What oil is everyone using?

[Tony_Urwin]

What kind of oil is everyone using? This will vary with the age and condition of your engine of course. I'm using synthetic in my flathead that was rebuilt a few thousand miles ago. I used Pennzoil Platinum 10W50 just because it was on sale this week.

[bach4660]

just 30

[IanT_Qld]

(Castrol no deturgents) as per manufactures instructions.

Not lower than 32F - SAE 30W

As low as +10F - SAE 20W

As Low as -10F - SAE 10W

Below -10F - SAE 5W

It is not recommended to use SAE 5W in motors larger than 306 cubic inches or smaller trucks doing long distances. for this type of service use SAE 10W with 10% colourless refined Kerosene is recomended.

How ever if I had a "new" reco moter I would run a good multi weight blend with detergent in it. My fear of detergent oils in the old girl is the amount of sludge I will get out of her.

[greg g]

I have been running Traveller brand oil from Tractor Supply Company. Last batch I bought was 10/40 detergent rated for diesel applications. I have about 900 miles on this change and so far I have added 1/2 quart. Oil in the crank case is still pretty clean looking. This engien has about 5000 miles since a rebuild. I believe the gallon container was about 7 bucks on sale.

[Guest 51plymouthod]

My '51 Plymouth's 218 was totally rebuilt some 5,000 miles back. In it I use Mobil 1 15W-50. My '49 B-1-C has the original 218, with <40K miles. I am using a 'home-brew' 3 qts. Mobil 10W-30 Dino & 3 qts. Mobil 1 10W-40 in it. The Plymouth will 'hot-idle' after a 30 minute highway run @ 30 PSI & the Dodge (same run) idles @ a tad over 20.

If you've got an engine in good shape, use a good detergent oil in a weight suitable for the temperature range. Mobil's simply my choice. The 'light 50' weight in the car and the (resulting) heavy 30 wt. in the pickup simply make this old coot feel they're protected better in the extreme heat of a West Texas summer---and yet the oil will flow good enough in the few Winter days when we get lows down to 5*F.

[Jim Shepard]

I started out (last October) using straight 30wt then switched to 40wt when the temps started getting up around 100+. I've noticed that I don't use as much oil with the 40wt, which makes sense (at least to me...).

[jroddick]

I use Delo 15/40 or Delvac 15/40 the same stuff I put in my diesels.

[billwillard]

I understand what 30 wt oil is. I dont understand 10w30. Does this mean the oil is 30 wt but will thin down to 10 wt when hot?

[Merle Coggins]

I understand what 30 wt oil is. I dont understand 10w30. Does this mean the oil is 30 wt but will thin down to 10 wt when hot?

No. It means that it's a SAE 30 grade oil that will act like a SAE 10w when cold. The "w" stands for "winter" oil.

My engine has Amsoil Series 2000 0w30 oil in it, because that's what I had handy when it was time to put oil into my newly rebuilt engine. It may not have been the best chioce of breakin oils, but I was too lazy to go buy different oil at the time.

Merle

[Guest Dave Claussen]

I understand what 30 wt oil is. I dont understand 10w30. Does this mean the oil is 30 wt but will thin down to 10 wt when hot?

It was explained to me this way: The oil has two different sized molecules in one oil. This allows the oil to lubricate areas of the engine that have different clearances. As the engine warms up, these clearances would change and the multi-viscosity oil would provide protection throughout those temperature ranges. Winter temps would mean a greater variation in engine operating temps which is probably why multi-viscosity oils are widely used in parts of the country that experience drastic weather changes, like say northern Indiana!! We've been known to use the heater and air conditioner in the same day.

[Guest dave_in_carlsbad]

The explaination I was given from a Kendall chemist many years ago was that the multi viscosity components were long coiled molecules that stretched out when hot to make the oil more viscous and contracted in the cold to make them flow better.

Engines with high shear factors tend to break these molecules down physically. I had an Alfa 2 litre DOHC 4 cyl that just ate oils - hot idle pressure was 50 psi on new oil and dropped to 20 after 1000 miles on most oils. Castrol would last 3000 miles. By the way, the 'broken' oil was not dirty; looked like new.

This is the best argument I've seen against long oil change frequency; the additive packages are not up to the job.

That said, I;ve never seen another engine eat oil like that.

[grey beard]

Welllllll, I've got a question for y'all experts. Why, when the talk turns to kinds and types of motor oils, did everyone including vehicle manufacturers, want to talk about temperature range? When the temp is above such-and-such, use this grade of oil, but if it's colder than so-and-so, go to this thinner weight oil, etc. And if it's really brass monkey weather . . . . .. well, you get the drift of my quesion.

My engine oil runs at about the same temperature summer AND winter - once the engine is truly up to operating temperatures, no matter what season the trees and outdoor sclimate happens to be experiencing. Have you noticed that this sort of sorry logic is no longer used by car makers today? It went out about twenty years ago, but because we on this forum are afflicted with old iron disease, many of us sorta' tend to hang on to the old school ideas about oil and ambient temperatures that vehicle makers used sixty or so years ago.

Now I'll grant you that a cold engine may turn over more easily with lighter viscosity oil in the pan than with heavy oil, but the difference is not much - especially if your cranking/charging system is healthy - be it six or twelve volts. But once that engine gets warm enough for the oil to be above 70 or 80 degrees - about twenty minutes in most cases - the oil will operate and perform exactly the same without regard to your windshield temperature. Why, worrying about outside temperature when you buy engine oil is like using long strand parafin grease in your king pins - it simply disregards the state of modern automotive technology today. Might as well hang on to the old outhouse and Sears catalog, too.

For my money, I like to use diesel grade synthetic oil - the best oil available for internal combustion engines, IMHO. I care not what brand you choose - that's all hooey anyhow. Just be worried about the Petroleum Industry regulated codes found on evey oil container and make sure you are getting what you really want/need, and forget about whose name is on the bottle.

Many of us are old enough to remember when old timers used to argue about gasoline brands vs quality. Today you can see any name on the tank truck that drops fuel at any station - like a bunch of old women swapping hats. I don't worry about that - or the outside temperature when I buy motor oil. JMHO:)

[Captain Neon]

Well, I run 10w40 Havoline in everything, but the '97 Neon (2.0L DOHC I4) I bought brand new (5w30). It gets hinky when we talk oil additives.

I replace one quart of oil in the wife's '92 Acclaim (3.0L V6) w/ a quart of ATF, our '92 LeBaron (3.0L V6) w/ Rislone, and the '89 Jeep Wagoneer (4.0L I6) w/ Marvel Mystery Oil. My '46 Plymouth gets a can of Restore w/ its oil change, and when she uses a quart gets topped off w/ 20w50. No extra additives in the Neon.

100,000 miles are coming soon on the Neon, and I'm debating with myself whether I want to do a motor flush. All the other vehicles got a motor flush after I bought them used because I had no way of knowing for sure what kind of maintenance they had received. The Neon has never gone more than 3000 miles without an oil change and always with Havoline 5w30. I usually change oil at 2000 miles. I can count on one hand the times I got close to 3000 mi.

I can count on one hand, again, the number of times I used anything but a NAPA Gold filter. Upgraded from the recommended #1348 to #1085 after I got married. I am considering switching to #1626 like my Jeep uses. I can't see anything different between the #1626 and the #1085, but my Jeep won't seal up with the #1085. Anybody ever cut open an oil filter from a vehicle that hangs upside down and compared it with a typically mounted oil filter? I'd be interested in knowing if the #1626 will work just fine on my typically mounted MoPar vehicles and if there are just extra valves put in place to prevent the oil from gushing out from being mounted upside down. Anyone mounted a Ford filter (#1515) on a 4.0L Jeep engine?

[Guest dave_in_carlsbad]

Sorry, but the 'one size fits all' philosophy does not apply in this case The variety of lubricants available today is driven by the *need* for specialized lubricant/additive packages.

For example, the Chrysler flathead needs proper additives for the camshaft; modern oils are being formulated for roller cams and will cause damage in the (admittedly) long term. Another issues is gearboxes with bronze parts needing special lube.

That said, keeping the proper level of most any quality oil in an engine that isn't stressed will do wonders for its projected lifetime. I doubt that flushing the Neon engine is worthwhile if it has been using HD oil; its likely clean as a whistle (unless there is some other issue).

Check out this site for more than you wanted to know on the subject:

http://theoildrop.server101.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?Cat=0

They probably discuss which filter has a check valve too.

[Bouncy B]

Didn't have straight 30 weight. Is 10W30 okay? My truck runs like a top and is only used occasionally. Mostly for children's entertainment (and their childish father ie me).

[Guest 51plymouthod]

When warm, it is 30. Has the added benefit of 10 weight in cold weather.