Kirk What we have here are different opinions. I see neglect you see bad oil, Mobil 1 0W40 is one of the best oils made by Mobil, who BTW is the largest oil company in the world, so I'd say they're doing something right!
I see neglect, along with the guy who wrote the article! Had they done Normal OCI's and followed directions they would have been fine, they didn't, that is neglect. Had they visited a court room to seek $$$ for their woes I'm guessing a judge would ask to see what the mfg recommends. Then consult an expert or (2), then tell them neglect as he sends them packing tail between their legs. Now if a UOA confirmed that extending the drain was possible things might be different in that court house. Here is where some good data might just help. Maybe?
4 K OCI's might be a joke, in some applications its not. Toyota sludgers come to mind. Other cars can easily double it perhaps (3x) it, it depends on the engine, and the conditions it is driven under. One size doesn't fit all that is obvious, and there are a few blown engine threads popping up that prove it.
Truth is there aren't enough people other than yourself and a few of your friends running Synlube to convince me and many others, no compelling evidence other than you and your buddy told us so. So until then good luck with the pitch. Kindly note the non-hostile tone, you wanted a discussion, here we have one! Catch u later.
AD