5w20 oil for modern V6 with solid valve train??

[bmwtechguy]

Our local Wal-mart has Pennzoil Platinum synthetic for 3.97 a quart or less that $19 fo a 5 quart jug. But I don't remember seeing the 5W-20...so that probably does not help at this point. Try Advance Auto Parts. It's 5.79 a quart there. Regardless, you should not have any problems running a synthetic such as Mobil 1 5W-20 for a full 7500 mile OCI.

It seems you may have made up your mind to run Mobil 1 5W-20 before posting. It also appears you have some sort of prejudice against Amsoil products. Have you ever used any? You could choose to ignore all the overly aggressive and enthusiastic Amsoil dealers out there and get some good advice from Pablo, TeeDub, and others who have lots of valuable Amsoil experience and advice. They contribute a lot to this board.

 

[Rand]

I would do the timing belt at the recommended interval.
My friends hyundai.. which was severely beat on

broke the timing belt at 94,xxx miles. It was over 1100$ and 2 weeks for the repair.. dealer wanted 2800$

 

[1999nick]

I am old and come from the "listen to the valves and when they get noisy it is time to adjust" school. As components in the valve train wear, the clearances (valve lash) increase causing the clicking noise that calls for adjustment. The last car that I bought new with solid lifters was a 1954 Ford V-8. Its valves were adjusted at the 1,000 mile checkup, and they remained quiet and unadjusted until I sold it in 1959 at 140,000 miles. Back then, I used straight 20 weight oil. Back then, it was the usual practice to begin using 30 weight oil when the engine started to burn a little oil, but I never had to use 30 in that engine. I had a 3-speed manual with overdrive.

I, personally, would avoid getting a car with an engine that does not have hydraulic valve lifters. No good reason to design an engine without them. Same with using belts instead of chains to drive the camshafts, and designing engines to have an interference fit, which causes many internal components to be damaged when the belt breaks, or in many cases, when the water pump wears out. In any case, the belts require replacement at regular intervals, and at great cost.

If your engine is specced for 5W20 oil, any name brand 5W20 synthetic blend will do for the recommended OCI for your type of driving.