Everyday Engineering
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Pennzoil Ultra Supplementary Data
The good news is that this study will in fact continue on as I have switched my oil choice to "Pennzoil Platinum with PurePlus Technology." As I previously mentioned, Pennzoil did reformulate the Ultra brand which is now called "Ultra Platinum with PurePlus Technology." I chose not to switch to this oil yet for two main reasons. First, there is a lot of buzz over the value of the NOACK volatility of 11.5% which is considered by many to be very high. This was concerning to me because I don't change my oil very often and its long-term stability is of extreme importance. Second, just like when the original Pennzoil Ultra was released, I couldn't find the stuff anywhere. After researching the new Pennzoil Platinum formulation and discovering that its base oil too is manufactured using the same gas-to-liquid process of creating synthetic oil from natural gas, I decided to give it a shot.
Below is my last analysis concluding the current study of Mobil 1 Extended Performance vs. the original Pennzoil Ultra. For people looking at oil reports for the first time, please read this description from Bob the Oil Guy. One thing to notice is that the analysis on 7/20/2013 doesn't differ appreciably from that of 7/14/2012. I actually tried quite hard to make the conditions of these two analyses nearly identical except for one thing: I switched from the Mobil 1 M1-110 filter to the K&N HP-1010 filter. Needless to say, the filter has no measurable affect on the results. Finally, the last result (11/15/2014) is just more data that looks very similar to the previous analyses of Pennzoil Ultra, in which the K&N filter was again used. However, one thing to note is that I actually drove a few hundred less miles but the interval actually included 4 more months than the previous analyses. This shows that the oil is actually stable over time and puts my "how long is too long" worries to rest.
Friday, December 5, 2014
Hawk Performance Ceramic and Duralast Carbon Brake Setup Review
- Hawk Performance Ceramic Luxury & Touring Compound Pads (Front HB366Z.681, Rear HB145Z.570) ~$160
- Duralast Gold High Carbon Steel Coated Rotors (Front 31275DG, Rear 31315DG) ~$235
After a few years of driving on my previous RacingBrake/Duralast setup (see review), I knew the time was approaching when I'd need to do brakes again. I went into the dealership for obviously unrelated battery issues and they informed me that my rear pads were "getting low." That, along with subtle pedal vibration at high-speed stopping, was my cue to look for my next brake setup. The previous setup was good but unless you kept the pads warm, they didn't feel any better than OEM. The initial bite was almost non-existent and it required some pretty serious pedal pressure to get impressive stop distances. Aesthetically, the rotors were looking quite drab too. A few New England winters had all but reduced my hand-painted rotor hats to bright orange and pitted rust.
The brake job went fairly smoothly and in fact, the RacingBrake ET500 pads had about 85% life left on the fronts. The rears were, as Acura put it, "getting pretty low." This is likely an indication of the brake balancing technology for stability and traction control acting a bit aggressively. Oh well, safety first!
Review:
First, I want to comment on the coated rotors. They are black. However, this is just the coating. Yes, they do claim to be manufactured using a high carbon content steel; however, this black color is not the steel, it is a coating. What's nice about the coating though is that it is only removed from the rotor surface that the pads actually contact. Some painted rotors only have the paint/coating on the rotor hat and therefore leave a small area of the rotor surface (where the pad doesn't contact) exposed...ready to rust. Another nice thing about these rotors is that they have a 3yr warranty! Sorry, a 3 YEAR WARRANTY! That's unheard of. If these things let you down in 3 years, take them back and you get new ones. This is incredible for a wear item on a car. How could I not give them a shot? A note to potential buyers, they do cost quite a bit more than the regular Duralast rotors I used in my last setup. In fact, the fronts cost about 67% more and the rears cost a whopping 110% more! My logic is to always spend a little extra on safety parts and since these parts have the potential to last a very long time, I felt this "splurge" to be justified. One more note, the coating on the rear rotors did get in the way of a smooth installation. Slight imperfections in the thickness of the coating on the inside surface of the rotor hat caused clearance issues with the rear hub. Some slight persuasion was required here to get the rotors to sit flush. I simply put the wheel on and slowly tightened the lug nuts in the usual star pattern and on they went. I was a bit disappointed in this fit because it surely means extra work when I replace them.
Now, on to the pads. Unlike the ET500s, these pads come with the proper caliper lube and shims (at least for the rear). In fact, my TSX developed a really weird and loud clunking noise that was reproducible when parking and any other low-speed turning scenarios. I traced down the clunk to the brakes. In fact it was a sloppy fitment between the RacingBrake pads and the caliper. After putting in the Hawk pads, 100% of the clunking noise vanished.
How about performance? Well, the new setup is night and day versus the old setup. Initial bite is amazing. You do still notice a difference between cold performance and warm performance but the difference is more subtle. Besides the great initial bite, they require FAR LESS pedal pressure to stop in normal scenarios and inspire major confidence when high-speed stopping and emergency stopping are required. I'm not sure how much of a role the rotors are playing in this but I'm sure they are contributing especially during high-speed and emergency scenarios where very high temperatures are generated. Overall, I'm extremely impressed with this new setup and I fully recommend it. It's worth every penny.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
The Results Are In: Mobil 1 Extended Perf. v. Pennzoil Ultra
When we first purchased the TSX, I immediately did an oil change with Mobil 1 Extended Performance 5w-30 and the Mobil 1 M1-110 oil filter. About 3000 miles later, I did another oil change with the same materials. I realize that the service interval is 10,000 miles/1 year but I had no idea about the condition of the engine internals and wanted to rest easier knowing there was clean oil in there. Around this time (Dec. 2010) I began seeing commercials for Pennzoil Ultra. The commercials showed visual comparisons with Mobil 1 and always played up the "only motor oil exclusively recommended by Ferrari North America". Their marketing was flawless and so I decided that the next oil change would be with Pennzoil Ultra.
Being the scientist that I am, I wanted to gather some empirical data of my own to verify Pennzoil's claim. After running the Mobil 1 for 3,050 miles, I decided to do the oil change and send the used Mobil 1 off for analysis. Analysis came back and everything looked good, including the recommendation to put more miles on each oil change. So, the oil was changed with Pennzoil Ultra 5w-30 and I used the same Mobil 1 M1-110 oil filter. However, I did not have the exact same driving conditions as with the Mobil 1. First, I took the recommendation and decided to put exactly one year on the oil change, which ended up being 5,562 miles. Furthermore, as mentioned above, I began autocross racing. Therefore, the engine was abused A LOT more. I sent the used Pennzoil Ultra off for analysis and the results are in. You can take a look for yourself.
Needless to say, I am quite impressed. Of course, to validate the results many more data points must be taken but considering each data point takes one year to obtain, this is enough proof for me now.
Friday, March 25, 2011
How-To: '08 TL Type-S Rear Swaybar on '04-'08 TSX
- 1x '08 TLS RSB p/n 52300-SEP-A11 $34
- 2x '08 TLS RSB Bushings p/n 52306-SEP-A11 $1.14
- 2x '08 TLS RSB Bushing Holder p/n 52308-S3M-A00 $0.85
- 4x '08 TLS RSB Bushing Holder Bolt p/n 93402-08016-08 $0.68
- 2x Self-locking nut (endlink-RSB nut) p/n 90212-SA5-003 $0.38
- 5mm allen wrench
- 14mm socket
- 14mm open-ended wrench
- 12mm socket
- 8" extension
- Socket wrench
- Breaker bar
- Hammer or mallet
- Vice grips
- First thing first. You will need to jack up the car and you will be working underneath it. BE SAFE and support the car with jack stands! Once the car is up on stands and the wheels are off, start removing the RSB.
- If you're replacing the endlinks, which I recommend, disconnect the endlinks from the rear knuckles. If you're not replacing the endlinks, disconnect the endlinks from the RSB. Spray the threads with some WD40 and let it sit for a few minutes. Then, using the 14mm socket and breaker bar, break the endlink nut free. Once it spins, remove the breaker bar and put your 14mm wrench on the nut. Insert the allen wrench into the endlink pin to hold the joint and remove the nut. If the inside of the pin strips out, you can hold the pin with vice grips from the back side of the bracket.
- Using the 12mm socket on the extension, remove the RSB bushing brackets and fish the RSB out from under the car.
- Lubricate the inside of the new RSB bushings and put them on the bar. The new bar is shaped a bit different than the OEM bar so here comes the real info. The new bar will mount to the car with the bar dipping towards the ground. If the "dip" section is facing up, you have to flip the bar over. Now, using the new RSB brackets, mount the bar to the chassis. In the center of the car, there is an exhaust hanger that is used on single-sided exhaust Accords in Japan and Europe. This hanger will, just barely, interfere with the new RSB so it must be bent. Attach the vice grips to the hanger and pry such that the hanger gets bent down. You only need to bend it about 5-10mm for the bar to clear. If you think you bent it enough, swing the RSB up and check for interference. This picture is of the bar in a "relaxed" position not attached to the endlinks.
This picture is of the RSB swung fully forward in a fully "compressed" situation. You can see that it does not interfere and has just a few mm of clearance. - Now, if you are replacing the endlinks, attach them to the knuckle. If you have an '04-'05 and are using the updated links, the link with the red mark goes on the left (driver's side) and blue goes on the right. Else, the link with the white mark goes on the left and the yellow mark goes on the right. Now, attach the RSB to the endlinks and tighten the new self-locking nuts slightly. Place a jack under the knuckle and jack it up until the cars weight compresses the suspension. Torque all of the nuts.
- Put the wheels on and let the car down. Drive around for five minutes and let everything settle properly. Then, jack up the car and re-torque everything.
Updated endlinks for the '04-'05. They are much thicker.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Winter Tires
In heavy rain, I felt no hydroplaning or understeer. However, in an emergency stop scenario, ABS was activated. This is likely due to the fact that winter tread patterns are designed for snow and ice traction and not water expulsion. This experience left me praising my all-season's since ABS has NEVER kicked in with them.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Close Shaves: It's in the Formulary
Just recently, I was given a bottle (tube) of Anthony Logistics for Men shaving cream from my fiance. Compared to my Edge Gel, this stuff was expensive. After using it once, I could feel why, but that got me to thinking about the formulary; something I do often due to my experience in the personal care industry. First, here are the first four ingredient listed for each of the shaving products:
Anthony Logisitics for Men Shaving Cream:
- Stearic acid
- Lauric acid
- Myristic acid
- Palmitic Acid
Edge Shave Gel:
- Water
- Palmitic acid
- Triethanolamine (TEA)
- Stearic Acid
The first thing one should note is that water isn't even in the top four ingredients listed for the Anthony product, whereas it is #1 in the Edge product. This equates to the Anthony product having a much higher concentration of fatty acids (lubricants). Therefore, it can effectively create a much more effective barrier with higher slip on your skin. Due to the high water content and TEA inside the Edge product, it foams (lathers) completely when rubbed on the skin. This effectively disperses microscopic air bubbles throughout, thus the would-be barrier actually puts air between your razor and your face, reducing slip. Similarly, the low water content and lack of TEA inside the Anthony product translates to a lather of a much smaller degree. When you rub the Anthony product on your skin, it spreads a thin and silky film of fatty acids without (much) air interdispersed. This effectively allows the razors to glide with nothing more than a nice barrier of silky lubricant between them and your face.
How does this affect closeness and burn? The answer is rather transparent. If a razor can glide freely over your skin, it can cut the hair without perturbing the topology of the skin. It effectively contacts the hair and skin at a constant angle, giving a precise and close shave. If the razor is binding up on your skin, its topology is changing, thus allowing for more fluxuations in distance between your skin, hair, and blade, as well as in the angle at which the blade contacts your hair and skin. Such binding causes irritation as well as increases the distance from your skin at which the blade cuts the hair. Why do you think razor manufacturers put the "aloe strip" on your razor? That strip helps increase slip between the razor cartridge (housing) and your skin, whereas the shaving cream increases slip between your skin and the blades.
I've been using the Anthony product for a month now and I can say from day one, that the shaves are closer and my skin is much less irritated as compared to using the Edge product. The major drawback of the Anthony product is the price. But, considering how great my face feels when I'm done, I can overlook that detail. Buy a tube and give it a try.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Racingbrake and Duralast Brake Setup Review
- RacingBrake ET500 brake pads (4 corners) ~$164
- RacingBrake stainless-steel brake lines (4 corners)~$110
- Duralast front rotors ~$100
- Rotora slotted rear rotors ~$100