60 SUPER CHEVY OCTOBER^2019
TECH
There is a veritable witches’ brew
of chemicals that make up the addi-
tive packages used in engine oil. This
includes additives and chemicals that
play a huge part in allowing the oil to do
its job. This story came about as a result
of a desire to know more about some of
the active ingredients in the engine oil.
As most enthusiasts should be aware,
new car manufacturers reduced theB
ack in the 1980’s there was a Valvoline ad campaign using a
series of laconic drivers at the wheel of cars fully invested in their
smoking death throes who used the tag line “Motor oil is motor
oil.” The pitch was that engine oil was not all the same. Today, there are
not only more choices in terms of production engines, but there’s also
been an amazing escalation in the number of specialty engine oils for
certain applications beyond just “race” oil. There are so many more
options and choices now that it might be beneficial to dive a little deeper
into exactly what’s in that bottle of oil you’re about to pour into your
engine. This goes way beyond just choosing a favorite brand and viscosity.WHAT’S INSIDE THAT BOTTLE OF OIL REALLY DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Story Jeff Smith + Photos the Author
That oil might all look the same when it
pours out of the bottle, but the chemical
makeup of the specific additive package
turns out to be ultra-critical for today’s
street and performance engines.
1BLACK GOLD