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Engine Oil: API Service Categories.


Genie47
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In my search for cheaper engine oil with better lubrication and cleaning efficacy, I have read extensively on Bobistheoilguy forums. This is for the cheapos out there. [:)]

 

Firstly check this website:

 

http://www.micapeak.com/bike/ST1300/API.html

 

OK here is the low down. There are cheaper oils out there and the cheapest around are diesel engine oils. Why? companies that maintain vehicle fleets buy them. So there are plenty floating around (pun intended). Some of these companies maintain both diesel engines and petrol engines. So to cut cost, they rely on an engine oil called "fleet oil". Otherwise it is an engine oil that can be used on either engine.

 

So in your search for a cheaper oil and you encounter a fleet oil, look at the API Service Category on the bottle. It must be rated C(something) for diesel AND S(something) for petrol. Check the webby as a reference. There are plenty of old stocks in the market. As long as your vehicle is capable of taking that rating, that oil can be used. For example, you own a COE petrol car with date of manufacture in 1985. Any oil with at least an SH cat will do even though SH is obsolete. If your car is bought after 2001, make sure the oil is SL and SJ cat for petrol.

 

OK, why fleet oil? DD package! Diesel engines are the filthy. The oil must have low evaporation, high temperature resistance and soot control. So lube engineers put the best in diesel engine oil. Basically a better mix of detergents/dispersants. Much higher than petrol engine oil. So with mixed fleets, engineers of major lube companies made the oil multigrade. So it is easily taken by petrol engines as well. The DD package is very high in these oils and will keep your engine clean.

 

You will often hear that Mobil Delvac 1300 Super is the best mineral oil around in the BITOG forums. My search came up zilch in SG but to my surprise, it has been renamed! Mobil Delvac MX is Mobil Delvac 1300 Super. The MX is the new name to denote (MiXed) for mixed fleet. It is cheap at $30 for 5L and is rated up to SJ and SL SAE 15W40. Available in any Mobil station.

 

The other Delvac which is hard to find is Mobil Delvac 1. Very expensive because it is a synthetic version of Delvac MX. $85 for 5L SAE 5W40. Found only one source and that is Torino which is next to the AMK Ave 1 Caltex station.

 

An acquaintence is now trying Fuchs Titan CFE MC 10W40. It too is an SJ cat fleet oil. But you will be surprised, the oil is completely black due to the amount of molybdenum inside that helps in lubrication. Cheap at $20 for 5L. Available from a shop in Lim Tua Tow Rd.

 

OK why don't people use them? Marketing! The lube and petrol companies hype up their petrol engine oils. They also deny or restrict the availability of these oils so you keep buying the expensive petrol engine oils or buying the inferior petrol oils. Much like the supermarket tactic of placing the expensive items at eye level on the shelves while the dirt cheap ones are at the bottom where you won't look.

 

I hope this helps the lot of you confused about which engine oil to use. Especially those that are completely aghast at the prices of Mobil 1, Amsoil and Redline.

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