That’s good question. Let me see if I can help answer that.
In the lubricants industry we see a full array of third party entities which help to standardize and shape the market. These third parties organize and develop standards and specifications they feel manufacturers should adhere to. They also offer Licensing/Certification to a manufacturer which is generally very costly.
For the most part this is usually a good thing for consumers in making sure the products they buy are within grade and specification. However, these specifications that are set in place to protect the consumer can also be a hindrance in technological advances towards a better performing product.
For the sake of conversation, I’m going to pick the third party entity, American Petroleum Institute (API) rather than National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA).
Most anyone who has ever purchased motor oil for their car has probably noticed the API Donut and Starburst on the label of the oil bottle, e.g.
Let’s take a quick look at some motor oils which
ARE currently API Licensed.
- Amsoil XL Extended Life 10W-30 Synthetic
- Schaeffer Supreme 7000 Synthetic Plus 10W-30
- Royal Purple 10W-30 High Performance
Now let’s take a look at some motor oils which are
NOT API Licensed.
- Amsoil 100% Synthetic High Performance 10W-30
- Schaeffer Supreme 9000 Full Synthetic 5W-30
- Royal Purple 5W-30 XPR Extreme Performance & Racing oil
- Red Line Synthetic Oil (
Nothing Red Line makes is API Licensed)
So what’s the point?
The point is there are many examples of non-licensed oils performing as well as, or in many cases better than the licensed stuff. So when you see the words “meets” or “exceed” specs on a bottle of motor oil, the chances are that manufacture has done the home work and knows how to meet or exceed the specs listed.
In the case of Amsoil, Inc., they had the first fully API qualified 100% synthetic motor oil in 1972 before API had motor oil licensing. And as noted above, Amsoil currently makes their XL line which is API licensed. Basically, Amsoil knows what goes into achieving API specs even if the end product is not going to be licensed. So why would they go through the trouble of meeting or exceeding the specs and then not licensing it? Amsoil explains this better than I can. Click
HERE to read the full explanation.
Alright, so after all that, back to the question of Amsoil HP Injector TC-W3 2-cycle oil not being NMMA certified. It’s not NMMA certified, but it does meet or exceed the specs. Actually Amsoil claims it has “up to 30 percent more additives than other TC-W3 two-cycle oils for “super clean” operation” so it may very well be that it exceeds the specs, which is the story I’m sticking to.
CompSyn
Awesome work Sarge, and very interesting, I’m going to give it a try. But I’m going to opt to use Amsoil HP Injector Synthetic 2-Cycle Oil rather than the P… Pen… Penz… Sorry, I just can’t bring myself to say that word, LOL. Anyway, the Amsoil is a NMMA TC-W3, API TC. I'll just order up a quart or two on my next order.
