Alright, I'm killing time in Fort Lauderdale's finest airport killing time right now, so I thought I would do a semi-technical update on this, as I just sat through several hours of meetings regarding it.

First off, what is my dumbass talking about?

Well, every licensed motor oil has minimum requirements it must meet, though different testing standards. There are two groups that govern these specs. First of which, is International Lubricants Standardization and Approval Committee aka ILSAC.   Then the American Petroleum Institute  AKA - API.

These groups work together with (some) of the Automotive OEMs to figure out these standards for us to follow when buying oil for our cars.

So, about 10 years ago we went to ILSAC GF5 / API SN.   About 3 to 4 years ago, we went from API SN to API SN+ as a temporarily fix.

Starting May 1st, 2020 - we will go to ILSAC GF6 an API SP engine oil categories.

Much like the recent split on the HDMO (Heavy duty Motor oil) side - there will be two categories in GF6 - pretty easy - GF-6A and GF-6B.



*Note above: GF6B 0w12 currently doesn't exist, it is strictly theoretical in the United States.

Question 1:

Which one do I need to use?

Well, look at your owners manual.  If you're currently using anything from 10w30 to 0w20 - GF6A.  If you're using 0w16.... Well, GF6B.

Okay, now why?

Sequence IIIH - Oxidation and Deposit Control
-Evaluates oxidation  and thickening in a lubricant by running the test at an elevated temperature, which stimulates the potential for both oxidative thickening and deposit formation.
A reaction occurring when oxygen attacks petroleum fluids. Oxidation is accelerated by heat, light, metal catalysts, and the presence of water, acids, or solid contaminants. Oxidation leads to increased viscosity and deposit formation.

Sequence IVB - Valvetrain Wear
-What does the test accomplish? Evaluates a lubricant’s ability to prevent wear on the cam  load throughout multiple locations on an engine. The new test involves repetitive and continuous testing at varying operating speeds.

Sequence VH Test - Sludge and Deposit Control
- What does the test accomplish? Evaluates a lubricant’s ability to prevent engine deposit buildup, or “sludge A thick, dark residue, normally of mayonnaise consistency, that accumulates on nonmoving engine interior surfaces. Generally removable by wiping unless baked to a carbonaceous consistency, its formation is associated with insolubles overloading of the lubricant. and varnish A thin, insoluble, non-wipeable film occurring on interior engine parts. Varnish can cause sticking and malfunction of close-clearance moving parts. Varnish is called "lacquer" in diesel engines.” as it’s commonly referred to. This test sets more stringent limits for deposit buildup; however, the engine technology of the replacement engine effectively remains the same. One major point of differentiation between the two engines is each engine’s control unit; the new engine utilizes a significantly more modern computer system.

Sequence VIE - Fuel Economy
- What does the test accomplish? Evaluates a lubricant for its effects on fuel economy, one of the driving factors in the proposed GF-6 specification and the industry at large. This test would correspond to ILSAC GF-6A.

Sequence VIF - Fuel Economy (SAE 0W-16 oils)
- What does the test accomplish? Uses the same hardware as the Sequence VIE; however, the test conditions have been modified to measure fuel economy for viscosity. A measure of a fluid's resistance to flow. A fluid with a higher viscosity flows less easily. grades of SAE 0W-16 that would correspond to ILSAC GF-6B.

Sequence IX - Low Speed Pre-Ignition
- What does the test accomplish? Measures performance and protection against low-speed pre-ignition for turbocharged direct injection gasoline-powered vehicles.

Sequence X - Timing Chain Wear
- What does the test accomplish? Measures a lubricant’s ability to minimize timing chain wear as it relates to the soot-like material particles produced by GDI engines.

The GF5 / SN testing standards were at best dated.  They were developed over 15 years ago, if not pushing 20 years ago.   The engine sequence testing, the testing methods and what they were trying to achieve out of the oil was getting old.  Modern engines, in the last 10 years, have changed a lot as well.  From 20 years ago, we're a lot smaller displacement, a lot more direct injected / turbo charged engines, pushing out more HP / Torque, from a smaller package, with a lot more heat.  We have different fuels, different emission demands, etc.

So the tests, as seen above, had to change. There are 7 new Sequence tests for GF6.  One of which, separates GF6A from GF6B.

So here are the results they're looking for:



So, major points?

Chain wear test.  HTHS - High Temp High Shear.   LSPI.  Fuel Economy tests.

Why? Well, Chain wear - See F150's. It's a ford test.

High Temp high Shear - Being able to maintain the viscosity for a period of time, is important when dealing with lighter oils.  Being able to deal with more fuel dilution is also very important part of this.   We see abit of the same thing with the FA4 category with HDMO products .

LSPI -  Well, this was sorta fixed with Dexos 1 Gen 2 / API SN+.  However now the tests will be even more strict.  Low Speed Pre-Ignition is a fantastic way to send a rod through a block.  And the OEMS really want to stop this.

Fuel economy - These are new tests to more realistically test fuel economy changes.

With these changes, you're going to see significant changes in additive packages and base oils.  In your standard synthetic blends, you will see a higher percentage of group 3 base oils used.  In your anti-wear additives, you will see significant changes.  I know for one, Kendall is dropping the liquid titanium. Why?  Well, it turns into ash. And there's better chemistry today to replace it.

On the full synthetic side, you will see more additive changes of course.

Since Yesterday was the first day for people to start submitting for conditional licenses,  I have yet to see any samples on what the actual chemistry is.  Most of the majors and additive suppliers are playing this pretty close to the chest and changing around the final numbers and blends all the way up to the last second.  So once I get more info on that, what to expect in your used oil analysis - I'll update this thread.

We will conditionally see, the first blends in the next few days to weeks now that the conditional licenses are out.

How is this going to affect you?

Well, assuming you keep using the right oil for your car - it really shouldn't. Other than getting potentially more protection for your engine with better fuel economy.  The cost of oil could be going up slightly over all.  I see it as a wholesaler/distributor, but I doubt in the inflated retail market, things will really change all that much. My cost is going to change about 8 to 10 cents per gallon. Doesn't seem like much, other than when you move a few million gallons of it, then it adds up real quick.

The industry is planning a rolling change over, essentially.  Right now you'll see a lot of companies cleaning out old stocks of GF5 additives through deals and discounts.  Once done, we will then just put GF6 oil, in a GF5 container.

Once May 1, 2020 rolls around, we'll go around and say surprise, you have GF6.  Because that is the first day we're allowed to officially say, on paper, we have a licensed GF6 product.

Thus, rolling change over with compatible products = no headaches for the consumer.

Over all, this is a good, significantly overdo change.  This should of been done years ago.

That’s slick.

Thanks for the I information.

Thanks!

Very informative, thank you. As an owner of a late model 3.5 ecoboost engine this information is of particular interest to me.  The Bobistheoilguy forum is not what it used to be.

I will do my best to try not to be brand specific in this talk.

Realistically, as far as I’m concerned, for passenger car motor oils... all major brands are about the same give or take.  The specifications, as seen above, are so stringent that you won’t see one just excel and the rest get left behind.

That goes out the door with heavy duty and industrial products.

Thanks again  for what you do. Should I have held off on my recent Kendall purchase ?

Nope. You’ll be fine.

Fun thing, Kendall is moving away from the Liquid Titanium in the GF6 update.  But they’re keeping it in the HDMO products.

Essentially what I was told, with the new additive technology and base oil technology, it wasn’t doing as much as they’d of liked it to be doing. So instead of just keeping it around for token marketing. They completely changed the chemistry.

So is this a change of how they are grading motor oil, or a change of the additives that are going into the motor oil?

Beat me to it. Additives are a major concern for motorcycle owners, as there are a lot of bikes with wet clutches. Additives and "friction modifiers" can mean clutch slippage and premature clutch replacement if the wrong oil is used.

The answer is yes.

It’s both. There’s a huge change in the way oil is tested and graded. Different sequence tests, different engines used in the tests, looking for different answers.

And there are different additives to make the oil better over all. Chemistry and base oil in engine oils will be changing.

The motorcycle oil market is tiny.

Most motorcycle engines still use Sj spec oil which will be obsolete with this spec.

So as always, stick with an oem or approved oil.

Good info, thank you.

Neat...

In your radar graph, what does the scale (0-12) represent?

ETA: saw your reply, thanks! makes sense to show change or difference.

I didn't make it, so I'm speculating here, but just a logarithmic increase, at an arbitrary amount over the previous generations.

Those are just the primary weights.

GF2 laid out the frame work for 0W-30, 0W-40, 5W-20, 5W-30, 5W-40, 5W-50, 10W-30, 10W-40 and 10W-50.

0w20 frame work was laid out in I believe, GF4.  With ASTM D6837 test.

GF6 builds on that, laying out the frame work for 0w16, 5w16 and I believe* 5w12 and 0w12.  But 0w16 is the only one that actually exists currently in production.

MUCH appreciated.

Wonder if this will help with the roller lifters dying that dealers are seeing?

What are they dying from?

My gut feeling is no, as normally things like that has more to do with metallurgy or design flaws, then oil.  Unless it’s something like they’re getting too hot, or debris getting into them, etc. then maybe.

Gm and dodge mainly, rollers putting out and knocking the lobes off.

Sounds more like a manufacturing issue than an oil issue to me.

The new oil will keep things cleaner, have a better viscosity index, etc.  Generally being in all ways better.  But there’s only so much protection oil can give you in a situation like that.  The metallurgy has to match.