Harley Davidson Screamin Eagle SYN3 20W/50 Virgin Oil Sample

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The comments are in reply to my inquiry as to if Blackstone could tell if there was anything "special" that would make this oil particularly suited to Primary/Transmission use.

VirginHDsyn3edited.jpg
 
Thank you for posting this! I've been trying to compare this oil to Amsoil's MCV 20W-50. Is there a VOA on an MCV sample we could use to compare it to this SYN3 VOA?
 
Originally Posted By: SJohnson
Thanks for posting. This doesn't look a whole lot different than the HD 360 you posted.

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubb...0_V#Post3575297


Everyone is welcome of course. Higher in Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc and Phosphorous, lower in Boron. About the same in Moly. Folks seem to complain that Boron is an inexpensive additive so perhaps that is good.

Originally Posted By: SJohnson
I think the VR-1 might be the better of the three. What do you think?

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubb...nth#Post3213926


Honestly, I'm not a Valvoline guy, so I haven't been paying attention. It is my opinion that the SYN3 is "better" than the HD360 based on the above.

Originally Posted By: SJohnson
Here's another Syn3. His phos & zinc are lower than yours. Wonder why?

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubb...VOA#Post3406196


That is a good question, and one I wondered about myself. I've got a couple of theories but they amount to basically guesses.

Change in suppliers, blenders, refineries are among them.

I need to find a bottle of Citgo oil (who is the alleged supplier of HD oil.) and see what the bottle coding looks like, I will say the coding on both this bottle and the HD360 looks quite like Mobil1 bottle coding. Both this sample and the HD360 are from single qt bottles purchased from the local dealer shortly before the respective VOA (within a week or two).
 
Still being made by Citgo. They changed the formula a couple years ago. They made the changes because of the higher engine temps the newer models were producing.
 
Originally Posted By: LC
Still being made by Citgo. They changed the formula a couple years ago. They made the changes because of the higher engine temps the newer models were producing.


The other Syn 3 VOA is from June of last year, so it's not that old.

Do you know what changes they made to it because of the higher temp? Did they add stuff or take something away?
 
We don't know the date of manufacture of either of these VOA oil test. So I assumed that the reason for the difference between the two was because of the change. I could be wrong. Lots of reason's the same oil tested comes out different.
They started using a new type of polymer viscosity modifier technology in the new formula. Which is to be more resistance to breaking down in high heat. That is all the info I have on it.
 
Originally Posted By: LC
We don't know the date of manufacture of either of these VOA oil test. So I assumed that the reason for the difference between the two was because of the change. I could be wrong. Lots of reason's the same oil tested comes out different.
They started using a new type of polymer viscosity modifier technology in the new formula. Which is to be more resistance to breaking down in high heat. That is all the info I have on it.


Great! Thanks.
 
I looked at the bottle again, the codes are similar to older Mobil1, but not newer bottles. They are inked.

The numbers on the SYN3 are:

3319C33814 1351

I'm sure there is a date in there somewhere if anyone knows how to read it.

Having trouble reading the HD360 as it is dark writing on a black bottle...
 
Originally Posted By: DuckRyder
...
3319C33814 1351

I'm sure there is a date in there somewhere if anyone knows how to read it.
...


C is the plant.
33814 is the Julian date - 338th day of 14 (December 4 2014)

It is probably the 1351st bottle of the run.
 
looked @ the VR-1 specs Noack of 15 is quite high! + their fully synthetic 20-50 motorcycle oil is surprisingly the same! a group III refined CRUDE for sure but $8.50 a qt!!
 
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Thanks for the VOA, much like HDs conventional oil in respect to my feeling of HDs oils seem to be formulated more like a diesel oil and why as a second choice in the owners manual of the Rushmore bikes.

I think/feel the make up of their oil points more towards diesel types oils with their large amount of boron and or magnesium something you do not see in typical motorcycle oils and plain automobile oils but do see in oils like Rotella, Delo, Mobile Delvac, Mystikl JT8 etc .. etc

Ill go out on a limb and say I think HD is more concerned with piston and valve deposits (clean engines) in these hot running engines that actual wear from any oil will be low, but wear from deposits can be bad.
A lot of people think diesel oils (not in this forum of course) are some kind of mystery formula and do not know all of them also carry API for automoble combustion engines but go further with the API for diesel compression engines (whether diesel automobile or truck).
 
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although harleys run hot with their out of date engines their non shared lubricants have it easier than shared lubricants with no clutch issues for engine oil choices
 
Originally Posted By: benjy
although harleys run hot with their out of date engines their non shared lubricants have it easier than shared lubricants with no clutch issues for engine oil choices


I think that I understand what you are saying about the "out of date" Harley engines .... but you do realize that the Yamaha cruisers are air cooled (with one exception) and that the RoadStar, Roadliner, and Stratoliner are also pushrod engines. Many of the Triumph bikes are air-cooled. Moto Guzzi... and more. All of the Victory motorcycles are air cooled. Of course, some of thses motorcyles now arrive on the dealer showrooms with oil the old style coolers in place.
 
harleys use of the cheaper steel liner compared to a "coated" all aluminum holds more heat, but of course nikasil is more costly + harley is cheap wherever they can be!!
 
Originally Posted By: benjy
harleys use of the cheaper steel liner compared to a "coated" all aluminum holds more heat, but of course nikasil is more costly + harley is cheap wherever they can be!!

So your point is???
 
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