In praise of Redline engine oil

I think I smell a troll

You must be spending way too much time in bad company, mister.

Basia

If you say you've been using Moble1 for thirteen years and 95k+ miles and now after "a few weeks ago" and 500 miles, (not even your 3,333 mile oil change interval) you've had a bright flash of light and claim that Redline is the GTSSB (greatest thing since sliced bread) I think I have every reason to get very suspicious.

Have I not made it clear enough, that these are my very initial impressions, only? A longer term follow-up would be in order as miles accumulate.

Lots of people write technically about oils citing various oil analyses UOA's VOA's from laboratories such as Blackstone. Very few elaborate on the "feel" aspect which is what I wanted to do, ...and right after the switch when the difference in "feel" is most noticeable.

All of this of course entirely subjective.

Basia

One more thing, I don't plan on using Redline in the old non-turbo Impreza permanently, I think I cannot afford that, and will likely continue with Mobil1, ...but if I could find an oil that behaves, feels similarly to Redline and is cheaper I would try using that.

I've heard Valvoline synthetic is good.

I am specifically impressed by the firmness feel that I described. Mobil1 at least when new gives a very silky, luxiourious type ride feel. Redline feels more "sporty" responsive. I guess its either the esters, or non-energy conserving qualities?

I welcome any suggestions.

Basia

Yeah, after 500k it would be good to hear how the rest of the car is holding up. How many mufflers you went through and otherwise how much you spent on parts and labor to keep the car afloat.

you are wasting [expensive] synthetic.

I suggest you switch to 6.666 intervals or keep the 3333 intervals and use the usual [cheaper] dyno trash (in regular impreza, keep feeding synthetics to the turbo)

And no, I do not think mobil 1 is an ester base oil not that it matters on your low milers much

You might want to swithc earlier than 6666 on synth in case you had a high rpm jolt through the mountains in 100F+ heat in your XT. That kind of use is hard even for a synthetic base oil.

and, lastly, why woncha get a 10w50 to avoid any mixing. It's a dumb thing to run seasonal mixes in the age of multigrades with huge spreads. More so in the states when you can order just about anything over internet and there is a walmart with its synthetic to fall back onto if post office is ever on strike or smth :^)

Probably, but who really knows, or can tell?

It has not been that long ago that popular opinion in the US., and Mobil's official position on synthetics was that they should NOT be used for extended intervals,

...should be changed at same intervals as traditional oil, as contaminants accumulate no differently.

In the 80s and 90s synthetics were recommended for extreme conditions only, driving in low or high temps etc., but not extended drain intervals.

Well, since then we had a couple of MidEast wars, 5000 Americans dead in Iraq and Afghanistan, soaring prices of gas and oil, and marketing of synthetic oil all of a sudden changed,

...and so did popular opinion!

I think I'll stick with my 3,333 interval.

The group III oil synthetics aka "fake" synthetics I doubt is any better than the 1980s, 90s Mobil 1 product.

Why dumb?

I have heard (also from Mobil) that mixing oil of same line, brand is not that bad. Yeah, I know the molecules of basestocks are supposedly a bit different for a 10w, and 15w oils, one a tiny bit larger than the other, but does it make any differece?

Does the engine know the difference?

Does it respond differently to when molecules are prccisely the same size, vs. slightly different?

We all know that oils contain various other larger particles, such as detergents, polymers whose molecules are even larger. In fact their purpose is to thicken oil to a 30w or 40w weight equivalent. So it is a soup of different size molecules anyway.

Does it then make a difference, if one mixes Mobil 1

Probably not, or at least that was my reasoning. I kinda wanted to get a 10w-40 weight or so. Now they have 5w-40, a few years back the did not. I should probably be getting that and stop the mixing, indeed.

Thanks for the reply, and your suggestions, Basia

I just dumped the Redline after nearly 4000 miles.

It came out dark brown, on the verge of begining to turn blackish. I am sure it was still good and could have gone some longer.

During the whole interval the oil behaved very much the same as the day I poured it in. Same smoothness, similar firmness, car responsiveness. I did not notice any deterioration in these qualities whatsoever. With Mobil 1 usually I could sense the oil becoming old, thinner, car sounding a bit noisier at start up, not as smooth, etc.

None of that with Redline!

One more very interesting observation. With approaching winter and colder temps in the morning (the car is garaged) cold starts remained as easy as ever. Completely noise free at start up! This is a big difference. During wintertime Mobil1 would always give my Impreza a few seconds of slight rattle and slight piston slap. A brief period of roughness. I think I discovered here the advantages of high ester oil polarity. This was not that apparent during the summer but became so during winter.

Having experienced Redline I could not bring myself to fill the car back with Mobil 1, not in the middle of winter at least. So I bought a case of 10w-40 Motul and that went into the Impreza.

Initial impressions: same smoothness, responsivness, hush and ease of start-up as Redline, but not the same feeling of firmness. Motul seems a tiny bit softer.

Overall, a very interesting and revealing experience.

I recommend Redline oil, particularly to those driving in the deep North, Russia, Canada, Alaska, etc, anyone who parks their car outside during winter, and wants to save their engine's wear that accompanies a cold morning start-up.

Redline is one good oil, if I knew, I would have used it a long time ago, at least during the winter.

Basia