Questions on GC

[afoulk]

Hey guys, I was just browsing around autozone today on my lunch break, and saw that they had the 0w30 Castrol Syntec. I know guys have used this and had great results with it. My questions are, is it actually thicker than most 5w30 synthetics? Looking at the spec sheet on their website, the viscosities at 40*C and 100*C are higher than the 5w30 or even 10w30. Does this mean its thicker, or am I just looking at it wrong? Also, it tends to have a higher count of ZDDP, right? My jeep specs 5w-20 (3.8v6 minivan motor), but I've been experimenting with different oils, trying to clear a lifter tick up. The QS TorquePower I'm using right now seemed to clear it up, but around 2,000miles on the OCI, it started to reappear. Castrol Syntec 5w-20 performed pretty much the same, and Pennzoil Platinum 5w-20 had the tick all the time. I was thinking of trying either the GC, Q.S. Horsepower 10w30, or maybe even Rotella T Synthetic 5w40 next. The tick seems more prevelant when I use the jeep pretty hard and get it good and hot. I hardly even notice it when cold, thats why I thought maybe a little bit thicker oil would help, but afraid that the Rotella T Synthetic 5w40 would be way to thick. I just though the GC would be a nice middle ground, that is if I'm correct about the viscosity of it. Any ideas or thoughts guys?

 

[d00df00d]

It's only in *extreme* cold that GC is thinner than a 5w30 (as indicated by the 0w rating). At most temperatures, it's thicker than most 5w30s.

 

[afoulk]

Ok, thats what I thought. I managed to find one VOA of it (the current formula), and it seems to be pretty descent. Theres 2 current used oil analysis that I found, and it seems to be doing quite well for those guys too. I just wish my local walmart carried it, synthetics are so much cheaper there than at Autozone, but the 'zone is the only place around here that has it.

Anyone else got an opinion?