Q & A with Royal Purple

 Why choose a high-end synthetic motor oil?

We've been using Royal Purple for years on our LT1 Formula Project, particularly now that we have switched to a high-performance Golen 383 to protect our investment. However, with so many of our late model GM's requiring or recommending Mobil 1, a number of questions arise about these pricier high-end lubricants, so I posed them Royal Purple's Jared Martin to get his take.

Q: What can you tell me about Royal Purple as to why they should use it?

A: Additive technology- 15 to 25% of an engine oil is additives (anti-wear, detergent/dispersant, oxidation inhibitors, etc.) and this is the portion that truly defines the quality of the finished product. Though synthetic base stocks do provide some inherent benefits, the add packs do much more to define performance; the base stock, whether mineral or synthetic, is largely just a carrier circulating the additives through the engine. Better additive technology has been the basis for RP lubricants since the company was founded almost 30 years ago; additive technology that was developed troubleshooting reliability issues experienced in large industrial applications, including other oil companies. With additive technology as its core competency, RP has the ability to fine-tune additive systems much more so than the competition which typically purchase cookie-cutter add packs, or even entire formulations, from the major suppliers. Synerlec boosts the oxidation resistance as well as film strength (load carrying capacity) to multiple times that of most other oils, mineral or synthetic. By creating an ionic bond to metal surfaces, Synerlec is able to maintain HDL (hydrodynamic lubrication) under extreme loads keeping the anti-wear elements where they need to be, preventing boundary lubrication.

Q: What can you tell me about Royal Purple’s testing methods?
 
A: When developing a new add package/formulation there is a series of ASTM bench tests we’ll run initially to verify performance levels meet expectations in a controlled environment. These tests include, but aren’t limited to TFOUT (thin-film oxidation uptake), Four-Ball EP and Four-Ball CoF (coefficient of friction). Depending on the intended application of a given product other bench testing procedures deemed relevant may be used as well. Once the bench testing phase has verified minimum performance standards are met, we move toward real-world testing. Again, real-world testing will vary by the relevance to the intended application, but some testing we’ve done in the past includes long-term testing with fleets looking at fuel economy and oil longevity, spintron testing and even simple engine dyno testing, such as that we recently performed with Nickens to develop the new XPR 3.1 Pro Stock/ Comp Eliminator engine oil. We have a solid working relationship with several top builders (Nickens, Panella, Bischoff to name drop a few) which is a huge benefit when developing performance lubricants for the street or the track.

Q: What can you tell me about the process of formulating and developing an oil (the things you are looking to accomplish and how it is done)?

A: Additive level and types are the primary focus when developing a lubricant. Load, speed, typical operating temperature and potential contaminants are the main factors used to determine the ideal additives. As well, the components themselves that the proposed product will lubricate must be taken into account from a compatibility standpoint (i.e. certain elements can be corrosive to soft metals in concentration).

Q: And finally, how do you think our readers should look at their oil? What can they hope to accomplish in selecting the right oil?

A: Selecting the correct oil is imperative from a performance standpoint. As the correct product can affect operating temperatures, wear, life of the engine and even power output, as much attention should be placed choosing the correct oil as choosing the right cam profile for a given application.