What kind of motor oil do you use?

[73DatsunZ]

In addition to my Eneos motor oil thread I figured I would see what kind of oil everyone uses in their Hybrid Z's.

 

Before my GTO got wrecked I ran Mobil 1 Full Synthetic. What are you guys running?

[Dragonfly]

Amsoil straight 40wt full synthetic with Amsoil filter. Also Amsoil in the T-5 (gear oil of course).

 

Dragonfly

[73DatsunZ]

Amsoil eh, I have never heard of them. Good stuff I assume

[Dragonfly]

IMHO they are the best synthetic made.

 

Dragonfly

[73DatsunZ]

I don't know which motor Oil and stuff I am going to use on my Z religiously, some people love 1 brand, I haven't found that one yet lol

[stony]

After my little incident i will use mobil 1 15-50 full synthetic and current have a KN filter on the motor

[TravRMK]

I run Amsoil in all my vehicles, and even the lanwmower, weed wacker, snowmobiles, and bikes.

[grumpyvette]

I run a mix of 9 QTS of mobile 1 10w30 and 1 QT of MARVEL MYSTERY OIL in my 10 qt oil system in my main toy(the 1985 corvette) and a similar ratio in my other two vettes, but the longer I build and race cars the more Ive come to beleive that almost any decent name brand synthetic with some MMO added to get the extra solvents and detergents that the MMO has added will work just fine IF...you just keep the air and oil filters changed out at about 3000-3500 miles and the oil changed at 3500-7000 miles, and making darn sure you use a QUALITY oil filter and have a few MAGNETS in your oil pan.

the larger capacity baffled oil pans with a windage screen, help here as they tend to keep the temp stabile and the oil sump full

naturally your success will depend on keeping your oil temp in the correct operational range (190f-215F most of the time,max -250F) once the cars up to temp (preferably in the 215F-230F range at least several times durring each drive so it burns of moisture and can lubricate and flow correctly,(non-synthetics shoud not exceed about 230F and genererally work best in the 190F- 215F-225F range) and having the bearing clearances correct.

oil pressure should be between about 20 PSI at idle(once its up to temp.) and 60-65psi at high rpms.

but again the KEY if freqent oil and filter changes, failure, to change the oil and filters is usually the main problem but if the oil doesn,t reach 215F oil forms/traps moisture and tends form acids that are bad for bearings

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.knizefamily.net/minimopar/oilfilters/index.html

http://www.digitalcorvettes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80781

 

http://www.elephantracing.com/techtopic/oiltemperature.htm

 

BTW, keep the oil temp in a narrow range and TUNNING the engine if FAR easier..........keep in mind the goal here is to maintain a pressurized film of CLEAN oil of the correct temp. between most of the moving surfaces, and one of the goals is having the oil flow absorb heat and transport that heat to the cooling system

[73DatsunZ]

Hmm, it seems Amsoil is pretty popular amongst the hybrid Z members.

[Boy from Oz]

I intend to run Castrol R, primarily on special occasions - it's expensive and has a short life but oh that smell. Probably the second most recognised aroma from the 60s.

 

http://www.castrol.com/liveassets/bp_internet/castrol/castrol_australia/STAGING/local_assets/downloads/r/R30_40_M_B861.pdf

[73DatsunZ]

I intend to run Castrol R - just for the smell.

 

The smell eh? haha

[Nigel]

From all of the independent testing I could find, Amsoil and Mobil 1 typically come out tops. The other big name oil companies often seem to rely on anecdotal evidence to promote their products ("My car never felt better after switching to X brand").

 

Nigel

'73 240ZT

[ColtGT4g63]

I use Castrol GTX 10w30, in ALL my cars. Cuz its free from work.

[Careless]

Royal Purple 10w40 over hurrrr.

 

After changing the oil from what the PO had to Royal Purple, i DID notice my car ran a bit smoother, so the damage has probably been done by whatever cheap ass oil he put in there previously.

 

but it seems to pull a little harder. then again, I don't drive much so maybe it was my Imagination.

 

MT90 going in the transmission. Possibly MaxGear for the diffy.

[big-phil]

[Careless]

'atta girl little... Phillis?

[Hybrid240z]

I live by Amsoil too. I run it in all my cars and will run it in my Z once I get it running. Check out their website. http://www.amsoil.com

[dsommer]

I use Castrol GTX 10w30, in ALL my cars. Cuz its free from work.

 

Where do you work to get free oil? Thought I was the only one scoring free oil.

 

I run Castrol 10-30 High Mileage in the Scarab and Syntec in my G35.

[Nigel]

From:

 

http://www.syntheticsbestoil.com/mobil.htm

 

Synthetic Motor Oil Gets All New Semantics

 

(first published in Nov., 2000 issue of Car and Driver by Patrick Bedard)

 

Now that the meaning if "is" has gotten so slippery you need to grab it with both hands, we'd better keep an eye on longer words, too.

 

One's already got so squirmy on us- "synthetic," as in synthetic motor oil.

 

Most guys know two things about synthetic oils. First, the price is three to four times that of conventional oils. Second, they're not real oil, not made from crude.

 

News flash: Scratch that second part. Now motor oils derived from crude may be labeled "synthetic." But they still cost over four bucks a quart.

 

Bait and switch? That's the obvious conclusion. Except in this case the advertising ethics people have given their approval.

 

Here's what happened, according to a detailed account published in the trade magazine Lubricants World. Late in 1997, Castrol changed the formula of its Syntec "full synthetic motor oil", eliminating the polyalphaolefins (PAO) base stock (that's the "synthetic" part, which makes up about 70% by volume of what's in the bottle) and replacing it with a "hydroisomerized" petroleum base stock.

 

Mobil Oil Corporation, maker of Mobil 1, "Worlds Leading Synthetic Motor Oil," said no fair and took its complaint to the National Advertising Division (NAD) of the Council of Better Business Bureaus. NAD often arbitrates between feuding advertisers on their conflicting claims.

 

The notion behind synthetic motor oils as we've known them is an elegant one. Instead of relying on the cocktail of hydrocarbons contained in crude oil, why not go into the laboratory and build the perfect base stock from scratch, molecule by molecule, and builds it till it gets 10-carbon molecules, then combines three of those to form PAO. The result is a fluid more stable than the usual base oils derived from crude. It keeps flowing at low temperatures. It's more resistant to boiling off, and more resistant to oxidation, which causes thickening with prolonged exposure to high temperatures.

 

Still, there's more than one road to the point B of improved stability. Petroleum refiners in recent years have learned how to break apart certain undesirable molecules - wax, for example, which causes thickening of oil at low temperatures- and transform them by chemical reaction into helpful molecules. These new hydroisomerized base oils, in the view of some industry participants provided properties similar to PAO's but only cost half as much," Lubricants World reported.

 

The argument before NAD tiptoed around the obvious- does the consumer get four bucks' worth of value from each quart of synthetic oil?- and plunged straight into deep semantics. Mobil's experts said "synthetic" traditionally meant big molecules built up from small ones. Castrol's side held out for a looser description, defining "synthetic" as "the product of an intended chemical reaction."

 

What do unbiased sources say? It turns out that the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and the American Petroleum Institute (API) both have technical standards covering motor oils, and both of these organizations in the '90's backed away from their old definitions of "synthetic," leaving lots of room for new interpretations.

 

In the end, NAD decided that the evidence constitutes a reasonable basis for the claim that Castrol Syntec, as currently formulated, is a synthetic motor oil, said Lubricants World.

 

The obvious question now: Has the term "synthetic motor oil" been opened up to the point that it no longer means anything? Maybe. But here's a better question: Did synthetic ever mean what we thought it meant?

 

"Great oil" is what most guys think it means. "At that price, it's gotta be great stuff!"

 

Okay, but how great? Your cars manual tells what motor oil you should use, and with few exceptions, that description will consist of only two specifications. One is for viscosity, such as 10W-30; and the other is for the API service grade, SJ being the current one for gasoline passenger cars.

 

The buck-a-quart multi-grades meet these standards, as do the synthetics.

 

The synthetics, on the back label, claim compliance with more standards, but even if you know what they mean, they seem beside the point for U.S. passenger cars. For example, should you care about diesels if you drive a gasoline burner? API service CF is the oldest of the current specs for light-duty diesels; some synthetics list that one. Synthetics may also list ACEA A1 and B1, which are European specs roughly equivalent to API gasoline and diesel specs. The Europeans grad their oils by level of performance, so that A2 and A3 are tougher specs than A1. Same for diesels. Usually the date of the spec is omitted, but A1-98 is newer than A1-96.

 

Completely absent is the one performance claim that would have some real meaning for all of us- some indication of longer oil life. (except for AMSOIL which clearly states 25,000 miles/1-year or 35,000 miles/1-year for their Severe Service 0W-30 synthetic). Automakers hold synthetics to the same oil change intervals as conventional oils. And the oil companies, promise even less. "To give added protection and life to your engine, change your oil every 3000 miles." This same language appears on the back of both Pennzoil Synthetic and conventional oils. Valvoline synthetic makes a similar recommendation. (commentary: Since 1972 AMSOIL is the ONLY synthetic oil manufacturer in the world to guarantee 25,000 miles or 35,000 mile oil change intervals and utilizing full PAO synthetic technology exclusively).

 

Synthetics do get one unambiguous endorsement: Corvettes, Porsches, Vipers, and all AMG models from Mercedes-Benz come with Mobil 1 as the factory fill.

 

Most synthetics mention GM 4718M in their list of claims; that's the unique spec created by General Motors for Corvette oil. It's a high-temperature requirement that tolerates less oxidation (thickening) and volatility (boil-off) on a standard engine test called Sequence 111E according to engineer Bob Olree of GM Power train. (note: AMSOIL 0W-30 far surpasses GM's 4718M spec).

 

But don't expect to learn such details on any label (again, except for AMSOIL which clearly states test results on the back of every bottle of Series 2000 0W-30 and 20W-50 synthetic). Mobil 1 at least uses straight forward declarative sentences. Most of the others read as though they were written by a lawyer looking for an escape clause. Why else would the following claim be so rubbery? "Pennzoil Synthetic motor oil is recommended for use in all engines requiring ILSACGF-1, GF-2, API SJ, SH, or SG, and in engines requiring oils meeting GM 4718M." Okay, but does it actually pass those standards?

 

"Yes" says James Newsom, Pennzoil's motor-oil product manager.

 

Castrol Syntec, on its label, "exceeds" every standard it mentions. Hmm. Now that the meaning of "is" is in play, I have to wonder, does Syntec meet those standards as well?

 

"It does" says Castrol's Julie Ann Oberg. While I have her on the phone, I ask if there will be a Syntec price reduction now that the lower-cost base stock has been substituted for the old synthetic. She says no.

 

End of article.

 

Now, after reading that why would anybody in their right mind want to spend their hard-earned money on Castrol Syntec, Pennzoil Synthetic, Valvoline Synthetic or any of the other "synthetics" when what your getting is not even a true 100% full PAO synthetic? Even Mobil 1 Tri-Synthetic uses multiple base-stock technology by blending other synthetic molecules with the PAO base-stocks and then they come up with a catchy name of Tri-Synthetic. Pretty sneaky huh? AMSOIL moved away from multiple base-stock technology over 20 years ago!, yet Mobil makes it sound like their Tri-Synthetic technology is some new earth-shattering technology. What a joke!

 

Why not skip all the hype and deception of these other manufacturers and just use AMSOIL? AMSOIL uses only 100% full synthetic PAO technology in each and everyone of its motor oils and is the undisputed leader in synthetic engine oil technology as well as the leader in synthetic gear lubes, transmission fluid, greases, two-cycle oil and many other lubricants and hydraulic fluids. Today, virtually every other motor oil manufacturer has recognized the superiority of synthetic lubricants and has followed the AMSOIL lead with introductions of "synthetic" motor oils of their own.

 

They spend millions of dollars advertising their "new" and "revolutionary" products. No one, however, can match AMSOIL experience and technological know-how. And no one delivers products like AMSOIL. Accept no substitutes- AMSOIL is the "First in Synthetics

[seabee280z]

well iam using royal purple also. we did our own experiment with walker grass cutters the life of the motor before a rebuild is needed 1350 hr as per kohler motors and sure enougn we had to do a rebuild at 1245 hrs this was on mobil 1 syn with religeous oil changes. Now at the same time we had bought 2 of these so one got mobil and the the other got royal purple would you know the one with royal got 2435 hours n the motor and was in better shape than the one with the mobil . now i have not ran amsoil so dont know much about it