Nice write up. I've been trying to convince my dad, an old style mechanic, for years that 5W-30 is not only safe, its generally better.

 

Well...I'm totally convinced...at least for small four cylinder NA engines like in an HHR.

I've run Driven LS30 5W30 to about 10,000 miles so far. I'm coming up in the next filter change in a couple of weeks and when I do that, I'm going to sample the oil, again. I'll post to the list once I have the results.

 

Sorry, Snoopy, it was a while before I read your request.
The next time I sample the oil, I will try to post the results. And, on that note let me ask...the results come to me as a .pdf. Can I embed a .pdf in a post to the thread?

 

I have my most recent oil analysis data but, as it turns out, I cannot post it on this site.

I can't upload a .pdf and when I convert it to an image, it's too large an image. Apparently, the limit is 600x400 px.

Anyone who wants a copy of the report can email me at finspeed@netmotive.net.

The executive summary of my latest oil analysis data from 11/12/14 is that all "wear metals" are normal. Sodium was a little high which, if the engine uses a coolant with a sodium silicate based corrosion inhibiter is a sign of coolant leakage into the oil, but the inhibiters in Dexcool are calcium-based, so Lake Speed Jr., my contact at Gibbs Driven, feels that likely was a testing anomaly. Viscosity at 100°C is slightly but not significantly down.

My guess is when this crankcase load of Driven LS30 gets to 15,000-17000 miles we'll change it. I change filters every 3000-4000 miles.

Bottom line: for the 2.4L Ecotec application, Gibbs Driven 5W30 continues to be a better choice than what I was using before, mainly because it's a 5W rather than a 10W on the low end and remains a high-performance, synthetic SAE30 on the high end.

 

If the pdf is less than 19.5 KB you can "Go Advanced" then "manage attachments" and add it as an attachment. I think there is a way for larger files, but don't know it.

 

Ok. The next time I have some oil analysis data to post, I'll try that.
Thanks, Don.

 

Unfortunately, it's way larger than 19.5 KB so that won't work. If I turn it into an image it's way larger than the gallery limit of 600-px wide.

Doesn't look like I can put the results in a post.

 

A couple of weeks ago, I changed my oil filter and I sample the oil at filter changes, so it's time for an update on my long-term test of Joe Gibbs Driven "LS30" which is a 5W30 mPAO-base synthetic.

I am a believer in running premium synthetic oils to extended drain intervals. For about 25 years, I have been using synthetic oils in all my different engines to extended drain intervals with filter changes every 3000-4000 miles.

In our HHR, which has the 2.4L/manual powertrain, I used an ester-based synthetic from 3070-mi. to 104,285-mi. Then, I switched to Driven LS30" 5W30, mPAO synthetic. I'm at 119,625-mi. with 15,340 on this crankcase load of LS30. So far, I've changed filters 4 times in that period.

The oil analysis this time came back as I expected...showing that Gibbs Driven LS30, with it's cutting-edge mPAO base stock, is working very well.

The high sodium reading, which I observed in the last oil sample, turned out to be a fluke. in fact, the sodium reading now is nominal. Viscosity is holding steady as is oxidation. Wear metals are all in nominal ranges. Silicon is actually down. High or up-trending silicon can be indicative of poor air filtering. Zinc and phosphorous are trending down somewhat, but are still above the 700-ppm where I'd begin to worry. That they are starting down may indicate that the next filter change, at about 18,000 miles, is when I'll, also, change oil.

Unfortunately, due to technical restrictions of this web site, I still cannot post the sample results, but anyone who wants to see the info is welcome to email me at finspeed@netmotive.net and I'll send you the .pdf.

Lastly, and this is for Moderator Don...I'm thinking I posted this thread in the wrong forum. I think it would have made more sense to put it in Maintenance and Upkeep. If you agree, is it possible for you to move the whole thread to that forum?

 

Gibbs Driven LS30 continues to perform beyond my expectations.

As of today, I've run the oil for 18,978 miles and have changed the oil filter five times in that period.

I had the oil analyzed at 17,882 miles and the results summary was, "ALL TESTS APPEAR NORMAL. CONTINUE SAMPLING AT NORMAL INTERVAL."

The details are:
Wear metals remain normal although copper has gone from 0 to 1 PPM, however, it has varied between 0 and 1 PPM for the entire test period. iron has gone from 19 PPM down to 18 PPM but has remained relatively constant for the last three samplings at 18, 19 and 17 PPM but was 13 PPM at the first sampling. Those two numbers would indicate to me that, with 123,263 miles on the engine, normal wear is occuring. AL and Si have stayed the same. Sodium has continued to decrease.

As for the additive package, Moly has decreased a bit but calcium, zinc and phosphorous have actually improved since the last test but have remained the same as the first two tests.

Oil condition, which is: oxidation, nitration, sulfur, percent fuel content and viscostiy at 100°C have remained acceptable for the entire test period.

In short, Gibbs Driven LS30 is an outstanding engine oil and has, actually, proven just as durable and perhaps incrementally more durable than what I had in the engine previously, Red Line 10W30.

Gibbs Driven LS30 is, also, a very good product to use if you run your engine to extended oil drain intervals.

I'll post one more report on LS30 when I change the oil.

 

I just noticed your request to move the thread! OK.
Have you tried opening the image in MSOffice then saving as "for web"? You may also be able to save it as a "reduced size .pdf". The other way is to edit the pdf into chunks. I am NO expert, just asking for my information.