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for my self i use either AC filters or Wix and pennzoil or mobil 1. someone posted a link once when this was asked and it said pennzoil and shell are the only 2 using a new and improved refineing process. had something to do with new technology used in the crackers in the refinery. other than that link i've never saw much where anyone backed up what they say. it's always mostly opinions and a few personal experiences.
i use syntec castrol and ac or fram oil filters...the one i wouldnt reccomend would be valvoline...but that is just my opinio...however the filter brand doesnt matter much as long as you change oil every 2500-3000 miles
I have had excellent success with AC-Delco PF35 and Valvoline 10W-40 (conventional oil) for over 10 years. Now I am trying Mobil 1 15W-50 with the AC-Delco PF35 on my '94. In all reality it doesn't really matter, so long as you change the oil and filter (recommended: 3000 miles for conventional, 6000 for synthetic) you'll be fine. Synthetic is not as prone to thermal breakdown as conventional oil is, that is why you can change at double the interval. Plus it allows your engine to run ~5'-10' degrees cooler.
George do you have a link or other "proof" that mobil runs at a lower temp? i'm not questioning you but at one time some one posted the synthetic oil holds heat. it never quite made sense to me since it's suspose to be a better lube. i've wondered about it for a while now and since most of us don't have oil temp gauges we'd never know. i've started to run 15-50 mobil in my gravely and it seems to use less oil and stays cleaner. being that it uses an air cooled engine the heat retention of the oil has been a worry, but it seems fine.
I posted the aformentioned link and I'll post it again. As already stated, there is opinions in the discussion. There is also factual information and in general, some very informative comments made by people that know oil and lubrication.
I recieved some crap for posting it last time, hopefully this time, the readers will keep an open mind and get something of value out of it.
I have ben using the Fram HP-4 for years and they seem great. Synthetic fibers, I believe, that filter down to 10-15 microns, which is much smaller than the paper elements in normal filters(60 microns?), and they have double wrapped casings. If Nascar engines use them out-of-the-box, they can't be that bad... They cost about $8-$10, though, but are worth it. Pep Boys $8.95, I think...
Description of them in Summit Catalog (OIL system section) worth reading...
In terms of filtration and efficiency AC Delco is supposed to be as good as Mobil 1 filters but only a third of the price. I can't remember where I read this but I think it was the same study the link to which is somewhere in this post. As for oil, it's Mobil 1 all the way.
using mobile one in the race car we NEVER had a yucky lookin bearing at the end of the season. damn i wish i had the dyno sheets... u guys would crap ur pants probably if i told you with out a crank scraper or a windage tray that the mobile one was good for about 8 hp...... we did notice the oil ran a little cooler in the race car....
i'm gonna ask my dad if he has the dyno sheets... we broke the motor in on conventional oil, did a 2nd change with conventional oil and made a primary starting point pull. we changed the oil agian, this time converting to the full race setup, like how it would be in the car on the track an dthrew in the mobile one. with out even openin the motor, we gained 8 hp...
that day on the dyno was a very good day, we picked up about 40 hp on the dyno that day, in carb adjustments, valvelash settings, and timing setings...plus we got a jetting charts and found what different valve lash settings do for moving the hp and torque curves around slightly...
15w50? Isn't that awful thick oil? I usually run 10w30 in the IROC, and 10w40 in the 86 so that it doesn't all leak out the first night.
Onto filters. Fram sucks. The local Big A has a bunch of filters cut apart, and the internals of the Fram are very cheap. Their Wix filters seem to be the best of what they have on display. I always run a K&N filter in the IROC and a Delco in everything else.
------------------ The IROC Homepage
<A HREF="http://www.rit.edu/~jli4307/camaro" TARGET=_blank>
View the restoration of an 85 IROC</A>
"I didn't know a bored out Ford could go so slow" -Shenandoah
UVA3rdGen summed it up in one word, but the misinformation that followed his post requires response.
The filter site was interesting, but he still hasn't done the work on the AMSOIL filter, or at least hasn't posted the results.
The Chevytalk oil post talked almost exclusively about petroleum-based oils (a few references to Mobil 1). I'm sorry, but petroleum oils have more problems than just thermal breakdown, so unless you discuss synthetics, you aren't covering the topic.
As for 15W50 Mobil 1 being thinner than 5W30, not likely. The number with the "W" indicates a thickness at zero degrees F, while the other number is thickness at 200 degrees F. Although there is a "range" within each classification, the 15W will be thicker than the 5W, and the 50 will be thicker than the 30. The point where that could change is below -20 F, where all 5W's have to "pour", but at -30 or -50, the synthetic would still pour while the petroleum oil might not.
As to the question if 15W50 is too thick, it's thicker than needed for the typical street car, and may reduce efficiency due to the higher pumping losses. Unless you have a "loose" race engine, you don't need 50 weight. I've been running 0W30 and 10W30 for several years, even went from 20W50 to 0W30 in the 396 with no problems.
Use an established synthetic like Mobil 1 or AMSOIL. Stay away from the guys who make their money on petroleum oil and only have a synthetic to be able to say they have a synthetic (Brett Farve types). AMSOIL has been making better filters than anyone else for years. The Mobil 1 comes close, but is still behind.
If you're willing to trust your engine to $0.79/qt oil and $3.00 filters, disregard everything I've said here.
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82 Berlinetta, orig V-6 car. Rescued w/86 LG4/TH700R with all harnesses, sensors, ECM, etc. 3.08 open, cat-back from '91 GTA, Accel HEI SuperCoil. AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Daily driver, work-in-progress (LB9 w/ZZ3 cam, World 305 heads, exhaust, paint, etc.).
57 Bel Air, my 1st car. Currently 396 .030 over, Weiand Action+, Edelbrock 1901 Q-Jet, Jacobs Omnipack, 1-3/4" headers, TH400 w/TCI Sat Night Special conv & shift kit, 3.08 10-bolt, AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Best 15.1 @ 5800' Bandimere. Daily driver while Camaro was being put together.
Fram HP-4 and Mobil 1, man... Fram has been making the HP-4's for probably 10 years. Look under the hood of several Nascar enignes and that's what you'll see... For a reason, too. Synthetic fibered and double canistered to take 300psi and hits from road debris. Much better than our cars will ever need. I guess noone has taken the time to read the decription of the Fram HP series filtres in the Summit catalog, yet???
If you're willing to trust your engine to $0.79/qt oil and
$3.00 filters, disregard everything I've said here.
That's all I ever use in any of my cars other than the IROC. Wall mart oil. I see very little measurable differences between wall mart oil and any other non-synthetic. 145k on my firebird when I sold it, 145k on my jeep when I sold it, and 145k and going strong on my 86. For the IROC, I use nothing but the best, but for my other cars, I use whatever is cheapest.
Not that I'm challenging what you say. You gave some great info. I just don't consider it to be a major issue on a non-performance motor.
------------------ The IROC Homepage
<A HREF="http://www.rit.edu/~jli4307/camaro" TARGET=_blank>
View the restoration of an 85 IROC</A>
"I didn't know a bored out Ford could go so slow" -Shenandoah
That's all I ever use in any of my cars other than the IROC. Wall mart oil. I see very little measurable differences between wall mart oil and any other non-synthetic. 145k on my firebird when I sold it, 145k on my jeep when I sold it, and 145k and going strong on my 86. For the IROC, I use nothing but the best, but for my other cars, I use whatever is cheapest.
