Tag: oil

  • Should you use racing oil in your road car?

    Every part of a modern race car is optimized to extract maximum performance—including the fluids that go into it. Specialized racing oil is a must in the paddock, but is it a good idea to use that in your road car?

    “Engineering Explained” host Jason Fenske answers that question in this video, talking to engineers from Mobil1 (which also sponsored the video), engine builder Roush Yates Engines, and NASCAR team Stewart-Haas Racing.

    First off, Fenske emphasizes that racing engines don’t have much in common with road-car engines. Pushrod V-8s like the ones used in NASCAR disappeared from the average American car decades ago, and racing engines in general have a very different duty cycle. They’re flogged (a NASCAR V-8 can rev to 10,000 rpm and spend 90% to 95% of a race at full throttle), but also have fairly short maintenance intervals. NASCAR engines have their oil changed about every 500 miles and are only expected to last about 1,500 miles, Fenske noted.

    Ford Mustang NASCAR Xfinity Series race car

    Ford Mustang NASCAR Xfinity Series race car

    NASCAR oil is also fairly unrestricted (rules can vary by race series), giving teams more leeway to look for competitive advantages, Fenske said. Teams tend to use thinner-weight oils to reduce frictional losses and maximize power. That’s not great for longevity but, remember, the engine only needs to last 1,500 miles. Road-car engines, on the other hand, are expected to last hundreds of thousands of miles, so that kind of tradeoff isn’t possible.

    Racing oils and road-car oils do have some commonalities, though. They use a lot of the same additives, such as detergents, dispersants, anti-foaming agents, antioxidants, and rust inhibitors, Fenske noted.

    However, the difference is in the details. Oils used for road cars are designed to meet a long list of regulations and requirements set down by individual automakers. In NASCAR where, again, rules governing oil are fairly loose, teams can optimize an oil for one specific engine design. It’s really that process that makes racing oil work, and it’s just not practical for individual road cars. Unless you have your own laboratory and a lot of patience, at least.

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  • Prolong Motor Oils. Putting Their Money Where Their Oil Is!

    Lubricant giants Prolong have upset the industry once again with their unique lifetime engine warranty. As the ONLY oil manufacturer to offer this level of assurance on their products, it might just get a few of the big names sweating!

    The comprehensive warranty is available to anyone with a qualifying vehicle under 100,000 miles that uses – and continues to use – Prolong lubricants. Having done so, Prolong offer to warrant the engine for the owners lifetime. This warranty doesn’t just cover against lubrication related failures, like many do, but also covers against components actually ‘wearing out‘, which is the root cause of nearly all mechanical engine problems. Although the warranty has been on the product for years, UK consumers are only just starting to realise its benefits.

    Sharp-eyed viewers may have already spotted Prolong’s latest TV advert playing around Top Gear re-runs and WRC coverage on carefully selected freeview and digital channels. The adverts use state of the art graphics to show how Prolong’s patented ‘Surface Modifying’ technology actually bonds to the engine’s surface at an ionic level to provide unparalleled protection for all moving parts.

    motor_oil_1_and_5The oil’s bold claims seemed so contentious upon its launch in the US, that Prolong were taken to task (and court!) by all of the big oil companies, in a vain attempt to discredit their seemingly superior performance. A plan that somewhat backfired on them, when America’s Federal Trade Commission, after numerous independent tests, ruled that not only were Prolong being 100% accurate in their claims, but several of their competitor weren’t – with inevitable consequences. The upshot being that Prolong were granted the ability to legally use the straplines “The World’s Most Powerful Oil”, “No Equal In The World” and “The Ultimate In Protection & Performance” with impunity. There’s “probably” a well known Danish brewery that would like be so definite in their claims!

    On launching the TV campaign, Prolong UK Sales Director, Mike Purchase said; ‘The main force behind the campaign is to raise awareness about our lifetime engine warranty with UK consumers. We’ve actually created the automotive equivalent of a chocolate bar that doesn’t make you fat, so I understand that there will be a little initial skepticism from canny UK consumers. That’s why we’ll put our money where our mouth is, to prove that the product actually works. This product has been tested and used in F1, Top Fuel Drag Racing, World Rallying and is currently being evaluated by Richard Noble OBE and his Director of Engineering for use in the 1,000 mph World Land Speed record rocket/jet car attempt. It won’t be phased by any road or commercial application.’

    The warranty form can be simply administered by the end user to make life easy for them and the supplying dealer. Particularly as to date, even in the US.. nobody has ever made a genuine claim.

    A new range of point of sale is also available, along with a range of free delivery options to retailers looking to exploit public interest created by the TV campaign.

    For more information on the unique propertires of Prolong and details of the lifteime engine warranty, please visit www.prolong-uk.com