Hi all,I was a castrol gtx user until I found this form.Ive switced to PYB.The gtx gave my Honda CRV valve train noise and left alot of varnish but Ive got 7 Qts. left is it ok to do 50/50 fills? The add packs seem to be quite different.The gtx has alot of sodium.
Yes another dumb oil mixing question
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Go ahead. Not a problem.
Yes, I did the same thing when I found out how lame the GTX had become. It is formulated to the lowest end of the acceptable range which kind of ticks me off since they did not price the product accordingly.
PYB is good stuff!
PYB is good stuff!
I wouldn't, since these oils have entirely different add packs.
Some members will tell you that all API spec oils are compatible.
This is true, but does not make that mix optimal.
There is nothing wrong with GTX, although it is rather pricey for what it is.
Use the GTX up and then move on.
I don't think you'll get the full benefit of either oil by mixing GTX and PYB.
Incidentally, I've never heard of GTX causing either noise or excess varnish in a healthy engine.
Could the noise be related to the oil filter, not the oil?
Some members will tell you that all API spec oils are compatible.
This is true, but does not make that mix optimal.
There is nothing wrong with GTX, although it is rather pricey for what it is.
Use the GTX up and then move on.
I don't think you'll get the full benefit of either oil by mixing GTX and PYB.
Incidentally, I've never heard of GTX causing either noise or excess varnish in a healthy engine.
Could the noise be related to the oil filter, not the oil?
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
I don't think you'll get the full benefit of either oil by mixing GTX and PYB.
Well that's not true.
I don't think you'll get the full benefit of either oil by mixing GTX and PYB.
Well that's not true.
Originally Posted By: CATERHAM
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
I don't think you'll get the full benefit of either oil by mixing GTX and PYB.
Well that's not true.
How so, Caterham?
Since SOPUS and BP used entirely different add pack stratagies in blending these oils, how can you get the full benefit of either by mixing the two?
If adding a load of sodium to PYB would have improved it, don't you think that SOPUS would have done so?
It's cheap enough.
If adding a slug of molly to GTX would have enhanced GTX, wouldn't BP have done so?
For what GTX costs, they could certainly have afforded it.
I know of no oil blended with an additive pack consisting of a mix of those of of GTX and PYB.
If this mix represented a superior add pack, I think that we'd see such an oil offered at a premium price.
We don't.
These two oils must be compatible, per API specs, but that doesn't mean that the outcome will be superior, or even as good as either oil would be on its own.
I understand that you would mix the two.
Please understand that I wouldn't.
You wrote that what I posted wasn't true.
There is no objective truth in this case, only opinion.
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
I don't think you'll get the full benefit of either oil by mixing GTX and PYB.
Well that's not true.
How so, Caterham?
Since SOPUS and BP used entirely different add pack stratagies in blending these oils, how can you get the full benefit of either by mixing the two?
If adding a load of sodium to PYB would have improved it, don't you think that SOPUS would have done so?
It's cheap enough.
If adding a slug of molly to GTX would have enhanced GTX, wouldn't BP have done so?
For what GTX costs, they could certainly have afforded it.
I know of no oil blended with an additive pack consisting of a mix of those of of GTX and PYB.
If this mix represented a superior add pack, I think that we'd see such an oil offered at a premium price.
We don't.
These two oils must be compatible, per API specs, but that doesn't mean that the outcome will be superior, or even as good as either oil would be on its own.
I understand that you would mix the two.
Please understand that I wouldn't.
You wrote that what I posted wasn't true.
There is no objective truth in this case, only opinion.
There is nothing optimum with these oils, you're over thinking this.
Different additives can acheive much the same thing.
You're claiming an adverse affect and I say there is no evidence to suggest that.
Different additives can acheive much the same thing.
You're claiming an adverse affect and I say there is no evidence to suggest that.
I would finish off the Castrol in 1 quart increments. So if you have a 4 qt sump do 3 PYB and 1 gtx. Your engine will never know it. Just don't go over 5000 miles.
The weight in question is 5-20 for the honda & 5-30 for the S-10.About a year ago I removed the valve cover & there was varnish.I did check my valve lash per my Haynes manual and they were fine.I thought that was the clatting noise,but wasnt I swiched to PYB sounds ok now not as loud.Ive done 2 OCI w/PYB and have looked inside the oil fill hole w/ flashlight varnish gone!!! I would like to still use the GTX and dilute it but I dont know how much.
Yes, the GTX is weak sauce.My dad always used it and noticed in by garage PYB and says You know that [censored] will sludge up your engine. Didnt I teach you anything son. I replyed you dont know anything about oil anymore things have changed in 30 years.
I would run the rest of the Castrol, then use Pennzoil.
Is their any evidence that mixing different add pack is perfectly fine?
I cannot believe that it would make no difference what additives are used in a mix of oils, but I could well be wrong.
It might be interesting to run a mix of oils of different grades, using diffent add packs and basestocks, and then UOA a run of this strange brew after a 5K run in a car for which one has a good baseline UOA.
Could we see any difference?
I'm thinking maybe half a quart of GTX 5W-20, half a quart of Amsoil 0W-20, a quart of G-Oil 5W-30, and maybe a couple of quarts of QSUD or some other Grp III, or you could use two quarts of the G-Oil instead.
A Grp II, a Grp III, a Grp IV and a Grp V all in the same engine, with an equal diversity in add packs.
I have such a car, as well as all of these oils, but I don't think I'd waste one of my UOA kits on such an experiment.
Would be entertaining, though.
I cannot believe that it would make no difference what additives are used in a mix of oils, but I could well be wrong.
It might be interesting to run a mix of oils of different grades, using diffent add packs and basestocks, and then UOA a run of this strange brew after a 5K run in a car for which one has a good baseline UOA.
Could we see any difference?
I'm thinking maybe half a quart of GTX 5W-20, half a quart of Amsoil 0W-20, a quart of G-Oil 5W-30, and maybe a couple of quarts of QSUD or some other Grp III, or you could use two quarts of the G-Oil instead.
A Grp II, a Grp III, a Grp IV and a Grp V all in the same engine, with an equal diversity in add packs.
I have such a car, as well as all of these oils, but I don't think I'd waste one of my UOA kits on such an experiment.
Would be entertaining, though.
There is lots of evidence, but more importantly there are oils (all race oils) that should not be mixed and the formulators make that very clear.
But for street oils virtually all oil companies will say that there is no issue in blending any of their oils and some like Red Line encourage the practice including mixing their street and race oils to get a specialized outcome.
The fact that all API oils must be compatible eliminates the known chemistries and additives that are a problem.
But for street oils virtually all oil companies will say that there is no issue in blending any of their oils and some like Red Line encourage the practice including mixing their street and race oils to get a specialized outcome.
The fact that all API oils must be compatible eliminates the known chemistries and additives that are a problem.
Maybe I'm just being conservative, but I can't see it as being all that simple.
Mixing Red Line with Red Line should be no problem, just as mixing Pennzoil with Quaker State with Shell should be no problem.
Red Line with Pennzoil, as an extreme example?
That I'm not so sure about.
I once mixed oils pretty freely, and I now think I know better.
Maybe I was right way back when?
Mixing Red Line with Red Line should be no problem, just as mixing Pennzoil with Quaker State with Shell should be no problem.
Red Line with Pennzoil, as an extreme example?
That I'm not so sure about.
I once mixed oils pretty freely, and I now think I know better.
Maybe I was right way back when?
So how much of oil B can I add to oil A and keep all of the performance of oil A.
At best, mixing two oils of different additive strategies will produce an unknown. I will fully grant that the mix may happen to be just as good or even better than either of the oils in some way. However, it seems more likely that the mix would approach the average of the two. It also seems possible that the mix would be a lesser product than either of the starting oils for some mixes.
At best, mixing two oils of different additive strategies will produce an unknown. I will fully grant that the mix may happen to be just as good or even better than either of the oils in some way. However, it seems more likely that the mix would approach the average of the two. It also seems possible that the mix would be a lesser product than either of the starting oils for some mixes.
One concern I do have is whether the detergency additives have to work in concert with the AW adds, so selection of both matters.
Also, you rarely see oils using additive levels of sodium also using molly.
The only exception I can think of is Valvoline Maxlife.
Id there a reason for this?
Also, you rarely see oils using additive levels of sodium also using molly.
The only exception I can think of is Valvoline Maxlife.
Id there a reason for this?
^Best to blend of similar additive packages, at least, but for short term no issues. You just won't have the most efficient blend if radically different oils are blended that don't seem to 'gel' right away(no reference to viscosity sorry lol).
For instance, the sodium Valvoline seems to use is of a specific nature/purpose as an anti-foaming agent(IIRC) among other typical uses. I don't think it's cause adverse wear or anything like that by interfering with the AW properties of the oil from doing their job.
Also, with any blend you'd probably be best off not running your typical OCI, back it off a bit since there is more of a 'grey area' as far as definitive results without a UOA. Prolonged blending is probably best to mix similar brands or add packs as far as the known formulations relative to what is being blended, as much as possible as a general guide. Otherwise, blending is 'effectively' harmless as long as they meet similar baseline specs and are for passenger cars, etc. or whatever app you are dealing with. Old beater? W/e. lol
That is under the idea of blending 5 or 6 various quarts of whatever, mind you. Half and half is less of a big deal.
For instance, the sodium Valvoline seems to use is of a specific nature/purpose as an anti-foaming agent(IIRC) among other typical uses. I don't think it's cause adverse wear or anything like that by interfering with the AW properties of the oil from doing their job.
Also, with any blend you'd probably be best off not running your typical OCI, back it off a bit since there is more of a 'grey area' as far as definitive results without a UOA. Prolonged blending is probably best to mix similar brands or add packs as far as the known formulations relative to what is being blended, as much as possible as a general guide. Otherwise, blending is 'effectively' harmless as long as they meet similar baseline specs and are for passenger cars, etc. or whatever app you are dealing with. Old beater? W/e. lol
That is under the idea of blending 5 or 6 various quarts of whatever, mind you. Half and half is less of a big deal.
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