Type of Motor Oil

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Ok, here is a question for all of you mechanical types. Does it really matter which brand of oil you use? I generally just get what is on sale... But I want this van I have to last as long as possible and I wondered if it really made a difference??? My Dad is a mechanic and he usually just bought cases of Valvoline. Cale's Dad liked Kendall and that is all he would use. So I just wondered what some of you thought..

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), April 23, 2002

Answers

Valvoline is found in about 75% of the Indy cars pits; Kendall with High Pressure Concerate added is found around dragsters, I don't have the percents there. Quaker States original top quality crude ran out years ago, GTX is popular with Japoneese motorcycles, Older British motorcycles use "R" oil - made from castor beans. 15 W 50 is used in heavy weight diesel machinery, I do not remember who makes it. The stuff you find in auto supply houses, discount stores, ect does not impress me if it is a brand name associated with the store. I have seen a concrete truck come into the yard with an overheating problem minus its oil plug but had been treated with"Slick 50".

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), April 23, 2002.

Some expensive oils may be better than others and no doubt some cheap oils are pretty good.

I think it is more important to keep the oil clean with regular oil changes and filters than to spend extra money on 'fancy' oils.

If you want your van to last dont forget the other 'vital fluids', the radiator fluid needs regular changing and additives and brake fluid MUST be changes every year or so. Once you see any dark color in the brake fluid that indicates metal corrosion caused by water disolved in the fluid.

-- john hill (john@cnd.co.nz), April 23, 2002.


Melissa, Oils of the same grade are pretty much the same from brand to brand. Even the off brand is likely to be re-badeged name brand products. Now there are differances in oil, Not only weight but type, Syntheic vs natural. I usually just buy the cheapest case of 5w and 10w oil and use that. I have 185K miles with no engine work. I actually found that the synthetic oils did poor in my vehicle and decreased my gas milage both times I tried them, so back to the cheap stuff for me.

The big issue is how you use them. If your not driving your van at Indy or at the tracks on Friday night then follow the type of oil your car manufactures recomends. Then change the oil on a regular basis.

-- Gary in Ohio (gws@columbus.rr.com), April 23, 2002.


I am really good at checking fluids and regular maintenence. I pretty much grew up in the garage helping my Dad. I make sure to change my oil every 3 months, which is usually about 2000 miles or so. I don't know what kind of oil is reccommended as the van is used... Generally I get what is on sale, but I use the big name brands not the off-brands.

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), April 23, 2002.

A bunch of years ago Consumer's Report concluded that Castrol was the best brand of oil and Fram made the best oil filters. I would bet that the comparisons split hairs because I also believe that there isn't much differnce in brand names as long as the grade is the same.

-- Cabin Fever (cabinfever_MN@yahoo.com), April 23, 2002.


I'm not sure about the oil - we use Castrol in ours (I think - I know by the shape of the bottle, not the brand!).

We had to replace the water pump in our suburban a little while back, and when we did, we replaced the anti-freeze with that new orange stuff instead of the old green. You mix it half and half with water and I've been told that it is much better for the vehicle. It's not cheap, but since you mix it half and half with distilled water it cuts down on the expense some.

I'm like you, if I'm going to be driving this thing, I want it to last!

-- Christine in OK (cljford@mmcable.com), April 23, 2002.


Christine, FYI you also diluted the "old" green antifreeze about 50:50 with water.

-- Cabin Fever (cabinfever_MN@yahoo.com), April 23, 2002.

doesnt really matter on the brands,, just remember, ,NEVER top off with a differant vescosity !!!!!!!

-- Stan (sopal@net-pert.com), April 23, 2002.

As long as it has the SAE logo-Society of Automotive Engineers-logo on the bottle, all brands should perform the same. Though I do use Valvoline in our 2 'good' cars, the old truck gets the Tractor Supply brand, and I haven't noticed the difference in the two brands, outside of the price!

-- Joe (threearrs@hotmail.com), April 23, 2002.

Hubby says it really doesn't matter the brand. He does recommend not mixing brands, however. And, of course the secret to a long-lasting engine, is keeping that oil clean by frequent changes. It's the dirt in the oil that causes wear on engine parts.

Also, pay attention to your engine cooling system. Make sure radiatior is clear, no blockage. Change antifreeze annually. Keep that engine running cool. Then, someday you can brag about your van having 250,000 miles with no engine repair :-)

-- Paula/TX (pcffour@hotmail.com), April 23, 2002.



My Dad is a mechanic too and even was a NASCAR pit crew boss when I was a kid. We always use Valvoline in our cars.

He hated working on cars that used Pennzoil and blamed that cruddy oil on the mechanical problems of cruddy engines. If we wanted Dad to work on our cars, we were forbidden to use Pennzoil products. I still follow his rules for car maintainance and my engines are good long after the rest of the car falls apart.

-- Laura (Ladybugwrangler@hotmail.com), April 23, 2002.


Alot of the brands come from the same source. I used to think it made a big difference but really it doesn't. For every mechanic who says Pennzoil gunks up an engine, another will say Quaker State does. Overheating an engine will cause any oil to leave deposits and gunk, that's what the main cause of that is. I usually use Valvoline or Pennzoil but even the cheap stuff is fine as long as you're every 3000 miles or so.

-- Dave (multiplierx9@hotmail.com), April 23, 2002.

Having seen the differences inside torn apart engines, I vote for Valvoline. Penzoil is the worst! Valvoline, Valvoline, Valvoline!

-- JoAnn in SD (jnehls@nvc.net), April 23, 2002.

Consumer Reports tested oils a few years ago and said they were all alike, given the same weights. I use whatever is on sale in my van (292,000 miles and counting).

-- Gayle in KY (gayleannesmith@yahoo.com), April 24, 2002.

Thanks everyone!

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), April 24, 2002.


As a heavy equipment and truck mechanic my thoughts are as follows!!! In all my small engins of my own like welders air compressers lawn mowers and my small pick up i use Mobil 1 Synthetic!! In my Trucks and heavy equipment i use Shell Rotella!! In my new Big truck i use Shell rotella Synthetic!! In my 1977 chevy 1 ton truck with 400 thousand miles plus i use the cheap old Wal mart oil!! Oil is only as good as you changing it!! As for filters I only use good ones like OEM !!

-- Grizz workin near D.C. (southerneagle@yahoo.com), April 24, 2002.

Not sure why but my husband will only buy Pennzoil products.

-- chickadee (chickadee@treetops.com), April 24, 2002.

Brand loyalty probably. People get an idea in their head and run with it. Like alot of things, ketchup, laundry detergent, etc the differences are negligible. That's why marketing exists and it works too, otherwise there wouldn't be massive amounts of money in advertising.

There really isn't any difference in the well known brands of organic oil. It's all measured by SAE standards. I was a mechanic for a few years. I still do mechanic work from time to time. Rebuilt quite a few engines. I've never seen Pennzoil or any other oil specifically gunk up and leave deposits. Every brand will do that if you go too long between oil changes, have bad pcv or overheat the engine.

I agree with Grizz on OEM or high quality filters. Some of the cheaper brands make a few multipurpose filters that although they'll fit, they aren't to OEM specs. One that stands out in my mind is for the GM 5.0/5.7. Some of the cheap filters have about 40% less capacity than oem.

-- Dave (multiplierx9@hotmail.com), April 24, 2002.


Hey, Cabin Fever, never knew that - I knew you could, but I always thought it was better to run the old green stuff straight!

-- Christine in OK (cljford@mmcable.com), April 24, 2002.

An antifreeze/water mixture actually has a higher boiling point and lower freezing point than 100% antifreeze. I know Prestone recommends no more than a 70% antifreeze/30% water mixture. I live in Minnesota and use a 60:40 mixture and have never had a freezing problem.

-- Cabin Fever (cabinfever_MN@yahoo.com), April 24, 2002.

It doesn't matter what oil you use as long as you change it frequently and use a good quality filter. Don't listen to nonsense about certain brands causing more problems than others. I have used Pennzoil for over 20 years and have never had one oil related problem with my cars. One of which was an Acura Legend that went 275,000 miles before it was totaled in an accident. Just use an oil with the API starburst symbol. PS - 90% of indy cars use Mobil 1, not valvoline. Indy cars run at over 15k rpms...a bit more harsh that NASCAR.

-- Paul Baker (pnabaker@hotmail.com), May 30, 2002.

I believe regular oil changes are the key. I am, however a Valvoline person. I use the racing Valvoline in my 69 Firebird and the all-climate Valvoline in my everyday vehicles. I've never had a problem but this is probably due to my regular oil changes(3000 miles or three months) Any thoughts on the Napa Motor oil that is supposed to be Valvoline repackaged. I have seen the safety data sheets on the Napa web page that calls this oil Valvoline. Is it really Valvoline. I wouldn't mind buying this "aftermarket" Valvoline for $1.19.

James in Texas

-- James Foster (jamesf408@yahoo.com), June 20, 2002.


Here is an interesting tid bit of information for you. My father in law has a 1994 Chevy Silverado with a 350ci motor. He has been using Valvoline Full Synthetic every 5k since he has owned this vehicle. He had to get the intake gasket replaced and the mechanic told him that he had severe sludge build-up in the engine and recommended that he change his oil more often??? The truck only has 128k miles on it. I thought the great Valvoline Synthetic was supposed to be able to handle these kind of intervals. Stay away from Valvoline...it has higher ash content that most other motor oils. See ed hackett's (more that you ever wanted to know about motor oil) at http://yarchive.net/car/oil_facts1_2.html. Facts don't like, advertising does!

-- Paul (pnabaker@hotmail.com), September 12, 2002.

I agree with people saying that most important thing is to change the oil avery 5000kms. My wife had Mazda with 250,000 km on it and engine never smoked and oil was totaly clean! between changes. She used cheap Valvoline but I believe any averidge priced oil would do the same. Change oil regularly or when it looks dirty. Now I drive diesel and use Castrol because Toyota Dealership told me Valvoline is no good but still asking my self a question does it matter if I change it regularly? Probably not. This is one of these things very hard to proove. Manufactures can tell you anything. How can one prove that bad oil premature warn the engine out? No way to tell. Lot of bogus stuff on the market not only engine oils. I had litle bit leaking steering box in my Hilux so bought LUCAS POWER STEERING STOP LEAK. This stuff blew the gascet out completely the same day I put it in. So BEWARE of this one. Yeah, they give you money back if it don't work, hhehehe but what about my $400 overhaul cost?

-- Lada (coltr@optushome.com.au), September 19, 2002.

Don't have a car, so I don't worry 'bout it.

-- Dan Rivera (Dstrgzr2@aol.com), September 29, 2002.

After reading through all of the claims and hype of the qualities of certain brands of motor oils, I am inclined to lean toward Valvoline, since a survey of top mechanics chose Valvoline for their own cars. Who would know better than the people who actually tear cars apart? However for smaller engines, esp. 4 cylinders, I might go with Castrol or Pennzoil, because I think they tested well with the higher revving engines.

-- Jerry in TN (Jerryd@chartertn.net), October 09, 2002.

My tips based on personal experience:

Synthetic motor oils (like Castrol Syntec and Mobil-1) are overall, superior to conventional petroleum-based brands. They resist burning, stay cleaner longer, and flow better at cold temperatures. I use a magnetic-tip drain plug on my oil pan, and always noticed less metal filings when using Syntec in my engines. Disadvantages: synthetics tend to leak through worn engine seals more aggressively than petroleum oils, and cost a great deal more. Therefore, I recommend using synthetic oils for newer cars, but it's not really worth using in old "beaters".

What weight oil should you use? Go with whatever weight the manufacturer recommends, but consider choosing a different weight oil under the following circumstances:

Low temperature (winter) weather: Use thinner oil (i.e. if your specs call for 10w30, you use 5w30)

High temperature (summer) weather: Use heavier oil (i.e. if your specs cal for 10w30, step up to 10w40)

Worn engine (burns/leaks oil/poor hydrocarbon emissions): Use heavier oil (i.e. if your specs call for 10w30, go up to 10w40 or higher if necessary)

As far as standard petroleum-based oils go, I wouldn't recommend buying a cheap generic store-brand oil (I've never figured out where they ultimately come from), but I think all the reputable brand name motor oils (Valvoline, Pennzoil, Castrol, etc) are perfectly fine.

I also recommend staying away from most oil additives. The only ones that really do any good are:

Marvel Mystery Oil: Thins out the oil, which improves winter performance. Also helps clean the engine. But you could also simply use a thinner oil in the first place.

STP Oil Treatment: A viscosity improver which thickens the oil, and aids in summer performance and helps slow down oil consumption. But you could also simply use a thicker oil in the first place.

-- Logic 3:16 (logic316@technologist.com), October 16, 2002.


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