Amsoil success story

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Originally Posted by hallstevenson
I'd give 90% of the credit there to Subaru and 10% to the oil used


The 2.2L was an incredible Subaru motor for durability.
 
Originally Posted by SubieRubyRoo
So I had the VC gaskets and spark tube seals replaced on my 07 Impreza last week. The guy that did them asked if I knew the red 1989 Legacy wagon that delivers mail (we are all rural routes here, no postal trucks), and I said yes. He said the owner bought it new and has used Amsoil exclusively, and the valve covers have never been off the engine. It's now at 397k. I think it's pretty obvious that a rural carrier route, where about 20% of the roads are still gravel, qualifies as severe service. The only thing that's been done to the engine has been 3 timing belts and water pumps, which is a consumable on these engines. No work on the tranny either, which has used Amsoil ATF.

This is in stark contrast to the 2012-2014 Jeep Patriot he had on his lot, which had a CVT failure. He expressed his concerns with calling the customer, because the cost of a new CVT exceeds the current KBB price of the car!

Bottom line, yes, Amsoil products are pricey, but if you intend on keeping the car for 30 years, it may make sense if it keeps you from buying a new vehicle and/or having significant repairs! Sure, these results are probably achievable with other oils and transmission fluids as well... but most people just don't keep a vehicle long enough to make these observations.


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Originally Posted by StevieC
Worked great for my Santa Fe, Internals were spotless (picture posted here) when the camshaft snapped at 300K miles (535K KM) from a casting defect.

Sorry, you can't attribute that failure to a casting defect after 300k miles. After 300 miles or 3000 miles, sure, but not 300k.
 
Originally Posted by hallstevenson
Originally Posted by StevieC
Worked great for my Santa Fe, Internals were spotless (picture posted here) when the camshaft snapped at 300K miles (535K KM) from a casting defect.

Sorry, you can't attribute that failure to a casting defect after 300k miles. After 300 miles or 3000 miles, sure, but not 300k.


Why not? Especially if it was torn down and inspected.
 
That response made my day! I would be interested in the Mobil1 success story starring Tig1 or any other user of a specific oil. My neighbor uses his Menards rebate money and gets all his QSUD for free. Is that a success story; maybe maybe not.
 
Originally Posted by RazorsEdge
Originally Posted by CT8
It wasn't the Amsoil.

Exactly, We're still driving a Crown Vic 4.6 with over 330,000 miles and we've never used Amsoil ever in this vehicle.

I'm not seeing where this can be directly tributed to Amsoil either. Good maintenance, yes. A particular brand of oil, no way. As was mentioned, there are several good, quality brands of oil out there, that would have serviced that vehicle just as well, for just as long with the same or better results.
 
Originally Posted by StevieC

The shaft broke in between the lobes and broke unevenly so it was definately a casting defect. I mean it is a Hyundai. Not a legendary "can do no wrong" Toyota.
lol.gif



Got pics ?

I love seeing metallurgy on broken stuff
 
Originally Posted by hallstevenson
Originally Posted by StevieC
Worked great for my Santa Fe, Internals were spotless (picture posted here) when the camshaft snapped at 300K miles (535K KM) from a casting defect.

Sorry, you can't attribute that failure to a casting defect after 300k miles. After 300 miles or 3000 miles, sure, but not 300k.

Really? So not from an impact and not at a pressure point and it's not from a casting defect due to impurities in that spot?
Cam was not seized anywhere and yet it broke.... Hmmmmm
 
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Originally Posted by Shannow
Originally Posted by StevieC

The shaft broke in between the lobes and broke unevenly so it was definately a casting defect. I mean it is a Hyundai. Not a legendary "can do no wrong" Toyota.
lol.gif



Got pics ?

I love seeing metallurgy on broken stuff

Unfortunately I don't have a picture of the break itself because of the head it was on and the angle making it hard to see let alone taking a picture. I took a picture of the first valve cover we took off when we were trying to figure out what happened because I couldn't believe how clean the engine internals were.

Very similar to kschachn and his recent valve cover post with M1 after many miles... Proving a quality synthetic changed at a reasonable interval is all you need.

Here is how clean it was though at 535,000km / 300K miles.

[Linked Image]
 
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If it makes you feel better (about using Amsoil ?) that it took 300k miles for a casting defect to show its face, go ahead....
 
Originally Posted by hallstevenson
If it makes you feel better (about using Amsoil ?) that it took 300k miles for a casting defect to show its face, go ahead....

Where did I say that Amsoil prevented it for that long? I only made reference to how clean the engine was and that it was using no oil when it died of this casting defect in the cam. Not that Amsoil made it last this long before happening.
wink.gif
 
Originally Posted by Wolf359
So does that mean this is really a failure story or that anecdotal evidence doesn't prove a theory?


Seems you guys glazed right over the point I was trying to make, since you have never had to deal with a boxer engine. NONE of the engine has been opened. All three of the Subaru's I have bought used, in varying mileage, have needed the VC gaskets and spark plug seals replaced when I bought them. This car that has run Amsoil all its life, and is essentially 30 years old, is still on the original gaskets and seals.

And to the guys that give credit to Subaru, I completely agree; however, Subaru doesn't make gaskets. I'm making the point about this because in 15+ years of owning and researching Subaru's, I can't recall another Subaru going this long without needing seals and gaskets. I know the mechanical parts will easily last 300k on an NA EJ.
 
And to the other guys who are saying any oil could make it 300k, I have no doubt there as well; my dad had a 79 Chevy van that had over 360k when he gave it away... but I haven't personally seen or heard of another oil making it that far without ever cracking the engine open. My dad's Chevy puffed blue smoke for the first 10-15 minutes, used a quart every 1000 miles, and leaked another quart about every month. Making it to 300k and making it to 300k without ever opening the engine from the factory are two different things, IMHO. Both are impressive; one is amazing.
 
Originally Posted by StevieC
Originally Posted by Shannow
Originally Posted by StevieC

The shaft broke in between the lobes and broke unevenly so it was definately a casting defect. I mean it is a Hyundai. Not a legendary "can do no wrong" Toyota.
lol.gif



Got pics ?

I love seeing metallurgy on broken stuff

Unfortunately I don't have a picture of the break itself because of the head it was on and the angle making it hard to see let alone taking a picture. I took a picture of the first valve cover we took off when we were trying to figure out what happened because I couldn't believe how clean the engine internals were.

Very similar to kschachn and his recent valve cover post with M1 after many miles... Proving a quality synthetic changed at a reasonable interval is all you need.

Here is how clean it was though at 535,000km / 300K miles.

[Linked Image]





Stevie, what interval were you going prior to the cam breaking?
 
Originally Posted by SubieRubyRoo
And to the other guys who are saying any oil could make it 300k, I have no doubt there as well; my dad had a 79 Chevy van that had over 360k when he gave it away... but I haven't personally seen or heard of another oil making it that far without ever cracking the engine open. My dad's Chevy puffed blue smoke for the first 10-15 minutes, used a quart every 1000 miles, and leaked another quart about every month. Making it to 300k and making it to 300k without ever opening the engine from the factory are two different things, IMHO. Both are impressive; one is amazing.


My Rav4 engine has only been opened to change the valve cover gaskets and I replaced the oil pan gasket. Not sure if that counts as cracking the engine open. Just boring dino oil every 5000 miles.
 
Leo, yes, at least in this comparison, that's cracking the engine open. Especially since the boxer design seems much more prone to leaking VCs and spark plug tubes compared to an inline engine, IMO. Changing plugs, wires, and filters is essentially all this one has had.

It even shocked me that it's still running the original wheel bearings, until I remembered 2 things: it's essentially been 35mph or less for the majority of its life; and Legacy's use a tapered roller bearing instead of a flat roller bearing. Both of which should help. But I know Amsoil doesn't have anything to do with sealed wheel bearings lasting longer
lol.gif


But seriously, all manufacturer or oil biases aside completely... think of how long 400k miles is in engine hours when you consider the life of a rural mail carrier? At highway speeds for that number of hours, that is surely well over a million miles equivalent, and certainly harder on the components!
 
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