You can always just order direct from AMSOIL or buy in retail stores instead if you want to avoid the “Amsoil people”. I’ve found many that were very knowledgeable, helpful, and can get you the best prices. AMSOIL is not going away. They’ve been around for 37 years and have had double digit growth each year for the past 20 years. They are increasing market share when the majors are losing market share. Plus they have great business partners in NGK, WIX, Donaldson, Mann and others.
It seems (to me) that silicon-based oils ought to be more stable, and resist breaking down, than the carbon-based oils we now have. Why haven’t these been developed? If you had an engine oil that didn’t break down, it would probably last >50,000 miles.
opps, that would NOT be good for Greasemonkey and Jiffylube.
Oils do so much more than lubricate. The must maintain flow at different temps; suspend/hold contaminants; suspend/hold water; not foul the internal components of all mass-marketed engines; not affect emission controls systems; not hurt the air as they are burned and/or expelled (as they are combusted at different rates by different cars). They need to be compete in pricing wars, too.
I believe the end of an oil’s life while in use is partly due to it’s ability to lubricate, but it’s how contaminated and water-laden it has become that is important, too.
Ralph, AMSOIL already offers 35,000 mile chemical synthetic gasoline engine oils and 50,000 mile diesel chemical synthetic engine oils. And you can go much longer than that if you have your oil analyzed and they say it is fine to do so. Some have gone over 400,000 miles on a single oil change. And you are right, the conventional motor oil companies do not like this technology and are losing market share.
WTF, TIM! YOU DISTRIBUTE AMSOIL.
I knew your post looked creepy!!!
DAMN.
No need for swearing.
Of course I do. I also have a science degree and retired from Shell Oil Company after 28 years. Giving me a good background working in and understanding the industry. What was creepy? I’m just answering questions.
Your posts are the creepy ones “If they all got together, drank funky Kool-Aid and waited for a space ship to take them to mine a comet for special lubricants for their next line of products, I would not be surprised in the least.”
As I see it, you are doing exactly what you say you are doing, answering questions. But by admitting you are an AMSOIL distributor you essentially put yourself in the same boat as Amway people, hence the questioning of your motivations. MLM participants have a poor reputation for objectivity and a zealousness second to none.
That was not a judgment, mind you, just an observation.
I’m not going to deny I am an AMSOIL Direct Jobber. Just like I won’t deny I distribute NGK, WIX, Donaldson, Mann and other fine automotive products and can distribute any other oil companies products, but I haven’t found any that are better.
I don’t think AMSOIL and Amway have much of anything in common other than being MLM. You can buy direct from AMSOIL or buy in retail stores. I don’t think Amway allows that. I have a pretty broad perspective of AMSOIL as I have over 330 retail, commercial, municipal and individual accounts.
The USAF and NASA didn’t have any problem purchasing any of my products. And 3500 of the Texas State Police cars for the past 8 years changed from 2,000 to 3,000 mile oil and filter change intervals to 20,000 to 22,000 mile AMSOIL oil and filter change intervals, and Texas Parks and Wildlife all use AMSOIL.
Those on the board here are better informed knowing tim vipond is an Amsoil ‘direct jobber’.
So, anyone reading his ‘one oil change over 400,000 miles’ type comments can hold that up against the background of how MLM folks tend to get when they discuss their products/company.
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I agree that “those on the board here will be better informed knowing Tim Vipond is an AMSOIL Direct Jobber” for the past 5 years. Actually, what I said is documented. https://www.amsoil.com/lit/g1343.pdf?zo=1181889 . And I also discussed Shell’s products same way when I was the Shell Answer Man for Shell Solvents.
Years ago, I read of an inventor who came up with a device that filtered the oil several times; and the fltration was so good that the oil never had to be changed (you just had to top up occasionally). The device was quite expensive, so it was only used on fleet vehicles. Once a mont (or so) you drained a small amount of dirty oil from the base of the filter-the big adavantage (for the fleet operator) was that the vehicle never needed an actual change-just topping up and draing a small amount of waste oil.
Anbody ever hear of this?
Sure. Bypass filtration filters out all wear causing particles down to 1 micron. AMSOIL does this routinely for the past 37 years. You just need to have the oil analyzed occasionally to make sure there are no mechanical or oil issues.
Ralph, here is a brochure if you’d like to learn more: https://www.amsoil.com/lit/g1063.pdf?zo=1181889 .
For what it’s worth, I started using synthetic oil in 1991 at the suggestion of my brother who was a hot rodder, car collector and airline pilot. As a car collector he pointed out how much money I could save by using synthetics with the extended oil change of 1 year for oil and 6 months for filter. I did the math and it was a lot cheaper than changing conventional oil and filter every 3000 miles on my 3 vehicles. As an airline pilot he pointed out that no airline jet or any jet engine operates on conventional oil they all use synthetics because of superior wear characteristics and because the oil is engineered, there is a consistent molecular particle size unlike conventional oils and it is designed for operating in high temperatures. Under those conditions conventional oil will break down and cause failures…not a good thing when you are at 35,000 feet. I have used Amsoil and Mobile 1, both are great products and for full disclosure I am a preferred customer with Amsoil so I save some money purchasing my products directly from them. It is worth the $ 30 CDN per year to join and no I am not a dealer nor am I interested in selling these products, I am happy just using them. As for the mostly negative comments in this thread I would chalk that up to ignorance of synthetics, there use and the tangible benefits of using them. I use Amsoil in my 3 cars and Motor Home.
The incredible disapearing oil
I think it was in the late '70s, I had a new Datsun F10 (only 1 1/2 model, years if it doesn’t sound familiar)
I was talked into Amsoil just before I left on a three week trip.
I left Kansas City Sept 1st. I drove through Yellowstone, up through Montana, then on to Seattle.
I stayed in Washington for a few days, then took Hyway 101 south.
Saturday evening, crossing the bridge from Washington to Astoria, Oregon my oil light came on. Luckily, I found a garage just closing, the owner willing to help me. He found I had NO oil in the crank case. The engine was clean, no sign of a leak.
He flushed it twice with regular oil then filled it. I never lost another drop of oil.
mcopeman: Nobody with half a clue about modern oils doubts that synthetics are far superior to natural oils. What people doubt is that Amsoil is anything like a good example of a modern synthetic oil.
Back in the 70s Amsoil might have been a leading edge techology. Or a half-assed poorly implemented first attempt being sold by a company that didn’t even know what it didn’t know. Who can say?
But nowadays it’s pretty widely believed to be nothing but a scam on par with MLM sales. You can certainly buy synthetics from major manufacturers which have all the certs and test to prove their qualities. Amsoil? Not so much.
Oh yeah … I used to fly jets too. Fighters and airliners both. Turbine oils are synthetic and have been for decades because the temps inside a turbine engine are hundreds of degrees hotter than those in a car engine. In other words, the fact those temps are so much greater means that using synthetics in turbines proves exactly zero about the suitability or not of mineral oils in ICEs.
All the high performance multi-thousand horsepower ICEs on piston fighters and airliners of the 40s and 50s ran mineral oil. I guess that “proves” that mineral oils are good enough for pistons.
LSL Guy, the fact that conventional oils will do the job in piston applications doesn’t mean that conventional oils are the best choice. The fact that jet engines operate at much higher temperatures than piston engines shows the extreme conditions that synthetics oils operate in, which in my mind make synthetics a natural choice for piston engines for no other reason than the protection offered if the engine overheats or loses coolant. Also there is a significant cost savings on oil changes over the life of the vehicle when we use synthetics and extended oil changes. I have used synthetics for 19 years both Amsoil and Mobil 1 have served me well, protected my engines, given me peace of mind and saved me money over the long hall. I don’t really care which company is an MLM or a Bricks and Mortar retail outlet, as long as their stuff works for me, I am happy. I go online make my order and pick it up next day at the Amsoil warehouse.
Cheers, Mike.
mcopeman: Sorry to have sounded combative.
I originally read your peice as touting Amsoil specifically above all synthetics. Upon careful re-reading, your point is/was simply that synthetics are much superior to naturals & Amsoil seems as good as any other synthetic in your experience.
Makes sense to me. Sorry if I ruffled your feathers a bit.
This is the part I don’t get. Why do you pay for the privilege of buying the product? Why not just buy a similar product at retail?
Where I live in Alberta, we pay $10 or so for a liter of Mobil1… so there is a discount for the preferred customer at Amsoil, I paid 6.35 a liter and it saves money when you add up 2 cases of oil plus filters. 3.65 x 24 = 87.60 just for oil. Its just away to save a few bucks.
Cheers, Mike.