Did conventional oil cause an oil leak?

[wtd]

I recently switched to 5W-30 Chevron Supreme after using Mobil 1 for about 44,000 miles in my 98 chevy truck with the 5.7L. I was lubricating the front suspension today when I noticed that oil had run down the back of the oil pan from around the area of the rear main seal. There were no actual drips so the leak is not that bad yet. I have noticed that the engine does not run as smooth when cold as it did with the Mobil 1.

Is the oil to blame or could the increased vibrations when cold have caused it? Truck only has 59,700 miles on it and I would hate to think the rear main seal would be leaking already.

Wayne

 

[harper]

Probably due to bad seal not oil or cold.

 

[road_rascal]

Just wondering- why did you switch?

 

[wtd]

Harper,
Why would the seal start leaking when it never had before? Coincidence I guess.

road rascal,
I switched for a few reasons. I was not happy with the UOA results I was getting using Mobil 1 and this was before I had a coolant leak problem. I was getting loud tapping noises at startup and even when the engine was warmed up which I did not like and lastly, I was getting higher oil consumption then I was happy with.

With the Chevron, I have no engine noise issues and the oil consumption has been less. I have not yet done an UOA on the Chevron so I don't know if that will be better or not.

I felt that I was not getting my money's worth with the Mobil 1 so I switched. I'm still undecided if I will try another brand of synthetic in the future.

Wayne

 

[Flimflam]

quote:

---

Originally posted by wtd:


I switched for a few reasons. I was not happy with the UOA results I was getting using Mobil 1 and this was before I had a coolant leak problem. I was getting loud tapping noises at startup and even when the engine was warmed up which I did not like and lastly, I was getting higher oil consumption then I was happy with......


...... I was not getting my money's worth with the Mobil 1 so I switched.

Wayne

---

You made a good and wise decision. That M*1 sh*t, I never liked it in 1983, I do not like it in its new Supersyn version, and I don't expect to like it in its new "R" incarnation.

A rose by any other name smells as sweet. M*1 in any incarnation: Tri-S, SS, "R," will continue to stink as bad.

 

[47HO]

Conventional oil causing a seal leak? Oh, the horror!

Someone needs to pull this thread ASAP, before another myth is started like with synthetics! Then what will we use?

 

[Robbie Alexander]

quote:

---

Originally posted by 47HO:
Conventional oil causing a seal leak? Oh, the horror!

Someone needs to pull this thread ASAP, before another myth is started like with synthetics! Then what will we use?

---

What?
Same thing happened to me. I had a car run 250K+- and it has SYN in it after the first couple short flushes... Then I changed to Dino, and within a week, oil LEAKS. Waz it just TIME, was it related... Who knows:
BUT, I am big to blame too, a lot of people like to blame the last thing or two they did, and somehow link the two. I think its kinda our nature to fix a blame on something...

 

[Chris B.]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Flimflam:

quote:

---

Originally posted by wtd:


I switched for a few reasons. I was not happy with the UOA results I was getting using Mobil 1 and this was before I had a coolant leak problem. I was getting loud tapping noises at startup and even when the engine was warmed up which I did not like and lastly, I was getting higher oil consumption then I was happy with......


...... I was not getting my money's worth with the Mobil 1 so I switched.

Wayne

---

You made a good and wise decision. That M*1 sh*t, I never liked it in 1983, I do not like it in its new Supersyn version, and I don't expect to like it in its new "R" incarnation.

A rose by any other name smells as sweet. M*1 in any incarnation: Tri-S, SS, "R," will continue to stink as bad.

---

 

[Chris B.]

I use M1 in my 2003 5.3,(the engine that replaced the 5.7 in Chevy trucks) and the engine is quiet, smooth and the UOA are good and getting better! M1 is not sh*t, it just is not be the best oil for WTD's engine.

 

[wtd]

I'm not saying for sure that changing to the Chevron caused a leak but I've only had a conventional oil in the engine for about 3,000 miles and am wondering why I now have an oil leak where I never had one before. I'm not a big believer in coincidences so something had to change to cause the oil to leak all the way down the back of the pan to the bottom of it. The only thing that has changed was the switch to a conventional oil from a synthetic.

Wayne