Leaking with Mobil 1

[Racerjk]

I am using M1 10W30 in my wife's GTP. I have developed leaking around the valve covers. It could possibly be due to leaking gaskets of course, but do the the thicker grades of leak as bad as the 10W30?? Everything I have been warned of about M1 has come true, and I am debating switching.

 

[buster]

Mobil 1 doesn't cause leaks. It's the engine that is the problem. Mobil 1 will expose leaks bc of the detergents in the oil. You need to replace the valve cover gaskets. Or stick with a dino that sludged up real good. The fact that Mobil 1 is causing leaks is a sign of it's cleaning ability.

 

[Alex D]

I agree that M1 does not per se causes leaks, but I can attest that, and this is experience with about five cars and over 200,000 miles of using M1,Mobil 1 will find its way around gaskets and radial seals especially in older cars rather quickly. All of my cars that I switched to M1 late in their life, have within 10,000 miles sprung some sort of a leak or seep. It is just a fact that M1 does find its way around not 100% perfect seals and gaskets rather quickly. Once M1 has caused this, going back to dino has never helped to reduce leakage again.

 

[Amkeer]

You will just have to fix the leaks. How many miles on the vehicle? My 4-Runner developed the leaks too. I found the valve cover bolts hand tight on about 3 or 4 of the 11 bolts. Since the heads and valve covers are aluminum the repeated expansion and contraction eventually compresses the gasket. This of course will make the bolts loose since they are no longer torqued to spec. If you combine that with the cleaning ability of synthetics you get leaks. You can try tightening the bolts to spec. Daily Drives: -2003 Toyota Tacoma PreRunner XtraCab, Impulse Red, Peppy 2.7 Liter 4 Banger, Running Mobil1 Synthetics SS 5W-30. ODO 6400 Miles. -1995 Toyota 4-Runner, Evergreen, 3.0 V6, Running Mobil1 Synthetic SS 10W-30. ODO 82200 Miles. (Switching to GC next)Nope sticking with M1. http://community.webshots.com/user/amkeer

 

[buster]

AmKeer, your Tacoma is very nice! How do you keep the engine so clean? Very sharp truck. I was considering the Tacoma at one time.

 

[Amkeer]

Thanks Buster! The engine gets washed every month or so with garden hose set on the spray, fan, setting. Afterwards the engine is started and warmed up to dry engine then taken on a cruise to completely warm it up. After engine cools spray on your favorite dressing, ie. 303, silicone, etc.. If you do it often it stays nice and clean. I really like the Tacoma. In the pictures you can also see where I replaced my valve cover gasket on the drivers side of the 4-Runner. Unfortunately the picture is a little fuzzy. I need to do the passenger side which involves taking off the intake. The cam cover gaskets need to be done too.

 

[Racerjk]

The Car has 43,000 miles on it. I can smell oil whenever I get out of the car, and there is oil caked up on the cylinder heads right under the valve covers.

 

[Spector]

quote:

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Originally posted by Alex D: I agree that M1 does not per se causes leaks, but I can attest that, and this is experience with about five cars and over 200,000 miles of using M1,Mobil 1 will find its way around gaskets and radial seals especially in older cars rather quickly. All of my cars that I switched to M1 late in their life, have within 10,000 miles sprung some sort of a leak or seep. It is just a fact that M1 does find its way around not 100% perfect seals and gaskets rather quickly. Once M1 has caused this, going back to dino has never helped to reduce leakage again.

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I concur 100%, it has happened every time I switched a used car over to Amsoil as well. Within a year a gasket leak or seal seepage occurs. Three instances for me. For a gasket though a tightening of the bolts usually will halt the leak.

 

[Dr. T]

I will concur that although engine is noisey (oil has poor insulation properties), I have NEVER had an engine leak with M-1. I have with Syntec (5-50 - 1998 formula)& Havoline synthetic (5-40)....but, never with M-1 in about 4 cars I've used it in with varying miles (0-150k mi.). I would monitor the area...M-1 is not causing the leaks. You could see if it improves over time and several intervals or replace the offending/worn gaskets.

 

[Alex D]

Pour some M1 into a used Northstar engine and watch "the rivers flow" I have not seen one Northstar engine to date that did not start to leak within 20K miles on M1. Most start to leak horribly on even on dino juice. There are two areas on the NS engine that are very poor design, the crank seal and the RTV made seal of upper and lower crankcase. 90% of all NS engines develop leaks there. [ December 15, 2003, 10:32 PM: Message edited by: Alex D ]