Mobil 4T, suitable for PCX?

[PCX150Rider]

Marvel Mystery Oil

I finally figured out what you mean. . .Jack Nicholson as the Joker with the "He's been using Brand-X" quote.

The "Bucket List" one of my all time favorites. And "Easy Rider". . .

[chicaboo]

Yeah. . .there's a bunch of stuff in it including boron. . .the wintergreen is for scent but it does have cleaning properties. And there's a couple of different types of benzene as well I think. The list goes on and on and all the details. . .it may not be for everyone but I gotta say with a grin it did stop the ticking valve in my Jeep. The engine I have in it is a 4 cylinder and it's known to have carbon issues. Chrysler posted a Tech Service Bulletin back in 2004 to use a different spark plug to help prevent the problem. Carbon buildup seemed to be occurring with people who made short trips on cold days and didn't give the engine enough time to properly warm up. . .hence carbon problems. So after I started using the Marvel Mystery Oil in the oil and gas the problem permanently went away in about a week. When I did the first oil change after that it looked like black paint. . .tons of dissolved crap in it. That was when I had around 30,000 miles on it. Subsequent oil changes were never as dark. . .just what one would expect. . .plain old dirty oil. Now I've got close to 100,000 miles on it and it runs great. The front fenders are rusting but other than that I can't complain.

On another note. . .I've been using Castrol for years in my machines. . .just Castrol. I used to use what they called 20w50 Castrol Motorcycle Oil (non-synthetic) in my KLR, but now use the 10w40 conventional (non-synthetic) in both my KLR and Suzuki GSF 1200S. I generally change the oil twice a year and the filters once a year. I found the 20w50 was a bit too much for the KLR and I just started buying 10w40 by the case and used it for both bikes with good results.

I was thinking about sticking with a Castrol product for the Honda PCX when I got it and was going to bring up the subject at the time but from what you are telling me the "Edge" product is the way to go eh?. . .what do you use in yours. . .the 5w30 or 10w30? And would you say it was good from the git go once the factory supplied oil was changed out? Once I start with an oil I stay with it as to avoid non-compatibility problems with other brands/formulas. I planned on using synthetic in the PCX but have heard pros and cons about break in issues.

I don't do much driving these days, so I pay someone to service my Jeep once/year because I CBF'd doing it myself now I'm getting older.
I don't know what they put it, and I don't really care. It just potters along and doesn't do anything crazy. I'm looking to sell it, and be done.

As for what I put in the VZ-R and the PCX. Well, I've only done 1500km on the PCX, so it's only had a single top-up with Repco brand 10W30 semi-synthetic I think?
I wasn't fussy about it as it's just for top-ups until I put the BBK in. After which I will be using 5W30 mineral oil for 1000kms, and then switch to 5W30 fully synthetic.
The VZ-R just gets whatever 0W40 or 5W40 fully synthetic that's priced well on the day. It's only done 40,000km in the last 7 and a bit years, and it's not driven hard.

Back when I was a ratbag doing naughty things and tuning my Mazdas, I would only use Castrol Edge with oil and filter change every 5000km with upper engine inspection.
I use to drive the Mazdas pretty hard and get the headers glowing red hot, even cracking one set of stainless headers from going past the purple heat range into destruction.

So, the more I demand from my vehicle, the more fussy I am. In the case of the Jeep, it has an easy life. The PCX will be fussed over, with the VZ-R somewhere in between.
But you can only get Castrol Edge in 5L quantities here, so it's not easy to use with the PCX. And I haven't seen cases or carbon fouling in the upper engine of the PCX anyway.
I typically buy Motul or Penrite these days since they're cheaper, and just do Subaru Upper Engine Clean routine with injector cleaner in the tank occasionally on the VZ-R.

[Eiron]

This is MA i guess? can't see MB or MA anywhere.
Fully synthetic.

Do you gents use this or other MA engine oil?
Is it better than that recommended on manual?

I am planning for a long haul trip with my new PCX, to Tibet, then desert, then Xinjiang then back to eastern seaboard at south China.

Does this oil sustain the long trip?

Thank you, gents.

Yes, it's MA. Here's a spec sheet from ExxonMobil that gives all of the approvals for all of their current Mobil 1 oils. I believe Honda suggests MB oil for the PCX, don't they?

Personally, I use Mobil 1 automobile engine oil. The specs are more defined than any motorcycle oils, outlining not only additives but also viscosity goals. You'll get none of that info with any motorcycle oils from any oil manufacturers. I always look for ACEA A3/B3 certifications, and typically run xW-40 or xW-50 weight oil in my PCX.

[Eiron]

... If you want to get silly about it, the only oil I've seen clean the inside of an engine is Castrol Edge.
Is that what you want from an oil? I don't know, but it's very impressive for before and after shots.

Mobil 1 also cleans out the inside of an engine, as will most dual-rated oils (15W-40 for example, although more slowly). Some cleaning comes from base oil chemistry, but usually it's the additive package that does most of the work.

And yes, that's certainly what I want from my oil. If your oil stays clear & clean, then all of the combustion byproducts are adhering to your engine's components. I'd much rather have nasty looking oil that's carrying around all of the dirt & varnish, than have crystal clean oil leaving carbon, gum, & varnish layers throughout my engine.

[Eiron]

... Now I've got close to 100,000 miles on [the Jeep] and it runs great. ...
... Once I start with an oil I stay with it as to avoid non-compatibility problems with other brands/formulas. ...

I bought a 1990 Saab 900 with 113,000 miles on it. The previous owner had always used conventional oil, so I continued until I learned about true syn oils. I had been a life-long Castrol user, but switched to Mobil 1 full syn at 120,000 miles. I ran Used Oil Analysis for several years on that car, & learned that with the right Mobil 1 oil, I could go 20,000 miles between oil changes (I would change the oil filter at 10,000 miles). The car has been on a strict 20,000 mile Oil Change Interval for the last 10 years. My son's now driving it, and it has over 300,000 miles on the still-original engine & transmission.

Non-compatibility between engine oils has really become a non-issue these days. (If that weren't the case, you could never use your favorite aftermarket additive!) The same goes for switching back & forth between conventional & synthetic oils. Use whatever you want, whenever you want. Just make sure whatever you're doing allows you to sleep at night.

[chicaboo]

And yes, that's certainly what I want from my oil. If your oil stays clear & clean, then all of the combustion byproducts are adhering to your engine's components. I'd much rather have nasty looking oil that's carrying around all of the dirt & varnish, than have crystal clean oil leaving carbon, gum, & varnish layers throughout my engine.

Some people just want the slippery stuff, and never see the inside of their engines. By your own account, if you're using full synthetic, it's all good.
Some people don't even change their oil - I worked with a guy about 15 years ago that told me he never serviced his Camry with 300,000km!
I don't think any car other than a Toyota or maybe some WWII Russian diesel tank could even pull that off. What's left must've been like sludge or tar?

Anyhow, I'm quite sensible about it. My vehicles all travel low kms, and essentially get over-serviced whether it's me or someone else doing the work.
When I needed the best, I used Castrol Edge after trying just about everything else, and for the money I decided that was the best product for me.
These days I just put any old name brand full synthetic in there and trust it's doing it's job for next 5000km before it gets replaced with a new filter.
Even after only 5000km, my oil still comes out quite dark, so I guess whatever I use is doing a decent job without even stretching service intervals.

[PCX150Rider]

I had been a life-long Castrol user, but switched to Mobil 1 full syn at 120,000 miles.

Thanks for the info. . .I'll add that to my list of pros and cons when I get ready to do the first PCX oil change.

BTW I did "Pikes Peak" back in the '70s. It started out as rain at the base and ended up being ice pellets at the top. Although I was on a 650 Yamaha the lower oxygen levels over 12,000 ft. definitely slowed things up but that was actually a good thing considering. . .

Also did Black Hawk/Central City, Vail, Aspen, Buena Vista, and Mesa Verde. The whole round trip was about 6,000 miles in two weeks. I'll never forget it. . .

[Eiron]

Nice! I've only taken the cog rail car to the top. And yes, it's often sunny at the bottom & snowing at the top, even in summer!

[MiddleRiverPCX]

My 2 Cents,
I retired from an equipment manufacturer. Many Years ago synthetic oil was tested, primarily to reduce foaming.
It did not reduce foaming, although one of the oils had a name that suggested it would.
Our engineering department required a number of points to be considered before authorizing an oil.
Material compatibility, must have components, must not have components.
Friction tests, wear tests, and on and on.
Synthetic oils did very well with wear testing and friction testing. Surprisingly, so did synthetic blends.
I do not know the percentage, but a low percentage of synthetic oil in mineral oil provides the wear and friction benefit of synthetic.
And another surprise, many oils are repackaged. The name on the package indicates how the package was ordered, not necessarily the refinery that produced it.
At first glance, "Synthetic Blend" seems like a marketing ploy, but it actually is the most cost effective way to lubricate a modern engine in good condition.