Need Guidance re (hopefully) Non-Synthetic Motor Oil for a '99 Camry L4 (5SFE) Sludge-Prone Engine

[Dave P.]

Keep running the Castrol GTX. Why fix what isn’t broken?

It worked for Irv Gordon and his 3,200,000 mile Volvo.

 

[Patman]

It worked for Irv Gordon and his 3,200,000 mile Volvo.

I personally think that Irv’s Volvo would’ve gone the same distance no matter what oil he used.

 

[Dave P.]

I personally think that Irv’s Volvo would’ve gone the same distance no matter what oil he used.

Then what the heck are we all doing on this forum, endlessly discussing, and dissecting, oils? We send samples for UOA's and VOA's, analyze PDS's and MSDS's. We discuss base oil versus additives. Is pour point still valid or MRV? Which shears out of grade? Which is best for a GDI car? Best oil for the cold? The hot? Short trip oil? Highway oil? Hybrid oil? We drain oil out early just because a new forum darling (Valvoline R&P) hit the market and we have to have the best in our car even when our car is nowhere near deserving of such a magnificent lubricant. Will spending money on HPL cost more or less than off-the-shelf oil? My God man, how could you do this to us, making such a statement? I'm lost....

 

[Patman]

Then what the heck are we all doing on this forum, endlessly discussing, and dissecting, oils? We send samples for UOA's and VOA's, analyze PDS's and MSDS's. We discuss base oil versus additives. Is pour point still valid or MRV? Which shears out of grade? Which is best for a GDI car? Best oil for the cold? The hot? Short trip oil? Highway oil? Hybrid oil? We drain oil out early just because a new forum darling (Valvoline R&P) hit the market and we have to have the best in our car even when our car is nowhere near deserving of such a magnificent lubricant. Will spending money on HPL cost more or less than off-the-shelf oil? My God man, how could you do this to us, making such a statement? I'm lost....

I’m simply saying that because of the bulletproof nature of those older Volvo engines combined with the way that Irv drove his car with such care and the fact that he didn’t do short trips in that car at all. So in his particular situation any decent oil would have gotten the job done for him. I didn’t mean that any oil in any of today’s more modern engines would all have the same results as each other. Now more than ever with direct injection, hybrids, turbos, etc, I think that the oil you choose can make a bigger impact.

 

[kschachn]

You're the first person I've heard say that! OK then! I've been running (at least) semi synthetic in the Camry all the while (thinking it was conventional 'cuz it was not called-out as a semi synthetic) and I've had no seal leaks in the car.

And now I remember all the specifics of the Guzzi (some 31 years ago): FF was Agip Sint 2000 (semi synthetic). Dropped that oil before starting the engine (it was a "boxed-up" brand new '85... and it was Oct '93 when I unboxed it). So, I put in Castrol 20W-50 conventional as the oil I ran in it for a few miles. Then I got to thinking that this (solely) air cooled bike (no oil cooler) ran pretty hot, and that a full synthetic would benefit it. I changed to Mobil1 (10W-50??? if memory serves). Rear main seal leaked a lot. Immediately dropped the Mobil1... and almost instantaneously the seal quit leaking. Like magic... So that informed my opinion... at least with that bike (and its oil seal formulation of the day and with synthetics of the day... at least Mobil1)

Of course I run full synthetic in my '17 Mazda6... 0W-20? if memory serves...

Thank you for clarifying matters.

Search around a bit and you’ll find other threads about this.