Mobil done it again - changed Delvac-1 and Mobil-1 formulas

[gsxr]

I'm reeeeaaaally getting tired of Mobil's monkeying with their product line. The Delvac-1 formula changed... it is now "Delvac-1 ESP", with a CJ-4 rating. Click here for a photo of the jug and some more info. And, the Mobil-1 5W-40 "Turbo Diesel Truck" oil has also changed, it's got a spiffy new label on the bottle, and is also CJ-4 rated. Click here to see Mobil's website info, or click here for the data sheet.

However, I called Mobil and asked if the two were the same. Answer: No. They are NOT the same formula. The tech was unhelpful and didn't elaborate. And at first he didn't even know the M-1 TDT was reformulated, I had to convince him that I was looking at a new bottle with new ratings! D'oh!

Anyway, up until recently, the M-1 TDT oil was identical to the (original) Delvac-1 oil... same formula, same oil, different bottle. But it looks like that is no longer the case. If you are wondering what "ESP" stands for, it's "Emissions System Protection", where they have removed (or reduced) certain additives from the oil. Click here for more details. FWIW, I don't plan to use any ESP oils in my older (80's and 90's) engines. Now it looks like I'll be hunting for the "old" stuff before it vanishes entirely... *sigh*

[dieseldiehard]

Well I dread the day Amsoil or Redline starts monkeying with their products!
I can afford their 15W40 full synthetic on the 603 engines because I push it to 5000 miles between changes. I once did 7500 miles and although the analysis came back ok, that mileage occurs over 16 months in one car and longer in another so I figure its been in the crankcase too long so I change it out anyhow.

FWIW Chevron changed DELO 400 in the past 6 months but I still buy it for the 617's. To my nose it smells like it has less additives in it, maybe are the oil co's are trying to give more for less.
I wish I had bought several cases of oil a few years ago before all the price increases.

My local dealer was selling the 5W40 ESP mobil 1 over a year ago. It is designed to be used with the bluetec systems.

[DieselAddict]

I would not worry about using the new CJ-4 rated TDT oil in any diesel engine. It should perform at least as well as the older formula if not better. I also used to be skeptical about the recent shift away from ZDDP anti-wear chemistry, but the new oils are holding up well in the TDI PD engines and those engines are probably as self-destructive as they get. Yes, some additives are reduced, but there's a new generation of cleaner additives that take their place. By all means do a UOA if you're concerned, but I'd at least give the new formulation a try. I know I will if the CI-4+ formula isn't available the next time I do an oil change.

[Bio300TDTdriver]

Originally Posted by dieseldiehard

Well I dread the day Amsoil or Redline starts monkeying with their products!
I can afford their 15W40 full synthetic on the 603 engines because I push it to 5000 miles between changes. I once did 7500 miles and although the analysis came back ok, that mileage occurs over 16 months in one car and longer in another so I figure its been in the crankcase too long so I change it out anyhow.

FWIW Chevron changed DELO 400 in the past 6 months but I still buy it for the 617's. To my nose it smells like it has less additives in it, maybe are the oil co's are trying to give more for less.
I wish I had bought several cases of oil a few years ago before all the price increases.

I'm pretty sure the last time I was down at my Amsoil guy he told me the 5w40 was CJ-4 rated. He said he would not use it in my '98 CTD, but to stick with the 15W40 that is not CJ-4 rated.

I just bought 2 gallons of the old 5W40 TDT oil at Joe's. Joe's is a small chain of 30 stores in Idaho, Oregon and Washington. It was $21.99 a gallon. I think that is about what Walmart charges and I didn't have to go to Walmart.

[gsxr]

Originally Posted by Bio300TDTdriver

I just bought 2 gallons of the old 5W40 TDT oil at Joe's. Joe's is a small chain of 30 stores in Idaho, Oregon and Washington. It was $21.99 a gallon. I think that is about what Walmart charges and I didn't have to go to Walmart.

Say, do you have an URL for Joe's? All I could find is Joe's Sports... didn't look like they'd carry motor oil, though. Any idea if there is a Boise location?

[Bio300TDTdriver]

Originally Posted by gsxr

Say, do you have an URL for Joe's? All I could find is Joe's Sports... didn't look like they'd carry motor oil, though. Any idea if there is a Boise location?

Meridian and Nampa. http://www.joessports.com/home/index.jsp?clickid=hdr_logo_img

Check your email.

[babymog]

One of the things that forced reformulation of diesel oils is the ULSD. Oil had high TBN to deal with the sulfur in fuel before, but without the sulfur the additives were causing problems in diesel engines.

Other changes involve anything that can damage a catalytic converter, something that most oil companies didn't worry much about with diesel oils.

I do like the old Delvac 1, hope that the changes are updates and not ways to cheapen the oil, I'll be watching and reading.

[bgkast]

Originally Posted by gsxr

Say, do you have an URL for Joe's? All I could find is Joe's Sports... didn't look like they'd carry motor oil, though. Any idea if there is a Boise location?

That's the one, it used to be G.I. Joes. I think mine sells AMSoil too.

[Bio300TDTdriver]

Originally Posted by bgkast

That's the one, it used to be G.I. Joes. I think mine sells AMSoil too.

Yep, they dropped the G.I. last year. Something about them not selling military stuff for years.

[pawoSD]

And that is why I no longer use Mobil products....all Shell and Valvoline now.

[bgkast]

I'll stick to Mobil, I like REAL synthetic oils

[compress ignite]

Are we going to have to reformulate the damn oil before we fill the crankcase?

[gsxr]

Originally Posted by pawoSD

And that is why I no longer use Mobil products....all Shell and Valvoline now.

The problem is, most other synthetics aren't really synthetics, because they use Group III base stocks (basically, hydrocracked dino oil). Very few oils are true synthetics with Group IV/V base stocks. The "good" ones are Mobil-1, Amsoil, Red Line, and a few others... although I've been suspicious of Mobil's new lineup ever since they released their "Extended Peformance" stuff, and outside the USA some Mobil-1 products are a Group III oil. You can generally tell by the price... the good stuff ain't cheap, often $6-$9 per quart.

Most of the commonly available, claimed "synthetics" really aren't... for example Valvoline, Rotella Syn, Penzoil, Castrol, Quaker State, etc are all Group III oils. While they are better than dino oil, they don't tolerate extended drain intervals nearly as well as Group IV/V oils. You will also notice that oil consumption will suddenly increase at a certain point with the Group III stuff. In my cars (when I tried Rotella Syn for a while) that was around the 5-6kmi point. Other people have reported the same thing... notably, the late Marshall Booth had an identical experience with Castrol SynTec. WIth Delvac-1, there was no change in consumption all the way to my 10k change interval. Marshall had the same results as well after switching back to M-1/D-1.

YMMV, etc...

[lkchris]

Originally Posted by gsxr

I'm reeeeaaaally getting tired of Mobil's monkeying with their product line.

Dave, you surely know that the reason is increasing pollution regulations.

The changes are to protect particulate filters, and of course ESP means "emissions system protection."

I think in the UK there's a company that sells motor oil for classic car owners that believe their's should continue to run on the stuff that was current at the time the car was built, but that's never been the thought in the USA.

Just like fuel and motor oil don't need sulphur, they don't really need the soot producers, either, and oils are just getting better. Don't be tired, be happy.