This video is going to blow some folks minds, because if you are a super duper oil brand loyal person you might want to take a few breaths before watching. I’ll let Lake Speed, arguably one of the most respected oil experts in the racing and hot rod world, tell you the secrets and explain how the industry works, but suffice it to say you probably don’t know how your oil is made, and certainly not how it is designed.

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Video Description:

What does a box of Betty Crocker Cake Mix have in common with a bottle of motor oil? The answer is a secret that oil companies don’t want you to know.

The fact of the matter is that most brands of oil don’t formulate the oils they make and sell. That’s right, the big 4 additive companies (Afton, Infineum, Lubrizol and Oronite) actually do the formulating and testing. Most oil marketers are buying an additive package and following the “recipe” provided by the additive company to make the oil, so it is just like making a cake from a box of Betty Crocker cake mix. To prove it out, we blend up and test an oil using Afton’s HiTEC 11183 additive package. Of course, we show you all of the ingredients and the results (no one has EVER shown this before).

For a deep dive into the tests and specifications behind the current API licensed oils, check out link amazing guide produced by Infineum: https://www.infineuminsight.com/media…

To get started with used oil analysis, check out: https://www.speediagnostix.com

Want a Tribology T-Shirt? Check out the STLE spreadshop: https://stle.myspreadshop.com/tribolo… (I do not benefit from this financially, but I’d love to see fans of this channel support STLE) Who is the @themotoroilgeek?

I’m a Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Certified Lubrication Specialist and Oil Monitoring Analyst (I’ve maintained both of those for over a decade). I also worked for Joe Gibbs Racing for 12 years as their lubricant specialist. During that time, we worked with Wix Filters (one of our sponsors) to test and develop filters for our race engines. We also worked with Lubrizol and Chevron-Phillips Chemical to test and develop oils for our race cars. Following that, I was the head of R&D for Driven Racing Oil. During that time, I formulated and tested over 50 products. We also worked with Cummins, Comp Cams, Oak Ridge National Labs and General Motors on various R&D products. Those efforts are recorded in peer reviewed white papers published by SAE International and ACS Sustainable Chemistry journals. I also own and operate SPEEDiagnostix, which provides used oil analysis.