Confused about OCI's

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OK I'm pretty confused about all the different OCI's people swear by on here. I've seen everything from 2k-20k oci's. I'm Asking what you as the oil guru's that you are what do you think would be the best OCI for my car. A little background
3-4k OCI's all its life driven and maintained by my grandma
never saw over 4k rpms.
122k when I got the car. I changed it right away with GTX and a purolator filter. at about 124k i put in 16oz of MMO. At 125k I changed it with some M1 10w-30(always had this weight) and a purolator filter. Now I am a little more spirited in my driving than she was. I also idle in traffic a good bit. But I keep up with the car very well and the cooling system is perfect so it runs cool. I drive about 250 miles a week. So with the little background info what do you think would be the best OCI for my car?
 
Originally Posted By: gfh77665
Good dino-----------> 5000 OCI
Full Synthetic------> 7500 OCI

Without doing any UOAs, that's probably a safe assumption. A UOA might show that even longer OCI would be doable.
 
i have a Blackstone kit here, should i man up and pay the $25 and get an analysis?
 
Originally Posted By: Ace_Protege
i have a Blackstone kit here, should i man up and pay the $25 and get an analysis?


No. They are not as meaningful as some might think they are, IMHO. Just keep with a simple 5000 (Dino) or 7500 (Full Syn) OCI, and you will be fine!
 
Originally Posted By: Ace_Protege
i have a Blackstone kit here, should i man up and pay the $25 and get an analysis?

If you're planning to go much past 7.5k, then I would do it. Otherwise, no.
 
A proper Blackstone analysis will actually cost you $32 - because you really need to add the TBN test (a critical test was considering extended OCIs).

And in answer to your OCI question (imo) -

Good dino ---> 7500 miles
Full Synth ---> 10000 miles
Full Synth designed for extended OCIs* --->12 to 15k (recommend UOA w/ TBN test for proof of concept).

*Amsoil or M1 Extended Protection or Castrol Edge.

Note - the OEMs (of the vehicles) didn't decide on OCIs over lunch - most are recommending 7.5k miles on dino.

Note 2 - Amsoil, Mobil and Castrol didn't pull their 15k and 25k warranty levels out of a hat - they have brilliant tribologist and petro engineers that study this 40 hours/wk.

Finally - there are other variables that come into play - eg, severe service driving. Case in pt - under normal driving I would've considered M1 0w20 to be easily capable of 12k OCIs. But I just put 11.2k on M1 0w20 in my '06 Mazda 6 (no topoff oil) - the car makes two 8 mile round trips/day to elementary school during the year, and Wally, the grocery store, church and my wife's hobby stores are all approx - 1 mile away. Ie, brutal severe service. The UOA showed that M1 0w20 survived this 11.2k (9 months) of severe service admirably - but that it was pretty much spent at the end of it. IMO, if it'd been mostly hiway miles, M1 0w20 could cake walk thru 14k or so.
 
BTW - that 0w20 is still in my crankcase. Blackstone commented on my sample that the oil will last till the end of summer (that will be one full year). (I did top if off w/ some Mobil 5000 during the sample to test another issue - but that's another story.)
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: gfh77665
Good dino-----------> 5000 OCI
Full Synthetic------> 7500 OCI

Without doing any UOAs, that's probably a safe assumption. A UOA might show that even longer OCI would be doable.
+1
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10,000 mile OCI on M1 5-30EP would be my choice. I've been doing 10,000 mile OCIs on M1 oils for 31 years. Never a failure and very clean engines.
 
Originally Posted By: tig1
10,000 mile OCI on M1 5-30EP would be my choice. I've been doing 10,000 mile OCIs on M1 oils for 31 years. Never a failure and very clean engines.
Can you list all the engines you have done this in, and your driving habits? (I believe you, just more for history)
 
Originally Posted By: StevieC
Originally Posted By: tig1
10,000 mile OCI on M1 5-30EP would be my choice. I've been doing 10,000 mile OCIs on M1 oils for 31 years. Never a failure and very clean engines.
Can you list all the engines you have done this in, and your driving habits? (I believe you, just more for history)
They are all Fords I'd bet... (we already know the oil)
grin2.gif
 
Originally Posted By: StevieC
Bill while, you are here... Did you see my QS Dino thread?
I did. Looks good..
01.gif
(THANKS for POSTING!)
cheers3.gif


But the koolaid folks will never "believe" conventional oil is good for anything.

Only the "best"... The stuff you get what you pay for!
20.gif


Take care, Bill
 
Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah
... But the koolaid folks will never "believe" conventional oil is good for anything. ...


LOL.gif


That's why they are drinking Koolaid, because they spent all their money on Syn!
grin2.gif
(J/K)
 
Originally Posted By: StevieC
Originally Posted By: tig1
10,000 mile OCI on M1 5-30EP would be my choice. I've been doing 10,000 mile OCIs on M1 oils for 31 years. Never a failure and very clean engines.
Can you list all the engines you have done this in, and your driving habits? (I believe you, just more for history)


StevieC,
Started using M1 in 1978 in a new Dodge truck.
Also at that time purchased a 77Chevy Nova V8 till it had 120,000 miles on M1.
In 1985 had a brain fade and bought a 81 Plymouth K Car which was junk and only kept it for 3 months.
Traded it in for a new Escort wagon diesel and and between me and my son (he owned it for some time after me) we put 300,000 miles on it.
Also had a 84 Tempo diesel at the same time and put 140,000 miles on before selling it.
In 1990 bought a 90 Tempo gas and put 145,000 miles on it and sold it to a friend who ran the miles up to 256,000 miles before wrecking it.At this time I bought a 91 Ranger which I put 190,000 miles on it, then gave it to my oldest son which he is still driving. 330,000 miles.
After the Tempo I bought the Mercury I have now(215,000 miles) and a year and a half ago purchased the 07 Focus I also have.
In between all this I owned a 2000 Ranger for 2 years when I needed a truck. Just think all the money spent on cars and trucks. All these on various M1 oils and 10,000 mile OCIs.

My driving habits are what I would consider normal. A lot of trips but also a fair amount of city driving. I'm not a hot rodder but do a few WOT passes from time to time.
 
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Getting back to the topic...you could run 5,000 mile OCI with any of the premium dino offerings (YB, VM, Mobil 5,000). On the topic of UOA's, however, with the mileage that you are looking at you might want to pull one a year just to screen for low level coolant contamination or injector/induction issues. If you want to keep this car for a long time I highly recommend you screen with UOA to keep tabs on the things that can lead to catastrophic failure without large warning signs. Remember that not every coolant leak leads to a milkshake under the cap.
 
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