I just came from an aviation seminar put on by an engine overhauler (Aero Recip) and they all but stated to stop using Aeroshell 15W-50 and start using Phillips X/C 20W-50. In their analysis, the Aeroshell multi-grade did not provide the wear protection that Phillips X/C multi-grade oil did. I haven't seen the Aviation Consumer article on the oil tests, but you're stating that the Phillips FAILED the wear tests and the Aeroshell passed??? I was already to switch to Phillips multi for the upcoming winter flying season here in Alaska based on this advice but now....... This oil stuff is almost as controversial as Mogas use
Here's a few quotes from the Aviation Consumer article:
"However, we remain impressed with AeroShell's 15W50 multi-grade. It appears to us to be a good all-climate oil with excellent antiwear properties and anti-corrosion properties."
"Exxon did well in the anti-corrosion testing but, in our view, was far less impressive than AeroShell 15W50 in anti-wear protection."
"...Phillips X/C is an also ran, in our estimation. It's not exceptional in either anti-wear or anti-corrsion properties..."
Regarding anti-corrosion..."Both (AeroShell 15W50 and Elite) did significantly better than Phillips X/C..."
gahorn wrote:Here's a few quotes from the Aviation Consumer article:
"However, we remain impressed with AeroShell's 15W50 multi-grade. It appears to us to be a good all-climate oil with excellent antiwear properties and anti-corrosion properties."
"Exxon did well in the anti-corrosion testing but, in our view, was far less impressive than AeroShell 15W50 in anti-wear protection."
"...Phillips X/C is an also ran, in our estimation. It's not exceptional in either anti-wear or anti-corrsion properties..."
Regarding anti-corrosion..."Both (AeroShell 15W50 and Elite) did significantly better than Phillips X/C..."
George,
Let me be more specific. If YOU were puting multigrade oil in your plane, which would you choose?
If I were planning a long trip up north with lot's of overnight stops at places with no hangars, with early morning starts with no preheater....I'd use AeroShell15W50. When I got back to Texas I'd go back to AeroShell single-weight.
If I lived up north, and flew out of my own hangar I'd use AeroShell 80W (or 65W if I could find it) and a preheater.
Either way, I'd continue to do my oil changes every 25 hours including a new spin-on filter, because I only fly my airplane about 75-100 hours a year, and don't want old, used oil sitting in my engine for more than 3-4 months. If I used the airplane in my work, I'd consider 50 hour oil/filter changes. (And, by the way, I have a magnetic device on my spin on filter. If you have one, do NOT re-position it or remove it without immediately throwing that filter away. Once magnetic particles are held in one spot inside the filter-can, moving or removing that magnet will turn them loose. If you run your engine,...then there they go!!!)
gahorn wrote:If I were planning a long trip up north with lot's of overnight stops at places with no hangars, with early morning starts with no preheater....I'd use AeroShell15W50. When I got back to Texas I'd go back to AeroShell single-weight.
If I lived up north, and flew out of my own hangar I'd use AeroShell 80W (or 65W if I could find it) and a preheater.
Either way, I'd continue to do my oil changes every 25 hours including a new spin-on filter, because I only fly my airplane about 75-100 hours a year, and don't want old, used oil sitting in my engine for more than 3-4 months. If I used the airplane in my work, I'd consider 50 hour oil/filter changes. (And, by the way, I have a magnetic device on my spin on filter. If you have one, do NOT re-position it or remove it without immediately throwing that filter away. Once magnetic particles are held in one spot inside the filter-can, moving or removing that magnet will turn them loose. If you run your engine,...then there they go!!!)
Thanks for the reply George,
We have no trouble finding all the Aeroshell W65 (30 wt) oil we want up here, but I still like multiweight for winter flying. Even though all of us stuck outside on the ramp preheat before winter flying, the overwhelming reason to use multiweight (in my opinion) is if you can't do a thorough preheat job or do one at all due to circumstances while bush flying on skis, the multiweight may save your bacon on marginal startups. An example would be many times you may fly out to some remote cabin and the plane may sit for most of day (engine cover on) and the engine slowly cools off down to say 30 degrees or so (outside ambient temp likely -10 to +15 degrees F). It's an hour till dark or weather is coming and you just want to fire up and go. With Aeroshell 15W-50 you just do it with no guilt.
I agree with you completely, Bruce. Those are exactly the parameters at which multi-grade oils excel.
There are three reasons I prefer single-weight oils over multi-grades (keeping in mind my regional climate (Tx) and also that my preference for multi-grade is AeroShell 15W50) 1) They do not contain anti-corrosion additives that leach copper/zinc components from bearings (at least not ordinarily, exception being AeroShell Plus) 2) They do not revert to their light-weight base oils when their additives are depleted (and therefore remain on internal parts better/longer for corrosion control 3) They do not contain anti-wear additives with reputations they contribute to starter clutch slipping/failure. (AeroShell supposedly has addressed that issue with a re-formulation of the additive package. No one has re-examined the statistics to confirm any change in clutch failure rates, however.)
I was under contract and operated a customer's aircraft which used Phillips oil and occasionally had some difficulty in obtaining it at some airports. I resorted to always carrying some with me. I've never had a problem getting AeroShell oils anywhere I go. It sort of "breaks the tie" for me. (In fairness though, they all meet the MHS-24 requirement and therefore it shouldn't hurt anything to add a quart or two of another brand in any given period between oil changes. I doubt if any of them is a "wrong" oil (to use.) None of us are that picky about which brand of fuel to use, are we? Exxon/Texaco/BP/Phillips/Shell/etc. Aren't we silly?
But I believe you are correct in using the multi-grades in exceptionally cold climates to alleviate the cold startup/oil circulation problems inherent with single weight oils.
