What kind of oil should I use in my 92 camaro?...149k on the dash...I think the previous owner used 5w30, should I stick with it or use thicker? what brand?

 

unless it is using oil, I wouldn't change from what the car has had all along.

 

10 30 is what I use.

 

I would keep putting that in it then.

 

yea I just bought the car...looks like to guy before me just drove it to a wash/oil change place and used v. 5-30 based on the sticker on the windshield, whats the diff. between 5 and 10?

 

I have been using Rotella for diesels in my 86 IROC. That year has hydrolic lifters, and Rotella has 1200 ppm of zddp.

 

The 5 or 10 is the effective weight in winter as in 5w30 or 10w30. It means that in the winter when the cold weather thickens oil, it has a weight of 5 or 10 and will flow as such. 5w oil is thinner than 10w oil.

 

I take a lot of flack for this, but I add STP to my engines. I wait for the oil temp to heat up and add it while the engine is running.

 

Nothing wrong with that. My brother swears by that stuff and has used it for years. I myself have used it from time to time, but this day and age I use Lucas Oil Stabilizer with every oil change. It all works relatively the same, which is to help keep your oil from breaking down.

 

I favor the STP cause it has ZDDP in it that sm rated oils lack. There are many other ZDDP additives out there, but STP is much less, only 2.50 a bottle. I have used lucus in the past, I just wish it wasn't so costly.

 

I used to believe in that stuff but after tearing apart a few engines that were run with it, I decided the end results are not worth the temporary benefits. This stuff does not "mix" with oil as advertised and overtime it significantly contributes to "engine gunk", for lack of a better word. Oil breakdown is not an issue when using the correct oil for your engine. I can understand using it instead of buying new parts, but addressing the symptoms instead of the problem is a bad habit to start. More expensive in the long run as well.

EDIT: Oil breakdown is not an issue if you use the right oil for your engine AND perform maintenance as necessary.

 

I've seen engines that ran with additives, and they were clean, and not gunky. I believe strongly in proper oil change intervals. Anyway, on goes the debate.

 

I think this is a hard one to argue either way. If oil or additives are burning up and turning into gunk, engine is in need of some work.