The shift towards e-mobility and the move away from CO2-emitting vehicles has raised questions in the classic car scene about the fuel supply of the future. AMAG Classic has commissioned a scientifically sound study from EMPA (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research) in collaboration with MOTOREX.
In summary, it can be scientifically proven that it will still be possible to operate this cultural asset on wheels with CO2-neutral (bio-)synthetic fuel (synfuel) in the future without any disadvantages.
Bio-synthetic comparison fuel
The fuel used is a bio-synthetic gasoline obtained from renewable raw materials such as plant waste. The reference gasoline came from the company P1 Performance Fuels GmbH from Berlin (Germany) and had an octane content of 97.7 octane.
Compared to conventional petrol (98 octane), the only difference between the two fuel qualities in terms of composition is the three times higher proportion of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) in the bio-synthetic fuel. MTBE is often added to fossil gasoline to increase the octane number and reduce the tendency to knock in gasoline engines. The difference was not noticeable when driving.
Test operation over around 3000 km
MOTOREX supported the study as a specialist in lubrication technology. In a series of tests with a VW Golf 1 with a 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine (1978) and in two Chrysler Valiant with a 3.7-liter 6-cylinder engine (1971), several thousand kilometers were driven, engine components were tested for compatibility with synfuel, exhaust gas values and performance were measured in comparison with conventional 98-octane gasoline and oil samples were analyzed several times.
The tests were carried out with MOTOREX TOPAZ SAE 20W/50 motor oil. This high-performance zinc-containing multigrade motor oil was ideally suited to the operation of both engines. It has an extremely low evaporation loss (Noack) and therefore low oil consumption, guarantees high lubrication reliability and good wear protection. It is also neutral to the effects of the new type of fuel. Certain effects, such as acidification, are even sustainably "cushioned".
Focus on effects on the engine
As materials in older engines can react sensitively to certain substances and the technology of the time is known for high levels of fuel condensate due to blowby gases in the engine oil, the use of the bio-synthetic comparison fuel was tantamount to an engine stress test. In addition, MTBE has better solubility than conventional gasoline made from fossil fuels. This means that MTBE could dissolve deposits in the engine or impair materials. The aim was to investigate these effects. The aim was to find out how quickly and strongly the use of the alternative fuel affects operation. The engine oil provides transparent information on this.
The precise oil analyses in comparison with fresh oil in the MOTOREX laboratory revealed uncritical behavior overall. Only the decrease in viscosity of the oil in both vehicles (fuel input) and the sharp rise in iron/lead values in the Chrysler Valiant were investigated further. The increased values were due to both the material and the design and were therefore not related to the fuel. This was proven by tests with two Chrysler Valiants of the same design, one of which was driven with fossil 98-octane gasoline and the other with the bio-synthetic comparison gasoline.
No significant differences
Comparative measurements on EMPA chassis dynamometers showed that there were no significant differences between the bio-synthetic fuel and the standard 98-octane gasoline in terms of both emissions and performance.
The successful use of TOPAZ SAE 20W/50 with synthetic fuels also guarantees the high quality standard for other TOPAZ viscosities. Other MOTOREX motor oils in conjunction with synfuels can also be used without any loss of performance.
You can find out more about MOTOREX CLASSIC LINE here. More information about the study can be found here.