Interview with Royal Purple Prez

**Sarge** · 10-27-2006, 02:20 AM

Got my copy of Chevy High Performance magazine today ( December 2006) and was suprised to see a interview with Lee Culbertson President of Royal Purple. After so much Amway type marketing, bullshit four bearing test ( more bullshit), from Amsoil and others...it was really nice to see some honesty from a major player in the synthetic marketplace. Some quotes I think many of you will find interesting....

" I don't know if running a synthetic oil automatically means your going to make more power.........."

" The general public likes things in sound bytes they can understand, so they assume synthetic are always better than mineral oils, even though that's not always the case."

" A popular misconception is that synthetic oil is magically created in a beaker. The truth is, all oil comes in a natural state, and all oil starts as crude."............................

" These days additives are even more important than whether base oils are mineral or synthetic."

" No oil can overcome abrasives introduced through a dirty air filter. ( He is talking mainly about high flow Cold Air Intake type filters like KN here) " The only way to remove abrasives is by changing the oil more frequently to remove the abrasives."

For us folks that know the difference between marketing hype with most synthetics oils and the real world facts of oils....this was a major news story ...a President of a leading boutique synthetic oil company telling it like it really is. Good for him! I bet his marketing people shit themselves

**01blkformula** · 10-27-2006, 05:49 AM

at least he was honest, thats some good information

**Sarge** · 10-27-2006, 06:04 AM

Yup...I like it....no bullshit....Synthetic is superior under extreme heat or pressure due its molecular structure being able to stay together.....but none of us see aircraft engine type stress on our motors.....it is all about the additives.....you can add em to mineral oils (dino) and have just as good if not better oil for much cheaper....and him admitting synthetics have no protection against abrasive dust particles is so fucking true.....about damn time one of them stood up and told the absolute truth instead of this marketing bullshit. He even says we need to change our oil more frequently....I have been screaming like a stuck pig for years over the extended drain justification for higher priced bullshit oil like Mobil1 and Amsoil....just aint there man.....no way you can justify the cost....your not getting any better oil ( or very very little)....for a 5000 mile oil change interval than plain jane Castrol GTX.

**Zboner** · 10-27-2006, 06:11 AM

scew the 5k and 7.5k and 15k shit, all it does it makes the seals weaker and softens them up to lubricate longer, then they become weak and break

**Phlash_riot** · 10-27-2006, 06:52 AM

So what is someone todo? Now I will NEVER know which oil to choose to use in my car. I just did a change over to Redline and was perfectly happy. Then Sarge comes along and collapes my pipe dream of greatness. *sigh.
Well I am going to continue to Redline. products. Not that much more expensive than mobil one and if i keep changing the oil myself it is the same price that I would have paid to have a oil changing place do it. Another reson that I will still use redline is there customer service is Outstanding.

So Sarge if i remeber correctly you are running Royal Purple right? If so going to continue to use synthetic like that or going back to good 'ol regular oil?

What about a mix? That worth the trouble? Two quarts of regular 3 of Synthetic and a dash of love... ... ...

**Sarge** · 10-27-2006, 09:43 AM

LOL...what are we to do!? Stop listening to marketing bullshit.
Yup...I get RP free. NAPA is one of my sponsers and gives it to me. Damn good oil. Amsoil is damn good oil. RedLine is damn good oil. The point of me posting this is to debunk certain myths about "synthetics".....
Yeah I use a soup of Castrol GTX/Auto RX/Valvoline SynPower Oil Treatment that will blow away any synthetic on the market and for a 1/3 of the price. UOA's prove it.
If you have a 6 qt sump ( or 6 1/2 with filter change) a really effective and proven mix is...
6 qts Castrol GTX
3 oz AutoRX or 6 oz LubeControl
6 oz Valvoline Synpower Oil Treatment or 8 oz SLOB ( Street Legal Oil Boost...big Pink bottle at BigLots)

**third_shift|studios** · 10-27-2006, 09:50 AM

sounds like sarge needs to start a new venure.

**StangKiller615** · 10-27-2006, 11:02 AM

I've been using Mobil-1. Should I continue with it?

**GOT1GOAT** · 10-27-2006, 02:21 PM

I'm staying with mobil 1 syn. myself and I agree with Phlash_Riot as for DIY savings over oil shops. I dont know what suicide mission Mr. Culbertson is on but I'll go with this -
http://www.automedia.com/Synthetic/o...cr20050201so/1

**Sarge** · 10-27-2006, 06:01 PM

Originally Posted by GOT1GOAT

I'm staying with mobil 1 syn. myself and I agree with Phlash_Riot as for DIY savings over oil shops. I dont know what suicide mission Mr. Culbertson is on but I'll go with this -
http://www.automedia.com/Synthetic/o...cr20050201so/1

They are saying the same thing.

Originally Posted by automedia

So, should you bite the bullet and fork over more money for synthetics? Sure, if you want to. If you are in a fully committed relationship with the car of your dreams, and have decided that car is worth the cost, spring for that Dom Perignon.

This article you submit is written based soley and wholey on the moleculer superiority over some unknown Group of base stock under very rarely ( if ever) seen extreme conditions. They do not elaborate if they are comparing Group II/III. If all we had to base our choice on was the molecules of the PAO vs. Mineral then yes....I would agree with you.....but that in itself is the very point of not only RP Prez statements but this entire string! The molecular structure plays a very small role in the big picture of overall performance of mineral or synthetic oils....very small....it is all about the add pack. As they say themselves.....hey if you can afford it drink champaign.....but a glass of milk is just as good for you.
I am curious what you think of Mobil1's newest add packs and VOA's?
And for clarity sake...that article is 2 years old....so she ( the author Debbie) was comparing probably Group II. Think about it for a second.....If all the hype were 100% absolute truth....wouldnt all Group IV products be exactly the same? Mobil1/RedLine/Royal Purple Racing Oils/Amsoil....no they are not the same.....because of the various add packs found in each Group IV.....so If I had a similiar add pack in a Group III would it be just as good for a 3-5K OCI? The answer is a clear yes.

**Sarge** · 10-27-2006, 06:05 PM

Originally Posted by StangKiller615

I've been using Mobil-1. Should I continue with it?

Sure....but I do not believe ( as many others who have seriously researched it versus buying into marketing hype) that in the long run your not gaining anything ( +/- minutia) over todays conventional oil. I run synthetics....I just don't pay for them.

**Sarge** · 10-27-2006, 06:23 PM

Lets look at what matters....Spectrum analysis.....
First one.....
Element VOA

Aluminum 0
Chromium 0
Iron 0
Copper 0
Lead 0
Tin 0
Molybdenum 80
Nickel 0
Manganese 0
Silver 0
Titanium 0
Potassium 0
Boron 80
Silicon 5
Sodium 3
Calcium 2161
Magnesium 13
Phosphorus 631
Zinc 672
Barium 0

SuS@210F 64.2
Flash_F 440
Fuel % -
Antifrz% -
Water % 0.0
Insoles% 0.0
TBN 10.0

Now this one.....
ASTM D445 Viscosity @ 100°C
Viscosity cSt 14.29
ASTM D4683 Apparent Viscosity @ 150°C
Viscosity cP 4.04
ASTM D5185 Elemental Analysis (ppm)
Aluminum 14
Antimony 2
Barium <1
Boron 195
Calcium 2136
Chromium <1
Copper <1
Iron <1
Lead <1
Magnesium 528
Manganese <1
Molybdenum 807
Nickel <1
Phosphorus 1072
Silicon 13
Silver 9
Sodium 8
Tin <1
Zinc 1215
Potassium <5
Strontium 1
Vanadium <1
Titanium <1
Cadmium <1

Which would you put in your ride and why? Hint....1 of them is Mobil1 newest SM rated 5-30.
The other is a Group III.
(molybdenum is an anti-wear additive as are phosphorus and zinc. Boron, calcium (the dominant additive), and magnesium are all detergent/dispersant additives.)

**Nastyfoot** · 10-28-2006, 08:13 AM

Not to hijack the thread, but what about oil filters? Should I use say K&N over fram for instance? Or am I wasting my money? Because of oil "purity", wouldn't a high end filter be a waste?

**Sarge** · 10-28-2006, 01:50 PM

Firsdt oil is Mobil1 5-30....lower add packs across the board....2nd one is Group III....better oil for half the price....
and for the question above....KN/Mobil1/Amsoil etc.....are a smidgeon better than AC Delco/Pure One....and no better than NAPA/Wix.....Fram sucks donkey balls.

**YoMommasTA** · 10-29-2006, 08:01 AM

Originally Posted by Sarge

Fram sucks donkey balls.

anything thats sucks,can't be all bad

**98LSGUN** · 10-29-2006, 03:56 PM

Sarge, what do you recommend for an air filter? I've had a K&N in my car for 5yrs but keep hearing more & more bad things about them. BTW I've used RP in my SS since the day I got it, not changing now...

**GatorSS** · 10-29-2006, 08:55 PM

I like Lee Culbertson's honesty. That means more to me than any marketing campaign.

**Nastyfoot** · 10-30-2006, 01:31 AM

Originally Posted by GatorSS

I like Lee Culbertson's honesty. That means more to me than any marketing campaign.

**Sarge** · 10-30-2006, 04:13 AM

Originally Posted by 98LSGUN

Sarge, what do you recommend for an air filter? I've had a K&N in my car for 5yrs but keep hearing more & more bad things about them. BTW I've used RP in my SS since the day I got it, not changing now...

I run the Amsoil Ea dry filter on the Goat with great results..... https://www.amsoil.com/StoreFront/eaau.aspx and run AEM Dry Filter on the Dodge R/T with great results... http://trucks.aempower.com/ViewCateg...?CategoryID=32
Keep your KN tubes and "kit" ...these filters just replace the oiled KN cone filter.....so you dont lose all your original investment in the KN....

**blackSS01** · 03-14-2007, 08:52 PM

I run Mobil 1 Adv. Super Syn. or Royal Purple in the motor, RP in the tranny and rear end. And Mobil 1 ASS is the best oil I have ever used, no piston slap with it. I cannot hear anything with it. I also use a K&N oil filter, and air filter. Best combo I have ever done out of all the combos. Just my .02