Is German Castrol really going the way of the dinosaur?

CyFi6

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Oct 11, 2007
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just got a 5qt+mobil1 filter deal for 35 bucks=6qt+ mobil 1 filter for 40 bucks. Basically, free filter. I didnt have any coupon or anything the guy just said they have that deal and i took it.
 

makaveli913

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Nov 20, 2007
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i found some gc at my autozone. its feb 05 but not green :( there is also some 2001 or 2003 castrol it has a yellow label. it that any good
 

CyFi6

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Rennat;1208825 said:
yeah, walmart for $20 for 5 quarts in the big bottle... i was dumb founded when i saw it... too bad i get a killer deal on redline now. haha

You sure thats not the 5w30?I have never seen the German 0w30 at walmart before.
 

Rennat

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never saw somebody mention what weight they wanted... the difference between 5w30 and 0w30 is minimal...

and from what jdub has said about the supra's oiling system, they want an oil viscosity with the cst of about 10~...

0-30 according to castrol is 12.1 and the 5w30 is actually 9.7

and if you want to be spot on, 10-30 is 10.1

http://www.castrol.com/liveassets/b...local_assets/downloads/p,q/pds_syntec_usa.pdf
 

suprarx7nut

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Nov 10, 2006
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Rennat;1208850 said:
never saw somebody mention what weight they wanted... the difference between 5w30 and 0w30 is minimal...

uh.... no, no, no, no.

The difference between 5w30 and 0w30 is GERMAN CASTROL, among other things.

GC only comes in 0w30.

If you got 5w30, you did not get an ounce of GC. ;)

I wish wal mart carried GC, but I check every time I go there and have never seen GC there.

Once again, GC comes ONLY in 0w30.


Response to ninja edit:

Castrol website said:
The 0W–30 viscosity grade is ideal for winter conditions where low temperature pumpability is required. A unique, low–temperature formulation provides exceptional pumpability in cold weather and allows for unaided engine starts down to –40ºF.

While the 0w30 is thicker at op temps, it flows better when very cold. Plus, 0w30 is the only Castrol Syntec AFAIK that is a true synthetic. Its a group IV, as opposed to Group III.
 
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Rennat

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too bad you cant find the GREEN stuff anymore, which is what everybody was raveing about... this "german" stuff is funny really...

all i know is that walmart had 5 quarts, for $20... which if you do the math, is a CRAZY GOOD DEAL. Im not here to debate whether or not the "german" stuff is any better...

and castrol calls its "european formula" btw...
 

Rennat

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but thats whats so funny... -40?

castrol doesnt even give you the viscosity of the oil at "cold"... it just says it flows really good... uhh... how bout some numbers?

go look up redline, and they tell you both. thats what i like to see, and read.


oh... and when was the last time you drove your car in -40 weather anyways? your car spends 80% of its life WARM, not cold... so i dont see the point in getting all caught up in the supra ultra low thickness of the oil at FREEZEING temps.

and just out of curisoty... where are you pulling this info that ONLY 0-30 is a group 4 and that all of the others are just group 3? Please post a link to back it up, or take that off, cause thats just misinformation that doesnt need to be spread...
 

CTsupra

Supramania Contributor
Rennat;1208856 said:
and just out of curisoty... where are you pulling this info that ONLY 0-30 is a group 4 and that all of the others are just group 3? Please post a link to back it up, or take that off, cause thats just misinformation that doesnt need to be spread...

He is correct.

Try reading the stickies in this section, or maybe this entire thread.
 

supramk3speed

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Lol, i just use valvoline 10w30 synthetic blend. It was thicker then 10w30 castrol syntec, and since i have leaky valve seals it kept my car from smoking too much. I now have a blown headgasket, so when i get it replaced (will replace valve seals as well )what oil is better for it that redline stuff or this castol 0w30? I have never even heard of redline, sorry i have had limited focus on motor oils.
 

deabionni

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Sep 16, 2007
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Rennat;1208856 said:
and just out of curisoty... where are you pulling this info that ONLY 0-30 is a group 4 and that all of the others are just group 3? Please post a link to back it up, or take that off, cause thats just misinformation that doesnt need to be spread...

*sigh* Here's your link.

That crap you found at China-Mart is comprised of a Group III base stock. That is NOT the highly sought after German Castrol. (In answer to another question you posted, we call it German Castrol, as it's made in Germany).

Also, not everybody lives in warmer climates. Some of us live in the colder northern regions, and it's not uncommon for us northern people to see sub-zero temperatures for days or weeks at a time. - **Ever have to pull the spark plugs out of an engine and bring them in the house to let them warm up, because they're too cold to fire? I have.** Anyway, for some people, how well an oil can flow when it's below freezing is very important to them.

Speaking of freezing, I've got a quart of German Castrol sitting in my garage, and you'd be surprised how well that oil will pour out of that bottle; even in northern Michigan's freezing winters.
 
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deabionni

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supramk3speed;1208913 said:
Lol, i just use valvoline 10w30 synthetic blend. It was thicker then 10w30 castrol syntec, and since i have leaky valve seals it kept my car from smoking too much. I now have a blown headgasket, so when i get it replaced (will replace valve seals as well )what oil is better for it that redline stuff or this castol 0w30? I have never even heard of redline, sorry i have had limited focus on motor oils.

This thread should give you some of the answers that you're looking for. (Post #8 talks about some of the benefits of Red Line, but you'll learn more if you spend some time reading this section of the forums).
 

jdub

Official SM Expert: Motor Oil, Lubricants & Fil
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Rennat - All of the Castrol oils sold in the USA are Grp III hydrocracked oils with one exception, Castrol European Formula. It's identified by the "Made in Germany" on the back label...it's not the fact it was made in Germany, it's the only PAO base stock, Grp IV oil on the shelf at your common parts/department stores. Mobil 1, Pennzoil Platinum, Shell, Chevron, etc may be labeled "synthetics", but in reality are Grp III oils. The only other PAO based oil you commonly see is Royal Purple and the Amsoil ASL and Signature series oils...Red Line is a ester based Grp V oil.

All this stems from a court ruling many years ago as to what can be called a "synthetic oil". The court ruled that if "synthetic technology" was used in the formulation of the motor oil, it can be marketed as such. The API differs in it's definition...only the Grp IV (PAO) and Grp V (ester) oils are true synthetics. The base stocks are wholly man made, unlike the Grp III oils that use mineral oil extracted from the ground as the hydrocrack process feed. The other Grp III oils labeled as "synthetics" may have PAO or ester as part of the formulation, but not in sufficient quantity to be classified as a Grp IV or V oil.

Rennat;1208856 said:
oh... and when was the last time you drove your car in -40 weather anyways? your car spends 80% of its life WARM, not cold... so i dont see the point in getting all caught up in the supra ultra low thickness of the oil at FREEZEING temps.

Concerning the cold flow temperature the oil will perform at, most cases in the southern USA will never require that performance. The northern tier states do though....just because you don't have to worry about it in SoCal doesn't mean our Canadian friends don't have to worry about it. What you will see is the Grp IV and V oils have superior cold flow characteristics when compared to Grp III oils. The real concern is what viscosity the oil is at engine start, not lowest temp the oil will flow at. Guess what, the Grp IV and V oils are still better at this too. And, the cold flow temp number will give you a good idea of how well the oil will perform at cold engine start.

You are right (kinda of) about the primary concern of oil viscosity when the engine is at ops temp, but not about the 10 cst viscosity target. On a *stock* motor, Toyota (as well as other car makers) the design uses a 10 cst standard for viscosity...this is primarily for gas economy reasons while ensuring the engine gets the lubrication it needs.

A modified motor is a different story, the demands are higher and high temperatures becomes a factor. Viscosity drops exponentially once oil goes over the 100 deg C temp it was designed to perform at. That is why you hear me tell anyone that will listen to go with a bigger cooler on a thermostat controlled full flow oil cooling circuit. GC is a thicker 30W oil at ops temp...it provides a margin of protection for the higher temps a modified motor can experience. For the guys that are running a basically stock engine, I tell them to consider Pennzoil Platinum 5W-30...it's cold stat viscosity is actually a bit better than GC and will hit the 10 cst target at ops temp. In either case a better cooler is a very good idea.

BTW - To compare GC "cold" viscosity to other oil's spec sheets, is 72.9 cst at 40 deg C. One thing to keep in mind is the oil will get thicker below this temp, significantly at freezing or below temps. PAO oils like GC are excellent performers in cold weather like deabionni alluded to above. Pennzoil Platinum 5W-30 is actually better like I said. Read the thread deabionni linked comparing a couple different oils. If you want to do a simple test on cold flow, put the oils you want to compare in the freezer for a few hours and pour on a cookie sheet set at a 30 deg incline. The oil that makes it to the bottom 1st, wins.

You can't make the statement this oil is best or that oil is best...it depends on what the demands of the engine are, how the oil system (cooler too) is designed, and what fuel economy you shoot for. In reality, you can run a Grp III oil with zero problems...you do want to pick the oil with the best additive pack to give you the temp range you need, will stay in the viscosity range between oil changes, and has excellent cold flow characteristics. Pennzoil Platinum 5W-30 IMO is the Grp III oil that fits this bill for the 7M. My son changed to this oil on his '02 Honda Civic (non-modified daily driver) that specs a 5W-20. He went from 29 MPG to 36 MPG on just changing the oil...no other work was done on the motor. WARNING - I do not advocate using a 5W-20 oil in the 7M or JZ series engines!

Rennat;1208856 said:
and just out of curisoty... where are you pulling this info that ONLY 0-30 is a group 4 and that all of the others are just group 3? Please post a link to back it up, or take that off, cause thats just misinformation that doesnt need to be spread...

The source of this "misinformation" is me ;)
I have researched and read various SAE and API papers. Done oil analysis and read various reports that used gas chromatography/mass spectrometry to determine EXACTY what is in a given motor oil. If you want proof, do your own research to prove me wrong...I welcome the input.