sq is right on this. amsoil is completely lab made,,,the full synthetic stuff anyways. i use the 3000 series in my truck, and since i only drive it in the summer i only change it once every 2 years. the dealer i get my amsoil from has a 94 dodge diesel and has the same oil in the truck for 7 years!!! the truck has over 300k kms on it and he just regularly changes the filters and adds a liter when he does. amsoil also did a test with a kenworth or pete, or whatever and drove it on the same oil for 450k miles doing the same thing,,,just changing the filters and then tore the engine down. it had the same amount of wear as an engine with convetional oil changed regularly for the same amount of miles. another point to consider is your air filter. this plays a BIG part in how long your oil lasts as well. dirty air equals dirty oil. amsoil also makes air filters that are foam and reusable. geez, i should a get a job with them, i sound like a sales person.

 

I don't doubt its made in a lab. My point is that it and all other synthetic oils are derived from petroleum. Earlier Mark indicated that regular synthetics are derived from petroleum, but Amsoil and Royal purple are not. "these oils are truly 100% synthetic.."

The molecules are not separated into hydrogen and carbon and then combined into hydrocarbon chains, which would then constitute 100% synthetic. However this is not the case.

The petroleum based oil becomes synthetic when it is synthesized into the "synthetic base stock" created a uniform base molecular structures that allows it to be blended with addivtives. The uniform structure makes it very stable so it lasts as long as it does.


Bottom line synthetics are great.

 

My good friend Mark owns a lubricant company.
He showed me two containers, one with synthetic base stock, the other with hydrotreated base stock.
chemically they are identical, physically identical too.
it's the additives that are used that make the difference.
in a laboratory it'd be very difficult or impossible to identify either, if the exact same additives/ quantity are utilized.
this is only true with hydrotreated base stock.
non hydrotreated contains alot of ash.

hydrotreated= penzoil, petro-canada,castrol.
non hydrotreated=esso, quaker state.