Which Motor Oil Substitutes Brand Wins?
This head-to-head test of 2 motor oil substitutes options has the measured results for each. See how they ranked and watch the full test video.
vegetable oil soybean oil
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The measured results
Every number below is read straight from the test. Products are listed in the order they finished.
All measurements (5 more)+
Lubricity Tester Fresh Oil
- 1vegetable oil soybean oil
similar amount of bearing scouring compared to 10W30 conventional oil, described as having pretty good film strength for a 30 second run at about 800 rpm
- 210W30 conventional motor oil
used as the baseline comparison bearing in the lubricity tester, very close amount of scouring compared to the vegetable oil bearing
Lubricity Tester After Use
- 1vegetable oil soybean oil
after a solid hour of hard use in a running lawnmower engine, the used vegetable oil was drained and retested and showed no visible loss in lubrication ability compared to fresh vegetable oil or 10W30
- 210W30 conventional motor oilnot tested
Cold Flow Test
- 1vegetable oil soybean oil
at about minus 14 degrees Fahrenheit inside a freezer, the vegetable oil turned into a solid block of ice, the only issue observed in the whole test
- 210W30 conventional motor oilnot tested
Engine Endurance Test
- 1vegetable oil soybean oil
engine ran for about an hour on vegetable oil under a load applied by the engine brake system and survived, oil level remained full
- 210W30 conventional motor oilnot tested
Flashpoint
- 1vegetable oil soybean oil
material safety data sheet listed the flashpoint at over 625 degrees Fahrenheit
- 210W30 conventional motor oilnot tested
How it was tested
- lubricity tester bearing scouring test at about 800 rpm for 30 seconds, before and after an hour of engine use
- cold flow test at about minus 14 degrees Fahrenheit
- one hour engine endurance run under load using the engine brake system
- flashpoint check via material safety data sheet
“it seems as though it's a pretty decent substitute for engine oil but only in an emergency situation”
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