...Now, get this---I found an Accel oil today in walmart (10W40) thats actually an
SF rated oil! It even states on the bottle that its specifically for cars made before 1988! Im sure this oil has PLENTY of zddp in it, and it was only $1.29 a quart! Would it be safe to use this 10W40 weight oil in our cars, and if so, would anybody trust this crappy Accel oil in the first place??
OK consider what this product is carefully before you even think of running it in your car. The reason that SG oil was made was SPECIFICALLY to address the severe sludging issues that had arisen with SF oils. To quote the ASTM Fuels and Lubricants Handbook MNL37WCD, page 468:
"API SG oils addressed oxidation and sludge formation concerns that had arisen in the field ".
The high temperature stability and anti-sludging characteristics of oil base stocks has continually been improved all the way up to and including SM oils. Since this Accel oil claims to only perform to SF standards, I would not want its inferior characteristics in my engine. As if the SF grade was not bad enough, right on the bottle itself it warns the potential buyer:
"CAUTION...It may not provide adequate protection against the build-up of engine sludge"
At least they are being honest about the serious limitations of SF grade oils, I'll give them that.
Another issue we have with this oil is its incorrect implementation of the API certification labeling. It throws doubt that it was actually ever sent to be certified as SF oil in the first place.
Another caveat I have about this oil is its cost. It is in the same price class as house brand oil marketed by Wal-Mart. As somebody who has done business with Wal-Mart, I can tell you that they squeeze every single penny out of vendors. How can a company as small as Accel compete with Wal-Mart's oils in price unless the oil is cheaper and inferior in the first place? They certainly don't think much for it at that price.
One thing we also noticed when decanting some to send for testing is that it smells like hypoid lubricant...odd, and has that slip-stick feel between the fingers. I have no idea what that is about, but all in all, not a product I would want near my TRs. At any rate I am sending it out for testing, and will post the results here.
As an additional note, this month's Buick GSCA magazine has a very good article about oil written by Richard Lasseter. Richard is a very intelligent guy who is serious about cars, and who just happens to be a chemical engineer with years of experience and uncommon common sense. It is for this reason that I feel his take on this subject of oils has some weight. In the same issue is a piece by our director of engineering, Howard Hoyt, who provides his take on the issue of ZDDP and oil.
As always: Caveat Emptor