oil for 04 v6 silverado?

[Digital2k2]

my uncle just got a silverado pickup with the 4.3L V6, and I'm going to be channging the oil.
he doesn't want to use a synthetic as I would if it were my new truck, but he also doesn't feel comfortable with going much over 3k miles on the oil even though he drives 3 to 4k a month 95% on the highway.

with this type of usage what dino oil would all use? manual says either 5w30 or 10w30, but it's in the 20's around here now so I'm thinking 5w30 would be better? any brand that might work better to stick with?

 

[cousincletus]

I use 10W-30 with good results. Williamsburg doesn't really see the temp extremes of the North. Normally when we see highs of around 30 degrees here, up north can see highs of zero. Therefore, I don't really think you need 5W around here. BTW, I had a 4.3 in a '94 Chevy fullsize van and it held up really well.

 

[haley10]

Wow, one oil change a month!!

That's going to keep you busy. Seriously, any good brand will do with this oci and mostly highway miles.

I think he is an ideal candidate for Synthetic or at least to use the GM oil life monitor with a really good conventional oil.

I might take this approach too, if I had a nephew to do it for free.

Basically you probably need to shop for the best volume pricing you can get on a good 10W-30. I'd speculate that Havoline and AC Delco filters would be a lower cost route to go (with quality).

Personally, I'd consider using Mobil 1 10W/30 to at least cut my changes by a half to a third, with the monitor, but he probably won't do that.

 

[TomJones76]

Although I've not seen UOAs on your particular application with this particular oil, if you must go conventional and 3,000 miles, Pennzoil 10W30 or 5W30 both turn in among our best conventional oil results. Havoline as well, like another poster said.

 

[Jeffrey Behr]

quote:

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Originally posted by cousincletus:
Normally when we see highs of around 30 degrees here, up north can see highs of zero.

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Cletus, it's the LOWS that one has to measure against the manufacturer's viscosity-v.-temperature ranges, not the highs. For instance, if the manufacturer says that 0W-30 should be used in temperatures of 0dF. or below and 5W-30 in temperatures above 0dF, and the typical daily temperatures where one lives range from -5dF. to 20dF., you should be using 0W-30 oil, not 5W.

 

[sbc350gearhead]

GM says a 10w30 can be used in that engine above 0 degrees. I still like a 5w30 for the winter around here, although it has only went below 0 once so far this winter.

 

[Digital2k2]

ok I'm probably going to put havoline or castrol 5w30 in it for now with a supertech filter. I could look around in the auto stores to see what type of filters they carry, but it's so much easier to pick up a supertech along with the oil at wal-mart... isn't the next step from a supertech a bosch that's 3 times more expensive and filters 15 microns instead of supertech's 20?

 

[sbc350gearhead]

Just my opinion........but to me.....the next step up from a supertech, is a wix. I think the wix will filter just as well as the bosch, and it has a silicone ADBV valve, which should be a benefit if your filter does not mount straight up.