Nick, to directly answer your question...I don't believe viscosity is directly related to wear, but I believe it's darn close, though.
I agree with you 100%. Taking engineering to a different point of view....My last job required me to "tow the corporate line" on network router and connetivity installation for a new office that was quite large. When I saw their plans, I told them in no uncertain terms that their plan was flawed and that network connectivity to the new office complex would not work. Corporate said "we tested it". I said "just like you tested the OTHER new office we had here?" An extra 100 hours in two weeks for each member of our team because they "tested" it at Corporate.
My last day with that company was the day before (!) the move. I didn't hold back to tell them that "...you're plan is f****** up...it will fail like the Zepplin". So, they sent out the most Jr. member of the network team to setup everything. (remember, it's important to hinge an entire money making project on the least qualified member of your team!)
Needless to say, two weeks later, I received a phone call late on a Friday night asking for assistance since the "network hasn't worked at all since you left". I wasn't sure if I should feel good or feel bad. Poor customers---held at bay because of management gridlock. NASA or any other beareaucratic organization suffers from this lack of internal politics. As a result, the public that uses their products suffer as well.
CAFE is the 800 pound gorilla. Like the U.N. it exists only for the sake of itself. CAFE is the excuse car makers give to do things. CAFE is the sole reason we're being beaten over the head in our owners's manuals to use water-thin oil. Water-thin oil is great for racing cars that only need to last 1000 miles, but that's where I draw the line.
Like computer software, (consumer car) engines have planned obsolecense built-in. That's what I "heard" when I read that Ford mentioned that 150K life-cycle intervals should be easily attiainable with 20w oils. 150K? That's it? I'm looking for 300-400K if I'm spending today's incredible amount of $$ for a new car or truck! Planned obsolecense. That's how they make the money. CAFE is just another tool to make it happen.
I'm not against using 20w oils in average to high-revving engines---the UOA's prove that it works for these typs of situations. But what if that oil becomes fuel-diluted? What would be the HTHS value at that point if the oil starts out at 2.61 to begin with and the consumer doesn't change the oil immediately because "the manual said I could go 7500 miles between changes"??
Moreover, should I use 10w30 in my Saturn just because it says so? The manual says to never use any other oil outside of 5w30 / 10w30. Nor should I "...never add anything to the oil..." Geez. I guess Saturn corporate has never heard of all the oil consumption issues over the lifespan of the S-series? No, they're fully aware of how much oil many Saturns have consumed over the years...it's CAFE. 15w40 /15w-50 oils work perfectly in this engine! So much for the owner's manual! I wonder how much crow management would have to eat if they started recommending 15w40 type oils for these cars. That would fly in the face of CAFE. That can't happen because all the small cars offset the avg MPG ratings for all the larger cars/trucks to meet the CAFE minimum.
I wonder how much life is left in the 88 Honda that the BITOG member recently posted photos for? Yes, these engines easily go 300-400K, but how long will they go when when using quality thicker oils? 1000K? 1200K?
Irony is, I'll be using M1 in a Saturn suggested oil grade in about a month to see if MPG does goes up. But I'll be breaking the no-additive rule by adding Auto-Rx.
If I don't see any real gain in MPG, it's back to thicker oils.
Thanks for listening...er...reading.
Caution: long post...
I agree with you 100%. Taking engineering to a different point of view....My last job required me to "tow the corporate line" on network router and connetivity installation for a new office that was quite large. When I saw their plans, I told them in no uncertain terms that their plan was flawed and that network connectivity to the new office complex would not work. Corporate said "we tested it". I said "just like you tested the OTHER new office we had here?" An extra 100 hours in two weeks for each member of our team because they "tested" it at Corporate.
My last day with that company was the day before (!) the move. I didn't hold back to tell them that "...you're plan is f****** up...it will fail like the Zepplin". So, they sent out the most Jr. member of the network team to setup everything. (remember, it's important to hinge an entire money making project on the least qualified member of your team!)
Needless to say, two weeks later, I received a phone call late on a Friday night asking for assistance since the "network hasn't worked at all since you left". I wasn't sure if I should feel good or feel bad. Poor customers---held at bay because of management gridlock. NASA or any other beareaucratic organization suffers from this lack of internal politics. As a result, the public that uses their products suffer as well.
CAFE is the 800 pound gorilla. Like the U.N. it exists only for the sake of itself. CAFE is the excuse car makers give to do things. CAFE is the sole reason we're being beaten over the head in our owners's manuals to use water-thin oil. Water-thin oil is great for racing cars that only need to last 1000 miles, but that's where I draw the line.
Like computer software, (consumer car) engines have planned obsolecense built-in. That's what I "heard" when I read that Ford mentioned that 150K life-cycle intervals should be easily attiainable with 20w oils. 150K? That's it? I'm looking for 300-400K if I'm spending today's incredible amount of $$ for a new car or truck! Planned obsolecense. That's how they make the money. CAFE is just another tool to make it happen.
I'm not against using 20w oils in average to high-revving engines---the UOA's prove that it works for these typs of situations. But what if that oil becomes fuel-diluted? What would be the HTHS value at that point if the oil starts out at 2.61 to begin with and the consumer doesn't change the oil immediately because "the manual said I could go 7500 miles between changes"??
Moreover, should I use 10w30 in my Saturn just because it says so? The manual says to never use any other oil outside of 5w30 / 10w30. Nor should I "...never add anything to the oil..." Geez. I guess Saturn corporate has never heard of all the oil consumption issues over the lifespan of the S-series? No, they're fully aware of how much oil many Saturns have consumed over the years...it's CAFE. 15w40 /15w-50 oils work perfectly in this engine! So much for the owner's manual! I wonder how much crow management would have to eat if they started recommending 15w40 type oils for these cars. That would fly in the face of CAFE. That can't happen because all the small cars offset the avg MPG ratings for all the larger cars/trucks to meet the CAFE minimum.
I wonder how much life is left in the 88 Honda that the BITOG member recently posted photos for? Yes, these engines easily go 300-400K, but how long will they go when when using quality thicker oils? 1000K? 1200K?
Irony is, I'll be using M1 in a Saturn suggested oil grade in about a month to see if MPG does goes up. But I'll be breaking the no-additive rule by adding Auto-Rx.
Thanks for listening...er...reading.
