I will finally admit which oil is best!

Yep I am a oil geek. Got it from my 21 years as a flight engineer in the Air Force. My test was using my 2020 Tundra. As follows:

At 2,000 miles changed to Kendall 5w20.

At 4,000 miles Pennzoil Ultra 0W20

At 6,000 miles Mobil 1 0w30

At 8,000 miles Valvoline Advanced 0w20

At 10,000 Kirkland 0w20

At 12,000 Royal Purple API 5w20

At 14,000 Amsoil Signature 5w20

Currently at 16,900.

Blackstone analysis on all oils for sh@t and giggles.

My conclusion: 5.7 tick was quite on Mobil 1 0w30, Kendall 5w20, RP 5w20 and best IMO on Amsoil. I am sticking with Amsoil and wether it's in my head or not from start up through high RPM to idle it just feels tighter and smoother. I also switched trans to Amsoil Sig Fuel Efficient (low viscocity), both diffs to Amsoil 75w90 and transfer to Ravenol 75w. Extremely happy!! She just feels tigher and happier.

Now, before everyone gives their opinion of everything I did wrong remember: It's my money, my truck, my time and my peace of mind

 

What airframe?

 

Please don’t take this as a jab, but exploring this with you.

Not sure where you live, but when were these tests? I agree 100% that the tick is different with different oil brands. For example castrol edge the tick is loud! However temps also seem to affect the tick. Is it possible that your ears are biased because the amsoil is the most recently used oil? And was the start up temps warmer on average with the amoil?
Another question, is 2k miles enough for the tests to give good data?

 

How was the Kirkland oil, price is damn good?

 

C-130.

2,000 was not long enough for lab analysis changes. I wanted to see what Blackstone had vs oil companies website/tech specs (Vis, TBN, Calcium, Phos, Moly, etc..).

Kirkland is a fine oil use it with confidence. You can't buy a bad API GF6 oil today. Any one of them for daily use and even towing within specs will give you thousands of trouble free miles IMO. Heck they all meet the same specs. I just have time and money and don't golf

 

It could be because Amsoil was the last. But if that was the case I would have felt/heard it at every change right? Because at that time it was my latest?

 

Since you're sticking to Amsoil what are your oil change intervals going to be since Amsoil can go for 15-25k before changing depending on driving conditions.
Are you worried about warranty issues if you don't change the oil per Toyotas OCI recommendations?

 

I will stick with 10k changes and do analysis to monitor. Not at all concerned about warranty. 1) Magnoson Moss Act, 2) Toyota can analize my oil all they want no way to tell brand or certs from analysis but it will read in the 0w20/5w20 range. If you read your manual it states under high speed or load (high speed not defined) a higher viscocity can be used. In your manual it also says conventional can he used. Just got to read it. In Toyotas TIS which you can pay and download my 2020 says if I live (or were to move) to Mexico I need to run 5w30 or 10w30. Yes sir...

 

Thanks for sharing your analysis and opinions. I find it fascinating. What was the Blackstone analysis?

 

OP- Thank you for your service to our nation!

And I to am an amsoil guy, run that shit in everything

 

Amsoil has lots of moly and some argue that the engine can run smoother or quieter with it. I think TGMO has lots of moly as well.

 

Good info... Thx for sharing

 

Interested in this too. I imagine it was "looks great, go another 8,000 miles".

 

Blackstone Oil Analysis is a company that sends you free kits with free return to analysis your used oil sample. Compares your engine with thousands of other Tundra engine samples. Tells you any normal or unsual metal wear, breaks down eveeything PPM (parts per million) in the oil (iron, moly, calcium, etc). $30 and also tells you based on Totol Base Number (TBN) if you should extend oil drain. Excellent way to see if you are draining to early. Thousands of samples showing full synthetics (Kirkland or Mobil 1 or Brand xxx) can easily run 8 to 10k these days.

 

I think they were asking you to post the analysis that blackstone sent you.

 

Sorry. Will post any you want to see. Not saved on phone so will do when I get home Monday. Amsoil on 4k had TBN left of 9.3 and they recommended going another 15k if I choose and sample again at 19k. Not my cup of tea. I do 10k with Amsoil Sig. Probably wasting money but I want the best IMO for those 10k. Higher Calcium and purest base oil.

 

Just curious.....
Do y'all know what kind of synthetic oil the dealership uses for their vehicles?

Used them for my first oil change at 10K. And have the first two years of maintenance paid for etc...etc....

I have a case of Amsoil waiting to put in after these first 2 free oil changes courtesy of Toyota.

And I do run Amsoil in my SS.

I am assuming it is fine and not hurting anything getting the first two changes done with the dealership synthetic and then switching to Amsoil for remainder of the truck's life.

Thanks for your service and for sharing the analysis.

 

I have never used Amsoil in the Tundra but I have used it in many other Toyota’s that have had the loud ticks. A 1999 3.4 Tacoma, a 2003 3.4 Tacoma, a 2012 4.0 Tacoma and a few RAV4’s.

I absolutely concur with OP that Amsoil was hands down more quiet than Mobil 1 (AFE especially/EP), Pennzoil (Platinum and I forget the other spec), and whatever bulk oil the dealership used.

During the summer there was naturally less of a tick but Amsoil was still quieter. During the winter (cold startup) is where the Amsoil rocked.

Ultimately I couldn’t justify the price of Amsoil but the dampening of the ticking noise is very apparent. Hence why I now stick with TGMO, not as quiet as Amsoil but very good at startup.

I have owned many Toyota’s (sedan, suv, pickup/4 cyc, V6, V8) and ALL of them have/had that diesel truck tick...

 

You would have to ask Dealer what bulk oil they use. Most change based on pricing (Kendall, Mobil, etc..). All are good GF6 oils and meet same certs.

 

This is what I run in all our vehicles. $12.5 for a 5qt jug can't be beat! Full synthetic. And the tundra doesn't even care what grade you put in, that's been well documented (see Mexico spec manual.)

 

I agree, amsoil has really quieted down my tick

M1 afe was loud
Pennzoil Platinum was loud

Valvoline Extended protection is in my truck now and it’s also been really quiet too. It also has lots of moly according to a black stone report on Virgin oil on Bob is the Oil guy. I haven’t tried their other Valvoline Advanced synthetic.



I will run either the Amsoil or the Valvoline Extended from now on. (The outstanding Toyota oil is hard for me to get since I live over an hour away from a Toyota dealer)

 

Very interesting why did you go 0w30 on mobil 1 while all others were 20wt. My 2021 manual says nothing about heavier grades and indicates only 0w20.

 

Curious as to how much you are getting your TGMO for??
I pay $50 for 2 gallons of Amsoil 0w20 and a Toyota filter cartridge.

 

On average 7 to 8 bucks a quart...I shop around and usually wait for a coupon from the dealerships (online).

With Amsoil I had to pay the membership to get the cheap price in addition to tax and shipping. With the TGMO, depending where I buy it, there was no tax and free shipping.

 

Many Toyota dealerships currently have free shipping, I got 18 qts TGMO (2 oil changes) for $80 shipped. $4.44 per quart.

 

Wow that’s great! A lot better than I have gotten...

 

For this to be a true scientific test, shouldn't you have tested each grade from each brand?

 

Wife’s Suburban takes 2 gallons of 0w20 so I buy 4 gallons and some of their other products at a time. And makes it about $50 an oil change.
Well worth it for the Amsoil.
Toyota is good stuff as well. I just can’t get it as cheap locally so end of having to pay shipping on it if I want to get it cheaper but then equals out to about the higher cost trying to buy at the dealer.

So the $5-$10 more the Amsoil ends up costing is well worth it.

 

I know some say they go 10,000 miles between changes I aways go 5,000 on account of old habits die hard but what about time? What's the longest you'd go between changes if you don't put heavy miles on?

I watched youtube vid "the car care nut" who just works on Toyota's and he talked about burning oil if you go long between changes regardless of miles.
https://youtu.be/v4JS7PybV2k

 

Test wasn't meant to be scientefic. Just going my my ear and feel. Blackstone I wanted to see how close they were to what oil company has on tech specs. Never 100% accurate with blackstone but good enough to satisy my thirst.