Highly polar oil for infrequently driven car

[LoneRanger]

I've been running Kendall GT-1 syn blend 5W30 in the Subaru, but thinking of falling back to a standard grp II conventional for better polarity since the car is a garage queen, need an oil film to stay on the internals as much as possible. Probably in a 10W30 for a little less run off from the metal surfaces.

Candidates:

Formula Shell
Mobil Super 5000
Pennzoil conventional
Valvoline (white bottle)

I drive it on weekends and all, but commute in an employer provided car.

 

[johnachak]

I thought the idea of adding syn to make a blend was for better coating as well as heat stability.

 

[dparm]

A car that is driven on weekends doesn't really need a special oil, IMO. Plenty of people in big cities don't drive every day (like me) and we don't do anything different. Heck, I have gone 2-3 weeks without driving my cars and nothing bad has ever come of it, other than batteries getting a bit low.

I'd just keep using the GT-1.

 

[Zaedock]

There is no need to worry about oil polarity. You can run your current oil or a Full Synthetic if you'd like without any issue.

Most of my toys sit outside and may get started/used once a month. I run grp III syn in my trail Jeep and it hasn't been changed in 2.5 years.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

The gap between the pistons will hold the oil due to capillary action; same in the bearings.
As far as a monolayer coating over other surfaces, Some polarity will come from the organo-metallic package added in the blend and other will come from high group (V) di-ester, FAE and AN if they are included in the stock blend - like M1 was in the good ol'e tri-synthetic days

 

[Zaedock]

The cylinder crosshatch will hold the oil.

 

[salv]

Valvoline conventional and Mobil Super have high polarity, many oils with sodium style additive chemistries are highly polar, in part because of the sodium additives and organic ester based friction modifiers instead of metallic friction modifiers.
Group II base oils are also more polar than Groups III or IV.

 

[Hyde244]

Unless you are letting it sit for months at a time - use whatever.

Any of these oils would be more than effective for a weekender.

 

[Lex94]

The sodium-based Mobil Super 5000 would be ideal.

 

[jhellwig]

Every weekend use is not infrequent use. Once every few months is infrequent and even then you will never notice an issue.

 

[artificialist]

If you need to store an engine for months or years, Joe Gibbs makes some oils that have special additives for extended storage.

That in mind, driving once per week is not extended storage.

If your Subaru is turbocharged, I would only use full synthetic in it.

 

[Garak]

Forget the concern about polarity or how a 10w30 might stick better. The main reason to use conventional in your application is that if you're not getting a lot of miles on the oil, you will likely be changing by a time period, and an expensive oil could be a waste of money.

 

[Clevy]

Originally Posted By: Garak
Forget the concern about polarity or how a 10w30 might stick better. The main reason to use conventional in your application is that if you're not getting a lot of miles on the oil, you will likely be changing by a time period, and an expensive oil could be a waste of money.



Well said.