what type of oil do u use

[ericem]

I used to always run either castrol 0w-30 or rotella 5w-40. Now I would run probably only motul 5w-30 or 40.

[comets]

Formula 1 - Semi Synthetic - 5w30 - was on sale $15
WIX Gold Filter
Wix Air Filter
Wix Fuel Filter

[lucas]

good observation, I know the one time i used valvoline it seemed like my car had a horrible case of mud butt and ticky valves

[Grayguy]

I run 10w-30 Dino oil in everything besides my sled(which gets amsoil because it's what everywhere around here carries for 2 stroke) I've never seen/felt/experienced a difference in any oil I've used, so I buy whatever is on sale at walmart, usually valveline or pennzoil.

[SWRT]

Some oils lubricate better and dont break down with higher heat temperatures.
This obviously prolongs your engine life. It's the secondary additives that make
some oils more desirable than others. Also how they're processed. Some oil
companies reuse old, dirty drums while others dont.

[Legacy777]

can someone actually tell me chemically why one oil is better than the other, not just based on price and personal preference

Oils differentiate themselves by two primary things in my opinion; base stock and additive package. Other than that....it's the same shit.

Base stock is the amount base ingrediants to make the base oil. Some use 100% virgin oil, some use a blend of recycled/reprocessed oil, etc. The base stock for conventional oil (non-synthetic) comes from crude. Through the refining process the crude will be separated into different components by molecular weight. You have these big columns that heat the crude, and since the crude is made of a bunch of different stuff, all those little components have different weights and will settle out at different levels based on the amount of heat and their boiling points.

The base stock for motor oils is probably going to be from the lighter end of crude oils, but is likely to still have some of the components like paraffins, which is a waxy substance. These things are somewhat undesirable, but are probably low enough not to really matter.

The next piece is the additive package. Each manufacturer has their own additive package to help keep an engine clean. This is done with detergents and other chemicals. The other piece of the additive package for multi-viscosity oils is the viscosity enhancers. These are spring like strtuctures that expand when heated. When they expand they give the base oil the ability to act like a higher viscosity oil. So a 10w30 uses a base oil viscosity of 10 wt and adds viscosity enhancers so it acts like a 30 wt.


For synthetic oils, they are basically the same with the exception that their base stock is 100% man made, molecularly engineered if you will to be the best base stock. The advantages synthetics have over conventional oils is that they are more resistant to thermal/heat breakdown and reduced friction due to better base stock material. I'm sure there's some other changes in the additive package, but it's mostly the same.


Oils have gotten a lot better over the years and more advanced. The biggest benefit IMO that synthetic oil gives you is extended oil change intervals and a little better protection in very high heat/load situations. When looking at what oil to use, conv. or synthetic you should ask yourself how you drive, are there a lot of start/stops, what weather/ambient conditions do you typically see, and how often do you change your oil. If you're a normal driver and change your oil regularly, you will likely not see any benefit from synthetic, except that it will cost you more money and maybe give you a warm fuzzy feeling. With that being said, if you beat the piss out of your engine, drive in harsh conditions, and don't regularly change your oil.....I'd maybe suggest synthetic.

Bottom line it's really a preference. Conventional oils are starting to tought longer oil change intervals. A lot of that is due to the oils getting better. I've been using conventional Mobil 10w30 for well over 10 years in my Subarus. I've found that I don't really burn any oil with it and it's not overly expensive.

Anyway....that's a very high level take on oil chemistry/make up by a mechanical guy

[SWRT]

More descriptive than mine haha Cool stuff, man.

[IronMonkeyL255]

For all your questions about oils, ask the oil guy!

[Falken-18c]

I guess im gunna use kendall with synthetic blend idk well that what my new ss has in it so ill see if i like it and i might not be able to find this ive never seen it 10w 30 has any body else heard of this oil

[Falken-18c]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWc2vE8L8vY

[Legacy777]

I would go out of my way to not take it to them because of that video...

[SWRT]

The first comment

So this is why it takes so long to change my oil?
wowcolors 10 months ago 25

[Falken-18c]

I would go out of my way to not take it to them because of that video...

lmao

[Jessekrs123]

I use Mobil Delvac Super 15w40.

No more cold start lifter tick.

[volny]

My car has an oil leak, so I keep adding new oil as soon as the level drops, about every 70 miles or so. I kinda keep this way since my oil is always clean that way.

I've heard rumors about leaking oil cars that run forever because you always add new fresh oil...

Any thought on that?

[SWRT]

Sure, I suppose that can happen as long as the oil isnt getting contaminated from the outside, the engine's not losing pressure and you keep the oil level up. Mainly if it wont hurt anything having the leak I dont see why you couldnt just keep doing that so long as the leak doesnt get any worse. It'd have to be a heck of a leak to consider any oil you add as a refresher though. Your car takes 4.8q's so adding a 1/4 of a quart every week isnt really going to clean anything, but be contaminated by the oil that's already in there. Just slightly less so.

20w-50 may stop the leak. Or at least slow it. Do you know where it's leaking from?

[volny]

Sure, I suppose that can happen as long as the oil isnt getting contaminated from the outside, the engine's not losing pressure and you keep the oil level up. Mainly if it wont hurt anything having the leak I dont see why you couldnt just keep doing that so long as the leak doesnt get any worse. It'd have to be a heck of a leak to consider any oil you add as a refresher though. Your car takes 4.8q's so adding a 1/4 of a quart every week isnt really going to clean anything, but be contaminated by the oil that's already in there. Just slightly less so.

20w-50 may stop the leak. Or at least slow it. Do you know where it's leaking from?

So far I have two sources:

1/ the oil pan plug has no o-ring. I bought a new one but haven't replaced it yet

2/ underneath the car where the oil pan is bolted to another block (don't know what it is called), the oil pan is black and the block is aluminum silver, the oil pan has been slightly displaced somehow from the block it's bolted to.

Sorry lame description.

I tried to put it back together but snapped a piece of the silver block where it bolts to. Also I was missing one of the two bolts that were there originally. I filled the gap with some sealer a few month ago. I need to take a picture to explain that better.

[Subiepoo11]

Mobil 1 and Subaru filter. Don't use fram, my high school auto teacher cut open about 10 different oil filters and frams are literally cardboard. Factory filters are the best in my opinion.

[SWRT]

I'm pretty sure you're just referring to the block itself. You can rent a tap
and die set from Autozone and recut the threads and try and pull another of
the bolts from a junk car and see if it'll seal better. Or you can drop the oil
pan (clean it out while it's off the car) check for dents, warping...anything that
could cause it not to seal, clean off the oil RTV seal and put a fresh seal on there.
It should stop your oil leak and preserve everyone's driveway haha

[volny]

seems like since I have been using 10w30 synthetic my oil burning smell issues are gone...

[kimokalihi]

I run 10w-30 Dino oil in everything besides my sled(which gets amsoil because it's what everywhere around here carries for 2 stroke) I've never seen/felt/experienced a difference in any oil I've used, so I buy whatever is on sale at walmart, usually valveline or pennzoil.

You just contradicted yourself. You said you run dino in everything but you buy whatever is on sale.

[kimokalihi]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWc2vE8L8vY

Jesus pours cheap oil in your engine and then beats the living daylights out of your horn while rubbing dirt and oil from his shoes into your floor mat and his goons slam the shit out of your doors. Nice.

[speezly]

MOBIL 1 relegiously since my rebuild, but conventional Pennzoil got my Subie to 300k before the rebuild and the insides of the cylinders were very clean, with virtually no gunk built up anywhere in the heads or anything. After the rebuild break in period and before the car ever sees the track, Im going with the Royal Purp

[speezly]

I guess im gunna use kendall with synthetic blend idk well that what my new ss has in it so ill see if i like it and i might not be able to find this ive never seen it 10w 30 has any body else heard of this oil

I have heard good things about Kendall, i think they used to use it in alot of old muscle cars...

[lucas]

talked to the parts guy at the local subaru dealer and the new FA or FB style engines will be running a 0w-? weight oil. on an unrelated note lol