Pennzoil conventional 10W-30 HM vs Supertech FS 10W-30 HM for RMS weep

[AZjeff]

The '02 Wrangler has had a slight RMS leak since I got it. Not enough to drip onto the ground but will slowly form a wet spot and a hanging drip on the bottom of the bell housing. Been using QS FS 10W-30 non-HM just because it's not dripping. A guy on a Jeep forum adamantly claims Pennzoil conventional HM is the best oil for RMS leaks so decided to try it. Home Depot has it for $23/jug. Put it in and cleaned the oil from the bell housing. At 1000 miles it was about the same. At 2000 miles there was a hint of oil but no hanging drip. At 3000 miles it was dry. Interesting. I do 3k OCIs because it does see some dirt roads and trails and lots of town driving. Just being curious I put in SuperTech FS 10W-30 HM (conventional not on the shelf) and by 1500 miles a drip was back on the bell housing. Now over 2000 into the OCI it looks like it did before the Pennzoil. I'll put Pennzoil back in an see what happens. Yes anecdotal and a sample of 1 blah blah but it did what it did. The rest of the engine is dry so it's not the valve cover gasket or anything else. Never would have believed it. Anyone experience something similar?

 

[JavierH19]

A pretty good result, maybe they just use a touch more polymers than the rest. I'd try out a hm 10w-40 if they have it on my sierra with a slight seep but I've got about 7 gals of 15w-40 already.

 

[Zaedock]

I think I know who you're referring to. I've had good luck with ST, PZ and QS High Mileage products. These are blends now.
The slight drip from changing brands could just be the add pack settling in.

 

[OilStainedNapkin]

have you tried maxlife blend? I’ve heard great things about it

 

[AZjeff]

I'm going back to the Pennzoil next change which BTW I confirmed with Pennzoil is still conventional not a blend.

I don't understand going from dry to a drip again because the add pack is settling in? At some point it will dry up again?

 

[facility1]

Royal Purple HMX,10w-30 may help with your seal problem.

 

[Corollaman]

The only oil I've ever used that helped stop or reduce an oil leak was Maxlife.

 

[Lyman]

I have used Maxlife with great results in the past, and stopped an RMS from dripping almost immediately.

 

[SC Maintenance]

When my Xterra valve covers were leaking a bit, I put some Castrol GTX 5w-30 blend (I think?) and it leaked like a siv. Next OCI it went back to Chevron - just what I had around, and it slowed back down. It kept leaking slowly for at least a year until I got around to the gaskets, but nothing else ever leaked like the Castrol.

Different oils do weird things to different engines. Who knew.

 

[burbguy82]

204 reseal

 

[cheesepuffs2]

I'm going back to the Pennzoil next change which BTW I confirmed with Pennzoil is still conventional not a blend.

It depends on the grade. On 5W-30 for instance you'll see that the bottom of the label states "synthetic blend motor oil" but on 10W-30 it just says "motor oil".

 

[OilStainedNapkin]

When my Xterra valve covers were leaking a bit, I put some Castrol GTX 5w-30 blend (I think?) and it leaked like a siv. Next OCI it went back to Chevron - just what I had around, and it slowed back down. It kept leaking slowly for at least a year until I got around to the gaskets, but nothing else ever leaked like the Castrol.

Different oils do weird things to different engines. Who knew.

Doesn’t Castrol gtx claim to remove sludge? Maybe its cleaning abilities has to do with why it leaked more from an already failing seal? Just speculation

 

[SC Maintenance]

Doesn’t Castrol gtx claim to remove sludge? Maybe its cleaning abilities has to do with why it leaked more from an already failing seal? Just speculation

Maybe, but it was the regular cheap white bottle syn blend, so I don't think it really promised anything?

 

[AZjeff]

It depends on the grade. On 5W-30 for instance you'll see that the bottom of the label states "synthetic blend motor oil" but on 10W-30 it just says "motor oil".

Correct. I contacted Pennzoil specifically about the YB 10w-30 but basically if it doesn't say blend it's conventional.

 

[Aston4]

M1HM stopped my TJ RMS leak, but I'm ditching it soon and going to a highest zinK oil. I'd rather have a leak than a wiped camshaft, and the low viscosity, low zinK oils have been trashing 4.0 cams, cam bearings, oil pressure and lifters everywhere lately.

The 4.0 is designed to leak anyway. Feels wrong to be dry on the bottom.

 

[AZjeff]

and the low viscosity, low zinK oils have been trashing 4.0 cams, cam bearings, oil pressure and lifters everywhere lately.

I'm on one of the more popular TJ forums and not hearing this. Source?

The 4.0 is designed to leak anyway. Feels wrong to be dry on the bottom.

Not acceptable on my nice concrete driveway or garage floor.

 

[thetricky]

M1HM stopped my TJ RMS leak, but I'm ditching it soon and going to a highest zinK oil. I'd rather have a leak than a wiped camshaft, and the low viscosity, low zinK oils have been trashing 4.0 cams, cam bearings, oil pressure and lifters everywhere lately.

The 4.0 is designed to leak anyway. Feels wrong to be dry on the bottom.

If true, this is a design/materials failure. Using a different oil is simply a band-aid.

 

[Chris142]

Check the oil pan bolts closest to the 2 catalytic converters. Those on mine occasionally come loose,I assume from the heat.

The oil will travel and look like a rear main leak.

 

[Zaedock]

M1HM stopped my TJ RMS leak, but I'm ditching it soon and going to a highest zinK oil. I'd rather have a leak than a wiped camshaft, and the low viscosity, low zinK oils have been trashing 4.0 cams, cam bearings, oil pressure and lifters everywhere lately.

I have not heard of any, nor experienced any, cam failures because of current ZDDP levels in modern lubricants.
The current ZDDP limit was introduced with SM in 2004. Jeep cams have been using this level for 20 years.
The valve spring pressure on a stock 4.0L is only 200 PSI.

 

[Zaedock]

I'm going back to the Pennzoil next change which BTW I confirmed with Pennzoil is still conventional not a blend.

PZ HM 10W30

Their website indicates a blend. Either way, it's not going to make any difference.