraordinary VII characteristics, which is a little different to CG...wouldn't you say ?

After all, your blend was ONLY because you couldn't get M1 0W30 in Canada at the time...not because it was ideal.
Originally Posted By: Shannow
Different basestocks, different moly, different VIIs and PPDs

As you keep pointing out, TGMO's got most extraordinary VII characteristics, which is a little different to CG...wouldn't you say ?

After all, your blend was ONLY because you couldn't get M1 0W30 in Canada at the time...not because it was ideal.

As I suspected you're just being typically argumentative as you don't have a case at all.
As per ASTM the difference in base oils doesn't matter, GC don't contain any moly so that doesn't matter and I don't see how the difference in VIIs matters and it doesn't matter when mix with M1 and the PPDs may not be different at again as if it matters.

And thank-you for informing me of my motivation for the TGMO/M1 0W-40 blend. But the truth is that I just took advantage of the fact that M1 AFE 0W-30 wasn't available in Canada (until recently) to have a frank discussion with Mobil (Imperial oil) about the suitability of blending their PCMO and HDEO 0W oils to make an appropriate 0W-30 similar to AFE 0W-30. There is nothing like an obvious gap in a companies product line to get a less guarded honest response.
In that discussion it was uncovered that there were no issues in blending any of their 0W oils or any Mobil oils for that matter.
 
Originally Posted By: SilverC6

Mixing anything with GC would be Teutonic blasphemy.

I don't know?
As far as TGMO is concerned, weren't Germany and Japan allies during a tumultuous period in the last century?
 
Originally Posted By: CATERHAM
Originally Posted By: SilverC6

Mixing anything with GC would be Teutonic blasphemy.

I don't know?
As far as TGMO is concerned, weren't Germany and Japan allies during a tumultuous period in the last century?


Axis Motor Oil Company....
 
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