Pennzoil Platinum - Black crud in new oil

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Originally Posted By: Garak
I believe the symptom has been reported here long before the GTL stocks were the norm for them. I just never really worried too much about it, at least any more than every other thing we worry about obsessively here on BITOG.
wink.gif



I don't worry about most of the stuff that most people worry about obsessively on bitog, but I would'nt find unknown black crud, (which is probably dirt) in new oil acceptable, apparently unlike most of the people on bitog.

People are strange.
 
I've read some threads where those who have attempted to scrape it found it hard, something that doesn't readily scrape off the bottom of the jug. There has been much speculation about it being moly. I've had no experience with this phenomenon, so your guess is as good as mine.
 
Originally Posted By: bbhero
This may well not be the additives here. Shannow posted a particulate count on brand new oil and it had a LOT of stuff that was greater than 20 micons big. New oil has a lot of "stuff" in it. I think it was described as dirt in that thread. Thus... The need for a good filter even with brand new "clean" oil. The particulate analysis was done with the insignia of the big construction equipment manufacturer Cat on it. It was really surprising to say the least.


This has me rethinking about pre-filling my oil filters.
 
^^^Haha, right?!

FWIW, there was one chunk at the bottom that was disturbingly large. Like, grain of sand large.
I'm sure the filter picked it up. But still...

Coming from a little background with engine machining and assembly, it just doesn't sit well with me.
 
Originally Posted By: spasm3
...This has me rethinking about pre-filling my oil filters.
Ha-ha! How 'bout not shaking the bottle until after pre-filling the filter?
 
I have used Pennzoil Conventional and Pennzoil Platinum and have seen this material in the bottom of almost every bottle, even after shaking it up. I have poured a lot more Valvoline over the years and have never seen any crud in the bottom of those bottles. And I always look.
 
Originally Posted By: Garak
I've read some threads where those who have attempted to scrape it found it hard, something that doesn't readily scrape off the bottom of the jug. There has been much speculation about it being moly. I've had no experience with this phenomenon, so your guess is as good as mine.


Interesting thought...the MoS2 additive I have used in the past (finely powdered solid in some kind of suspension) is more grey than black, not sure if that reflects the moly compound's color itself. I'm not sure if the oil soluble moly additives that are used in most finished oils today could precipitate out as MoS2 or something else??
 
Mmmmmmm yummy that's the good stuff!

Seriously, if you want to resolubilize those additives, you need to add heat. Shaking at room temp does little to nothing for resolubilizing additives. Just pouring it into the engine and running it is also a very convenient way to get them back in solution.
 
Originally Posted By: jj51702
Contact the company if really concerned?


That's what I was thinking too. I emailed them this past Sunday, but haven't heard anything back yet.

I sent to [email protected]

Anybody got a better email addy?

EDIT:
I saved the jug. I just taped it up with packing tape and it's sitting out in my garage. I just got off the phone with Blackstone, and they think they might be able to test it. Thing is there is very little oil left in there and they normally need at least a couple of ounces. So it's a bit of a longshot. Might send it just for kicks.
 
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Originally Posted By: 77GrandPrix
I have used Pennzoil Conventional and Pennzoil Platinum and have seen this material in the bottom of almost every bottle, even after shaking it up. I have poured a lot more Valvoline over the years and have never seen any crud in the bottom of those bottles. And I always look.


I posted here someplace a few years ago a picture of grain of sand sized particles at the bottom of a brand new freshly opened 5 quart jug of Valvoline dino 10W40 that moved around with the oil when I'd swish it.
 
I'll search your posts and see if I can find it. I, personally, have only seen this condition in Pennzoil bottles. I've used some Castrol and Mobil products as well and have not seen any sediment in those bottles.
 
Here's one of the pics. If you look where the oil level is at the bottom of the opening,go up to the second rib and to the upper right of it too. You'll see the black specs. The bottom of the jug was full of them,but the camera didn't capture it as good as the naked eye could see.
 
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Here's one of the pics. If you look where the oil level is at the bottom of the opening,go up to the second rib and to the upper right of it too. You'll see the black specs. The bottom of the jug was full of them,but the camera didn't capture it as good as the naked eye could see.



From what I've seen with my PP bottles and read online these past few years, it's just additive fallout and nothing to be worried about. This topic gets brought back up very frequently.
 
The jug in my pic is Valvoline dino 10W40. It has the usual dark stuff in the crevices,but the black specs floating around on the bottom that had a sand like size and texture is what concerned me. They didn't dissolve with a rigorous shake like the dark mucky stuff always does,but just floated around the bottom without dissolving. Needless to say the oil was drained and replaced with Mobil 1 if I remember correctly (this was many years ago).
 
Originally Posted By: crazy_raccoon
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Here's one of the pics. If you look where the oil level is at the bottom of the opening,go up to the second rib and to the upper right of it too. You'll see the black specs. The bottom of the jug was full of them,but the camera didn't capture it as good as the naked eye could see.



From what I've seen with my PP bottles and read online these past few years, it's just additive fallout and nothing to be worried about. This topic gets brought back up very frequently.




This does come up on a regular basis and mostly during the winter months. A wild guess is that the cold temperatures during shipping and distribution exacerbate the issue. Shake it and run it
 
Originally Posted By: Virtus_Probi
Interesting thought...the MoS2 additive I have used in the past (finely powdered solid in some kind of suspension) is more grey than black, not sure if that reflects the moly compound's color itself. I'm not sure if the oil soluble moly additives that are used in most finished oils today could precipitate out as MoS2 or something else??

It would precipitate out as something else, since they don't use the same moly as some of these additives use. I believe SonofJoe mentioned the stuff was dark, but we'd have to have him or another formulator clear that up to be certain.
 
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