Technical Information

News

ZINC & PHOSPHORUS
in
AMSOIL Premium Synthetic Oils 10W-40 and 20W-50

10W-40 Premium Oil The level of zinc in oils has changed and has become a concern in the performance and vintage car markets. The last two shows I attended the subject was brought up by some enthusiasts who owned muscle cars, street rods, and older Jeeps. I suggested using AMSOIL 10W-40 or 20W-50 Premium Synthetic oils with a high zinc formula.

AMSOIL 10W-40 & 20W-50 premium synthetic oils are formulated for use in gasoline engines and pre-2007 diesel engines. Premium AMSOIL Synthetic oils are ideal for applications where the extra protection of a high zinc formula is desired, typically for flat tappet, high performance, and heavy duty engines.

AMSOIL released Technical Service Bulletin MO-2007-08-08 to address the issues of zinc & phosphorus. It is recommended that proper assembly lubes and oil additives be used during the break-in periods for all new or rebuilt flat tappet engines. The additives will provide the extra protection during break-in periods and help the flat tappet face properly mate with the cam lobe. Additives should not be used after the break-in period due to other issues related to engine life related to long term use. GM E.O.S. is one common assembly lubricant. AMSOIL does NOT recommend using any engine oil additives with AMSOIL engine lubricants.

The flat tappet and camshaft lobe are one area in an engine with an extreme contact load, which is increased where non-stock high pressure valve springs are utilized. The use of properly formulated engine lubricants is extremely important to reduce wear and extend flat tappet camshaft life. AMSOIL recommends motor oils containing high levels of zinc and phosphorus for superior protection. The following oils are recommended.

Download flyer here.

Amsoil Carries Injen Diesel Air Intake Products

Injen Filter Amsoil is proud to introduce new air intake systems for light duty diesel trucks. The Power-Flow intake system has revolutionary Variable Induction Technology. The Power Box has been designed for advanced cooling efficiency and has the ability to resist high temperatures. It has been manufactured using a composite mix of glass filled nylon and polypropylene for quite operation. The housing is also manufactured with T6 aluminum, stainless steel clamps, and tig welded ports and brackets. All are a direct bolt in, making installation quick and easy. The AMSOIL Ea air filters can be used with the INJEN system. The Ea Air Filters provide increased horsepower, & torque, improved acceleration & fuel economy, and maximize air flow. When talking to your sales rep inquire about the new INJEN air intake systems and an Ea Air Filter for your Chevrolet/GMC Duramax, Ford Powerstroke, or Dodge Cummins.

Save Fuel, Money, & Environment

Go Green with Synthetics

25,000 mile oil changes will save GREEN, money and environment. Utilizing a 25,000 mile oil change will reduce the number of oil changes, and reduce the amount of waste oil. Due to the composition of synthetic oils they will not break down over time like conventional oils. Using synthetic oils in the engine, transmission, and differentials can improve your fuel mileage also.

Some Class 8 diesel fueled trucks have seen a 8.2% increase in fuel mileage. Independent laboratory testing to SAE J1321 shows AMSOIL Series 3000 5W-30 Heavy Duty Diesel Oil in the engine and AMSOIL synthetics in the drivetrain provide up to 8.2% more miles per gallon than other popular lubricants.

AMSOIL Saves You Money

Extended oil changes means you will have fewer oil changes, so there is long term savings and convenience.

Example:

If conventional motor oil is $2.50/quart and an oil filter is $6.00, then 1 oil change will cost you $18.50. In 25,000 miles you will change your oil 8 times at 3,000 mile intervals, so the cost in 25,000 mile is $148.00. In 25,000 miles with a 5,000 mile interval you will change your oil 5 times, so the cost is $92.50. Plus your time to change the oil yourself or to take your vehicle to the shop 5 - 8 times.

Amsoil 25,000 mile/1 year drain interval the costs will be $52.30, for 5 quarts of AMSOIL 5W-30 at $7.40/quart and 1 AMSOIL Ea Oil Filter, and one trip to the shop or one afternoon of your time.

The SAVINGS are $95.70 for 8 oil changes and $40.20 for 5 oil changes.

You will also avoid the hassle of getting rid of 40 quarts, 10 gallons, (yes 10 gallons!) of waste oil.

With AMSOIL synthetics you will also get the benefit of better wear protection, lower engine temperatures, and better cold weather starts. The best benefit is the improved fuel efficiency. You will have reduced operating costs and longer engine life. Convenient and affordable for you and good for your vehicle and equipment and the environment.

CLICK HERE FOR FUEL SAVING TIPS

Affordable Convenience

What is affordable convenience? It sounds like something a marketing person made up. In the real world it something that is affordable and convenient, like the right priced home near your work place.

How does that apply to AMSOIL products? AMSOIL products are affordable and convenient to use. People say to me all the time, "but the products are more expensive!" Then I explain that using synthetic lubricants for the long term will bring down the cost of operations through extended oil changes, better fuel efficiency, less wear and tear, and less time taking the vehicle or equipment to the shop. I also add that doing fewer oil changes helps the environment.

The example shown above in the "Save Fuel, Money, & Environment" only looked at the cost of products. Additional convenience comes in saving your time. If you had to make 5 - 8 trips to the oil change shop or spend 5 - 8 afternoons in the garage, that is time lost. I would rather spend time on the lake in my boat or cruising in the Jeep than changing my oil every 3,000 miles.

Additionally the use of AMSOIL synthetic lubricants can extend the life of your equipment or vehicle by reducing the wear and tear. Your vehicles and equipment are some of the largest assets and it pays to protect them for the long term. I would rather use my equipment to make money than have to spend time repairing or searching out a replacement.

Extended Oil Changes

Oil Drain Intervals On The Rise

The 3000 mile oil change interval has been ingrained in the American consciousness for decades. Conventional motor oil companies aggressively push it, oil change centers remind their customers to return when another 3000 miles have accumulated on the odometer and fathers teach their children to change their oil and filter according to a 3000 mile schedule.

Vehicle Manufacturers
Vehicle manufacturers, on the other hand, aren’t quite on the same page. A look at many recent model owners manuals reveals a recommended 5000 to 7500 mile oil drain interval, while European vehicle manufacturers recommend even longer drain intervals. As the service lives of spark plugs and transmission fluids have increased, consumers have demanded longer service intervals for motor oil as well. The introduction of electronic oil life monitors on modern vehicles is beginning to push drain intervals upward. Oil life monitors typically determine when oil should be changed based on engine operating conditions such as temperature, revolutions and speed.

Almost all 2005 and later General Motors vehicles are equipped with its Oil Life System, which makes use of a color-coded system to alert the driver when it’s time to change the oil. A “yellow” condition indicates that it’s time to think about changing the oil, while a “red” condition indicates that the oil is past its service life. According to GM, the typical drain interval for vehicles equipped with the Oil Life System is 8,500 miles, which will result in a savings of 6.6 million gallons of oil and $145 million for 2005 model-year drivers over the lives of their vehicles.

General Motors is actively seeking to extend oil drain intervals even further. In fact, the company recently asserted that 20,000 mile oil drain intervals are possible with existing engine technology and synthetic oils meeting current specifications, while 30,000 mile oil change intervals are achievable with appropriate motor oil quality and minor engine modifications.

“Drain intervals are a very specific goal for GM, and are being managed in a logical and planned fashion,” says James A Spearot, director of GM’s Chemical & Environmental Sciences Laboratory in Warren, Mich. “Longer drain intervals are desirable to meet customer demands for reduced maintenance and convenience, and for the environmental benefits that come with less oil handling. And, in the end, longer drain intervals will help us with our warranty protection goals.”

Motor Oil Companies
AMSOIL represented the lone voice for extended drain intervals in America for over 30 years, recommending 25,000 mile/one year drain intervals. While extended oil drain intervals have been common in Europe for years, other American motor oil companies have mostly avoided recommending them, preferring instead to stick with 3000 mile recommended intervals despite the contrasting recommendations of vehicle manufacturers and European motor oil companies.

In fact, Marc Graham, president of Pennzoil-Quaker State-owned Jiffy Lube International, was quoted in a 2001 Lubricants World interview as saying, “At [PQS] we use a number internally that if we [shortened the drain interval] by 100 miles [for each car serviced], it would mean an additional $20 million in revenue for the company.” He also explained that “if we could move our customers to get one more oil change per year, it’s worth $294 million for the oil change alone and $441 million in revenue, when you include the ancillary products and services customers typically buy along with the oil change.”

Today, with vehicle manufacturers recommending longer and longer drain intervals and the increasing use of oil monitoring systems, the practice of extending drain intervals has become more mainstream and forced more motor oil companies to take notice. ExxonMobil, for example, recently introduced a line of long drain motor oils, and other motor oil companies will likely follow. As more motor oil companies begin offering extended drain motor oils, the extended drain interval idea pioneered by AMSOIL in 1972 will become increasingly common.

According to a special report released last May by the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA), synthetic motor oils are key to extended drain technology: “Extended drain technology is primarily based on the availability of synthetic oils. While the additives in conventional, non-synthetic oils allow them to function longer than the tradition 3,000 miles, it is primarily the synthetic base stocks that allow the oil to last much longer. Synthetic oil offers many advantages in durability versus conventional petroleum oil and it is all based on the synthetic oil’s superior heat and oxidation resistance. Synthetic oil is more accurately controlled at the molecular level and therefore can be engineered to resist the forces in an engine that work against oil durability.”

AMSOIL offers a complete line of premium quality synthetic motor oils formulated for extended drain intervals.

XL Synthetic Motor Oils
AMSOIL XL Synthetic Motor Oils are formulated to provide outstanding wear protection and increased power, fuel economy and performance for 7,500 miles or six months of service, whichever comes first, or longer where stated by vehicle manufacturers or indicated by oil life monitoring systems.

• API SM certified

• Ideal for the retail oil change market

• Highly resistant to oil consumption

• Maintain protective viscosity throughout service life

• Dependable performance in temperature extremes

• Increased fuel efficiency

AMSOIL XL Synthetic Motor Oils are available in 5W-20 , 5W-30, 10W-30 and 10W-40 viscosity grades.

Synthetic Motor Oils
AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oils outperform conventional motor oils, providing superior protection and performance for up to 25,000-miles or one year, whichever comes first. Their synthetic formulations and ample additive packages effectively keep friction, heat and wear to an absolute minimum, while maximizing power and fuel efficiency.

• Provide up to 25,000 miles/one year of service

• Resist vaporization and oil consumption

• Maintain viscosity throughout entire drain interval

• Dependable performance in temperature extremes

• Superior wear protection

AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oils are available in 5W-30, 10W-30, 10W-40 and 20W-50 viscosity grades.

Signature Series Synthetic 0W-30 Motor Oil
AMSOIL Signature Series Synthetic 0W-30 Motor Oil (SSO) provides unsurpassed cold temperature protection and fuel efficiency for passenger vehicles, while also providing significantly better wear protection than competing higher viscosity motor oils. Formulated to provide drain intervals of up to 35,000 miles or one year, whichever comes first. Recommended in all vehicles specifying the use of 5W-30 and 10W-30 motor oils.

Oil Sample Analysis

Worried about going that 25,000 miles or 1 year on the same oil, don't, you can take an oil sample to ease your mind. How you can purchase an oil analysis kit from AMSOIL. The kits are affordable and a good method of knowing what is happening inside your engine and can alert you to problems before they become a major breakdown. Oil Analysis is a great tool for commercial equipment users to evaluate the condition of their equipment without a major teardown. The following are some advantages of doing oil analysis:

Extend oil drain intervals - Minimizes maintenance and maximizes uptime
Extend equipment life - reduce replacement costs by monitoring system cleanliness
Identify minor problems early - analysis will identify dirt, wear particles, fuel dilution, & coolant contamination
Maximize asset reliability - ensures your equipment is working
Increase resale value - maintenance documentation can increase the value of your equipment

What is looked at in an oil analysis? There are many items which are looked at including wear metals, contaminant metals, additive levels, and multi source metal levels. The test data also includes the measure of viscosity, level of soot, level of fuel, and the TAN or TBN of the oil. Wear elements include iron, chromium, nickel, aluminum, copper, lead, tin, cadmium, silver, titanium, & vanadium. Excessive levels of these may indicate a problem with internal components containing those metals. A high amount of Silicon may indicate a problem with the air filtration or air intake system, or other source of dirt in the equipment. Additive and multi source metals are additives to the oils and must be present, the breakdown of these may indicate a problem. Water or glycol in the oil may indicate a cooling system leak, water and glycol in the oil will decrease the lubricity of the oil and lead to premature wear.

Warranties & the Magnuson-Moss Act

If you are interested in using AMSOIL motor oil, but concerned that using a synthetic oil or extending your oil drain interval will void the warranty, you have no need for concern. Congress in 1975 enacted the federal Magnuson-Moss Act to regulate written consumer product warranties. An examination of the law reveals warranties remain intact when AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants are used.

The law was meant to give consumers detailed information about warranty coverage before they buy.

Congress charged the Federal Trade Commission with creation of the specifics of the law.

The FTC set down three rules under the Act: the Disclosure Rule, the Pre-Sale Availability Rule and the Dispute Resolution Rule.

Those rules require warrantors to title their written warranty as either full or limited, provide a single, clear and easy-to-read document that spells out certain information about coverage and ensure that warranties are available where the products are sold so that consumers can read them before buying.

In passing the Act, Congress meant to give consumers access to warranty information, let consumers comparison shop for warranties, encourage warranty competition and promote timely and complete performance of warranty obligations.

While the Magnuson-Moss Act does not require manufacturers to provide a written warranty, it provides specific rules when one is provided. Among those provisions, FTC regulations state: (ac) No warrantor of a consumer product may condition his written or implied warranty of such product on the consumers using, in connection with such product, any article or service (other than article or service provided without charge under the terms of the warranty) which is identified by brand, trade, or corporate name; except that the prohibition of this subsection may be waived by the Commission if (1) the warrantor satisfies the Commission that the warranted product will function properly only if the article or service so identified is used in connection with the warranted product, and (2) the Commission finds that such a waiver is in the public interest. (15 U.S.C.2302(C))

That means your warranty stands when you use AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants.

Vehicle manufacturers recommend lubricants according to their viscosity grade and service classification. Any oil, whether its conventional petroleum motor oil or synthetic, meeting the correct viscosity grade, 5W-30 for example, and the current API and ILSAC North American service classifications may be used without affecting warranty coverage. AMSOIL motor oils are recommended for use in applications requiring these specifications.

Furthermore, the practice of extending oil drain intervals does not void warranties. Original equipment manufacturers pay or deny warranty claims based on the findings of failure analysis. To affect the vehicle warranty, the lubricant must be directly responsible for the failure. If the oil didn't cause the problem the warranty cannot be voided, regardless of brand or length of time in use.

Synthetic motor oil was introduced to the automotive public in 1972 by AMSOIL, INC., with the world's first API rated synthetic motor oil specially formulated for long service and superior performance and protection to that of conventional oils.

Nearly 30 years ago, AMSOIL synthetics represented a vision of the future and technology ahead of their time. Since then, every major engine oil manufacturer has introduced synthetic oils of their own. To be sure, many original equipment manufacturers would like you to believe you can only use their products. However, it s a violation of the consumer protections set forth in the Magnuson-Moss Act, unless they re willing to provide you those products free of charge.

AMSOIL offers a warranty that covers the cost of repair or replacement of a proven mechanically sound engine damaged as a result of using AMSOIL synthetic motor oil. However, it has never happened. Thirty years of experience proves AMSOIL can be installed in any vehicle with complete confidence.

AMSOIL further backs its products with action when a Dealer or customer reports being told their warranty is voided if they use synthetics.

If you have heard from any member of a business that the use of AMSOIL Motor Oil or the practice of extending drain intervals will void warranties, send AMSOIL all the details including the name of the business, business owner or manager and the individual making the claims, in a signed and dated letter. Send the letter to the Technical Services Department at corporate headquarters and an AMSOIL representative will send them a letter explaining the facts.

Access to the complete Magnuson-Moss Act is available on the Internet by key words Magnuson-Moss Act or Federal Trade Commission.