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View Full Version : Engine Oils 1.0 - virtual viscometer



Yanoo_
12-03-2011, 13:55
It's always a big dilemma which oil would be the best for your vehicle. Although the car manufacturers define minimum performance level and suggest ambient temperature related viscosity grade but often it's not enough if you want to choose the 'best' lubricant for your car. There are several engine oils on the market, even though many of them meet your car's ACEA and API specifications and suggested viscosity grades but they may have different properties, may give different protection for your car in severe cold. Engine Oils software can calculate the oil's viscosity at all temperature. Why is this so important? Because only the high temperature viscosity is defined clearly (SAE-20, -30, -40, SAE-50, -60), the low temperature viscosity (which is marked "W" ) does not inform you punctually how the oil performs in cold. The winter grade defines only a maximum dynamic viscosity at given temperatures, therefore there may be significant viscosity differences between 2 identical winter grade oils. For example, here is a direct comparison of 4 different viscosity grade lubricants: 10w-60, 10w-40, 5w-40, 0w-40.

http://www.dp-automotive.hu/kepek/EO_Trial_4_oils.jpg

An average car owner may think that 10w-60 and 10w-40 oils have similar viscosity properties in cold. But it's not true! Check the figure! Although 10w-60 lubricant meets the SAE J300 standard (this describes the characteristics of each viscosity grades), but it's significantly "thicker" in cold than the 10w-40, not only at high temperatures! This may cause higher engine wear during the 'oil starvation' period of the cold start. 10w-40, 5w-40, 0w-40 grade oils have similar viscosity at high temperatures, they have the same SAE high temp grade (SAE 40). In other words they kinematic viscosity must be between 12.5-16.3 mm2/s at 100 C deg. But this means only that they flow similar at 100 C deg. There is an another type of viscosity which is not as widely known as the kinematic viscosity. It's the HTHS viscosity. High-temperature high-shear-rate (HTHS) viscosity is an indicator of a motor oil's resistance to flow in the narrow spaces between rapidly moving and highly stressed parts in fully warmed up engines. ASTM D 4683 is a standard method for measuring HTHS viscosity, this test simulates the conditions found in an engine's crankshaft and connecting rod bearings, as well as other narrow regions. This measurement has important implications for such factors as engine fuel economy, valvetrain wear and bearing protection. Higher HTHS value means better bearing, valvetrain protection against wear but indicates higher fuel consumption and vica versa. Each SAE multi-viscosity grade has a specific lower limit for the HTHS mPas value. If a multi-viscosity oil cannot achieve a mPas value above that limit, it cannot be classified under that viscosity grade. For instance, according to the SAE J300 specifications, an oil must achieve an HTHS mPas value of 2.9 or higher in order to be classified at the 5w-30 viscosity grade. The software can directly compare the oils' HTHS viscosity (if it's included in the oil's technical data sheet, if it's not, the software uses the lowest HTHS viscosity which defined for the current grade in the SAE J300).
Besides these options, Engine Oils can recalculate and visualise the examined oils' viscosity index, analyse the oils by SAE J300 patent. Latest API and ACEA specifications are included in the software and a virtual fluidity test may be applied on the selected oils. In short: the software helps to choose the proper engine oil for your car.
If you are interested, download the trial version:

http://www.dp-automotive.hu/oldal/kepek/Engine_Oils_logo.png (http://www.fw.hu/yanooka/downloads.php?id=Setup_EO_Trial.exe)

(Click on the logo for downloading). The trial version contains a limited database but all functions are available. Optimised for 1280x1024 (or higher) resolution.

Yanoo_
17-03-2011, 11:12
Some pics from the software:

http://www.dp-automotive.hu/kepek/eo_1.jpg http://www.dp-automotive.hu/kepek/eo_2.jpg

http://www.dp-automotive.hu/kepek/eo_3.jpg http://www.dp-automotive.hu/kepek/eo_4.jpg

http://www.dp-automotive.hu/kepek/eo_5.jpg http://www.dp-automotive.hu/kepek/eo_6.jpg

http://www.dp-automotive.hu/kepek/eo_7.jpg http://www.dp-automotive.hu/kepek/eo_8.jpg

It's a very useful softvare, can help a lot to choose the proper engine oil for your car. It shows those properties (particularly the viscosity) which are not represented in the oil's technical data sheet.

Any questions just ask!

robi1000
17-03-2011, 19:52
Huh, that looks like a lot of work invested!

Wobba
17-03-2011, 19:53
Right.

So what oil for Williams then :)

Yanoo_
17-03-2011, 22:05
Robi, it's 4 month's work...

Yanoo_
17-03-2011, 23:16
Right.

So what oil for Williams then :)

If I were you I would use a decent full-synth 5w40 engine oil for everydays and a top quality 10w50 or 5w50 oil for track days (or for everydays in that case if hydraulic lifters had 'tak-tak' sound after the engine warmed up).

Let's see four 5w40 oils:

http://www.dp-automotive.hu/kepek/wobba_1.jpg

Check the oils kinematic viscosity. Although all oils are marked as 5w40 but they have significantly different fluid property in severe cold. Let's see how they flow at -10 deg C:

http://www.dp-automotive.hu/kepek/wobba_2.jpg

red oil: 1557.5 mm2/s
green oil: 1476.98 mm2/s
blue oil: 1393.17 mm2/s
yellow: 1178.02 mm2/s

The yellow oil is less viscous at lower temperatures (lower number is the better), it gives more engine protection in winter startup. The less viscous oil can get to faster all engine parts than a "thicker" oil. It's very important because the decisive proportion of all engine wear takes place in the cold engine startup.
SAE 40 viscosity grade means these oils have similar fluid property at 100 deg C:

red oil: 14.2 mm2/s
green oil: 13.4 mm2/s
yellow: 13.1 mm2/s
blue oil: 13.9 mm2/s

Ok, it's good but these values cannot give an exact idea how the oils can protect your engine when it's being revved. This information is given by the HTHS viscosity. Check the oils dinamic viscosity:

red oil: 3.73 mPas
green oil: 3.8 mPas
yellow oil: 3.68 mPas
blue ol: 3.5 mPas

Higher HTHS value means better bearing, valvetrain etc. protection against wear but indicates higher fuel consumption and vica versa. Whether the 3.8 mPas isn't too high? Can the 3.5 mPas viscosity give enough protection? Let's see what is the HTHS (and other viscosity) limit of the SAE 5w40 grade:

http://www.dp-automotive.hu/kepek/wobba_3.jpg

SAE J300 defines that HTHS value of the SAE 5w40 grade oil must be at least 3.5 mPas at 150 deg C. Well, the blue oil is on this limit :?, so it could not give as high protection as other oils.

In this example more than likely I would choose the yellow oil because:
- it has the lowest viscosity in severe cold
- its high temperature kinematic viscosity (13.1 mm2/s) is reassuringly above the lower limit of the SAE 40 grade (12.5 mm2/s)
- it has a good HTHS viscosity value, although it's not too high but may give a good protection and would not increase the fuel consumption

Of course, this oil meets the required API SG specification (it's marked as API SM/CD, ACEA A3/B4).

fasterthanjesus
18-03-2011, 12:05
Gone from 5w 40 fully synth to 10w 40 semi. Due to the warmer weather

Better for mild use and warmer starts?

Yanoo_
18-03-2011, 20:03
Gone from 5w 40 fully synth to 10w 40 semi. Due to the warmer weather

Better for mild use and warmer starts?

Engine startup is better with 5w40 than 10w40 in any weather condition. If the oil consumption is not significantly higher with the 5w40 I would use this viscosity grade instead of 10w40.
Both oils have similar viscosity around 100 deg C. SAE (5w or 10w) 40 grade is good for mild use but may be too thin on summer trackdays. This is why we Hungarian guys use 5w50 or 10w60 oils in F7 engines in summer.