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Topic: Oil's well that ends well (Read 3493 times) previous topic - next topic

Oil's well that ends well

Initially I set out to learn a bit more about oil for this upcoming oil change. Hoped to be a bit more informed so I could take the best possible care of my daily driver (the '86 V6) while on my very limited budget.

I ended up at the website, http://www.bobistheoilguy.com, where I found no end of hardcore fluid-changers who will even go so far as to send out for oil buttstuffysis both at the beginning and end of an OCI. Wow. Two entire wasted afternoons later, I was more confused than ever. About the only things I learned:

- Fram oil filters are going way downhill in quality (a seemingly unanimous opinion there) ever since Allied-Signal bought them.
- Wal-Mart brand oil filters (SuperTech) are most likely re-branded Purolators, and are actually very good quality at a decent price. ($2.07 for mine today, the second one I've used)
- Wal-Mart brand oil (again, SuperTech) appears to be re-branded major name oil with a generic additive package, and is actually pretty good oil for a house brand. The SuperTech Synthetic is supposed to be a fantastic deal at under $3 per quart or something like that.

EVERYTHING else seems to be up in the air over there.

Anyway, I finally decided I would just stick with my preferred brand, Valvoline.. but mess around a little bit. I picked up 5 qt. of MaxLife 5w30, and 1 qt. of MaxLife Synthetic 10w30. I had good results with the regular Valvoline 5w30 I ran in it over the "winter". :p Only lost something like half a quart over 3-4 months, and I think much of that leakage was due to parking on level ground again, (the rear main is known to leak on my '86.. but only when I park flat.. if the car leans to one side, the oil leaking stops) and I apparently didn't do a very good job of securing the oil filter last time. (didn't come off, but there was a bit more oil around it than the last oil change) I'm going to use the MaxLife once a year, and "normal" oil the rest of the time. Long story, and maybe my reasoning is flawed, but we'll see.

So to the point of the thread: How do you generally keep your older cars oiled? Are you a die-hard SAE 30 user, or do you hit the heavy stuff like 20w50, or go for the possible increases in mileage some people notice from lighter oils like 5w30? Cheap oil or good name brand? Synthetic or "dino" or blended? Homebrew mixes? Run it with whatever until it dies? Are you satisfied with your methods? Got any tips you'd like to share with the others here, while we're on the subject?

As an aside, do you use or plan to use any mechanical enhancements to your oiling system? What I mean is stuff like oil coolers, filter relocation kits, high capacity oil pans or even dry sump, aftermarket oil pump, etc. I'm considering my options there when it comes to all three cars.. and maybe some of the others here are as well.

, another long post. Blame the Vicodin and caffeine this time. :p

Re: Oil's well that ends well

Reply #1 –
Well I'm probably gonna try out Castrol GTX on the cougar once I get around to the tuneup once it passes inspection.

I read awhile back on the oil choices on Mini Mopars a lil while back,  It's got a overview of oil and oil filter choices.

(scroll to bottom)
http://minimopar.knizefamily.net/engine.html

Re: Oil's well that ends well

Reply #2 –
In the cars:  Summer: 10W30  Winter: 0W20  All Quaker State, NON synthetic

In my diesel truck:  Summer: 15W40  Winter 5W30  Again Quaker State, Diesel Oil

I think that something as thick as 20W50 is only necessary in very high mileage engines with severe wear.

Re: Oil's well that ends well

Reply #3 –
The father-in-law of one of my local friends uses 20w50 in EVERYTHING, and won't listen to anyone saying anything to the contrary. Ugh.

Re: Oil's well that ends well

Reply #4 –
my moto,, change your oil once every other month needed or not.  change tanny fluid once a year needed or not.

as for the thinner oils,, i think a lot of newer cars are calling out that and have so for some time now due to the tighter tolerances on bearings and such.

i look for an oil one day to appear the same viscosity as tranny fluid before long.

Re: Oil's well that ends well

Reply #5 –
In my recent Oil change i had buy Supertech Oil 20W50. I dont have any idea, but i want to try a multigrade Oil with the cougar and, the price was good, but i have used Quaker State Sae 40 every time with good results. Practically in all the cars usually we use Sae 40, only in the F-150 we used Castrol Syntetic....
1985 Mercury Cougar V6
1989 F-200 V8
1996 Explorer V6
2001 F-150

Re: Oil's well that ends well

Reply #6 –
Your right about the thin oil trend.  Most new Fords, for example, call for 5W20.

The only reason I use 0W20 in the winter is because of the temperatures.  Once you get thicker than 5W?? the oil will not flow on those January mornings.  In my truck, the thinnest I can run (without voiding warranty) is 5W??.


I guess 20W50 is ok in Flordia (cause its hot), although I would never put that sludge in my well maintained engines.

Re: Oil's well that ends well

Reply #7 –
I have always used 10w-30 and a motorcraft filter

Re: Oil's well that ends well

Reply #8 –
I use Valvoline Durablend 10W40 in my Cougar usually but am breaking in the new motor with regular Valvoline 10W40. I always use the Motorcraft FL1A filters on all my Fords. I use Havoline 10W40 in my 2.9 v6 Ranger pickup, its my second favorite oil

Re: Oil's well that ends well

Reply #9 –
I used Havoline 10W40 in mine until the warranty ran out, then switched to straight 30W, with 3,000 mile changes, & Motorcraft filters only.  The multi-grade stuff seemed to get thin after 2K or so, according to the gauge reading after a couple of minutes of autocrossing.  Pressure would be down noticeably, but with fresh oil under the same conditions it would show no appreciable drop.

Re: Oil's well that ends well

Reply #10 –
I never noticed this until a local racer pointed it out to me.  The openings on the bottom of the motorcraft filters are oval and large compared to the other brands like fram and stp wich have more small holes.  Oil wise I run Valvoline sae30 in the ranger in the summer and 10w30 in the winter.  The cougar currantly has Coastal brand 10w30. She is starting to get a bit noisy so I'm going to switch to my favorite brand of oil, penziol but the high milage stuff.  I dont like castrol, the stuff burns up in less than a 1000 miles.  We have run penzoil for years.  The stuff isn't bad at all.
One 88

Re: Oil's well that ends well

Reply #11 –
Been running Penzoil semi synthetic in all my vehicles for a few years and would never use anything (especially a fram) other than a motocraft filter but since my rear main destroyed itself a couple months ago and the 255 isnt worth the work i've been running it on walmarts Tech 2000  20W-50, it doesnt even touch the dipstick (only about 1-2 L in it) but it still runs nice and quiet up to 4000 :D

Also walmarts oil and filters are made by who ever made the lowest bid at the time, i'm not sure how often they change suppliers but i'll check tomorrow and see if I can tell who supplies the oil. (Old Roy dog food is made by purina, but I didnt tell you  ;) haha)
1980 birds X 3, 1982 bird, 1984 XR7, 1988 TC

Re: Oil's well that ends well

Reply #12 –
Running a K&N oil filter with valvoline maxlife 10w30 oil. I've run motorcraft oil once, my engine hated my guts. So no more of that. I'm deabating coverting to synthetic after I get the engine to stop bleeding like a stuck pig.
Temporarily Foxless? Ride the Bull...

Re: Oil's well that ends well

Reply #13 –
Quote from: nirvanagod
I've run motorcraft oil once, my engine hated my guts.


Awwww ! I just bought a whole case of Motorcraft synthetic blend oil!  :slap:
1984 Cougar Convertible
1988 Cougar XR-7

Re: Oil's well that ends well

Reply #14 –
Quote from: 4thqtr
Awwww ! I just bought a whole case of Motorcraft synthetic blend oil!  :slap:


Keep in mind I bought the $1.50 a quart bottles of non synthetic Motorcraft oil from Vato-zone. I don't think that it would be indicative of how their synthetic blend run in your car at all.
Temporarily Foxless? Ride the Bull...