n00bie mixologist...

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Alex Esnaola

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I am currently at the end of the first stage of an ARx treatment on my 168K mile Civic HX. I will be doing the drain and fill tomorrow afternoon, and was contemplating using (2) quarts DELO 400 15W40 with (2) quarts MC 5-20. Using the ST filter. Sound good? Using the DELO for the cleansing properties, although I dont know if it will interfere with the ARx.

Also, just did an air/oil filter and fluids change in my wife's '04 Grand Prix. Used (2) quarts DELO 400 with (4) quarts GC 0W-30. It wasn't the green stuff...kinda gold-ish colored. Used a BOSCH filter. Good move?

I still haven't decided what the elvish elixr will be for the new motor in the Typhoon...open for suggestions...she'll be in the neighborhood of 550-600HP at all four (AWD)...
 
I run a 3:2 mixture of Delo and MC 5-20 in both my modified GTP and V8 Explorer AWD. It ends up a thick 30w. I will be doing a UOA on the GTP in about a month.

The GC combined with the delo makes for a thick oil for the GP. I would either use the GC only or mix the Delo with some MC 5-20 to bring the viscosity down a bit.

-Rob
 
I've never understood mixing of different brands. Why not just buy a quality 30wt so that you don't have to worry about the different additives screwing with each others chemistry. Ever notice that most oil additives other than moly and cleansing agents are garbage. It's because they throw off the balance that a team of Petroleum Engineers and Chemists have put together in a beautiful harmony. Why would you chance f***ing it up? Unless you know something about the actual chemical makeup of each oil and how they would be beneficial to one another, why would you do it?

Unless you are mixing two oils of the same brand, which more than likely would have the same properties, I would not mix. Some people have had good results, but I personally would not go down this uncharted path.
 
Bad move GC wasting.
I'd mix havoline 5-20 if you need to mix delo
to at least keep Tamu_man happy.

I do use the delo /chevron mix for a 10-30 brew.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Alex Esnaola:


Also, just did an air/oil filter and fluids change in my wife's '04 Grand Prix. Used (2) quarts DELO 400 with (4) quarts GC 0W-30. It wasn't the green stuff...kinda gold-ish colored. Used a BOSCH filter. Good move?
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I would be MORE worried on the '04 Grand prix being OVERFILLED than the type of oil? I mean 6 qts. of oil in a car that calls for 4.5 qts, maybe 5 qts. with longer filter.
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quote:
Originally posted by BrianWC:
I guess I should never change brands and weights of oil. Those 2 quarts left in the crankcase are really gonna screw things up.
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The additive package should be running low compared to the new oil being added. This would minimize the interaction.
 
I guess I should never change brands and weights of oil. Those 2 quarts left in the crankcase are really gonna screw things up.
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Oil w/ a low additive pack would be a liability. Besides, that's speculation b/c that would only be the case IF the oil is changed after a long enough interval to actually deplete the additives. What about those folks who drain off M1 after 3k and throw in GC or something? That M1 isn't dead after 3k. Seriously, I just can't help but think we'd see more issues here as much as people jump from oil to oil.
 
Well, it happens quite regularly given the fact that 3k is still espoused by anyone who stands to profit from selling the oil or changing it. Not to mention the thousands of mechanics who tell it to their customers.

And...insulting the people who do it doesn't change that fact.
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Does your owner's manual say to only use one certain brand of oil and to change brands at your own peril? Mine doesn't. I think manufacturers would warn about this if they knew it meant potential impending doom under their warrenty. Mine makes no bones about it if I use the wrong type or even brand of transmission fluid. It says to get to your destination then drain it out. For my last Saab, there was even a flush procedure required when upgrading to the newest transmission fluid.

Why wouldn't manufacturers express the same level of anxiety over mixing oils if they knew their reputation and pocketbook were at stake.
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I want to the cleanest bath tub in town. I think I'll take several different brands of chemicals and throw them in at the same time. It's the same thing to a lesser degree in an engine. It IS just oil, but no one actually knows exactly what chemicals are in each. As such, certain reations could occur if certain mixes are made. I'm not saying this is always the case, but it could happen. I don't purposely mix because of this.

Given that full synthetics typically contain a higher percentage of additives that actually do stuff to prevent wear and decay, as opposed to a higher dose VI improvers, changing synthetics at 3K without some form of merited cause is shear ignorance and I stand behind my previous statement. I believe GC doesn't even have VI's. That means more volume for other good stuff.
 
When cleaning your bathtub, don't mix ammonia and bleach...the chlorine fumes could kill you!
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I just wrote to Castrol, asking them if it is OK to mix their syntec 5-20 with syntec 0-30. I'm guessing they will say it is OK. But, not being a chemist/tribologist, I am concerned about mixing of non-alike brands of oil....probably unwarranted concern, but, I don't know.
 
Two of the same brand oils in the same family SHOULD not have problems mixing, but there is always that chance. I personally would not worry enough to keep myself from doing it.

Is the 0w30 you are using GC? If it is, why mix it? It's the same price as regular syntec and it's far superior. Also, GC differs quite a bit from the other varieties. I'd say it has it's own family. Why ruin a mix that was practically made by the almighty himself (the Germans
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).
 
tamu, I'm not saying whether it's ignorant or not, you seem to be missing the point. The point is it happens very often, given peoples' hesitancy to disobey the 3k oil change rule.

Also, the bathtub chemical analogy is a tad off. It wouldn't be the same as throwing a bunch of different chemicals in. It would be throwing various brands of the same chemical in.
 
tamu, I'm just convinced that a thick 30 weight, (yes, I have the GREEN) is overkill for my Subaru engines. There are people running 5-20's in these engines spec'd for 5-30, and getting fine UOA's. Although I get good MPG, I'd like to squeeze out a little more economy if possible, as well as have better cold startup protection, so I think if it is OK to do, I'd like to thin out that GC a bit. Seems to me the obvious place to look would be Castrol 5-20. I have M1 5-20 on the shelf, but, that seems more risky.

If I mix the GC, it isn't like all the benefits of that fine oil are lost...they are there, just not in full strength...so, maybe I won't go 10000 miles before changing it, but, I have an extra several quarts saved per change, so the benefits can be "spread out" over a longer period of time. That's really a stretch. It probably doesn't matter enough to measure, and the MPG probably won't change enough to measure if I thin it out. I'll probably just use it straight, that way it gets used up quicker, and some of it was made back in 2002!

I am going to keep watching the UOA's of 5-20's on these engines, and I'll probably switch over to 5-20's once I use up my GC.
 
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