 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ROUSH® Motor Oil FAQs
Who Can Use It?
ROUSH® Motor Oil is a full synthetic and optimized for use in
high-performance, street legal vehicles including those high RPM and extreme temperature
applications. ROUSH® Motor Oil meets or exceeds the performance requirements of
most naturally aspirated, turbocharged and supercharged cars operating in North America, and
is suitable for all newer or classic vehicles regardless of make or model year.
What Makes It Different?
ROUSH® Motor Oil, compared to other full synthetics, is optimized for use in
high-performance street legal vehicles. Specifically, it offers the friction modifiers found
in racing oil which is designed to maximize horsepower and vehicle performance. ROUSH®
Motor Oil is one of the only synthetics on the market using an advanced anti-wear
additive that keeps higher levels of zinc/phosphorus in the engine where it can protect the
internal components instead of on the catalytic converter (which can actually damage the
vehicle’s emissions system).
What is Synthetic Motor Oil?
Synthetic motor oil is a highly refined petroleum product. In simple terms,
the molecules are taken apart in the refining process and then engineered to go back together
a specific way depending on the intended purpose. For this reason, a synthetic base stock is
more resistant to oil breakdown at high temperatures. It is also important to note that a high
quality base stock and a high quality additive package both allows the other to perform even
better. For this reason most top-level race teams, such as Roush Fenway Racing, use a full
synthetic in order to deal with the extreme demands of a high performance engine. If it works
for race cars, it will certainly perform for a street car.
Zinc Questions:
The level of "zinc" in today’s motor oil is a hot topic among
hands-on car enthusiasts. Through online chat rooms, blogs, message boards, and in the retail
store, customers are seeking answers about zinc levels to make sure they are protecting their
investment.
The following information will assist you with those conversations. An additional resource is
available by calling the Valvoline Technical hotline at 1-800-TEAM VAL (1-800-832-6825).
What is zinc?
The anti-wear additive simply referred to as "zinc" by most car
enthusiasts, is actually short for Zinc DialkylDithiophosphates or ZDDP. As an anti-wear
additive its primary role is to prevent metal-to-metal contact between engine parts by
forming a protective film. Despite being referred to as "zinc," this additive
actually contains both zinc and phosphorus, with the phosphorus performing the anti-wear
function.
How zinc/phosphorus works
The zinc/phosphorus molecules react in the oil and release
phosphorus-containing compounds that make a wear-resisting phosphate film on the critical
surfaces of contacting engine parts. With most brands, this process also results in
phosphorus being released with engine emissions into the catalytic converter, where it
can poison the emissions system over time. ROUSH® Motor Oil has been especially
formulated to keep this phosphorus in the engine where it belongs to protect the internal
components.
Why zinc/phosphorus level in motor oil has changed
With the ever increasing limits on emissions, automobile manufacturers have tightened the
emissions control systems on newer vehicles. This is one of several factors considered when
the American Petroleum Institute (API) sets motor oil standards. The current API standard
is "SM," which replaced the previous "SL" classification. Because
phosphorus can poison a vehicle’s emission system, the level of zinc is lower for current
motor oil. ROUSH® Motor Oil combats this by increasing the zinc levels yet
retaining the SL classification. This makes ROUSH® Motor Oil especially useful
in older and flat tappet engines.
Controversy
Many hands-on car enthusiasts and engine experts believe the lower levels
of zinc in "SM" motor oil is causing excessive wear in older style push-rod and flat
tappet engines. This is despite the fact that all new motor oil classifications are intended
to be backward compatible. This has resulted in the widely accepted belief that modern motor
oil is not adequate to protect older engines. ROUSH® Motor Oil has been formulated
to overcome these concerns and will help protect older and newer cars equally.
MOTOR OIL ADDITIVES
ROUSH® Motor Oil has been formulated by Valvoline with an
advanced additive package. Specific additive types are listed below, but the most important
point is achieving the right balance in the additive package. Motor oil additives are like
pigs at the trough fighting for space; each additive fights for surface space in order to
do its job. Too much of one additive may cause the anti-wear additive to be less effective.
The ROUSH® Motor Oil has been carefully balanced to provide all the protection
demanded by all high performance, street legal vehicles, while also maximizing horsepower.
Additives
Dispersants – Protecting engine parts from dirt & soot
Special molecules that cling to dirt and soot particles, keeping them dispersed (suspended)
in the oil and away from engine parts. Dispersants are particularly important to preventing
low temperature deposits such as sludge.
Detergents – Keeping the engine clean
Detergents prevent contaminates from collecting on engine surfaces. They also work to
neutralize acids formed during the combustion process. Detergents are particularly
effective in preventing high temperature deposits such as carbon and varnish.
Anti-wear additives – Preventing metal to metal contact
Chemical layer of protection between metal surfaces to prevent metal-to-metal contact when
oil gets squeezed and the oil film is minimal.
NOTE: ROUSH® Motor Oil is one of the only full synthetics on the
market today which incorporates an advanced anti-wear additive which keeps higher levels of
zinc/phosphorus in the engine where it belongs, instead of on the catalytic converter where
it can damage the emissions system.
Anti-oxidants – Keeping the oil stable
Protect the oil from thermal and chemical breakdown under the harsh conditions present in
a modern engine.
Friction modifiers – Less Friction
Coats engine parts to reduce friction and improve fuel efficiency.
Rust and corrosion inhibitors – Protection against water vapor & acids
Counteract the rust-causing water vapors and corrosive acids which naturally occur from
the combustion cycle.
Viscosity index improvers – Keeps the viscosity stable
Additives which reduce the tendency of oil’s viscosity to change with temperature. Most
motor oil that is considered to be multi-grade will contain viscosity index improvers.
Viscosity index improvers are typically high molecular weight polymers.
Pour point depressants – Makes it flow when it’s cold
Inhibits wax crystal growth that may occur in motor oil at low temperatures. Pour point
depressants help the oil to flow at very cold temperatures. When starting a car that has
sat outside overnight during a harsh winter - pour point depressants are a must!
Anti-foam additives – Maintains strong layer of protection
Prevents oil bubbles from forming, and reduces the surface tension to speed collapse of
foam, to help the oil maintain a strong layer of film protection. Extra churn-creating
foam is also why over-filling is bad.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
