Oil Basics?

[yankees1]

The more I read about oil[brands,syn vs dino,weights,etc] the more confused I get! After reading all I can about oil and not interested in extended oil drains, I don't really think it matters much which oil I use. If a person is going to change oil every 3000 miles max under normal driving conditions, I don't think there is much difference in which oil I choose[M1, Amsoil,Redline, or even dino].My X father in Law always used the cheapest oil he could buy from Walmart for his new cars. He changed oil/filter every 2000 miles[old days] and drove his cars 100,000 miles and they never used any oil! I love to polish my vette and change oil! I would hate to only change my oil every 6-7000 miles! Couldn't stand it!! I've got to polish it once a month too!

 

[Spector]

Concur, there are many more cars on the road with 200,000 miles on the odometer using dino oil changed every 3000 miles with the least expensive oil and filters they can find then with expensive synthetics..

On the other hand, with a Vette, I would want to keep it around and if you can afford a Vette with the car, ins etc. what is $50-$100 a year more for synthetic oil?

[ December 23, 2002, 08:32 AM: Message edited by: Spector ]

 

[Patman]

Another concern with the Corvette is that the oil you use must pass the GM 4718M test, and no conventional oils pass this test as far as I'm aware of. I also don't think that all store bought synthetics pass either. So you have to be careful if you want to maintain your warranty as well.

 

[yankees1]

quote:

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Originally posted by Patman:
Another concern with the Corvette is that the oil you use must pass the GM 4718M test, and no conventional oils pass this test as far as I'm aware of. I also don't think that all store bought synthetics pass either. So you have to be careful if you want to maintain your warranty as well.

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Check in at Corvette Forum! I see that you are hangin out there now!

 

[Patman]

I've had a username on that board for a few years now, and I pop in from time to time but it's very hard to keep up as that place is so busy.

I posted there yesterday to ask if anyone has oil analysis results they might want to share with us. I'm honestly very surprised that there aren't more people on there doing this.

I'm dying to see an oil analysis on an LS1 engine that has higher mileage, to see if copper ever comes down to normal levels.

 

[Al]

yankees1: Its true that it makes little difference if you change every 3K with almost any oil. But on the other hand changing with a quality syn-or Shffer's Blend and a good filter will do at least as well and also give you a better measure of reserve if you loose cooling or drive in extremely hard conditions. When I was young I loved to change oil and see that dirty stuff (ugg!!) drain out and the clean stuff go in. But appearances in the case of lubrication are deceiving. Also I get tired crawling under the car every 3K, since I maintain 7 cars for extended family. However-to each his own. I understand where you are coming from.

 

[yankees1]

quote:

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Originally posted by Patman:
Another concern with the Corvette is that the oil you use must pass the GM 4718M test, and no conventional oils pass this test as far as I'm aware of. I also don't think that all store bought synthetics pass either. So you have to be careful if you want to maintain your warranty as well.

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I understand about the GM4718M AND I AM NOT GOING TO USE A DINO OIL! I really want to use and justify the using of a high quality oil such as Amsoil,etc but I'm just trying to convince myself that this oil will really benefit my vette in the areas of lubrication, metal wear, cooling, etc vs. using Mobile 1 since I a will change my oil frequently[max 3000 miles]. I e-mailed Amsoil about the API certification [Starburst emblem] also but have not heard back from them yet. Price of the oil is not a factor with me, I just want an oil that over a 3000 mile limit will protect my engine the BEST! And maintain my warranty! If Mobile 1 will do everything Amsoil,Redline,etc will do over 3000 miles then I might as well stick with Mobile 1! Right?

 

[Patman]

Good points. I think that if you're going to stick with a 3k interval (which I think is overkill but it's your choice) then you won't see any difference between those oils you listed.

 

[westex39]

I agree that Mobil 1 every 3K is over kill. But, when you stop and think about it, oil and filters are about the cheapest things you buy for your car. That's cheap insurance in my book.

 

[Patman]

It might be cheap insurance, but 5-6k oil change intervals are just as safe as 3k intervals, and cost you half as much.

When you look at the oil analysis reports on here of many high quality oils at 5 or 6k it is very obvious that the oil is still in perfect shape.

Such as my wife's recent oil analysis sample of Mobil 1 at 5k, with the TBN still at 9 (dropping only from 10), the oxidation at 17% and the viscosity still a rock solid 10.2 (it starts out around there) it shows the oil to be in near perfect shape. And the analysis results also showed no trace of fuel in the oil, or antifreeze and the sulfur and soot were zero. So if I had changed her oil at 3k I wasn't going to be extending the engine's life any further. As a matter of fact, I could easily go further than 5k.

[ December 23, 2002, 11:07 AM: Message edited by: Patman ]

 

[yankees1]

I guess changing my oil frequently is really benefiting ME more then the car! Just gotta do it! My vette has only 330 miles on it and I have polished it 6 times so far[Zaino of course] and gave the leather seats three coats of Lexol conditioner! Understand now?

[ December 23, 2002, 11:14 AM: Message edited by: yankees1 ]

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

Anyone with a new car understands. You don't own it, it owns you!

 

[Patman]

Hehe, I understand the Zaino obsession for sure, I put about 6 coats of Zaino on my 98 Formula in the first 6 months I owned it!

With my current 95 Formula, since I bought it used, I don't have quite the same attachment to it and I only put one coat of Zaino on it this year.

So how about substituting an extra coat of Zaino for that time you would've spent changing the oil?

Or better yet, take that 3k oil out of your Vette and put it into another car, and run it for another 3k!

I remember reading about someone who did something like this. He had a real nice car that would get the fresh oil, then at 3k he'd pull it out and put it in his daily driver. He'd run it another 3k or so, and then drain it out and put it in his really old beater pickup truck he had. Talk about recycling!

 

[slickracer]

Patman, I don't think many people, myself included, do oil analysis because it costs as much as just changing the oil.

 

[yankees1]

quote:

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Originally posted by Patman:
Hehe, I understand the Zaino obsession for sure, I put about 6 coats of Zaino on my 98 Formula in the first 6 months I owned it!

With my current 95 Formula, since I bought it used, I don't have quite the same attachment to it and I only put one coat of Zaino on it this year.

So how about substituting an extra coat of Zaino for that time you would've spent changing the oil?

Or better yet, take that 3k oil out of your Vette and put it into another car, and run it for another 3k!

I remember reading about someone who did something like this. He had a real nice car that would get the fresh oil, then at 3k he'd pull it out and put it in his daily driver. He'd run it another 3k or so, and then drain it out and put it in his really old beater pickup truck he had. Talk about recycling!

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GREAT idea!! That definitely JUSTIFIES me buying the best, most expensive oil!! I will recycle it and put in my Izuzu truck or Ford Taurus car! I knew I would learn something here!! The funny thing is you thinking I'm kidding!

 

[Patman]

quote:

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Originally posted by slickracer:
Patman, I don't think many people, myself included, do oil analysis because it costs as much as just changing the oil.

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True, but I figured that a lot of people with C5s would do it just once at least out of curiosity.

Myself, I find oil analysis a fun hobby of mine now. I truly enjoy getting back my oil analysis results, even knowing that the analysis costs for me are roughly the same cost as an oil change. And hopefully my results can help others with similar cars make decisions of their own too.

Even without doing oil analysis, it's pretty safe to say that 5k intervals with Mobil 1 (or Amsoil or Redline or Schaeffer oil) will provide a very long engine life. My mom's 94 Probe GT is at over 130k now on a 5-6k Mobil 1 recipe, and I'm sure she'll get bored of the car long before it dies on her. And since I've done almost every single one of her oil changes for her, it's a lot easier on me not having to do it every 3k.

I also do oil changes on my sister's car, and if I was changing her oil every 3k I'd be under her car every 6 weeks! No thanks.

 

[Patman]

quote:

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Originally posted by yankees1:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Patman:
Hehe, I understand the Zaino obsession for sure, I put about 6 coats of Zaino on my 98 Formula in the first 6 months I owned it!

With my current 95 Formula, since I bought it used, I don't have quite the same attachment to it and I only put one coat of Zaino on it this year.

So how about substituting an extra coat of Zaino for that time you would've spent changing the oil?

Or better yet, take that 3k oil out of your Vette and put it into another car, and run it for another 3k!

I remember reading about someone who did something like this. He had a real nice car that would get the fresh oil, then at 3k he'd pull it out and put it in his daily driver. He'd run it another 3k or so, and then drain it out and put it in his really old beater pickup truck he had. Talk about recycling!

---

GREAT idea!! That definitely JUSTIFIES me buying the best, most expensive oil!! I will recycle it and put in my Izuzu truck or Ford Taurus car! I knew I would learn something here!! The funny thing is you thinking I'm kidding!

---

It's honestly not a bad idea at all, just be sure to collect the oil in a clean container when you drain it out, and then it's still good for reusing. That Fram SureDrain setup that I have would help you collect the stuff into a clean container too. Just save your jugs that the new oil came in, and collect the oil into that.

 

[Bror Jace]

Yankees, yes, just about any oil is suitable for 3,000 mile intervals … but if you have an high performance car which is going to see load or high RPMs, it’s best to go with something a little better than the really cheap stuff. Either a superior But, if you are set on 3K intervals, I wouldn’t waste time or money looking for a better oil than Mobil 1 SuperSyn. That stuff is probably overkill even at 4K mile changes.

The great thing about frequent oil & filter changes is you flush all the contaminants out with the old oil … acids, salts and abrasive particles. Having said that, I prefer to use a really premium oil like Red Line and extend the interval a bit to help compensate for the higher cost.

I’m another who likes to change my oil. Not a bad way to kill a Saturday morning. I do other garage-related things while the oil is draining so I’m not merely wasting time. What I DON’T like is taking the used oil back. This is a pain and at least once, I had a nasty spill in my car before I got to the reclamation center.

As for oil testing, yes, I do think you’re foolin’ yourself if you think it’s a cost effective way to save money by prolonging oil changes. The cost of the test itself is as much or more than most do-it-yourselfer oil changes. However, occasional testing can verify if an oil is worth using or whether your engine has some other problem … like my car’s head gasket leak.

Doing one test per is a reasonable middle ground. Spend $20-25 to see how things are going … especially with a hot chunk of iron.

Lastly: oil recycling. I do this too. I tend to change the oil out of some power equipment when it’s still in nearly-new condition. Let’s say I get 1.5 quarts, I let this sit for at least a week in a clean container (so any floaters and bits of junk settle on the bottom) and then I’ll pour 1 quart off the top into a clean, empty quart container. This I use to top off some of the oil burnin’ iron we have (or used to have). If I’m not gonna have a sample of my oil tested, I’d even use this stuff in my car if I know I’m within a couple weeks of an oil change. I figure the biggest/worst contaminant in clean used oil is moisture and this should evaporate off the first time the new host engine is brought up to full temperature and kept there for a half hour or so

--- Bror Jace

 

[The_Oz]

quote:

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Originally posted by Patman:
Another concern with the Corvette is that the oil you use must pass the GM 4718M test, and no conventional oils pass this test as far as I'm aware of.

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Patman,

Petro Canada's "Synthetic Performance" (Group III) and "Full Synthetic" (Group IV I think) lineups claim to pass the GM 4718M.

Regards,

Oz