Motor Oil
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Red Hat
New member
I use full synthetic oil in my vehicles. There is no real difference in brands of synthetic oil since there are no additives in them. What wears in oil are the additives. I usually change mine every 12,000 to 15,000 miles. Actually I could just change the filter and be good to go. I buy the lowest price I can find usually the Walmart brand. It may cost a little more than regular oil but in the long run its a big cost saver!
BTW, I changed the oil in my 06 Ram 1500 Mega Cab today and I was just under 17,000 since i changed it last.
BTW, I changed the oil in my 06 Ram 1500 Mega Cab today and I was just under 17,000 since i changed it last.
HootmonSccy
New member
May the Opinions begin..
It depends on how much you ride.. I ride ~10K miles per year..
I choose to use Synthetic oil and change my oil once a year in the beginning of June.
If you only ride 3-4K miles / year, then conventional oil may be fine and more economical.
I use Amsoil as it has the best rust inhibitors as well as many other aspects of the product..
Despite what Red Hat says, Synthetics do have additives (Rust inhibitors being one), but the lifetime of Synthetic is much longer than conventional.
No matter what anyone says, Someone will have an opinion against it.. So, in the end, it's up to you.. Think about what you need from your oil, and then decide for yourself..
It depends on how much you ride.. I ride ~10K miles per year..
I choose to use Synthetic oil and change my oil once a year in the beginning of June.
If you only ride 3-4K miles / year, then conventional oil may be fine and more economical.
I use Amsoil as it has the best rust inhibitors as well as many other aspects of the product..
Despite what Red Hat says, Synthetics do have additives (Rust inhibitors being one), but the lifetime of Synthetic is much longer than conventional.
No matter what anyone says, Someone will have an opinion against it.. So, in the end, it's up to you.. Think about what you need from your oil, and then decide for yourself..
well... I drive a 2006 4 cylinder chevy malibu and a 1994 4-cylinder hyundai scoup. Ive used Castrol (non-synthetic) 10/30 and Fram filters as a rule but Im wondering if I should switch to a different brand as Im hearing that Castrol leaves alot of residue. I change my oil religiously 2500-3000 miles. I drive aproximately 15k/year.
Red Hat
New member
Oil formulas have changed so much over the years. Castrol was our best seller followed by Havoline when I managed an Advance Auto store. Quaker State was one of my worst sellers. The mechanics always said they didn't like tearing down an engine that used Quaker state because of all the sludge.
HootmonSccy
New member
My comment was for my motorcycles..
I do use Synthetic in my car as well.. I just changed the oil after a year and a half and the oil had about 12K miles on it.. The oil is supposed to be good for 25K miles or 1 year.. I figure engines don't know what month it is.. I do advise that you change your oil filter at least around 10-12K miles, then top off..
I do use Synthetic in my car as well.. I just changed the oil after a year and a half and the oil had about 12K miles on it.. The oil is supposed to be good for 25K miles or 1 year.. I figure engines don't know what month it is.. I do advise that you change your oil filter at least around 10-12K miles, then top off..
BigSlick
New member
Red Hat is correct that oil formulas have changed. The WalMart brand synthetic oil was made by Quaker State. Don’t know if this is still true or if this synthetic version has the same sludge problem. I have always used Valvoline or Mobile 1 in my S-10. Last month my total for the original engine is 530,000. No rebuilds or overhauls. I would change the oil every 5000 to 6000 miles.
Red Hat
New member
Any brand of Synthetic oil will work. There are no additives to wear out. The only problem with Synthetic oil is contaminates. A good oil filter is needed for extended miles. I use the Purolator PureOne on all my vehicles. Also be careful using Synthetic oil on some motorcycles. Some say its OK to use it in wet clutches and some don't. A friend of mine used it and it took him forever to clean it out using regular oil. He went about a mile and it started slipping. I would use it if the MC came with synthetic oil and if it didn't I would use what they recommend.
ToyRunner1
New member
If I am using dino oil I use nothing but Valvoline. In my vehicles that don't get a lot of miles each year I run Mobil 1 and change them once a year. When I got my vehicle back from having a new GN motor put in the mechanic told me to use nothing but Valvoline 20x50 in it until broken in, and then to switch to synthetic if I wanted. Otherwise he said to stay with the Valvoline racing oil.
Everyone has an opinion on this subject as said. Do your own research to verify claims and then make your own, informed, choice.
Everyone has an opinion on this subject as said. Do your own research to verify claims and then make your own, informed, choice.
Chevron Delo 400 15/40 multigrade.
A bit more dear than the common ones, a bit harder to find. BUT--- since it is formulated for heavy diesel engine service, it has a very strong set of additives, and holds its viscosity better than anythnig else I've seen, even other "diesel service" oils. I typically double the recommended change intervals, the engines last longer, hold better oil pressure, have less sludge and buildup, than with other conventional oils. Costco and WalMart, at least out west, carry it. Most any truck stop will, as well. Gallon jugs, six to the case, the cheapest way to get it. And don't let the "diesel engine" service rating put you off.... been using it in gaspots for decades now, nothing makes them happier except maybe synthetic...... at a WHOLE lot more money.
As to filters, Throw away fhe Fram. And most of the other consumer grade filters. I've seen most of them cut open and compared construction, amount of filter element, etc. Fram is the loser of the lot of them.
Find a NAPA dealer and get their Silver or Gold line. or find a place that stock Wix, Baldwin, or, for the german made cars, any of the OEM qualty fiilters such as Mann,....
the filter is probably more important than the oil itself, as it is the part that keeps things clean, removes grut, silt, metals, acids, water....... keeping the oil cleaner to do its job. I take Fram's advert line pretty seriously.. "pay a little more now, or a lot more later". Yep, buy a better filter than the fram, for a bit more money now, and you won't be paying a lot more later due to compromising on the filter and buying the fram. Thay advertise well, and thus have bought market share. They'd have done better putting their money into quality filters than marketing.
A bit more dear than the common ones, a bit harder to find. BUT--- since it is formulated for heavy diesel engine service, it has a very strong set of additives, and holds its viscosity better than anythnig else I've seen, even other "diesel service" oils. I typically double the recommended change intervals, the engines last longer, hold better oil pressure, have less sludge and buildup, than with other conventional oils. Costco and WalMart, at least out west, carry it. Most any truck stop will, as well. Gallon jugs, six to the case, the cheapest way to get it. And don't let the "diesel engine" service rating put you off.... been using it in gaspots for decades now, nothing makes them happier except maybe synthetic...... at a WHOLE lot more money.
As to filters, Throw away fhe Fram. And most of the other consumer grade filters. I've seen most of them cut open and compared construction, amount of filter element, etc. Fram is the loser of the lot of them.
Find a NAPA dealer and get their Silver or Gold line. or find a place that stock Wix, Baldwin, or, for the german made cars, any of the OEM qualty fiilters such as Mann,....
the filter is probably more important than the oil itself, as it is the part that keeps things clean, removes grut, silt, metals, acids, water....... keeping the oil cleaner to do its job. I take Fram's advert line pretty seriously.. "pay a little more now, or a lot more later". Yep, buy a better filter than the fram, for a bit more money now, and you won't be paying a lot more later due to compromising on the filter and buying the fram. Thay advertise well, and thus have bought market share. They'd have done better putting their money into quality filters than marketing.
Red Hat
New member
Oil is only as good as the oil filter can filter it. Here is a good article on filtration and volume. Efficient Oil Filtration Recommend : Motor Oil
HootmonSccy
New member
There is a class of oil out there and it says fuel save or Gas Saver or something like that in the circle that tells you the oil standard the oil meets.. For a motorcycle stay away from that stuff.. It has "Friction Modifiers" in it that are bad for wet clutches.. Your standard oils and Synthetics are fine in motorcycles..
I've got over 70K miles on my bike, running mostly synthetic (Not sure what the guy before me used, but had synthetic when I bought it). Bike still uses NO oil and runs like knew..
williemartin
New member
Ok here we go. I change all my vehicles every three thousand miles. Period. I use mostly pensoil, but valvoline is there too. I tried synthetic in the motorcycle, but couldn't really justify the $6 cost a quart. I just did a valve adjustment on the bike this weekend, and it looks like the first time. No wear to speak of.
That's my dollarthreeeightyseven. (two cents adjusted for inflation)
That's my dollarthreeeightyseven. (two cents adjusted for inflation)
You ladies and gentlemen have really opened my eyes, particularly as far as oil filters go. I have done a ton of research today. Ive been looking over studies that people have done with oil filers where they have broken them down and examined the inner workings of the unit. I still dont know what Im switching to, But I know fram is gone. I think Im going to make a jump to Penzoil as far as oil is concerned.
No you are not crazy a good quality (not all synthetics are created equal) due to significantly lower internal friction will cause an engine to run cooler!:biggrin:
Think not ask the classic car guys out in Arizona, Texas, and NM.... since they switched to full synthetics in their cars they no longer have over heating issues when in the summer pariades......
Same goes for guys that race a heap, synthetic in the tranny and differential make a huge difference in equipment longevity and lower temperatures during runs...
I, too, religiously change the oil in vehicles every 3000 miles, 1500 for the bike, and do not use synthetics.
I asked an old mechanic many years ago (you know, the guy who really knew stuff), and he said if you are diligent in changing the oil, synthetics are un-necessary. Stands to reason, I guess, if you change before a hard breakdown of the oil...
That habit has worked for me for about 40 years, now, and I drive vehicles into the 150,000 mile range...No new tricks for this old dawg...
HootmonSccy
New member
Here is my thinking on this, and you are old enough to remember the analogy...
40+ years ago, how often did you change tires?? Before Polyglass and radials tires... Remember??
You changed your tires every 10-12K miles.. That's all bias tires were good for...
Do you still change your tires every 12K miles??? Why??? IF you did, you would probably never have an issue with a tire!!!
You don't.. The tires you buy today will easily go 35K and some go more than 50K..
So why don't you change tires every 12K.. Because of tire technology improvements..
Oil is the same way... the 3,000 mile rule was just like the 12K mile tires replacement.. It was a great rule to live by...
However just like tires are different, so is Oil today.. there have been great technology improvements to oil. It is just made much better today than it was 50 years ago.. Even the car company's (who stand to loose money in their shops) have finally gotten off the 3K recommendations for oil... Most recommend 7K mile changes today and that is with conventional "Dino" oil.. Car companies have done their research and that is why they have changed the intervals..
So, is it a great rule to change your oil every 3K miles.. It won't hurt anything but your wallet and the environment..
I agree with the "invest in a good filter".. BUT be a little careful with the info on the filter comparisons on the Net.. Many of them were done 5+ years ago and several companies have completely redesigned their filters since the comparisons.. (Amsoil for one)..
I hear ya, Hootmon, about not having to change the oil every 3000 miles, but I've tried that and just can't seem to break the habit...makes me nervous...and anxious...and twitchy...
My wallet's ok so far and I do recycle the spent oil. We old-timers do remember when we used to dump it on our crushed limestone driveways! Now, this old dawg has stopped doing that.
My wallet's ok so far and I do recycle the spent oil. We old-timers do remember when we used to dump it on our crushed limestone driveways! Now, this old dawg has stopped doing that.
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