Pennzoil Bad Reputation from 1970's. 1980's?

[BBDartCA]

Personally in the 70's and 80's I had several situations where customers using Pennzoil following recommended OCI were having significant sludge and varnish in the top end. Word of mouth at other auto repair shops, was many saying to avoid Pennzoil due to it being paraffin based causing sludge problems. Ever since then, I've always advised against using Pennzoil and even have avoided such in company cars.

Years later, after going through college and working with a major energy & lube company, I came to learn that Pennzoil had issues for several years with their dewaxing processes during base oil refining, which resulted in less than perfect lubes. There is nothing inherently wrong with parafin base stocks versus napathentic, but that point can regress into another debate.

Anybody else have similar experiences with Pennzoil during this era?

 

[Johnny]

My family has been using Pennzoil since the early 40's without any sludge issues. I worked for Pennzoil for 20+ years and sold millions of gallons of it and never had anyone complain of sludge issues.

Now, I can take no credit for personal knowledge of Pennzoil's operations before 1980 as I was only a consumer at that time. However after 1980 I know of no problems at any of the refineries with the dewaxing process.

Todays Pennzoil brand is so far removed from anything that Pennzoil was back in the 70's. It is now owned and made by Shell Oil and uses some of the best base stocks there is.

 

[lexus114]

You Go Boy! ^^^^^

 

[SrDriver]

We have always been told the same thing about Quaker State Oils. I am 68 and my father used Quaker State Oils. 2nd to last car (Ford) V-8 had around 150,000 miles on it using it when he traded.

He passed away many years ago and never had an oil related issue that I am aware of.

@ next oil change will be using Quaker State 5W20 Synthetic in both vehicles. Have used Pennzoil in the past too.

 

[fsskier]

Working as a grease monkey in college in the 1960,s I occasionally heard 200 mpg carburetor stories and Pennzoil wax stories.
Pennzoil was one of the more popular oils requested, we sold barrels of it.

Like the 200 mpg carburetor, the wax always someplace else, I guess.
I also used lots of Pennzoil at that time, often in my new BMW, (1967 1600-2) which remained internally spotless for the 14 years that I drove it.

I seem to be only using Mobil 1 0W20 for the past many years, but would happily switch to Pennzoil.

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

Those Pennzoil stories are as real as the Nigerian lotteries.

 

[tig1]

Not sure about Pennz, but QS in the 60s was sludgeville. I bought a 64 Valiant slant 6 with 13K and used QS with 2000 mile OCIs. At 60K or so I had to addjust the mechanical lifters. When I pulled the valve cover off I had to scoop the sludge out. After that I went with Valvo. and the results were much better.
Just my experience.
Today their oils are great as I am told, so use with no worries.

 

[Quest]

The very existence of the internet makes these housewive's tales/urban legends perpetuates forever (just like the notorious "bonzai kitten" hoax that would not die)

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: BBDartCA
Personally in the 70's and 80's I had several situations where customers using Pennzoil following recommended OCI were having significant sludge and varnish in the top end. Word of mouth at other auto repair shops, was many saying to avoid Pennzoil due to it being paraffin based causing sludge problems. Ever since then, I've always advised against using Pennzoil and even have avoided such in company cars.

Years later, after going through college and working with a major energy & lube company, I came to learn that Pennzoil had issues for several years with their dewaxing processes during base oil refining, which resulted in less than perfect lubes. There is nothing inherently wrong with parafin base stocks versus napathentic, but that point can regress into another debate.

Anybody else have similar experiences with Pennzoil during this era?


I started tinkering with cars around 1973, I was doing work on my father's cars because I couldn't see him bringing them to a mechanic. I used Pennzoil in a 66 Ford Falcon my dad was the original owner of. In 1976 he gave that car to me, and I had the VC off for a gasket replacement. (Boy was that 200 I6 a great engine to work on!)

With over 100,000 miles on it that engine was clean, it could be that I was dosing it on and off with MMO, but even so? If Pennzoil caused problems it didn't in that old Ford, or the 72 Plymouth I had shortly after.

 

[Bill in Utah]

I've used Pennzoil products here and there (I'm far from a someone who uses only one brand) but in over 30 years of changing oil NEVER had a single problem with Pennzoil oils in MANY vehicles.

I'd use Pennzoil (and do for the most part if I have to pay full price for oil) with no worries. Its a excellent product!

Bill

 

[PF52]

I never, never heard any of these "Pennzoil myths" until I got onto the internet in about 2001. Personally, I used it with no problems at all starting in about 1985.

Originally Posted By: BBDartCA
There is nothing inherently wrong with parafin base stocks versus napathentic, but that point can regress into another debate.



One point that always confuses me, is "napathenic". Which oils are napathenic? I thought all motor oils were parafinnic.

 

[CROWNVIC4LIFE]

I used nothing but Pennzoil [from the Caddy dealer] for my 73 Caddy 75 Caddy and 79 Caddy with no issues with sludge whatsoever...I put on between 150 and 200K miles on all of them...I also had a friend who had a 72 Caddy [we used the same Caddy dealer] and sometimes he let the oil go to 7K miles...He had no issues with sludge either.

 

[endeavor to persevere]

I started driving in 1960. I rebuilt my 1st engine in 1958. A 1955 Sears Allstate Cruiser.(Vespa) I used Pennzoil through the 60s, 70s and into the 80s. I never had a sludge problem. I did see many sludged up engines. Mostly the people did not do maintenance on them. No PCV changes and especially not many oil changes.

 

[Chris142]

Being in the automotive business most of my life I was always warned not to use Pennzoil or "Caker state" because they would make sludge.

I never really believed that and I knew that there had to be more to the story.

 

[endeavor to persevere]

I always liked this...

Most mineral oils today are paraffin based, this is not candle wax. as some people like to think.

The word paraffin is a very common and basic term for base mineral oil. The MSDS sheets for many motor oils use the word paraffin to describe the main oil ingredient...as in "SOLVENT-DEWAXED HEAVY PARAFFINIC PETROLEUM," which is how Valvoline phrases it in their MSDS sheets.

Paraffin is the proper organic chemistry word for aliphatic hydrocarbons...more commonly known as oil. It is also the correct name for wax and candles. But there is as much difference between paraffin wax and paraffin oil as there is between a chestnut horse and a horse chestnut. They just aint the same thing. Don't matter whether you're talking about Pennzoil, Castrol, Valvoline or your wife's Christmas candles. If you like Pennzoil, use it worry free.

http://www.lloydminsterheavyoil.com/crudetypes.htm

 

[Autografe]

Starting in the late 60's I worked in the parts and the service industry. In south Georgia where I was at the time the legends all involved QS as the sludge oil. In the machine shop attached to the NAPA store I worked at we saw many slugged up engines. I am inclined to believe it was poor maintenance rather the brand of oil used. For years I used Valvoline exclusively until I got a '73 MGB and I used GTX. Because they were better? I think I was heavily influenced by Hot Rod and Car Craft during my Valvoline days. When I became an MGB owner I of course switched religions to Castrol. I always changed my oil at short OCI's and I never had a sludgged up car. Urban myths once started are hard to kill.

 

[Dually]

I've used Mobil-1/Amsoil/Castrol and Valvoline in the past.I now use Pennzoil and I feel they are the best oils out there.If Pennzoil now is a bad product the it would be taking off the market.People who listen to these stories are missing out using a great product.Joe

 

[Hemi426]

My dad and uncle had an auto parts/repair business back in the 70s and 80s. The only oil they stocked was Pennzoil because that was the only oil in town that people wanted to buy. They have told me that they never had a sludge issue with a Pennzoil engine but had many severely sludged or blown engines on Quaker State back then. They knew they were Quaker State engines because they had the oil change reminder stickers either on the windshield or on the air cleaner case. I didn't know anything about cars back then since I was just a boy but I can still remember what some of those Quaker State engines looked like under the valve covers. Most of them would develop so much sludge and grit that it would grind the bearings right out of the engines or they would spin a bearing due to not enough oil making it through the oil passages. Those were the days!

 

[Wilhelm_D]

Originally Posted By: BBDartCA
Personally in the 70's and 80's I had several situations where customers using Pennzoil following recommended OCI were having significant sludge and varnish in the top end. Word of mouth at other auto repair shops, was many saying to avoid Pennzoil due to it being paraffin based causing sludge problems. Ever since then, I've always advised against using Pennzoil and even have avoided such in company cars.


I have heard this same basic story with every motor oil on the market.

I used Valvoline for many years with not a problem, but heard the same story about it.

I then switched to Pennzoil 5W-30 turbo and used in it in some cars that went high mileage, and heard the same stories.

It's what happens when every bad event is recorded anecdotally and as a result a non-random non-scientific selection occurs.

All the good results are filtered out.

 

[BBDartCA]

Originally Posted By: css9450
I never, never heard any of these "Pennzoil myths" until I got onto the internet in about 2001. Personally, I used it with no problems at all starting in about 1985.

Originally Posted By: BBDartCA
There is nothing inherently wrong with parafin base stocks versus napathentic, but that point can regress into another debate.



One point that always confuses me, is "napathenic". Which oils are napathenic? I thought all motor oils were parafinnic.


From what I recall from years ago (which is suspect due to age setting in), is that there were two primary crude stocks used for lube oil base - Paraffinic and Napthenic. In the old days, Napathenic was preferred as it had less paraffin wax and was thus less complicated (cheaper) to manufacture. Napthenic has a low VI, which made it good for lighter weight straight weight oils. It has good heat transfer and solvency properties too. Although Napthenic usage was always a small % for base lube oil as compared to Paraffinic, its usage really dropped in the US due to Iran and Iraq problems. Lots of technology was developed to optimize production for Parraffinic oil more economically and with better quality control (shift from MEK chemical dewaxing to catalytic hydrocracking, for example). I assume there will be an increase use of Napthenic oils in lube as heavy crudes are becoming more popular.