I got 173k miles, gotta change my oil tonight before road trip tomarro.

I was wondering if that "high mileage" formulated stuff is a gimmick or not..

ya well I bought it, gastrol high mileage oil, $2.14, 5 quarts.

 

I hope you havent changed it yet. The high milage stuff is junk, theres a post in the tech gen engine board about it. If you really want to do some good use Mobil 1. Its the best readaly avalible oil and it improves you fuel milage, perfect for a road trip.

 

really?? well i have heard that synthetics are great...IF your engine is great. but if your engine has flaws, like one with 173000 probably does, then the synthetic oils run too clean and might open up some leaks and stuff you were getting away with before.

just what i have heard (on thirdgen.org, no doubt), im no expert

P.S. also from what i read in the other post.....there is nothing wrong with the high mileage stuff, just that you may (or may not) be paying extra for stuff you dont need.

 

I use Valvoline Max Life in my blazer, good stuff. I use reg valoline in the gp. will try the valvoline durablend in the bird. just to be different.

 

What year is your car, gecko? Using the right filter? We should all (82-89 2.8's, 90-92 3.1's) be using the AC/Delco PF-52 filter (or equivilant). Early 2.8's were spec'd to use the PF-47, a little filter that's half the size of the PF52. GM moved to a PF-51 on the later model 2.8's (in '89), and continued to use the PF51 on the 3.1's. Now, you won't find PF51's, unless you find some old stock somewhere- and if you do, forget 'em. You'll find (and want) the "updated" filter, called a PF-52.

When you use a PF-52, it'll take an extra 1/2 quart of oil. So your oil change goes from 4 quarts to 4.5 quarts. And remember to pre-fill the new filter with a bit of oil. We can't fill it to the top since our filters are at an angle, but we can add some to the new filter.

I use Valvoline 10w30, no synthetics...

 

Hmmm the PF-52 adds half a quart? I've been buying the Gold Delco filters UPF-52 they are supposed to filter more and are black in color. Gosh hmm if that filter adds half a quart no wonder I seem to lose oil so fast in my car. And I thought I was leaking it, shoot I am probably just burning off a normal amount and then thinking I lost a ton.

I use Valvoline MaxLife 5w30. I tried Mobil 1 5w30 a few times and in a higher mileage engine like mine with 154500 miles it goes through it a lot faster. I've been told to go thicker but oh well the engine likes the thinner oil I think and as long as it's not leaking why not? A quart of the MaxLife is about $1.94 at the Wal-Mart near me so it's not too much to go out and get more.

 

LOL! Yeah, that little PF-42 lets you do an oil change without the extra quart... but I'd rather get more filter area and spring for an extra 1/2 quart of oil! Is the UPF-52 a synthetic filter? Or just more filter medium than a PF52? How much is that sucker? I can't rely on Kmart anymore to carry AC filters, I go to Pep Boys for 'em, so I pay $4. (Kmart was $2.50, sigh... but 1/2 the time I'd go there, they'd have the filters, the other half they wouldn't, and I'd have to go to Pep Boys anyway.) Plus nobody around here except Pep Boys seems to carry my Valvoline... oh well.

 

I bought my car in mid summer and since then Ive done 2 oil changes with Mobil 1. I was also concerned about the leakage problem as my car has 190000 miles on it. So far I've had no problems with it leaking.

 

Tom here is a link about them http://www.acdelco.com/html/pi_filt_oil_gold_main.htm They have synthetic media in them. The part number is #25322836 and are $6.61. GMpartsdirect makes you order 6 of them which should last you a while. The gasket is teflon coated and it's supposed to provide higher oil flow.

 

Josh, thanks for the link! Maybe I'll use those after I rebuild this motor. Too bad they didn't show a chart of oil flow against their own brand of filters (the regular PF series). JC, notice any extra oil consumption, like, thru the rings (blue smoke) or valve stem seals? Or does your oil level stay full, no need to check it every week or so? I go thru a 1/2 quart in about two weeks...

(This sucks, $2 for a bag of beef jerky that's full of little scraps... dammit)