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I like using boutique oils (Amsoil, HPL, Redline, etc) in my cars for the extended OCI's and cleaning benefits from the Ester/PAO/AN's. What about engines that may take a few years to accumulate enough miles for a traditional OCI? Think of someone's garaged supercar, hot rod, or even grandpa's...

I just topped off my wife's 2016 Mazda CX-5 with a half quart of 5W-30 the other day when it was about 0F out. I pulled the oil bottle out of the garage where it had been -10F just a few hours prior. It poured like Lucas Oil Stabilizer! I vote in <10F warm your car up for a couple or 5...

I just added two bottles to my 2021 GMC Canyon 3.6L (6qt capacity) for the fun of it with Wally World SuperTech. I plan to run it for about 2-3k miles and then switch to HPL. This is after a 6k OCI of Castrol Edge and 1qt of HPL EC30, changing the filter at 2k miles which was very clean. I'm...

My 2021 GMC Canyon with the 8L45 doesn't have a thermostatic bypass valve so all of the fluid goes to the OEM external cooler all the time. Today it was -7F and I let it run for about 5 minutes while I got my stuff together getting ready for work. Even after 45 miles of highway driving the...

I learned on my dads 1981 Chevy K20. Non-hydraulic clutch and a heavy duty 4-speed cast iron transmission with a granny gear. That thing was a leg workout!

@clinebarger Thanks for that info! It sounds like this is an "it is what it is" situation and there is nothing majorly wrong. FYI, Trifecta doesn't touch the TCM...but they do say they manipulate every parameter they can transmission related in the ECM. Many users say it makes the...

In my 2021 GMC Canyon with the 3.6L engine I monitored my oil and coolant temps on the way to work to day. 45 mile commute, 90% highway. It was 11-15F during the commute. Through my Torque Pro app my coolant fluctuated between 172-178F (OEM 180F thermostat). The estimated Oil temp was...

Products like HPL's EC30/EC40 and Rislone's Engine Treatment are not flushes, they are engine cleaners. A flush is a harsh solvent that dissolves gunk/sludge/carbon/whatever as quickly as possible. They typically do not provide lubricity and tend to be nasty volatile chemicals which is why the...

@LDM Thanks for mentioning the TSB....I had forgotten that! Here is the TSB It applies to many GM vehicles with the 8L45 but for the Colorado/Canyon it applies to 2017-2022 models. The name of the TSB is "Harsh 1-2 Shift Upon First Start Up/Shift of the Day Under Light Throttle". GM states...

I'm pretty certain no codes are going to show up. The internet is full of people mentioning the weird 1-2 shift for the first shift of the day, made worse by cold temperatures. The consensus is "this is normal" and "GM forgot how to design transmissions". Transgo, Sonnax and others usually...

@Marcozi I have a bluetooth scan tool and the Torque Pro app. When I scan for codes nothing shows up. I assume it checks more than just ECU codes but I'm not certain. The check engine light has never come on.

@Kira I was going to mention that. I did add a bottle of Lubegard Red to each drain/fill. No change. I've always loved their products. Looking through the Colorado/Canyon owners manuals it looks like 2017 GM spec'd DEXRON-VI, I think that was the year the 8L45 was introduced in these trucks...

Wondering if anyone or @clinebarger knows of a fix or help for the classic 8L45/8L90 1-2 and sometimes 2-3 shift flare (slip) when cold. I've got a 2021 GMC Canyon with the 3.6L engine and 8L45 transmission. I bought it in 2023 with 21k miles on it and it appeared to be in good condition...

Considering the cost of your hobby/passion....oil should be the cheapest thing you need to worry about. I'd be taking the car to the track with fresh racing/track oil (xW-40 or xW-50) and then changing it after the track event to something better for the street. HPL Bad-A$$ racing oil would...

You are barely even getting close to what most would call winter temperatures. 10W-30 is fine or even 5W-30 or 0W-30 if the engine is in great shape. Considering that the engine has 130k+ miles and the maintenance history is unknown I'd consider moving to a 5W-40 or maybe a 0W-40 in the dead...

My father was a mechanic and had his own 4-bay shop he opened in the 1980's. He (and the rest of the guys) did top notch work and he kept the place looking pristine. As he got older and slower he got less motivated to keep the cosmetics up. A bit cluttered and messy....but not grimey. I'd...

Let me first ask....what are the overall goals of this swap? Fun project, mpg's, more power, etc? Or just trying to get the 88 back on the road? The Vortec motor was the last of the Gen-I small block engines. It had slightly better cylinder heads and came with roller lifters and a better...

For whatever reason, on my wife's 2016 Mazda CX-5 the oil filter gasket always sticks to the block when you take the filter off. Every time. No matter how much I clean the block surface, smear fresh oil on the filter gasket, etc. Once I was in a rush and thought the gasket came off with the...

Cost aside... how is the quality of the Amsoil branded filters these days?

I'd also say that the manufacturer has been dropping the ball over the years. Many reports of people wiping the lobes even with proper break in procedure, quality oil and spring pressures. They just don't seem to be as robust as they used to be. Though the cost is much higher for a roller cam...