Few Oil Quality Questions

I am not one to buy store brand oil like the stuff they sell in auto parts stores.
Have seen way to much of what some small independent bottlers mix in the final product.
Same thing with diesel fuel. You could not even guess what you may be getting out of some no name pumps.
But I have been thinking about trying some Napa labeled oil since it is bottled by a name brand oil company.

1) What do you guys think of Napa labeled oil products?

While we are on the subject of oil.......
I was looking at some Mercon V oil today.
Then I noticed some of it was a DEX/MERC blend even in some name brand bottles.

2) So why would they make a blend.
Isn't that like mixing 90w and 10w and calling it 50w?
Think I will keep looking till I find a pure Mercon V oil.

Am also looking at changing my rear-end oil.
Since this oil gets changed so seldom I was thinking about using a full synthetic gear oil.

3) What do you guys think about using a full synthetic gear oil in the rear end.

Thanks

My thoughts on engine oil, read the specs carefully. If the specs on the container meet the requirements of the engine manufacturer, I would have to assume it's good to go. For a company to falsify that information would be disastrous for them in court, especially an established name like NAPA. They would have big bucks to loose along with their reputation.

Transmission fluid, the differences in the different specs are more about the effect of the additives as far as clutch friction vs. anti wear. Each transmission design balances the clutch slip rate when applying, holding ability, temperature, anti foaming, and who knows what else as far as component compatibility! A lot more to it than just viscosity. Again, a company would be really putting themselves on the line to sell something of questionable compatibility. My guess is some of the different fluids are so close they will work, so to reduce shelf space, they combine applications.

Synthetic gear oil, I love it! That's all I use in industrial gear boxes, especially the ones that tend to run hot. It makes the seals last indefinitely. Combine that with the variable temperature stability of automotive applications, it's a win-win combination!

Just my opinion, others will vary! LOL

Years ago NAPA was Valvoline have no idea what it is now.

Yes per the Napa web site it is still Valvoline.
That is why I was asking about it.
Seems quality control would be better with the name brand of Valvoline behind it yet you can get the store brand price.

Steve while this is getting off my original topic I will say.
I will not name names so the names I use here are only to try and explain a point.


Places like Napa; auto zone; wal mart do not bottle their own stuff
They supply a spec sheet and get bottlers or re-packagers to sell them oil in bottles with their store label
There are lots of things like wash oil that can be mixed into the batch and still meet the spec sheet
There is also some light oils that can be mixed in diesel fuel and still meet the old spec sheets of high sulfur diesel

Unlike auto zone or wal mart that just supplies a spec sheet Napa says it is Valvoline so it may be better quality control hence the reason for my question.

In order to brand an oil as Dexron or Mercon, it has to meet the minimum specs for those products. If a fluid happens to meet the specs for both, then it can be marketed as both. I suspect the viscosity requirements for Dexron and Mercon are close enough that it's possible to meet both specs with a single oil. Then it becomes a matter of using additives such as friction modifiers to meet the other requirements.

Back in the seventies, the specs for the original Dexron and Ford Type F were quite different, as were the transmission designs of the two manufacturers. These days, Ford and GM actually collaborate on transmission designs, so it's only natural that their transmission fluid specs would be very similar.

As for synthetic gear oil in the differential, GM specifies the use of synthetic gear lube in its locking differentials, rather than using friction modifiers and frequent oil changes as in the past. Definitely use synthetic if you have a locking rear end, and it sure can't hurt to put it in a non-limited slip differential.

this is one subject that gets beat to death on here, i have ran the cheapest oil i could find all my life, on heavy equipment and autos', i have never had an oil related failure of any kind.

My 2003 International 5900i had synthetic oil in the differentials from the factory. Though many people believe that manufacturers design their products to fail as rapidly as possible in order to be able to sell a new one sooner, I believe that management at most manufacturers know the same as us, that longer lasting products sell better. So far as fuel goes, ask any hauler, he will tell you that he sees no name brand trucks getting filled from the same pipes at the rack that he does.

I use Federated brand oil its made by Kendall and supposedly they have tests to prove its exactly the same oil,been using it for around 20 years with no known problems.I get a large discount at the local Federated store is why I buy it that way.

John,

Sounds like you answered your own questions on the napa oil. Cheap oil can be as good as "premium" oil but it is unlikely. Need the get the spec sheets from the manufacturer to really know what's in it. Look for the TBN number. the higher the better. Good synthetics are in the 10-12ish TBN range.

Dexron is a GM name for transmission fluid. Mercon is the Ford name. (ATP+4 is Chryslers) Each has certain specs for GM and Ford transmissions. The older Deron and Mercon were about the same so some labels list both.

the newer transmissions take a light viscosity fluid that may not be as interchangeable as the old ones. so beware on newer cars/trucks. i would only get the flavor it specifies. not worth a new transmission.

our newest 2 cars don't even have a transmission dipstick. you have to take it to the dealer at $40 to have them check it. The factory doesn't want to take any chances of someone putting the wrong fluid it (a big problem for Chrysler 4spd trans in the mid-1990's. seems silly that they'd rather not have the wrong oil than to have it run low.

Driver told me it was the additive package added at time of fill that made it Shell, Mobil, Chevron. etc.

I would be more concerned with mixing brands than whose name is on the bottle. If an oil is marketed as meeting specifications, then it must meet those specifications or the marketer can be in for some really big fines and liability. My biggest concern is mixing brands in an engine. Each oil is formulated with the basic lubricant and then additives are put in. Some are for friction modification, others for things like anti-foaming, anti-corrosion, and the like. Especially with name brand oils, these additives are proprietary - as in corporate secrets. I see the possibility of getting an adverse reaction between additives from different brands that could result in engine damage.

Transmission oil has become specific to the transmission that it will be used in. There must be 10 or more different fluids now for the different transmissions.
Back in the old days, there were only 2 different fluids - type A and type F. Ford transmissions took type F and all the rest took type A. The reason was the composition of the clutch and band friction linings. Using the wrong oil would result in slippage, harsh shifting, or early failure. Now, as each manufacturer evolves and refines their transmissions, they are calling for specific characteristics in the fluids they use. Those specs to not necessarily agree from manufacturer to manufacturer. The days of one or two fluids covering the majority of applications is over with.