What is the measure of lubricant quality?  There are two organizations especially devoted to the development of standards, the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).

In 1986 I caught a PBS show that featured Tom Peters, author of the 1982 bestseller “In Search of Excellence.”  If you are familiar with Tom Peters you know his style is designed to shake things up.  He doesn’t pull punches and at this point in time he was very harsh on U.S. companies for their lack of commitment to high standards.

The story I remember best is about a company that made hydraulic systems.  They had sold one of their systems to a Japanese firm and after the unit was assembled and in operation there were six leaks with hydraulic fluid running out.  The Japanese firm called the U.S. manufacturer to complain, but instead of the U.S. rep apologizing or offering to help resolve the issue, he defended the leaks.  He said, “There are 600 joints in that system.  There is only one leak per 100 joints and that is pretty good, wouldn’t you say?”  Now remember, this is a hydraulic system. 

The point Peters made was not rocket science, just common sense.  Applied common sense is probably Peters’ claim to fame.  In order for a hydraulic system to operate there should be no leaks.  This, therefore, must be the standard for any manufacturer of hydraulic systems. 

BY WHAT STANDARD?         

What is the measure of lubricant quality?  There are two organizations especially devoted to the development of standards, the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).

The API came into existence around the time of World War I.  After the breakup of Standard Oil, the competing independent oil companies were brought together to ensure that petroleum supplies would be efficiently deployed to the U.S. armed forces.  After the war this informal association of oil companies became officially established as the American Petroleum Institute.

At first they worked on standardizing oil field equipment. Eventually they began to standardize best practices and set minimum standards for oil quality. 

Though not specifically an oil industry organization, ASTM develops uniform procedures that can be duplicated and verified by laboratories in any location.  The goal of establishing standards is so important that the official publication of ASTM International is called Standardization News.

Founded in 1898 and completely voluntary, ASTM is now one of the largest non-profit standards development systems in the world.  The organization currently has 134 committees that write standardized test methods for materials, products, systems and services.  More than 8500 ASTM specifications have been established for products as diverse as metal, paints, plastics, textiles, energy, consumer products, medical services and instruments and even the environment. 

Developing standard measurement methods is part of the task of ASTM.  Equally important is determining what measures are important, tests that actually correspond to what the function of motor oil is intended to fulfill.

These are just a few of the common bench tests that lab directors and chemists have selected because they measure variables of lubrication that are critical to engine performance. Tests such as high temperature, high shear viscosity and oxidation stability are among the most important, but each of the tests plays a role in determining the value of a motor oil.  And when you get to the bottom line, it’s an undisputed fact that by nearly every measure today’s premium synthetic motor oils are superior to conventional petroleum oils.  This truth is never even questioned by industry professionals.  

The key to identifying a quality lubricant is not by its advertising claims or memorizing the color of a label.  In fact, standardized tests have shown that even within a product line there can be inconsistent levels of performance. 
Hollywood films are often made memorable by a single line.  In the Tom Cruise film Jerry Maguire, Cuba Gooding Jr. not only stole the show, he also brought home an Oscar with that now famous demand, “Show me the money.”