Is the Mobile Synthetic oil that you guys use 0W-30 ? I just picked up 5 cans of that stuff because that and 15W-30 is all they had. I know I used the mobile synthetic on my car the last few times, but i can't remember what grade. I hope it was the OW-30, otherwise i'm gonna return it. thanks

 

I run the 15W-50 Mobil 1 Syn

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89 FORMULA 350 Edelbrock Cat-Back ,March Pulleys,Super Coil,MSD 6AL ,Edelbrock TES's, AFPR ,Shiftkit, Edelbrock Base ,AS&M Runners, Edelbrock Waterpump, ,Crane Gold 1.6 RR's, BBK 52mm TB , MSD 22# Injectors ,Hoping for 13.5

 

88,

Where you live, and with the weather turning better (it's not likely to get near 0°F until next fall) I would advise at least 10W30, not a 0W-anything. The 15w50 might be a little too viscous until late May or June, so I'd shop a bit more for the 10W30 unless you plan on driving to the Gnome area soon...

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Later,
Vader
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"I'm'a do Things My Way - It's My way or the Highway."
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you'll get a differant answer from everyone you ask. you shouldn't have any problems with what you have.

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ICON Motorsports

1st & 3rd

 

see just like me and Mr. Vader planned it this way we both replied and gave a differant answer. since everyone knows vader knows way more than the rest of us idiots here i'll defer to him and say his answer is the more correct one.

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ICON Motorsports

1st & 3rd

 

Just to further opinionate the discussion, I run M1 5W-30 year-round .

 

But you gotta remember, I'm the one who eats his pancakes with anti-seize syrup...



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Later,
Vader
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"I'm'a do Things My Way - It's My way or the Highway."
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I've always preferred paint thinner, VERY nice on Belgian waffles as well .

 

I personally prefer the thinnest thing that I can run without the oil pressure being affected. Consequently I have 0W-30 in my 400. It's basically a brand-new motor though, about 11,000 miles or so.

If your car has at least 25 psi idling and 50 cruising, then IMHO your oil is thick enough. You'll get better gas mileage and the engine will run cooler with thinner oil.

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"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports

 

10 PSI for every 1000 RPM. If you have it your good!

 

Quick question. Isn't it dangerous to use synthetic in an old engine (high miles)? This is what I have always been told.

 

Naw, it will just let you know where your leaks are sometime in the near future.

 

Synthetic oil is far superior in every way. If you're (anyone who happens to be reading this, that is) at all concerned with engine longevity then you'll use a synthetic oil.

-Mark W.
'88 SC Camaro w/ 305 TBI

 

It IS dangerous to switch if you also believe that you can increase your change interval to 10,000 miles. Keep the change interval at 3,000-3,500 miles and you'll have a much cleaner, longer-lasting engine with synthetics. Of course, any wear or damage that is already done won't get "fixed" with synthetic oils, but the wear rate should substantially reduce once synthetics are used.

There is more to the philosophy than just changing the type of oil you use. It's a mindset. If you view your car as an old piece of junk, then you might as well use the cheapest mineral oil you can get. Continue to start the car and put it in gear immediately. Floor the pedal while the engine and transmission are still cold. Don't bother to do routine maintenance. Forget about changing the air filter. Run the cheapest fuel you can get. Pay no attention to those little unusual noises. Disregard the little yellow SES lamp on the dash. Pretty soon, you'll be right - your car will be a piece of junk.

If you want to preserve and maintain your car in top condition, you won't do some of those things. Remember that your car is not brand new, so top condition is the best it can be for what it is. Since it isn't brand new, it might require a little more frequent attention and care than a 2001 car. You'll want the best products you can get, and the synthetic oil choice will be more automatic.

It seems like you are in the latter group, but are being cautious about doing any possible damage to your vehicle. Rest assured, the synthetic won't cause any harm. The odd thing is that while it begins to clean some of the deposits from the internals, you might experience some unusual conditions. As the sludge and deposits are removed from the engine, the filter will likely trap more and larger particles. Oil pressure may go up and down without explanation. Because of this, you might want to plan on changing the oil filter at about 1,500 miles after the first synthetic change, then top off with another half quart or so of synthetic. After the 3,000-3,500 mile interval, change oil, do the other 3,000 mile maintenance as normal, then revert to changine the filter at every oil change.

Eventually, enough dirt and deposits will be cleaned away so that if you did have any minute gasket or seal leaks that were being occluded by oil sludge, they will start to leak. In this way, the synthetic oils won't CAUSE any leaks, but will reveal the leaks that were already present. It's a little like angioplasty for your engine - you nave to be cautious about the clots.

As long as you are prepared to possibly replace a couple of gaskets or seals, or even an oil pressure sensor, you should consider the change. If your engine is bone dry on the outside now, you might not have any problems at all. I've changed over several high-milers without problems, and some that have needeed repairs. I've had a timing cover seal and lower gasket start leaking on one, and lost a pressure sensor on another. Four of them changed over with no problems, two of those with over 100,000 miles when "converted".

It's a crap shoot, but in my opinion worth the risk of a little extra work. If you are still concerned, you might consider starting with a synthetic blended oil instead of a pure synthetic. You'll still get the cleaning efect, but possibly a bit more slowly. And the blends are a little less costly than the straight synthetics. Eventually, you'll want to go to straight synthetic for the best possible protection.

I'll temper this whole statement by adding the opinion that it is far more important to change the oil frequently and at regular intervals than the type of oil you use. If you are already changing the oil at regular 3,000-3,500 mile intervals, then the only improvement you can make is to use synthetics. If you aren't changing the oil regularly, then you have a long way to go before the synthetics are worth the cost.

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Later,
Vader
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"I'm'a do Things My Way - It's My way or the Highway."
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