ive got 130k on my car and thought about switching over to synthetic since its older and synthetic is sopposed 2 be better. what do u guys use and what do u think?

don't do it, synthetic is alot thinner then regular oil and will cause a whole lot of leaks, keep using the oil you are using now.

synthetic is good to use on a new engine. not an old one

hope that helped

Check out this thread. Links to some other ones in it too.

http://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/show...hreadid=199502

I use Mobil 1, 10w30, in my 2.8 Camaro.
I'll be switching to Mobil 1, 10w30, in the 3.1 in the Trans Sport next oil change, now that I finally replaced the leaky dried up and stiff oil seals on the distributor and the Damper (after 209000 miles, they were overdue to be replaced).

I would jsut use some valvoline max life its deacent oil i have been using it for almost 70,000 miles and never have to add oil. When i was using synthetic blend i had to add oil about once a month. At first i didnt notice a difference with the max life but after the second oil change i noticed i was not burning oil during startup and like i said not haveing to add any. I have 235,000 miles right now and my engine is still running strong for its age. I also just started using 1 QT of MMO at each oil change and it made my lifters not as noisey.

Major Dittos

A car with miles can start leaking oil when you switch to synthetic. It also happens on motorcycles.

Seals n gaskets even worn will have no problem holding back Dino oil. But synthetic is so "thin" it will seep through where the Dino wont.

I would try synthetic and see how the engine does with it. If the engine is in decent condition you will probably be better off with it. I use Amsoil (#1 synthetic) in my car, and am very happy with it. An added bonus is the extended drain capability. I change oil every 10k-20k miles. It saves me money, and the oil is made in USA.

I like that
Oil is made in the USA.
Recently paid $1.09 a quart (Exxon brand) and it'll be $.99 after the rebate.
Any oil works fine as long as changed often.
Use least expensive & enjoy the money saved.
Buy the best filter you can find, tho.
I like AC Delco filters.
For my 1974 Corvette engine, any oil filter does as well as next, due to engine age (144,000 original miles, who cares at this point, it still runs strong!!!)

I use Mobil 1 (#1 synthetic oil) 15w50 in the turbo 3.1

I think I'm gonna start putting 20w50 back in my car... since I like the way the motor sounded... everytime I get my oil changed now, with 10w30, it sounds like I hear bottom end engine noises... they get better as I drive more, and then they are almost gone by the time I change my oil again... then its back... horrible cycle... you can hardly hear any noises with 20w50 in my car... weird huh?

Actually,
I'd suggest MAYBE less 20-50 & some 10-40!
Heavier number oil takes up aged/wear factor "space" in the old engine, thus, less noise ya hear.
Old common sense solution you've employed there.

so then why would the car sound quiter on a freshly rebuilt motor with 20w50 over 10w30

Because your bearing, piston, pushrod and/or lifter clearances weren't correct.

.

well that sucks, because my engine is out of warranty now... what oil should I run then?

Sounds like my enigne but mine has 235,000 miles so i think its allowed to make noise.

Most American cars have very lose tolerances on parts.

Try running 20/50 in a new fancy Honda, and the clearances are so tight, the motor will lock from a lack of oil.

to me, it seems that a loose tolerance would be okay, since there would be less friction, right? as long as you're not burning oil or wearing interal parts?

there is some stuff flaoting around though with 10w-40 and some juju think it was the bad juju though

something about polymers stuff floating around in the oil and iwth that high spread of weights they tend to breakdown creat sludge and other deposts
many manufacts even void a warrenty if you use 10w-40

And as long as you have some good thick oil to act as a cushion for them lose American tolerances......... Your good.

--------------

The only problem I see with Amsoil is everyone uses it but don't.
They act to secret about it as you can't just buy it anywhere.

Some vacuum cleaner companies run the same way. They will not sell in stores. They will only sell door to door because their product is so awesome. They would make to much money if they sold it in stores. nope, they would lose money as.........

In reality. Them sales things are just giant pyramid companies.
Where a $200 vacuum cleaner end up costing $1500 at the end of the line.

Amsoil is good stuff but the company is still run in that old pyramid fashion.

Kinda like MarryK Makeup or Avon. sure they have good stuff. but most people wont buy like that. They wanna be able to buy it at the gap.


Id opt for some good racing oil if reg store bought isn't enough for you.

Like Royal Purple. They have a "bigger" fan base in the racing scene. That is if you don't like your local auto store oil options.

SO I CAN PUT 2 QTS OF 20-50 AND 3 IN OF 10-30 AND THAT WILL BE OK FOR MY CAR AND HELP MAKE IT NOT AS NOISEY?

my car has 124,000 on the clock and i run 5-30 castrol syntec full synthetic. No leaks whatesoever, but as they said try it for about 2 oil changes to see if it's going to work out for you.

EDIT: I also use a K&N Oil filter with teh anti drain back valve so that it keeps from having dry starts. which could only help a high mileage vehicle i would think.

Regular all the way for this type of engine. The service manual recommends 10-30W for all seasons but winter that should be 5-30W. This is when the car has low mileage, high mileage cars are totally different and therefore a thicker oil will prevent those nasty leaks...for me, a valvoline, castrol or any known brand is fine.

I live by mobil 1 oil filters well worth the 10.00 for the filter if im low on cash a good ol Delco filter will make things fine.

All this oil talk and the only thing I'm thinking of changing.......

Think I'm gonna get some Royal Purple Synchromax

Only $8 a bottle. Its made for manual trans n gear boxes that call for an ATF fluid. But instead of just some regular ATF, this stuff is made for the app.

Which I like better then just pouring auto tranny fluid into my stick.

Mobil 1 oil + AC Delco filter = my oil change of choice

valvoline maxlife + k&n performance gold filter is what i run seems to be alright to me


i also throw in some lucas oil stablizier if i can afford it


i also notice that no one is running any castrol oil....why is that?

castrol has/had a rep for creating honey sludge in the bottom of your motor.

Might not be true anymore but it was several years ago.

I took small engines & motorcycle collision repair in school. Mowers that came in with castrol in them had 2-3 in of goop in the bottom of the pan. Like honey oil goop but not.

anyone have any opinions on Valvoline 20w50?

Valvoline :rockon: :rockon:

Valvoline = good?
Valvoline 20w50 = good for my loose tolerances?

yep Val is good stuff. I use to run the 20/50 racing oil all the time but they don't sell it everywhere anymore. They use to have matching filters too.

I run 20/50 in everything.

can someone tell me if my loose tolerances will cause early engine failure, or as long as I use thicker oil am I okay?

Yesterday when I went to pick up my wife, I checked the motor oil.....it needed a quater......so today when I was going to get a "free" motor oil from my fiendly mechanic, I remembered that I wanted to pour some additive in it.......haha I turned around and went to autozone, got a Lucas Oil Stabilizer..8 bucks....I know....it is much more expensive than a quater of motor oil...but it worths it....trust me....now when I read the last replies I saw the one that GreyFox wrote .......man, I agree a 10000% with you....nothing better than a good oil additive, let me tell you something....this lucas oil additive can be used for the rear axle, and tranny as well.....so guys, if you are looking for something good and reliable....do not doubt it.......get it.

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/images/lucas/lucas.htm

look to me like synthetic is not good for motors either... don't our motors work by shooting oil up the pushrods, then it splashes around in the rocker arm covers? seems that synthetic would almost be like spraying water in there...

even in my licnoln that has 400,000kms on the motor i used 5w30 until it started leaking real bad. then i went heavier

in my camaro i use one bottle mobil1 0w20 synthetic and 3 of cheaper 5w30.

id rather have more protection in my car with a thinner oil that can get places thick oil cant, and not have hard dry starts than with a thicker oil.

Ahh but what do you do more.
Start your car or drive at 3000+ RPM???

That start up wear stuff is kinda of just life, its gonna happen either way to an extent.

I rather get a little start up wear, and know my parts have the cushion they need doin full RPM runs.

Course I have had my car for only 6 year with over 2k miles and it run strong as day 1, probably even better with my air flow mods. I don't worry.



"Ill gladly put up with some start up wear, knowing I'm safer when I'm beating on it."

you only drove your car 2k miles in 6 years? must be a once-a-weel driver..

Don't believe the hype on bob the oil buffs page- its marketing crap. Notice he never adds anything to the "almightly" Schaeffers oil that he sells. He also uses a very heavy weight 80w140 gearoil as the full synthetic example and claims it doesnot climb the gears- look again closely first of all and you will see that it actually is but the camera angle is so far back you can barely see that it does stick to the gears and not fling off of them as badly as the Schaeffers 80w90 next to it (notice the back wall of the test chamber, you can see the syn is soo tackky to the gears because it is flinging residue on theback wall- besides, the test picture showns him just starting out and not running for more than a split seconds when he snapped the shot) Now run a standard 15w50 full synthetic oil in there and it immediately flings about just as the lower Dyno oils do without aditives. Synthetic will maintain this consitency during operation of higher rpms and higher heat ranges where the standard oil will show fatigue and break down faster in viscosity- Bob doesn't show you that part now does he? Bob's a marketing crook

Fact, 15w50 full synthetic flows equal consistency of a standard 10w30 (non-synthetic) motoroil when warm or cold and will far outperform without breaking down in hot to extreme heat sitiuations where standard oil will fail.

Conclusion- You can in fact run a thicker synthetic than you can a standard motoroil because they flow better, and the finer molicules penetrate into the tiny crevises of the motor better also thatn the standard 10w30.- Its worth the money and I have a few 400,000+ mile motors to prove this that I have run fullsynthetics in for years daily.

For a 3.1L, 72,000 k miles, does castrol high mileage do any good?

Im sure its as good as valvoline im just like valvoline more because sine i first owned my car from day one thats all i used.

What about for the tranny oil? Is Valvoline Max any good for my tranny

Thata what i used in mine have not had any problems with it. I was speaking to someone a while back who worked on trannys and he used to use castrol for the tranny then after some of them blew he went to valvoline and never had a problem.

My mechanic told me to stick with valvoline tranny oil. I wonder if castrol is good for engine oil such as high mileage, etc.

I would go with valvoline high milage i have 235,000 mile son my car and have been using it for the past 70,000 miles with out any problems.

Sometimes I get lazy and have jiffy lube do my engine oil change. I go with castrol. Dunno if them dudes have valvoline high mileage max

I've got 278,000 miles on my motor, all on dinosaur oil; as long as you keep up with regular oil changes, it doesn't really matter if you use synthetic or not.

RIGHT ON!

I'll just maintain the oil every 3000 miles then...

and make sure u use a good oil filter as well.