Castrol GTX Magnatec - can you drain effectively?

[jeremy156]

Maybe I'm being stupid or missing something.... but I can't get my mind around this..... If the idea of Megnatec is to cling to the edges all over the place and ensure that it's in the right place when the engine next starts .... how on earth do you persuade it to drain out when you do an oil change? By definition, won't a load of it be clinging on for dear life, not prepared to go anywhere near the plug?

Jeremy

 

[GRAV888]

I wondered this when I used to use it, but I always use a flushing oil as well to clean it out

 

[jeremy156]

That makes sense - dilute what's left so it doesn't stick and start fresh.

OK, I've seen much debate on use of Mangatec on this board, however most of the views seem to centre around it not being synthetic..... well my independant uses Shell Helix Plus for my car - that's not synthetic either I think.... so would Magnatec bring an advantage over any other semi-synthetic? Is it really wise to switch my car over to a fully synthetic after 136k miles chugging around on a variety of 10W40 semi-synthetics?

 

[Bazzle]

All quality oils leave a film behind. Personnaly I dont think you have much to worry about. The film is only molecular.
Ive never used a flushing oil, new oil contains all the detergents you need IMO.

Stop worrying and enjoy the ride :bannana:

Bazzle

 

[Satch]

Do not worry about it. It is a microscopic layer and AFAIK is mostly a synthetic ester base stock added to make it a semi synthetic.

Same stuff gets put into Mobil 1 (which is mostly a PAO synthetic) and called "SuperSyn"to make it hang on longer for PAO synthetics do tend to drain off surfaces quickly.

There are syntheic oils made entirely of ester type base stocks such as some of the Silkolene and Redline products.

 

[Dieselman]

so would Magnatec bring an advantage over any other semi-synthetic?

Definately not.
Magnatec has a very low percentage of synthetic additive. The joke in the trade is that it is allowed to sniff the synthetic agents added to better products.
The problem is that there is no standard for semi-synthetic oils. They can be 1% synth or 99% synth.
Go for a "high synthetic" say 50-60% from a reputable manufacturer, or better still go for a full synth.

Is it really wise to switch my car over to a fully synthetic after 136k miles chugging around on a variety of 10W40 semi-synthetics?

The sooner you switch the sooner your engine will benefit. There should be no adverse effects of running synthetic oil.

 

[Satch]

Castrol now produce the "Edge" range which it claims is aimed at "different consumers" to GTX. Very shy about the detail though which makes me wonder what it actually is.

AFAIK there are 5 types of basestocks:

"Group I

Petroleum based and are the least refined. These are limited in use today.

Group II

Petroleum based. Performance is acceptable with regards to wear, thermal stability and oxidation stability but generally below current standards for new vehicles.

Group III

Petroleum based but are the most refined of the mineral oil basestocks and best performing. They are not chemically engineered like synthetics but offer the highest level of performance of all the petroleum basestocks.

They are also known as “hydrocracked” or “molecularly modified” basestocks
BUT can be marketed in some countries as a "Synthetic" or more commonly a "Semi-synthetic" oil.

Group IV

Polyalphaolefins (PAO) chemically manufactured. Excellent stability at high and low temperature and give superior protection due to their uniform molecules.

Group V

Also chemically engineered. Not PAO but diesters and polyolesters. Like the group IV basestocks they have uniform molecules and give superior performance and protection over petroleum basestocks.

Used in aviation engines due to their stability and durability. Esters are also polar so electrostatically attracted to metal surfaces. Usually blended with Group IV stocks rather than being used exclusively but also added in varying amounts to Group III stocks to produce an "Enhanced Semi Synthetic" or similar.

Oil companies will blend different basestocks to achieve a certain car makers specification or a general recognised performance level. It is not unknown for some companies to develop blends for the specific purpose of allowing marketing claims (depending on local consumer protection laws) to enable a premium price to be charged for what is essentially a lower value product.

Varying blends of group IV and V will generally produce lubricants with the best overall performance for general automotive use"