Most of us BITOGers have oddball quarts of this and that grade/brand of oil on our shelves. It would be nice if we could develop a general formula for which grade/brands types (dino, syn, group III, group IV, etc) mixed together would result in what effective high and low temperature viscosities and other properties. In older vehicles that comsume oil I have often added a different oil to top off what was already in the crankcase. I kind of relied on guesswork but with all the experience here on BITOG, I expect we could come up with some pretty good "ballpark" formulas. Also, are there certain oils with additives that are definitely not compatible with other oils and their respective additives?
Mixing Formulas
- Thread starter Roy Gutfinski
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Rule One: Mix oils from bottles that are from the same mfg, product line and viscosity range and you will have the best possible oil in your engine.
Yes, I agree that the ideal is to use a fill of same brand/type/viscosity range. My point is that we all have oddball quarts in our garages and it is senseless to throw them away if we are not going to buy enough extra quarts of the same item to make a fill. It would be great to have an educated idea of what properties we are going to end up with when mixing.
Triple_Se7en
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I either put the 4-6 odd-ball quarts in an old beater that either sits in my driveway, or I find an old-beater that's in my family and give the quarts away.
I wont put 4-6 brands in my good, newer vehicles. It may hurt a thing - but I won;t do it. I've been fortunate that the last three new vehicles I purchased, it hasn't taken me more than two different oil brands to find the one that keeps the engine clean, quiet and a non-consumer.
I would rather pay full price for my home oil change (if I have to) to ensure continuance of non-consumption oils -- meaning staying with the same brand & viscosity - for as long as it works. Then I usually buy that non-consuming oil in bulk purchases when the product is on sale.
I wont put 4-6 brands in my good, newer vehicles. It may hurt a thing - but I won;t do it. I've been fortunate that the last three new vehicles I purchased, it hasn't taken me more than two different oil brands to find the one that keeps the engine clean, quiet and a non-consumer.
I would rather pay full price for my home oil change (if I have to) to ensure continuance of non-consumption oils -- meaning staying with the same brand & viscosity - for as long as it works. Then I usually buy that non-consuming oil in bulk purchases when the product is on sale.
Just use the odd-ball quarts to top off or for the last fraction qt when you do changes. You're kidding yourself by thinking you will make some magic elixer by mixing. The best oil will one which is properly selected and used straight up.
Well, it's tough to ignore RayH's mad mix of several brands, leftovers from OCIs, stray quart or two, SJ on up to SM.
Gave him the best used oil analysis for a 3 or 4 K OCI he ever got.
Gave him the best used oil analysis for a 3 or 4 K OCI he ever got.
Wasn't there a guy here who emptied the bottom of leftover bottles from his QL job and used that?
Rule two:
Rule one is made to be broken. An M1 Havoline blend is really sweet, as well as Redline to nearly any conventional. Syntec and ST works well also.
I know a guy who puts his odd/outdated/used (read below) motor oil in the fuel tank of his diesel truck, up to a concentration of about 5 percent. I would worry about carbon deposits and all that, but he seems to be having no such problems. His attitude is, "Hey, it burns and it's just that much less I have to buy." In fact, he told me about a company that sells a kit to filter waste oil so you can put that in your tank as well. His is an older mechanically injected GM 6.2L. I threw a coupla quarts of really old Pennzoil 10w30 in the tank of my 6.9L Ford (worrying about sludge and wax buildup of course
) but I wouldn't call that any kind of test. I can think of all sorts of potential benifits and pitfalls to this, but that's why I'm letting him do it for a while first!
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